APRM PEER REVIEW: 10 YEARS OF GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA

This briefing is a concept note for a conference titled "The APRM +10: Reviewing a Decade of Peer Learning and Projecting a Future of Governance in Africa," scheduled for May 17–18, 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event aims to bring together African civil society organisations (CSOs) and governance structures to appraise the first ten years of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and plan for its second decade.

• Established on 9 March 2003 by the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the APRM is a voluntary self-monitoring instrument for African Union (AU) member governments. Its goal is to promote policies and practices that enhance political stability, economic growth, sustainable development, and continental economic integration.
• As of January 2013, 33 countries have voluntarily joined the APRM, including Tunisia and Chad, who signed Memorandums of Understanding on Technical Assessment Missions on 26 January 2013. Of these, 15 countries have completed the self-assessment and peer review process: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Uganda.
• Despite its growth, the APRM is described as having been largely enclosed in a 'black box,' where recommendations from review exercises are often ignored or shelved. A central component of the process, the National Programmes of Action (NPoAs), have been dismissed in several instances, leading to a need for civil society to hold member states accountable for these commitments.
• The APRM faces potential overlap or competition with the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). While 33 countries have joined the APRM, 16 have ratified the Charter. Unlike the voluntary nature of the APRM, the Charter is compulsory once ratified, raising questions about whether the two can coexist or if the APRM can facilitate the Charter's ratification.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2013). APRM PEER REVIEW: 10 YEARS OF GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/APRM_Colloquium_2013_-_CONCEPT_NOTE.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. APRM PEER REVIEW: 10 YEARS OF GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA. 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/APRM_Colloquium_2013_-_CONCEPT_NOTE.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=APRM PEER REVIEW: 10 YEARS OF GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA |date=2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/APRM_Colloquium_2013_-_CONCEPT_NOTE.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2013aprm, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{APRM PEER REVIEW: 10 YEARS OF GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/APRM_Colloquium_2013_-_CONCEPT_NOTE.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }