The African Peer Review Mechanism: Assessing Origins, Institutional Relations and Achievements

This research paper by Steven Gruzd of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), examining its institutional origins, its relationship with the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), and its achievements in promoting good governance across Africa.

• The APRM emerged as part of a generational shift in African governance, evolving from the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), which was itself subsumed into the African Union (AU) as its economic blueprint. While the AU and Nepad are more all-inclusive, the APRM maintains a voluntary character for its member states.
• As of June 2008, 29 African states had voluntarily acceded to the APRM, representing more than three-quarters of the continent's population. Nine signatory states—Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Algeria, South Africa, Benin, Uganda, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso—had completed their initial reviews and discussed them in the Forum.
• The APRM has demonstrated significant diagnostic capabilities by identifying governance issues before they escalated into crises, such as the ethnic violence in Kenya after December 2007 and xenophobic attacks in South Africa in May 2008. However, the mechanism lacks the power to enforce the solutions it recommends.
• The mechanism has contributed to widening political space and empowering citizens by requiring participating countries to involve the public in assessing governance and proposing remedies, which has increased awareness of constitutional and political rights.
• Concrete governance gains have been observed in pioneer countries; for example, Ghana implemented a new Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture, a Whistleblower Act, and a Disability Act. Rwanda integrated its APRM Programme of Action (POA) into its Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy.
• The APRM has faced institutional challenges, including rivalries and overlapping mandates with the AU and Nepad, as well as administrative strains. A host agreement signed in October 2008 between the South African government and the AU aimed to formalize the APRM Secretariat as a legal entity to improve staff security and motivation.

APA

Gruzd, S. (2009). The African Peer Review Mechanism: Assessing Origins, Institutional Relations and Achievements. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Occasional-Paper-29.pdf

Chicago

Gruzd, Steven. The African Peer Review Mechanism: Assessing Origins, Institutional Relations and Achievements. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Occasional-Paper-29.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gruzd |first1=Steven |title=The African Peer Review Mechanism: Assessing Origins, Institutional Relations and Achievements |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=April 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Occasional-Paper-29.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gruzd2009african, author = {Gruzd, Steven}, title = {{The African Peer Review Mechanism: Assessing Origins, Institutional Relations and Achievements}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Occasional-Paper-29.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }