Tendai Keith Guvamombe
In a landmark address to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the European Parliament (EP) in Midrand, Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), issued a powerful call to action for a recalibrated partnership between Africa and Europe.
Stressing that the global context has fundamentally changed, the Ambassador urged the EU to deepen its cooperation with African governance institutions, leveraging the APRM’s role in promoting accountability and democratic values across the continent.
She highlighted the APRM’s foundation, which was itself inspired by the EU’s acquis Communautaire, underscoring a shared commitment to accumulated laws and norms.
The core of her message was a demand for mutual respect and an emphasis on aligning the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy directly with Africa’s own priorities.
The APRM’s recent 2025 Africa Governance Report on Natural Resources Governance was cited to expose a painful paradox: Africa holds immense wealth—from a $405 billion blue economy to 30% of the world’s critical minerals—yet only 10-15% of the value derived from these resources is retained on the continent.
This statistic is a “stark reminder of historical patterns of exclusion,” she stated, echoing Walter Rodney’s warning about Africans dancing to music played in Paris and New York.
The goal must be beneficiation, industrialisation, and job creation to end the tragedy of young Africans risking their lives on the Mediterranean.
Ambassador Rose-Quatre outlined key priorities for enhanced partnership: ensuring Global Gateway investments meet African development goals, institutionalising shared learning and mutual accountability, and supporting the establishment of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) to secure fair and credible credit assessments.
She concluded by reaffirming the APRM’s mandate to advance transparency and human rights, insisting that increased cooperation must be founded on a partnership of equals for the ultimate upliftment of African people, thereby building The Africa We Want.
