African Peer Review Mechanism

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The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a voluntary procedure for the mutual qualitative assessment of governance of African states within the framework of the African Union (AU). The APRM is part of the New Partnership for Africa's Development ( NEPAD ), the AU's socio-economic program. So far, 29 AU member states have joined the APRM. Twelve states have already completed the APRM process.

In the APRM process, African states can self-critically assess their situation and at the same time allow other states to review themselves according to certain criteria ( peer review ). The aim is to accelerate the sustainable development of African countries guaranteed by compliance with good governance criteria.

Above all, the APRM should lead to increased national political effectiveness in the four areas: Democracy and political governance, Economic governance and management, Corporate governance and Socio-economic development.

Institutional structure of the APRM

APRM Forum: The highest decision-making body of the APRM. The heads of state and government of the 26 APRM member states are gathered here.

Panel of Eminent Persons: This body monitors the APRM process and guarantees the integrity and completeness of the report.

APRM Secretariat: The secretariat provides technical, coordinating and administrative infrastructure.

Country Review Team (APRM Team): The team visits and analyzes the country under review and prepares a report accordingly.

APRM process

The APRM takes place in five phases

  1. Information is collected in the national context, which is then published by the respective government in a first report. A first draft of a “National Plan of Action” (NPoA) is then presented to deal with the identified challenges in the four relevant areas.
  2. A team of experts accredited by the APRM Secretariat carries out an analysis of the respective state by involving the various stakeholders.
  3. A report based on the results from phases one and two is presented.
  4. The report will be forwarded to the APRM forum by the APRM Secretariat. Here the report is discussed in detail and finally adopted.
  5. The APRM report for each country is published and made available to regional and continental institutions such as B. the Pan-African Parliament , the African Commission or the Security Council of the African Union (AU).

The APRM is regarded as a decisive instrument for the sustainable development and maintenance of good governance structures on the African continent and is therefore supported as an African reform initiative in the forums of global structural policy.