EXECUTIVE SUMMARY _____________________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. THE APRM PROCESS AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN BURKINA FASO 1.1 During the Inaugural Summit of the African Union (AU) held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Implementation Committee adopted the Declaration on Democracy and Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. In a bid to improve the quality of governance in Africa, the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) of NEPAD, held in Abuja, Nigeria, in March 2003, ratified the Durban Declaration and adopted the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the APRM. After that, the main documents presenting the basic principles, processes and objectives of the APRM were also adopted by the heads of state. These included the APRM Base Document, the document relating to the APRM Organisation and Procedures (O & P Document) and the document on Objectives, Standards, Criteria and Indicators for the APRM (OSCI Document). 1.2 The APRM is a mechanism of self-assessment by Africans for Africans. AU member states may adhere to it voluntarily. The main objective of the process is to ensure that the policies and practices of participating countries conform to the values, codes and standards of political, economic and corporate governance and socioeconomic development (SED) as enshrined in the Declaration on Democracy and Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. Its ultimate aim is to encourage participating countries to adopt policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated subregional and continental economic integration. It hopes to achieve this aim by exchanging experiences and consolidating successful practices. 1.3 So far, 28 AU member countries have voluntarily adhered to the APRM. Adherence means that a member state commits itself to periodic assessments by its peers; to be guided by the APRM instruments; to apply – under its programme of action – good political, economic and corporate governance; and to develop socioeconomically. 1.4 The APRM process comprises five successive phases. They begin with the preparatory phase and end with the fifth phase. During the process, a country report is officially and publicly examined by its main regional and subregional structures. This country report marks the third phase of the APRM process in Burkina Faso. It presents the findings of the Country Review Mission (CRM) in Burkina and the recommendations of the APR Panel. The report is divided into eight chapters. In addition to the executive summary and the first two chapters, which deal with the process of implementation of the APRM in Burkina Faso and the historical context of modern Burkina, the following four 1