[NEPAD]

13TH MEETING OF THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM PANEL OF EMINENT PERSONS

PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWING THE 13TH MEETING OF THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM PANEL OF EMINENT PERSONS

The 13th meeting of the APR Panel was held from 12-13 August 2005 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat who was appointed Chairperson of the APR Panel by the APR Forum at its 3rd Summit held on 19 June 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The APR Panel welcomed Mr. Mohammed Seghir Babes of Algeria to the meeting. Mr. Babes, who is currently the Chairperson of the National Economic and Social Council of Algeria, was nominated by President Bouteflika in replacement to Hon. Mr. Mourad Medelci in the APR Panel. Hon. Mr. Medelci, who served as a Member of the APR Panel since 27 July 2003, was recently appointed Minister of Finance of Algeria. Consequently, Hon. Mr. Medelci officially resigned as Member of the Panel at the 3rd Summit of the APR Forum.

The APR Panel also elected Dr. Dorothy Njeuma of Cameroon as the new Vice-Chairperson of the APR Panel. Dr. Njeuma has served as a Member of the APR Panel since 27 July 2003. She is currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea in Cameroon.

The APR Panel also discussed, amongst others, the modalities for the peer review of Ghana and Rwanda to be undertaken by the APR Forum at its forthcoming Summit in November 2005. The Panel also deliberated and agreed on the work programme of the APR Secretariat and the schedule of the reviews in the next countries namely Kenya and Mauritius in the immediate future and Uganda, Nigeria, Algeria in the next stage.