African Union 3.1. Conceptual Framework This thematic area addresses one of the main goals of the APRM, which is the promotion of democracy and good political governance as a basis for the reduction of poverty and the attainment of sustainable development. In this regard, this thematic area measures some of the key requirements for the promotion of a democratic and well governed society. These are: A Guaranteed Framework of Equal Citizen Rights This category of concerns includes issues such as access to justice, respect for the rule of law, the freedoms of expression, association and assembly, as well as the basic economic and social rights to enable citizens to exercise these freedoms effectively. The Promotion of Institutions of Representative and Accountable Government This encompasses the regular organization of free and fair elections as one of the principal means for ensuring popular participation in the constitution of the government and the monitoring of its performance. It also touches on the procedures that are designed to ensure the continuous accountability of officials, elected as well as non-elected, to the public. A Vibrant Civil Society This includes the existence of free and pluralistic media and vibrant civil society organisations. It also touches upon the system of public consultation for encouraging popular participation in the political process, involving marginalised groups in decision-making, eliciting governmental responsiveness to public opinion, and improving public service delivery. Close attention will be paid to the extent to which women, children and other marginalized groups such as internally displaced persons and refugees are integrated into the consultative process. A number of specific objectives” have been developed to guide respondents as they expound on democracy and political governance issues in their countries. These are: Constitutional democracy and the Rule of Law The Separation of powers Prevention and reduction of intra and inter-state conflicts Promotion and protection of civil and political rights. Ensuring accountable, efficient and effective public service delivery at the national and decentralized levels Promotion and protection of the rights of women Promotion and protection of the rights of children and young persons Promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups Additional information and guidelines are provided at the beginning of each objective. Respondents are reminded that the objectives and associated indicators should be interpreted flexibly so as to allow to the respondents to contextualize responses to suit their country contexts. A country‟s background and context should always be given to provide an anchor for the country to allow for domestication of questions where applicable and to guide the assessment of the country. 8