CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: THE APRM PROCESS AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN BENIN __________________________________________________________________________ of the consulates and international organisations, traditional leaders, civil society, the private sector, and the entire APRM delegation. 36. The mission conducted its work in several stages. The first stage was in Cotonou, the economic capital and a major city in Benin, where most government departments and diplomatic missions are located. The second stage was in the departments, where the mission visited all six departmental prefectures. The third stage was in Porto-Novo, the administrative capital of Benin, and home to the National Assembly and the Mediator of the Republic. 37. In Cotonou, the mission first met with the APR Focal Point and the INCIAPRM to discuss the self-assessment report. Then, during the first three days, it met with all stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, first in a plenary session and then in working groups. The mission subsequently met with all the presidents of institutions of the republic: the Constitutional Court, the High Court of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Economic and Social Council (CES), and the National Audiovisual and Communication Authority (HAAC). The mission also met with a total of 22 ministers and their close collaborators. 38. The mission met several civil society organisations, including the League of Associations for the Protection of Human Rights, the Bar Association, and the anti-corruption watchdog OLC. Within the same framework, the mission organised a women’s forum, a youth forum, a forum for executives and intellectuals, and a media forum. The mission finally held thematic meetings with several groups including the CCIB, the National Employers’ Council, the National Council of Private Investors, the National Employers’ Organisation, the National Federation of Artisans, the Association of Young Entrepreneurs, the Association of Women Entrepreneurs, the Association of Exporters, the Association of Banks and several financial institutions, including the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). 39. During the second stage the review team visited departments in the north, the centre and the south of the country. It met with all stakeholders, first in a plenary session, then in working groups and then again in a plenary session to present and validate the reports of the working groups. Wherever it went the mission observed, with great satisfaction, that the population had responded enthusiastically to the invitation of the APRM and had met the expectations of the evaluators: the people had analysed the situation well and in an articulate manner. 40. The third and final stage took the mission to Porto-Novo, where it had the opportunity to interact at length with the Bureau of the National Assembly and presidents of the various parliamentary committees. On this occasion, the members of Parliament (MPs) informed the CRM about some difficult and complex issues like full multiparty politics, corruption, the functioning of institutions and separation of powers, as well as crosscutting issues such as gender inequality, the land issue, and so on. Later the same day the mission had discussions with the Mediator of the Republic, a newly created institution 40