Peer Review Under Scrutiny

This research paper evaluates the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), highlighting its achievements in promoting governance and self-reflection among African states while warning of current crises regarding transparency, leadership integrity, and the marginalization of civil society.

• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), established in July 2002 at the AU's inaugural Summit in Durban, is a voluntary process where leaders undergo critical self-reflection and peer examination on sensitive governance issues such as human rights, corruption, and elections, with results made public and addressed through a National Programme of Action (NPOA).
• The APRM has seen steady growth and adoption, with 29 of 53 African states voluntarily joining, covering more than 75% of the continent's population. Twelve states—including Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Algeria, South Africa, Benin, Uganda, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, and Lesotho—have completed the first review cycle.
• The APRM's reports have provided accurate governance diagnoses, including predicting ethnic violence following Kenya's 2007 elections and warning of xenophobia in South Africa, though both governments ignored these warnings.
• The APRM is currently facing a crisis of legitimacy and governance, with focal points raising concerns about the transparency and integrity of the selection process for the four new members of the Panel of Eminent Persons. There are also significant institutional failures, including the lack of a CEO since June 2007 and capacity constraints at the Secretariat in Midrand, South Africa.
• Civil society has been largely neglected, ignored, or vilified within the APRM process, despite the fact that most new Panellists come from civil society backgrounds.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2010). Peer Review Under Scrutiny. https://saiia.org.za/research/peer-review-under-scrutiny/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Peer Review Under Scrutiny. 2010. https://saiia.org.za/research/peer-review-under-scrutiny/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Peer Review Under Scrutiny |date=7 February 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/peer-review-under-scrutiny/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2010peer, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Peer Review Under Scrutiny}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/peer-review-under-scrutiny/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }