NEPAD/HGSIC-3-2003/APRM/Guideline/O&P 9 March 2003 c. The APR Secretariat organises regional workshops on issues identified in the review reports and facilitate networking and sharing of experience and best practice among participating countries, with the participation of the APR Partner Institutions; and d. The APR Secretariat, Partner Institutions and, possibly, Development Partners continue to support the country with technical assistance and capacity building to ensure the effective achievement of the objectives and targets of its Programme of Action. 8 Financing of the African Peer Review Mechanism 8.1 The APRM base document states that funding for the Mechanism will come from assessed contributions from participating member states (paragraph 26). A business plan for all the operations of the APRM over the first five years will be developed and submitted to the APR Forum for consideration. The budget estimates will be developed based on the assumption that all countries acceding to the process would have to be reviewed during that period. Provision will also be made for other types of reviews requested by countries or anticipated crisis situations. 8.2 The communiqué of the Thirty-fifth Session of the Commission/Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, 21-23 October 2002, included the recognition that the APRM will be implemented ‘with resources to come predominantly from Africa’. 8.3 It is essential, however, that the APRM does not rely on external partners for funding, although such partnerships could be welcomed if they are managed in a way that clearly respects African ownership of the APRM and all its processes. Support from external partners should be sought mainly for the Page 16 of 17