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The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (PSC) are set to hold their annual consultative meeting to take stock of the peace and security situation on the African continent today, 30 June 2023.
The high-level consultative engagement will take place on the margins of the 1160th meeting of the PSC with the objective to share experiences, lessons and best practices. The consultation further aims to strengthen cooperation and collaboration between the two sisterly African Union Organs in discharging their complementary mandates of promoting peace, security and stability in Africa, and the general well-being of the African people, within the overall context of Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2030.
The meeting between the Pan-African Parliament and the PSC takes place as the Bureau of the Continental Parliament, led by H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira, marks the one-year anniversary of its election at the helm of the institution, with a commitment to revive, renew, reinvigorate, re-energise and reposition the legislative arm of the Union.
The last consultative meeting between the two Organs (Pan-African Parliament and PSC) was held in 2012 when the PSC agreed to work with the Pan-African Parliament on the modalities for strengthening relations between the two AU sisterly Organs.
These encounters were initiated pursuant to Article 18 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the African Union (AU) PSC (hereafter referred to as PSC Protocol) which envisages maintaining close working relations between the PSC and the Pan-African Parliament in furtherance of peace, security and stability in Africa.
It is expected that this year’s meeting will adopt a Statement highlighting the contribution of the Pan-African Parliament in addressing issues of peace and security and practical means and ways of implementing provisions of Article 18 of the PSC Protocol regarding the relationship between the PSC and the Pan-African Parliament.
The President of the Pan-African Parliament, H.E. Hon. Chief Charumbira is expected to deliver a presentation on the mandate and the key objectives of the Pan-African Parliament which include, among others, taking part in the promotion of peace and security on the African continent.
The President will be joined for this consultation by Hon. Dr Ashebiri Gayo, 2nd Vice President and Hon. Lúcia Maria Mendes Gonçalves dos Passos, 3rd Vice President. The Pan-African Parliament Committee on International Relations, Peace and Security will also be represented.
In line with the Abuja Treaty of 1991, the Constitutive Act of the AU provides for the establishment of the Pan-African Parliament as an important vehicle for facilitating the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the Continent (Article 17).
The Pan-African Parliament has established the Permanent Committee on Co-operation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution (CCIRCR) as an instrument to enable the Parliament to deal with matters of peace and security. Since its establishment, the Parliament has been undertaking efforts on a range of governance and conflict situations on the African continent in close coordination with the AU Commission, through the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (D-PAPS).
SOURCE: PAN AFRICAN PARLIAMENT