The APRM: A case study in democratic institution building?

This paper uses an institutional approach in analysing the progress made by the APRM across the currently signed up countries.

This paper uses an institutional approach in analysing the progress made by the APRM across the currently signed up countries. It argues that the African leadership/government(s) is in the position of gate-keeper in this review exercise, hence, meaningful progress will be difficult to achieve within a reasonable and workable time period. It also points out that democracy and dialoguing both need rules that guide actions and the APRM has left too many loose ends. It discusses the experiences of the countries that have undergone the process and how these provide valuable information for perfecting the APRM process.

About the author

Annie Barbara Chikwanha is a senior researcher in the Institute for Security Studies’s Africa Human Security Initiative Programme. Her professional background is university teaching, research in democracy, governance and poverty, public opinion surveys and outreach training on democracy and governance. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Bergen in Norway.