Summary:
- Botswana joined the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in 2019, but the official process is yet to commence.
- Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Botswana, under the umbrella of the Botswana Council for Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), worked with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) to develop a submission on 12 key governance issues in the country and what to do about them.
- This policy insight explores the key lessons learnt by CSOs in the Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation Project from 2020-2021.
- Important lessons include making the process inclusive, building trust between CSOs and government, adapting to an online working environment and learning from other countries’ experiences.
- CSOs should also work collaboratively, support their arguments with credible evidence and depoliticise the APRM process.
