NEPAD and the APRM Initiative

NEPAD, the official strategic policy framework adopted by the African Union (AU) at its inaugural summit in South Africa in 2001, is attributed in large measure to the joint efforts of three African leaders namely Thabo Mbeki, the South African President; Olusegun Obasanjo, the Nigerian President and Senegalese President Abdulaye Wade. This continental initiative is meant to encourage a common and cohesive development vision for African states.

NEPAD has been represented in many ways to different actors, but it remains essentially a policy framework and "roadmap" on how to advance African economic, social and political development. One of the biggest tensions which exists within the African development context is balancing internationally accepted good governance practices with the development policies that take into account the unique challenges and circumstances of the African context. NEPAD addresses this tension through the APRM, a mechanism whose purpose is to facilitate a contextual assessment of a state's institutions. It aims at improving the state's institutions and governance practices through shared experiences.

The APRM is not intended to be a governance watchdog, or a governance ratings agency. Rather, the purpose of the APRM is to encourage engagement between the government and civil society of a country, as well as engagement with other like-minded African states, committed to improving their institutions and governance practices. The APRM can only be successful if the process is voluntary and largely non-antagonistic, hence the voluntary nature of the mechanism. States must indicate a firm commitment to enhancing their governance practices by voluntarily submitting to periodic country reviews by their peers.

Official web sites

NEPAD: [www] http://www.nepad.org/
APRM: [www] http://www.nepad.org/aprm/