CHAPTER 5 consultations the CRM had with stakeholders. As with the other thematic areas, the CRM raised a number of issues with various stakeholders (Ghanaian authorities, civil society, labour and the private business community) at both the national and regional levels, motivated by issues contained in the Background Report and the CSAR. The recommendations of the Panel on major governance issues are presented in the light of the findings. 18. In addition to the status of implementation of the prescribed standards and codes, Ghana's self-assessment in the thematic area of socio-economic development has addressed issues related to six objectives, namely to: ? ? ? ? ? ? Promote self-reliance in, and build capacity for self-sustaining development; Accelerate socio-economic objectives to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication; Strengthen policies, delivery mechanisms and outputs in key social development areas, including education and combating HIV/Aids and other communicable diseases; Ensure affordable access to water, sanitation, energy, finance (including microfinance), markets, information and communications technology, and shelter and land to all citizens, especially the rural poor; Progress towards gender equality in all critical areas of concern, including equal access to education for girls at all levels; and Encourage broad-based participation in development by all stakeholders at all levels. 19. In what follows, we review developments on the performance of the standards and codes and the objectives. 5.2 Implementation of standards and codes i. Self-assessment 20. Ghana has made remarkable progress in complying with the codes and standards enumerated in the socio-economic development objectives of the APRM. Six of these ten standards and codes have been fully ratified. These include: ? 120 NEPAD Framework Document (March, 2003);