The African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit adopted the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in Lusaka, Zambia, in July 2001. NEPAD is a strategic policy framework for Africa’s renewal and rebirth. It aims “to eradicate poverty and to place countries, individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development, and at the same time to participate actively in the world economy and body politic”. The fi ve core principles of NEPAD are: good governance; peace, stability and security; sound economic policy making and management; eff ective partnerships; and domestic ownership and leadership.

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is at the epicentre of the NEPAD good governance initiative. The mechanism is a self-monitoring tool voluntarily acceded to by member states of the AU. Its objective is to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices that will lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development, and accelerated regional and economic integration. A lot of goodwill and buyin result from the understanding that the APRM provides an African voice for African problems. Implemented eff ectively, therefore, the APRM has the potential to unleash Africa’s economic and other energies. For this reason, the mechanism is recognised as the most innovative aspect and crown jewel of the NEPAD agenda.

Assessment of governance and development performance, in terms of the APRM, is based on the codes, standards and objectives referred to in the Declaration on Democracy and Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. This document was adopted at the Sixth Summit of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, on 9 March 2003. APRM reviews are conducted under the leadership of the African Peer Review (APR) Panel. They consist of fi ve interrelated stages that are defi ned in the APRM Base Document and discussed in detail in the Guidelines for countries to prepare for and to participate in the APRM.

The APRM is open to all member states of the AU. Thus far, 28 African countries have voluntarily acceded. Of the 28 member countries, six countries have been peer reviewed and are currently implementing their National Programmes of Action (NPoAs). They are Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria and Benin. Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Uganda have recently received a Country Review Mission (CRM) and expect to be peer reviewed in July 2008. Six countries have received a Country Support Mission (CSM). They are Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. The remaining 13 countries have yet to formally launch the APRM process.