servants, a commitment to professionalism and a pride in the institution will be the most durable guarantor. The adoption of the Charter is an important milestone in the effort to set minimum standards of professional and ethical behaviour for those providing public service across the continent, including at local, national, regional and continental levels. Article 30 of the Charter provides that it enters into force ―thirty (30) days after the deposit of the instruments of ratification by fifteen (15) Member States.‖ The Charter met this minimum requirement on 23 June 2016 when Burkina Faso deposited its instrument of ratification and entered into force 30 days later, i.e. on 23 July 2016. Sao Tome & Principe is the only country that has so deposited its instrument of ratification, leaving the total number of parties to the Charter at 16. Considering the importance of this Charter for governance in the continent, the reluctance of countries to ratify the African Charter does not send an optimistic message to citizens. At the same time, it is instructive to observe that all but one of the countries that have acceded to the Charter are APRM-participating countries.279 This is one area where the APRM must play a role at two levels: using every opportunity to popularise the Charter and encourage more countries to ratify it, and to include the Charter as one of its ―standards and codes‖ for purposes of APRM review and reporting. The African Charter on Public Service and Administration: an Opportunity the APRM must Seize On 31 January 2011, the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration. The Charter aims to, among others, ensure quality and innovative service delivery that meets the requirements of all users, encourage the efforts of Member States in modernising administration and strengthening capacity for the improvement of public service, encourage citizens and users of Public services to actively and effectively participate in public administration processes, promote the moral values inherent in the activities of Public Service Agents with a view to ensuring transparent service delivery, encourage the harmonisation of policies and procedures related to Public Service and Administration among Member States with the aim of promoting regional and continental integration, promote equality between men and women as well as equality within Public Service and Administration structures, and encourage the exchange of experiences and best practices in order to create a data base of information within the Member States.278 What – or what more – can the APRM do about non-responsive civil service Building capacitated civil services – and through them, states with the capacity to carry out developmental endeavours – has long been a priority for Africa. With the success of Agenda 2063 and SDGs riding significantly on the ability of countries to play such a role, this is more important than ever. The APRM has highlighted the problems confronting civil services. To achieve the above objectives, the Charter is guided by a detailed set of principles outlined in Article 3 thereof, which include:          278 Equality of all users of Public Service and Administration. The prohibition of all forms of discrimination on any basis, including place of origin, race, gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, political opinion, membership in a trade union or any other lawful organization. Impartiality, fairness and due process in the delivery of public services. Continuity of public services under all circumstances. Adaptability of public services to the needs of users. Professionalism and Ethics in Public Service and Administration. Promotion and protection of rights of users and Public Service Agents. Institutionalizing a culture of accountability and integrity and transparency in Public Service and Administration, and Effective, efficient and responsible use of resources. 1. 279 See African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration (31 January 2011) Article 2. 54 A possible value-addition would be to devote more attention to investigating success stories. These exist, although they may represent limited and partial successes – in a department here, or an agency there. These examples need to be put into the public domain for African policy makers. Telling these stories – researching them, writing them up and publicising them – is a task that the proposed Knowledge Hub could fruitfully manage. The countries that have so far ratified the Charter are: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi (the only non-APRMparticipating country on the list), Cameroon, Congo, Côte d‟Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Sao Tome & Principe, Tanzania, and Zambia. See https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/779 8-slafrican_charter_on_the_values_and_princi ples_of_public_service_and_admin.pdf, accessed 26 November 2017.