The Pan-African Parliament has adopted the Model Law on Cooperatives for the continent. This adoption occurred during the ongoing 3rd Ordinary Session of the sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.
The Model Law aims to guide the development of new cooperative legislation and the review of existing laws. For countries without cooperative legislation, the Model Law can inspire the adoption of new laws. Existing laws can also be improved based on the Model Law to reflect current demands and trends.
The Model Law will serve as an advocacy tool for the development and review of cooperative legislation. It provides a reference point for those looking to incorporate best practices in their cooperative laws. The law also aims to harmonize cooperative legislation and practice across Africa.
The Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs presented the draft Model Law after extensive engagements since its proposal in November 2022. The Pan-African Parliament approved the formulation of the Model Law on Cooperatives on November 18, 2022, mandating the committee to lead the formulation and update Parliament on its progress.
The Parliament welcomed the collaboration between the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs, the International Cooperative Alliance, and other stakeholders in formulating the law. The committee was urged to involve relevant departments of the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities, and civil organizations in the formulation process.
The committee made recommendations, including adopting the Model Law and continuing sensitization and capacity-building activities. "The Committee, under the Bureau's leadership, will also promote endorsement, use, and dissemination by African Union Member States. We request members of the Pan-African Parliament to pioneer the domestication and use of the Model Law on Cooperatives in their respective parliaments," said the Chairperson of the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs, Hon. Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka.
In adopting the Model Law, MPs called on members to introduce and implement the law in their respective countries. Meanwhile, the Plenary welcomed the Pan-African Parliament's 2025 budget presentation by the Monetary and Financial Affairs Committee.
The Committee Chairperson, Hon. Muntaka, informed Parliamentarians that the allocated budget for 2025 is USD 10,114,278, a 1% decrease from the 2024 budget of USD 10,570,625. Muntaka noted that the overall funding of the Pan-African Parliament is below the expectations of its activities. "Parliament is run through committees, and when committees cannot achieve their programs due to a lack of funding, it greatly undermines Parliament's work."
Hon. Muntaka assured the Plenary that the Bureau and the committee would continue to pursue alternative revenue sources to fund the Pan-African Parliament's activities. "We urgently seek a meeting with the Head of the Africa Union Reforms to discuss the budget allocation given to the Pan-African Parliament," he said.
The MPs welcomed the budget while raising concerns over the cuts. They collectively called on the AU to increase the budget to ensure the Parliament's work is not hampered.
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