The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by the member states of the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

(AU) as a self-monitoring mechanism. The APRM was launched on 9 March 2003 by the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) in Abuja, Nigeria (NEPAD/HSGIC/03-2003/APRM/MOU (9 March 2003), Assembly Decision 198 (XI), Decision 527 (XXIII) and Decision Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1-4(XI); The APRM is an African-owned and African-led platform for self-assessment, peer-learning, and experience-sharing in democracy and good governance, in full respect for democratic principles, human rights, rule of law, the acceleration of political, social and economic integration in Africa;

The Mandate

The mandate of the APRM is to encourage conformity with regards to

political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

, economic and

corporate governance Corporate governance refers to the mechanisms, processes, practices, and relations by which corporations are controlled and operated by their boards of directors, managers, shareholders, and stakeholders. Definitions "Corporate governance" may ...

values, codes and standards, among African countries and the objectives in

socio-economic Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analys ...

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development (music), the process by which thematic material is reshaped * Photographic development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting * Development hell, when a proje ...

as well as to ensure monitoring and evaluation of AU

Agenda 2063 Agenda 2063 is a set of initiatives proposed and currently under implementation by the African Union. It was adopted on 31 January 2015 at the 24th Ordinary Assembly of the Heads of State and Governments of the African Union in Addis Ababa. The ca ...

and SDGs 2030. APRM CEO with Staff of the APRM

The mandate of the APRM is to ensure that policies and practices of participating Member States conform to the agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards contained in the African Union Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. As a voluntary self-monitoring instrument, APRM fosters the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated regional and continental economic integration through sharing of experiences and best practices, including identifying deficiencies and assessing the needs for capacity building.

Expanded Mandate

In 2018, during the 28th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, the APR Forum of Heads of State and Government decided to extend the APRM's mandate. This expansion includes the tracking and oversight of key governance initiatives across the continent. Furthermore, the AU Assembly expanded the APRM's responsibilities to encompass monitoring the implementation of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of Agenda 2030. This broadened mandate aims to enhance the APRM's role in promoting governance, development, and accountability in African nations. * Tracking governance-related aspects of

and UN

SDGs The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

2030 * Biennial Africa Governance Report completed in AGR2019
AGR2021AGR2023 on UCG
AGR2025 (tbc) * National Governance Reporting * Support t
Member States in the area of International Credit Rating Agencies

Africa's self-assessment for good governance

Member countries within the APRM undertake self-monitoring in all aspects of their governance and socio-economic development. African Union (AU) stakeholders participate in the self-assessment of all branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – as well as the private sector,

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.. The report is then made publicly available.

The second generation review

The objective of the APRM Second Generation Review is to assess progress made in Governance and Socio-economic Development in Member States in the period since the Base Review. The specific objectives are to: * reinvigorate, rationalize and institutionalize the APRM in governance reforms within a Member States. * appraise to what extent the National Programme of Action (NPoA) is implemented and its continued relevance, on the basis of which a new NPOA with a few key actions will be proposed; * facilitate the development of a second NPOA with greater focus and based only on key actions; and *make the APRM Review process more relevant to citizens' needs, more cost-effective and in tune with the Agenda 2063 priorities and goals.

What happens after the country review

The National Programme of Action (NPoA) is divided into short-term, medium-term and long-term goals and is continuously monitored by the National Governance Commission/Governing Council, or a smaller body of state and non-state representatives. Progress Reports on implementation are presented annually to the APR Forum. The APR Secretariat follows up on commitments made, holds regional workshops to share best practices identified in the reviews, and offers technical support to fulfill APRM plans.

APRM Structures

APR FORUM

(Committee of Participating Heads of State and Government) Highest decision-making authority. APR PANEL (Panel of Eminent Persons) Oversees the review process to ensure its independence, professionalism and credibility, and reports to the Forum. The APR Panel is also responsible for selecting and appointing and the Review Teams. COMMITTEE OF FOCAL POINTS Committee of representatives of Heads of State and Government Manages the budgetary process, resource mobilisation through Member States, Strategic and Development Partners, and the APRM Trust Fund and Audit. National Governing Council (NGC) The National Governance Commission/National Governing Council (NGC) is the body that oversees implementation of the APRM process at the Member State level. In addition to providing guidance in terms of policy direction, the NGC ensures professionalism, credibility and independence of the national APRM self-assessment and review processes. The NGC is composed of key stakeholder groups from government, civil society and the private sector, in line with the APRM principle of broad-based participation. CEO Amb

Management of the APRM Continental Secretariat The APRM Secretariat is currently managed by H.E. Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The continental structure works in collaboration with the National Focal Points and the National Commissions / National Governing Councils. APRM SECRETARIAT Provides technical, coordinating and administrative support services. It must have sufficient capacity for the analytical work that underpins the peer review process.

Membership of the APRM

Membership of the APRM is voluntary and open to all African Union (AU) countries. Accession begins with an expression of interest in membership followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the country and the APR Forum. As of 2024, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) comprises 44 member states, with the Central African Republic (CAR) acceding during the 33rd APR Forum on February 6, 2024. Among these members, 26 countries have completed their first-generation peer reviews, 5 have undergone second-generation reviews, and 12 have participated in targeted peer reviews.

Strategic Partners

The APRM has entered into special support agreements with partner institutions designated by the Forum as Strategic Partners. These are: African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Development Bank ( AfDB); Mo Ibrahim Foundation; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (

UNECA The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA or ECA; , CEA) was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its member states (the nations of the Africa, African contin ...

); Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (OSAA); United Nations Development Programme (

UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

) Regional Bureau for Africa.

Bibliography

APRM documents

APRM Base document
The APRM base document
Memorandum of Understanding on the APRM
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Guidelines
Guidelines for Countries to prepare for and participate in the APRM
Organisation and Processes
Organisation and Processes
The objectives, standards, criteria and indicators for the APRM
Retrieved 27 May 2006.
The Africa Governance Report 2019

Critiques and studies of the APRM process