The Kingdom of Morocco has become the fourteenth (14th) African Union (AU) member state to deposit instruments of ratification of the Protocol to the constitutive act of the AU relating to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) also known as the Malabo Protocol. The Malabo Protocol is intended to extend the powers of the PAP into a fully-fledged legislative organ. It requires a minimum of 28 countries to ratify it before it comes into force.
PAP is one of the nine organs of the African Union (AU) with the mandate to promote economic and social integration through making laws. As it stands, its mandate extends to consultation, and playing an advisory and oversight role for all AU organs pending the ratification of its protocol. The Malabo Protocol was adopted at the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government meeting in June 2014 in Equatorial Guinea.
Morocco joins Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Togo as the African countries that have so far heeded the call to empower the continental Parliament.
This new development after the launch, on 18 March 2022, of commemoration of 18 years since the inauguration of the first Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in 2004. This year’s commemoration is held under the theme: “Empowering the PAP to amplify the voices of African citizens.”
The PAP Day was launched to serve as a reminder to African citizens of the potential of the Parliament, intended as a platform for people from all African states to be involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. The day is also meant to reminder African leaders of their commitment to empower the continental representation of the peoples of Africa.
In addition, at its 39th meeting in October 2021, the Executive Council of the AU called on Member States that have not done so to sign and ratify the Malabo Protocol. The AU’s executive branch reiterated the importance of the PAP’s role in facilitating and implementing of the Union’s policies and objectives.
The Acting Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Gali Massa Harou welcomed the development saying it is a milestone that must be celebrated. “It is also important to remind citizens that the ratification journey has three stops; the signing, ratification and depositing of instruments at the African Union Commission, therefore we need to constantly encourage our countries to work to complete the process in order for the protocols to enter into force,” he remarked.
