Mechanism to monitor good governance set up

A mechanism designed to monitor and promote good governance in Africa, called the African Observatory on Governance, was established on Wednesday at the end of a three-day conference in Abidjan.

“The Observatory’s task is to develop a composite indicator of governance,” Achi Atsain, president of the West African Economic Association, said at a news conference.

Atsain’s organisation was the main organiser of the conference which focused on good governance and sustainable development which, Ivorian Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan said, “shows that Africa is taking seriously the issue of good governance and democracy”.

Duncan added, “We need to ensure that the observatory is operational, efficient and can be put in place quickly.” He said the Observatory would promote mutual help among African countries and facilitate rational use of all the continent’s resources.

A conference source told IRIN that the mechanics of the Observatory had not yet been worked out but it was likely that the ADB would flesh out some of its ideals.