EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The participating countries in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) have committed to subject themselves to regularly submit a progress report on the implementation of the National Programme of Action Programme and the recommendations of the Country Review Report by various stakeholders including the Government. Based on this principle, in 2011, the APRM National Forum started the process of drafting the First Progress Report in the context of the APRM. Notwithstanding the huge challenges that the country has been facing in various areas, Mozambique has been managing to maintain political stability and achieve high economic growth rates, the highest for a country not oil producer in Africa over the last decade and a half. Taking into consideration the issues and recommendations presented in the Country Review Report in each thematic area, the following progress was achieved: Democracy and Political Governance: in an effort to preserve peace, the country has been witnessing meetings between the President of the Republic and the Leader of RENAMO in an attempt to find solutions to most concerning issues tabled by RENAMO in as far as governance is concerned especially on the issue of alleged gradual exclusion of member of RENAMO from the Armed and Defence Forces of Mozambique. Additionally, the country has been making encouraging efforts as to align domestic Law and policies with international codes and standards. As a result, there has been progress in the ratification of legal international codes by the Parliament; in the area of electoral management and administration, Electoral Law underwent a review and a biometric data base was created encompassing about 10 million voters, thus ensuring electronic digital impression for all electoral acts. With regards to the promotion of Human Rights, the country introduced recently the National Commission for Human Rights integrating Government officers, Members of Parliament, Law Barristers and Civil Society representatives. This commission will soon submit its Action Plan. Similarly, the country also introduced an ombudsman with the main function of dealing and making follow-up petitions, grievances and citizen’s complaints in relation to services rendered by State Institutions. On the fighting against Corruption, the Parliament made a very important step with the approval of a Law on Public Integrity in late 2012 in the context of a so called “anti-corruption legislative Package”. Still under this theme, apart from other cases not widely publicized by the media, the country witnessed trials and condemnation by corruption of senior government officials at various levels and institutions. This suggests that impunity is no longer the rule in the country and that the Government is committed to revert the scenario. 8