appointment of a Panel of Eminent Persons, the setting up of an APRM Secretariat and the provision of supporting services from NEPAD, strategic partners and special consultants and advisers. 4. The Sixth Summit of the HSGIC of NEPAD was held in Abuja, Nigeria, in March 2003, where the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the APRM was adopted. Members of the Panel were appointed in May 2003 and commenced work after an inaugural meeting in Cape Town, in June 2003. 5. Six years on, the APRM is now widely heralded as the jewel in NEPAD’s crown and an innovative initiative for governance in Africa. The instrument is voluntarily acceded to by member states of the AU for self-evaluation. Assessment under the APRM is conducted within a framework of agreed values, codes and standards, as contained in the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. 6. The APRM has at its fulcrum the deepening of democratic practices, the strengthening of achievements, dissemination of best practices and rectification of underlying deficiencies in governance and socioeconomic development processes among AU member states. The framework is aimed at encouraging and building transformational leadership through a self-assessment process, constructive peer dialogue, and the sharing of information and common experiences. Its objective is to reinforce successful and exemplary practices among African countries. 7. The APRM is unprecedented both in scope and mandate. It assesses a country’s performance in four substantive thematic areas: • Democracy and Political Governance; • Economic Governance and Management; • Corporate Governance; and • Socioeconomic Development. 8. The implementation of the APRM over the years, albeit uneven in member countries, has generated valuable experiences in, and lessons on, the challenge of governance in Africa. It is making it possible for countries to benchmark good governance on the continent, with shared African and international norms and standards serving as the guiding framework, and citizen participation in the evaluation of how they are governed. Through the APRM, African countries are able to learn from each other and further deepen African solidarity. Capacity in monitoring governance is being developed and partnerships created, facilitating greater advocacy for the APRM and showcasing Africa’s innovative thinking in governance. 9. Notwithstanding its monumental achievement in the area of Africa’s governance, there are perceived obstacles that are receiving attention. The expecta- 42 A P R M COU N T RY R EV IEW R EP ORT NO. 11