2022 Africa and Middle East Regional Meeting

Governance and accountability are critical in building stable and prosperous societies. Failure to prioritize and invest in governance and accountability erodes the social contract. It leads to corrosion of the government’s ability to grow the economy, deliver basic services and ensure freedoms in a way that benefits all citizens. The challenges facing the region, such as COVID-19, insecurity, coups, undemocratic processes and migration, have hastened the need to reprioritize and refocus efforts toward governance and accountability to improve and deliver better lives for citizens. This was more reflected at the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the African Union during the February 2022 Summit.

This panel dialogue unpacks some critical questions. How do we build high levels of political commitment toward governance and accountability? How do governance and accountability affect power, politics and decision-making? Why do countries continue to struggle with protecting freedoms and civic space?