The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Plenary has commended its President, H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira for presenting an exceptional Performance Report which reflects the work of the Bureau, the Permanent Standing Committees, and the Secretariat of the PAP from January to May 2023.
Presented at the second Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the PAP in Midrand, South Africa, the report seeks to unpack the Parliament’s quasi-legislative, oversight and representative mandate, administration, other emerging issues as well as the relationship with other organs and specialised offices of the African Union (AU), and partners. “The report highlights the performance of the PAP under the leadership of the Bureau between January 2023 and May 2023 and the challenges encountered during this period,” said H.E Chief Charumbira presenting to the Plenary at the sitting held under the African Union Theme for 2023, “Accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): The Strategic Significance of the Pan-African Parliament.”
H.E Chief Charumbira stated that during the Joint Planning Meeting, the Bureau of the PAP, in liaison with Bureauxes, set out the PAP 2023 Corporate Goals which are aligned with Agenda 2063 and the 2019-2023 PAP Strategic Plan. “The Corporate Goals aim to transforming the PAP to make it more effective and functional in the fulfilment of its mandate and mainstreaming the voices of the African people into its business processes. “They also seek to strengthen the role of the PAP in the continental governance matrix, formulation of model laws, institutional arrangements to support coordination, partnerships, and participation in Parliamentary initiatives. “They deepen advocacy around the AU theme for 2023 “Year of AfCFTA “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation,” and improving coordination, collaboration, alignment, and synergy building with other African Union Organs,” he said highlighting that these will collectively form the basis for PAP operations throughout the year 2023.
The President also mentioned that there are key four thematic objectives of the PAP 2019-2023 Strategic Plan which include strengthening parliamentary functions of the PAP, strengthening partnership, coordination, outreach, and institutional capacity of the PAP. Promoting the PAP’s support of human rights and social inclusion goals of the AU, and strengthening learning and sharing, knowledge management, communication, and advocacy of the PAP. He said the PAP also made some achievements which saw it participating in meetings and summits of Policy Organs of the AU.
This improved the relationship between the PAP and other AU Organs and enhanced the relevance of the PAP within the AU architecture in addition to providing a platform to make a case for increased budgetary allocations. The PAP also renewed and enhanced collaboration with several regional and international bodies.
“The PAP was a part of the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and the 5th Congress of Speakers of Arab Councils and Parliaments. This activity enhanced the visibility and revitalised the role of the PAP in international parliamentary diplomacy. Progressively, the PAP Permanent Committees met from 06 to 17 March and Members deliberated comprehensively on the African Union theme for 2023 “Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation”.
“Participation in the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of Member Countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC) which led to renewal of the PAP collaboration with international stakeholders. “We also succeeded in the following undertakings, PAP's Official Visit to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Strengthening of Cooperation between the PAP and Saudi Arabia Parliament and a Working Visit of the AU Commission Deputy Chairperson to the PAP and PAP’s Working Visit to the Republic of Kenya.”
H.E Chief Charumbira also highlighted that the PAP contributed to the promotion and support of human rights and social inclusion goals of the AU. “As PAP, we participated in the AU Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Additionally, the PAP observed International Women's Day (IWD) which enhanced and encouraged the respect for human rights, Justice, and the Rule of Law centred around Women on the African Continent.
“On the other hand, the PAP convened a Side Event at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), which provided the platform and opportunity to access the commitments on gender equality through women’s economic empowerment as well as the recently adopted African Union Science and Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024).” According to H.E. Chief Charumbira, the PAP made headway in strengthening learning and sharing, knowledge management, communication, and advocacy of the PAP.
“We managed to participate in Media Engagement during the thirty-sixth (36th) Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU. We also held the Commemoration of the 2023 Pan African Parliament Day and pioneered the participation of the PAP in the AU Model AU Summit. “We also managed to forge a collaboration between the PAP and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Food Security and Nutrition in Africa.”
On another note, the PAP also mainstreamed the voices of the African people in parliamentary activities while creating awareness amongst African citizens on AU decisions, policies, and initiatives. It also promoted dialogue between the PAP and the African Citizenry, further strengthening institutional capacity, and enhanced synergy and linkages with other AU organs and institutions. H.E. Chief Charumbira underscored an urgent need for transformation of the PAP into a legislative organ.
“Article 11 of the Protocol establishing the PAP provides for the evolution of the PAP from its present status of an advisory and consultative body into a legislative body of the AU. The Bureau and the five regional caucuses will lead in this direction,” he emphasised. He also vowed that the Bureau will never relent and will continue to discharge its responsibilities directly and indirectly to rejuvenate the PAP as evidenced by the “achievements we have collectively registered during this reporting”.
Furthermore, H.E. Chief Charumbira, bemoaned some key challenges faced by the PAP in the implementation of its strategic objectives which included, inadequate human and financial resources, the inordinate delay in the recruitment of staff, lack of incentives for the Bureau and MPs, poor attendance of sessions by Members of Parliament, the slow pace of ratification of the Malabo Protocol, duplication of functions between the PAP and other AU Organs.
Exclusively, the President has announced the Plenary endorsed Lindiwe Khumalo who hails from South Africa as the New Clerk of the PAP.
