East African Business Week

ARUSHA, TANZANIA - A multi-sectoral meeting of the East African Community (EAC) ministers responsible for good governance was recently held in Zanzibar to review the final draft of EAC Protocol on Good Governance.
EAC deputy secretary general in charge of political federation Beatrice Kiraso said the draft is due to be presented to the EAC Council of Ministers next month for consideration at a meeting in Zanzibar.
In August 2009 experts convened to incorporate comments from stakeholders including chief justices, national parliamentary committees, civil society organizations and national institutions of governance such as human rights commissions, electoral commissions, anti-corruption agencies, among others whose inputs resulted into developing the first draft protocol.
Ms Kiraso said the draft protocol is in line with the fundamental principles stipulated in the EAC Treaty under Article 6(d) which emphasizes good governance, including adherence to the rule of law, accountability, transparency, respect for human rights and equal opportunities.
"To make it comprehensive, the protocol is also addressing issues of economic and corporate governance," she added.
"The Protocol is crucial especially in view of the deepening and widening of EAC regional integration," she said, adding that good governance is a cornerstone of the regional integration because it guarantees internal security and stability through accountability and to a large extent supports economic integration. She said that if the East African region was to see lesser conflicts, it has to embrace and address issues of good governance seriously and attain the vision of a secure, peaceful and politically united East Africa.
"The draft EAC Protocol on Good Governance is envisaged to be presented to the EAC Heads of Summit scheduled for November this year," she concluded in a statement issued last week.