CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: THE APRM PROCESS AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN BENIN __________________________________________________________________________ report by the APRM, together with the programme of action finalised by the country. 11. Phase Four begins when the CRM’s final report and the country’s final programme of action are sent to the APR Secretariat and the APR Panel. The panel then submits these to the APR Forum of participating heads of state and to the government under review for consideration and for the formulation of actions deemed necessary in accordance with the forum’s mandate. If the country shows a willingness to rectify the identified shortcomings, participating governments should provide whatever assistance they can and urge donor governments and agencies to assist the country under review. 12. Phase Five is the final phase of the APRM process. Six months after the report has been considered by the heads of state and government of the participating member countries, the report is formally and publicly tabled in key regional and subregional structures. These include the regional economic community to which the country belongs, the Pan-African Parliament, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Peace and Security Council, and the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the AU. 13. The timeline for these processes may vary considerably depending on the country and its specific characteristics. The anticipated duration of each peer review from Phase One to the end of Phase Four is between six and nine months. 14. This report marks the third phase of the APRM process in Benin. It presents the findings of the CRM to Benin, as well as the panel’s recommendations. 1.2 Implementation of the APRM process in Benin 15. Benin signed the MOU on 31 March 2004, indicating to its people and the international community that its political leaders were committed to observing the principles of democracy, socioeconomic development and good political, economic and corporate governance through periodic reviews by its African peers. 16. After acceding to the APRM, President Mathieu Kérékou immediately designated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration to be the APR Focal Point. It then established an independent national commission for the implementation of the APRM. This was officially launched on 11 November 2005 and was supervised by a representative from civil society. The INCI-APRM in Benin comprises 97 members, including 27 from public authorities (government, Parliament and the judiciary), 13 from the private sector (employers’ associations and independent economic operators) and 57 from civil society. 17. The mission of the INCI-APRM in Benin is to: 35