The Secretariat of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hosted a Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Secretariat delegation. The session marked the start of the process of establishing administrative frameworks with National Parliaments in Africa with the aim to fast-track the ratification, domestication and implementation of African Union (AU) legal instruments of human rights and democratic governance.
Deployed by Mr Vipya HARAWA, Clerk of the PAP, the team led by Ms Charlotte Marck Ndlovu, Acting Deputy-Clerk in Charge of Finance, Administration and Human Resources engaged with Mr Bala Yabani, Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly of Nigeria representing Mr Ojo OLATUNDE, Clerk to the National Assembly, and his technical team.
The interactions between officials of the two institutions focused on various technical and administrative issues, challenges and opportunities related to ratification, domestication and implementation of African Union human rights and governance treaties, decisions, policies and programs, and means to enhance the participation of the Nigerian Parliamentarians in the activities of the Pan-African Parliament.
The meeting resulted in the adoption of a set of recommendations, which form an agreed collaborative framework between the PAP Secretariat and the Secretariat of the National Assembly of Nigeria. The agreed framework will enable the two Secretariats to provide effective support to their respective Parliaments for domestication and implementation of continental norms, standards, decisions and recommendations relating to human rights and governance.
The PAP delegation was also comprised of Mrs Vivian Abii, Head of Administration and Human Resources, Mr Phebe Mavungu Clément, Legal Counsel and Mr Boniface Habana, Committee Clerk.
The ongoing technical working sessions are undertaken as an execution of the African Governance Architecture (AGA) project activities. Under the project, the PAP is expected to strengthen the African Human Rights system through improved synergy and communication with National and Regional Parliaments.
The Clerk of the PAP is scheduled to hand over a consolidated report of these technical meetings between the PAP Secretariat and Secretariats of National Parliaments to the incoming Bureau of the continental Parliament.
