NEPAD/APRM/Panel3/guidelines/11-2003/Doc8 NEPAD/APRM/Panel2/country /10-2003/Doc with government officials, political parties, parliamentarians, and representatives of civil society organisations (including the media, academia, trade unions, business and professional bodies) [APRM Base Document, Paragraph 19]. 45. VI. The APR Country Review visit will serve the following purposes: a. Assess to what extent the country implemented participatory processes that met the expectations of all stakeholders; b. Provide an opportunity for the APRM Team to interact with the key stakeholders in the country and to brief them on the APRM processes, spirit and guiding principles; c. Give an opportunity for the APRM Team to discuss the Issues Paper the APR Secretariat has developed, to verify the background information it used, and to gain an insight into the perspectives of the various stakeholders; d. Allow discussion on the draft Programme of Action that the country has drawn up to improve their governance and socioeconomic development, to provide positive reinforcement for the sound aspects and to address identified weaknesses and shortcomings in the various areas of governance and development; and e. Serve to build consensus with the stakeholders on the remaining issues or challenge areas and the steps that need to be taken to address them. The Role of international partners 46. International partners, including donors, can play an important role in supporting the National Programme of Action. It is therefore foreseen that the participating countries will actively engage international partners in support of their involvement in the peer review process. This may include technical assistance and capacity building. In addition, the NEPAD Secretariat will set up a mechanism to mobilise resources from external partners, if necessary, to help the country improve its performance and achieve the objectives of its National Programme of Action. Page 16 of 20