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Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Pan African Parliament has commended the African Ambassadors based in South Africa for affirming their commitment to working with the continental lawmaking body.
In his address during the meeting with the African Ambassadors at the PAP Headquarters in Midrand, Johannesburg today, Hon Charumbira said the collaboration will ensure the full participation of the African peoples in the economic development and integration of the continent in line with the PAP’s mandate.
Among the countries represented at the meeting were Morocco, Congo Brazaville, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Senegal, Niger, Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Lybia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Uganda, just to mention a few.
“It is mutually edifying for both the Pan African Parliament and the African Ambassadors to work together. As citizens of Africa first and Ambassadors of your respective countries second, a strong and effective Pan-African Parliament would serve your individual, collective, national, and continental interests. The Members of the Pan African Parliament are, therefore, equally the Ambassadors’ elected representatives as they are representatives of the ordinary African citizen.
“Similarly, for the Pan African Parliament, African Ambassadors serve as ‘Brand Ambassadors’ in their respective countries and advocates of the PAP to their respective governments and fellow Ambassadors, including to the PRC, where the PAP is appealing for resources to be able to effectively fulfill its mandate. As Ambassadors, we look forward to you assisting the PAP in mobilizing support from your respective Executives for the ratification of the Malabo Protocol,” Hon Charumvira said.
HE Mr. Salih Omar Abdu, the Ambassador of Eritrea to South Africa, who is the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps said the meeting is an acknowledgment of the mutually beneficial role that both the PAP and African Ambassadors can play in advancing their common interests.
It is also part of the broad vision of the Bureau of the 6th Parliament of the Pan African Parliament of “reviving, renewing, repositioning and reinvigorating the Pan African Parliament.” The Bureau recognizes that in order to reposition the Pan African Parliament and cement its important role in the continental governance matrix, the PAP requires the support and collaboration of strategic stakeholders such as the African Ambassadors.
“The action of inviting us here signifies the preparedness of PAP to engage African Ambassadors to chart the new course of engagement. Since the PAP is an AU organ, it is a platform to deliberate and debate through open discussion, and find solutions to advance Africa.
“The African continent is facing critical challenges. As African ambassadors, we will join the PAP to prioritize the removal of sanctions against countries like Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Africa should come up with a mechanism against these sanctions. In doing so, we will be promoting regional cohesion and preserving peace,” Ambassador Abdu said.
In promoting public dialogue on the continent’s development, there is a need to take on board government structures distinct from the Euro-centric approach. He said a number of institutions should be restructured to be self-reliant from charity, loans, and debt. Ties between nations will be strengthened through re-engagement in dialogue so as to promote Africa’s growth and economic development as well as to foster unity, solidarity, cohesion, and collaboration.
HE Ahmed Taher El Fadly, Leader of the Technical Team tasked with strengthening collaboration between the PAP and the Diplomatic Corps, said there is a need to move from mere rhetoric to action by putting in place concrete structures to strengthen the mutually beneficial relationship between the two entities.
“During the last meeting of the African Group of African Ambassadors comprising representatives from Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mali, Uganda, and Congo Brazaville, we discussed the need for PAP to create synergies with various stakeholders in order to expedite the Malabo Protocol,” he said.
He urged the PAP to be fully representative of African people. Currently, the PAP has 270 members from the 55 AU member states hence the need for proportional representation characterised by the robust exchange of views as well as shared working methods, and solutions to current challenges.
Hon Chief CCharumbira invited African Ambassadors to help the PAP in fulfilling its mandate. These key functions, as espoused in Rule 4(1) of the PAP Rules of Procedure are, among others, to:
- Facilitate the implementation of the policies, objectives and programmes of the Union and oversee their effective implementation by various organs of the Union
- Promote human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and the democratic culture, good governance, transparency and the rule of law by all organs of the Union, RECs and Member States
- Participate in creating awareness among the peoples of Africa on:
- The objectives, policies, aims and programmes of the Union
- The strengthening of continental solidarity, cooperation and development
- The promotion of peace, security and stability on the African continent; and,
- The necessity for the pursuit of a common economic recovery strategy
- Contribute to the harmonization and coordination of the legislative texts of Member States in accordance with Article 11(3) of the Protocol
- Promote the coordination of the policies, measures, programmes and activities of RECs and other legislative bodies