ASS/AU/Decl. 1 (I) DECLARATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD) 1. WE, the Heads of State and Government of Member States of the Organisation of African Unity, meeting at the 38th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Durban, South Africa on8th July 2002: 2. RECALLING our decision regarding the then New African Initiative taken at the 37th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity in Lusaka, Zambia from 9 to 11 July 2001 (AHG/Decl. 1 (XXXVII); 3. NOTING WITH APPRECIATION the report provided to us by the Chairperson of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee, H.E. President O. Obasanjo of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, describing the developments in the NEPAD process over the course of the past year; 4. FURTHER NOTING the document submitted to us by H.E. President Obasanjo entitled “Towards the Implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) - Summary of Progress Report and Initial Action Plan” (hereinafter referred to as “Progress Report and Initial Action Plan”), elaborating the first phase for the implementation of NEPAD; 5. FURTHER NOTING the Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance submitted by H.E. President Obasanjo, which seeks to foster a strong statement of reaffirmation by African leaders of their commitment to the principles and core values of democracy and good political, economic and corporate governance; 6. FURTHER NOTING the document submitted by H.E. President Obasanjo on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) which is an instrument that will be voluntarily acceded to by Member States of the African Union for the purpose of self-monitoring, and