Chapter one: The African Peer Review Mechanism and its implementation in Lesotho The Panel of Eminent Persons (APR Panel) 11. In order to ensure the professionalism and integrity of the whole process, a Panel of Eminent Persons (or the APR Panel) has been set up. Deliberately drawn from all the five subregions of Africa, the APR Panel currently comprises the following: • Professor Adebayo Adedeji from Nigeria – West Africa. • Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat from Kenya – East Africa. • Mrs Graça Machel from Mozambique – Southern Africa. • Professor Mohammed Seghir Babès from Algeria – North Africa. • Mme Domitila Mukantaganzwa from Rwanda – East Africa. • Professor Dorothy Njeuma from Cameroon – Central Africa. The APR Secretariat, strategic partners and the Pool of Experts 12. The APR Secretariat provides administrative and technical support to the APR Panel in the execution of its mandate. Intentionally designed as a lean secretariat, the APRM relies on the support of APRM strategic partners [the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)], as well as on an established database of independent African experts. 1.2 The country review process 13. The APR process entails periodic reviews of the policies and practices of participating states to ascertain the progress being made towards achieving mutually agreed goals and to ascertain compliance with agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards as outlined in the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. 14. Bearing in mind that African countries are at different levels of development, on joining the APRM, a country will be assessed (the base review) and a timetable (programme of action) for effecting progress towards achieving the agreed standards and goals must be drawn up by the state in question, taking into account the particular circumstances of that state. Types of reviews 15. There are four types of reviews: • The first country review (base review), which is carried out within 18 months of a country becoming a member of the APRM process. • Then there is a periodic review that takes place every two to four years. • In addition to these, a member country can, for its own reasons, ask for a review that is not part of the periodically mandated reviews. 21