NEPAD/APRM/Panel3/guidelines/11-2003/Doc8 NEPAD/APRM/Panel2/country /10-2003/Doc 7 commitment of the participating country, and the effectiveness with which the process is managed, including the degree of coordination with existing activities at the country level. 6. While there is no single blueprint for participating in the APRM, however, some general principles and recommended best practices apply. II. Core guiding principles 7. The overall responsibility of the Mechanism is vested with the Committee of Participating Heads of State and Government (APR Forum) [APRM Processes and Organisation Document, paragraph 2.1]. 8. The Panel of Eminent Persons will oversee the conduct of the APRM process, and ensure its integrity [APRM Base Document, paragraph 6]. 9. The APRM Secretariat (APR Secretariat) will provide the secretarial, technical, coordinating and administrative support services for the APRM. 10. The APR process will entail periodic reviews of the policies and practices of participating states to ascertain progress being made towards achieving the mutually agreed goals and compliance with adopted political, economic and corporate governance values, and socio-economic development codes and standards, as outlined in the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance [APRM Base Document, paragraph 15]. 11. As participating countries are at different levels of development on joining the Mechanism, a country will be assessed and a timetable for effective progress towards achieving the agreed standards and goals must be drawn up by the state in question, taking into account the particular circumstances of the country [APRM Base Document, paragraph 17]. 12. National ownership and leadership by the participating country are essential factors underpinning the effectiveness of such a process. This includes leadership in ensuring consistency with existing national efforts, like the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) processes, other national poverty reduction strategies, Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), National Human Rights Action Plans, Millennium Development Goals (MDG) strategies, ongoing institutional reforms, and other relevant governance and socio-economic development strategies, programmes and projects. It also includes efforts by the participating country to address capacity constraints in an integrated manner within all of these activities, as well as facilitating and coordinating the alignment of international support Page 2 of 20