standards, less poverty and deprivation, and a redistribution of wealth and income in
favour of the poor. The African Union (AU), with its vision of economic integration
across the continent, and its APRM, will surely play an increasingly pivotal role in
bringing about this transformation.
The APRM is a bold and unique African-owned initiative designed to ensure that the
policies and practices of participating countries conform to the agreed political,
economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards enshrined in the
Declaration on Democracy and Political, Economic and Corporate Governance of the
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It aims to set in motion a
strategic reorientation towards the validation of universal as well as African values of
governance, and to accelerate the process of national economic growth and
development, intra-African cooperation and integration. The APRM, therefore, is a
prime mover of the African renaissance and revival, and the centrepiece of the
NEPAD process for the socioeconomic development of Africa.
As an instrument for peer learning and experience-sharing, the APRM should not be
construed as a scorecard of a pass-or-fail nature, or as a new conditionality for donor
assistance. It should rather be viewed as an instrument for improving governance and
building consensus among all stakeholders for development within a state, while
sharing best practices and problem-solving techniques across states.
At this juncture, I would like to thank the government and people of Burkina Faso, as
well as the other countries participating in the APRM, for their demonstration of
determination and commitment that enabled us to arrive at this stage of the
implementation of the mechanism as a whole. I am extending the same gratitude to
my peers in the APR Forum and to the strategic partners of the APRM – the African
Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for
Africa (ECA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional
Bureau for Africa – for their invaluable contribution to the success of the review.
This report owes much to the commitment and dedication of the seven-member APR
Panel of Eminent Persons and the APRM Secretariat. Finally, I thank the team
involved in the preparation of this report, which the indefatigable Mohammed Seghir
Babès and Marie-Angélique Savané led relentlessly and energetically. Indeed, the
members of the team invested their time and effort generously in conducting the
studies and writing this report, which constituted the basis of the peer review of the
‘cradle of African cinema and cultural arts’ – the Republic of Burkina Faso.
His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Chairperson of the APR Forum
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