------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................... ii Map of Benin .............................................................................................................. viii Country fact sheet ......................................................................................................... ix Some economic and financial indicators of Benin ....................................................... xi Abbreviations and acronyms ....................................................................................... xiv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................................... 32 1. INTRODUCTION: THE APRM PROCESS AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN BENIN ................................................................... 32 1.1 The APRM and its implementation ................................................................. 32 1.2 Implementation of the APRM process in Benin .............................................. 35 1.3 The CRM ......................................................................................................... 38 1.4 Activities conducted during the review mission .............................................. 39 1.5 Commitment of the head of state in the APRM process .................................. 42 CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................... 44 2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CURRENT CHALLENGES ...................... 44 2.1 First kingdoms in independent Dahomey ........................................................ 44 2.2 From independent Dahomey to the National Sovereign Conference .............. 46 2.3 The period of the democratic renewal of the 1990s ......................................... 47 2.4 The current dynamic drive and its sluggishness: the strong points and weaknesses of the advent of an emerging Benin ............................................. 50 CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................... 57 3. DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE .................................... 57 3.1 Introduction: the challenges for democracy and political governance ............. 57 3.2 Ratification and implementation of standards and codes ................................ 60 3.3 Assessment of APR objectives ........................................................................ 67 CHAPTER FOUR ...................................................................................................... 129 4. ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT .............................. 129 4.1 Introduction: the challenges for economic governance and management ................................................................................................... 129 4.2 Ratification and implementation of standards and codes .............................. 132 4.3 Assessment of APR objectives ...................................................................... 137 CHAPTER FIVE ....................................................................................................... 179 5. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ................................................................... 179 iv

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