H.E. Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) will lead the new Bureau to the 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) Summit, scheduled to take place from 25 June to 02 July 2018 in Nouakchott, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
The new members of the PAP Bureau were elected on the side-lines of the recently concluded Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament. The process resulted in the re-election of Hon. DANG as President, while the other members include Hon. Stephen Julius Masele of Tanzania (East Africa), Hon. Haïdara Aichata Cisse’ of Mali (West Africa) and Hon. Bouras Djamal of Algeria (North Africa) as first, second and third vice-presidents, respectively.
PAP’s leadership is expected to table the activity report of the institution to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government during the AU Summit. This also includes key resolutions and recommendations adopted by its members at last Ordinary Session.
“As an organ of the AU, it’s customary to report to the highest decision making body of our institution about the various activities we have undertaken as part of the mandate assigned to us. We will also use the summit as a platform to formally introduce the new Bureau of the PAP since the election last month, and share our vision for the continental Parliament for the next three years,” says Hon. Dang, President of the PAP.
Hon. Dang also hopes to sensitise Heads of State and Government of the AU gathered Nouakchott on the need to speed up the ratification of the Malabo Protocol.
“We will continue to use this high-level gathering to remind our leaders that the mandate entrusted on the PAP to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the continent cannot be fully realized until the Parliament is granted legislative powers. Heads of State and Government hold the key to unlocking this situation and that is why we will continue to engage with them during the upcoming Summit.”
The revised Malabo Protocol granting legislative powers to the PAP has been adopted by the AU and is currently under ratification by member states.
The 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU will take place under the theme “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”. The Summit will be held as follows:
- 25th – 26th June 2018: 36th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee
- 28th – 29th June 2018: 33rd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council
- 1st – 2nd July 2018: 31st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union.