The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Hon. Chief Fortune Z. Charumbira has called on the African Union (AU) Organs with a human rights mandate to harness the strategic positioning of the Continental Parliament to deepen the promotion of human rights, democracy, and good governance on the continent.
The leader of the legislative arm of the AU has indicated that the Parliament is uniquely positioned to convey messages to African citizens and constituencies on AU Shared Values, and influence the decision-making process from a legislative perspective in the Member States. In this regard, the Parliament has played a key role in the signing and ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).
Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira was addressing members of the African Governance Architecture (AGA) in Nairobi, Kenya during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Pan-African Parliament and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) today in Nairobi, Kenya. “Through active and regular engagements with national parliaments, the PAP fosters accountability, and good governance, ensuring transparent decision-making. We invite members of the AGA Platform to utilise the PAP as a tool to promote and protect human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture and ensure good governance and the rule of law. As parliamentarians, we can connect with the African citizenry in a unique manner, and our oversight function means that we have the capacity to influence ratification of key instruments,” said Hon. Chief Charumbira.
The President of the PAP recalled that one of the key functions of the Parliament is to promote human rights and consolidate democratic institutions and culture, good governance transparency, and the rule of law by all AU organs, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Member States. He called for enhanced synergies between relevant Organs and the legislative arm of the Union.
“Synergy and coordination among AU Organs remain weak, and this is an impediment to the effective implementation of our respective mandates. However, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among AGA members is a step in the right direction,”added Hon. Chief Charumbira.
In a historical move, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the political and technical levels. The purpose of the present MoU is to provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate and strengthen collaboration between the Parties, in a non-exclusive basis, in areas of common interest. The Pan-African Parliament, represented by its President, Hon. Chief Fortune Z. Charumbira, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, led by Hon. Remy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of the Commission, have agreed to collaborate, cooperate and interact through initiatives and activities in the fields of human rights, good governance and democracy.
As African Union institutions, the PAP and the ACHPR are vested with human rights promotion and protection mandate in accordance with the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament, as well as other relevant African Union legal and policy instruments.
Both Parties have resolved to promote the attainment of the objectives laid down by their respective founding instruments and to act in close cooperation, on matters of mutual interest with a view to harmonize their efforts towards greater effectiveness, as far as possible, having due regard to their respective mandates and functions.
The focus of the collaboration will be on the following areas: i. Promotion of the ratification, domestication and implementation of African human rights instruments; ii. Carry out follow-up actions on the implementation of resolutions, recommendations and observations of African human rights bodies; iii. Undertake joint studies, consultations and development of Model Laws on human rights issues of common concern and other legal instruments addressing HR issues; iv. Carry out joint human rights promotion and conflict prevention activities; v. Mutual participation in statutory meetings of the two respective bodies; vi. Implement a program for exchange of expertise and pooling of resources; and vii. Mutual support during fact-finding missions initiated individually by each institution.
