Akure — The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has announced its decision not award the Ibrahim Prize to any winner this year. The Foundation, in a statement, said its Prize Committee had considered some credible candidates, but after an in-depth review, could not select a winner.
However, the board of the Foundation said the planned events in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 14 and 15 November 2009 would go ahead.
According to the statement, "The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is committed to supporting great African leadership that will improve the economic and social prospects of the people of Africa. The Foundation's focus is the promotion of good governance in Africa and the recognition of excellence in African leadership.
"The Prize Committee welcomed the progress made on governance in some African countries while noting with concern recent setbacks in other countries. This year the Prize Committee has considered some credible candidates. However, after in-depth review, the Prize Committee could not select a winner."
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The committee is chaired by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Other members are former President of Finland and Nobel Laureate, Martti Ahtisaari; former Minister of Education in Guinea and Director of Basic Education at UNESCO, Aïcha Bah Diallo; Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nobel Laureate, Mohamed el-Baradei; Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, and former Minister of Education and Culture in Mozambique, Graça Machel; former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (and Board member of the Foundation), Mary Robinson; former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity and former Prime Minister of Tanzania (and Board member of the Foundation), Salim Ahmed Salim.
Founder of the Foundation, Mo Ibrahim, said: "The Prize Committee is independent of the Board. It is the Prize Committee's decision not to award a prize this year and we entirely respect it. We made clear at the launch of the Foundation that there may be years when there is no winner.
"This Foundation was established to stimulate debate around, and improve the quality of African governance. Although there is much focus on the prize, the Foundation is engaged in many other activities to help improve governance. Central to these is the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which the Foundation published earlier this month, which gives powerful information to all citizens about the performance of their countries."
The board said the Dar es Salaam, Tanzania events would include a discussion forum that would bring together stakeholders to discuss issues that are key to Africa's future progress.
Mo Ibrahim said of the forum: "At a time when we are seeing overall progress in Africa, despite worrying setbacks in some countries, it is vital that African stakeholders and institutions come together to look for a way forward on the major challenges facing the African continent. I look forward to the discussions around this urgent African agenda."
The forum will include the following sessions: Climate change and climate justice chaired by Festus Mogae, who is one of UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon's four special envoys on climate change.
The previous winners of the Ibrahim Prize are former President of Botswana, Mogae; his Mozambican and South African counterparts, Joaquim Chissano; and Nelson Mandela, who was made an Honorary Laureate in recognition of his extraordinary leadership qualities and achievements.
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