NPRCWATCH www.ntjwg.org.zw STATEMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE NPRC'S NATIONAL CONVERGENCE The National Convergence and Validation Conference On 9 May 2018, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) convened a National Convergence and Validation Conference at the Rainbow Towers in Harare under the theme, 'Promoting Citizen Participation in Peace Processes.' The objectives of the conference were; to provide space for validation of ndings of the provisional consultation; to facilitate a tighter, well dened peace and reconciliation agenda that is strategic and consistent with the context; and to facilitate the national legitimization, consensus and validation to the process and agenda of the NPRC. The conference was attended by stakeholders from a cross section of the Zimbabwean society. These included government ofcials from the ofce of the Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Parliamentarians from relevant portfolio committees, commissioners from other independent commissions, church leaders, civil society leaders and other interest groups representatives. It is our view that the conference was largely a success. We wish to congratulate the NPRC for pulling off this milestone against a myriad of challenges which we know they are facing and which stakeholders alluded to during the conference. In this statement, we note a few issues of concern noted by stakeholders which we believe the NPRC needs to be alert to as the process moves ahead. Non-Availability of the Report Compromised Public Participation The National Convergence and Validation Conference was the third encounter of the NPRC with the public since its operationalisation in January 2018. These encounters speak to the issues of inclusiveness, public information and participation in the process which we have raised in our Minimum Standards for an Effective NPRC (2014). In Standard 5, we have stated that the NPRC must strive to promote an inclusive national truthseeking and healing process with greater public participation and transparency. “Inclusivity and participation must not be a token but a major priority allowing the NPRC engagements to take a genuinely national character.” (NTJWG, 2014). NTJWG states in the same Standard that meaningful and effective participation requires that information be made available in time and in the form accessible and understandable by stakeholders. This helps to ensure NPRC Watch, Issue 4, May 2018 20