CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: THE APRM PROCESS AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN BENIN __________________________________________________________________________ Box 1.1: The APRM progress report Widely proclaimed as the jewel in NEPAD’s crown, the APRM is a unique exercise intended to facilitate the exchange of information and best practice between peers. It is based on mutual trust and confidence in the process. It is also a commitment to African governance for Africans and serves as a tool for implementing the codes and standards enshrined in the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance and for achieving socioeconomic development. National ownership and leadership by participating countries are essential for the effectiveness of such a process. This includes leadership as practised in other existing national processes, such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), the MTEF, the National Human Rights Action Plans, strategies for the MDGs, ongoing institutional reforms and other poverty reduction strategies, as well as other relevant governance and socioeconomic development strategies, programmes and projects. Twenty-seven member countries of the AU have thus far voluntarily acceded to the APRM. Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda were the first 15 countries to accede. Benin and Egypt signed the MOU at the AU Extraordinary Summit held in Syrte, Libya, in February 2004. In July 2004, five other countries – Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Tanzania – acceded during the AU Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Later, two more countries – Sudan and Zambia – acceded during the APR Forum Summit in Khartoum, Sudan, in January 2006. São Tomé and Príncipe signed the MOU during the NEPAD Implementation Committee meeting held in Addis Ababa in January 2007, and Djibouti acceded during the Forum Summit held in Accra, Ghana, in July 2007. Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius and Rwanda were the first countries in which reviews were held (in 2004). So far, CRMs have been carried out in six countries: Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria and Benin. Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and Algeria were peerreviewed at the APR Forum Summits in Khartoum, Banjul and Accra. 3. So far, 27 member countries of the AU have voluntarily acceded to the APRM. Accession signifies the commitment of the signatory to be peerreviewed periodically, to be guided by the agreed mechanisms and to commit itself to achieving good political, economic and corporate governance and socioeconomic development in its programme of action. 4. The APRM process comprises five successive phases. They are defined in the APRM Base Document and are described briefly below. 5. Phase One is a preparatory phase, both at the level of the APR Secretariat and at national level. Under the direction of the APR Panel, the secretariat forwards a questionnaire, covering the four focus areas of the APRM, to the country to be reviewed. With the assistance, if necessary, of the APR Secretariat and/or relevant partner institutions, the country uses the questionnaire to conduct a self-assessment exercise. After completing the selfassessment, the country formulates a preliminary programme of action that builds on existing policies, programmes and projects. Both the CSAR and the preliminary programme of action are submitted to the APR Secretariat. At the 33