The 3rd Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament concluded on a positive note, with MPs reaching consensus on how to tackle several issues affecting the continent.
The session, held from 24 June 2024 to 5 July 2024 at the Pan-African Parliament headquarters in Midrand, South Africa, was conducted under the African Union (AU) Theme for 2024: “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa.”
During the closing ceremony, MPs adopted 11 resolutions presented by various committees. One of the key resolutions emphasised the need for more countries to support the ratification and domestication of the Malabo Protocol and other AU legal instruments. The 2014 Protocol to the constitutive act of the AU relating to the Pan-African Parliament, also known as the Malabo Protocol, aims to extend the powers of the Pan-African Parliament.
MPs agreed to initiate advocacy missions in AU Member States that have not yet ratified the Malabo Protocol. These missions aim to raise awareness about the importance of the Protocol and encourage its signature and ratification as soon as possible. Additionally, the MPs approved a request by the West Africa Regional Caucus to undertake advocacy missions to Liberia, Nigeria, and Senegal, which have yet to ratify the Protocol, to lobby their authorities for its signature and ratification.
The Parliamentarians also decided to identify specific AU legal instruments to be promoted for signature and ratification by their members in their respective countries. The MPs encouraged Pan-African Parliament members to proactively question the Executive on the status of AU legal instruments' signature and ratification.
Finally, the Parliament called upon members to report to their respective Regional Caucuses on the status of the Protocol's signature and ratification. Each Caucus Chairperson is expected to present this status to the Pan-African Parliament Plenary at every Ordinary Session.
Other resolutions adopted include:
- The Resolution on the African Union theme 2024: “Educate an African fit for the 21st century: building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”
- The Resolution on the Adoption of the Model Law on Cooperatives in Africa
- The Resolution on the Legal and Policy Framework Paper of the Draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity in Africa
- The Resolution on challenges to the effective implementation of decisions of the African Union governance and human rights bodies
- The Resolution on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Africa
- The Resolution on the consideration of the Performance Report of the Pan-African Parliament
- The Resolution on the Gambian Bill aimed at reversing the Ban on Female Genital Mutilation
- The Resolution on Advancing Free Movement in Africa
- The Resolution on funding of the regional caucuses of the Pan-African Parliament.
- Resolution on Drugs and Substance Abuse as an impediment to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Education in Africa
- Resolution on the Outcomes of the 14th Pan-African Parliament Conference on Women’s Rights
-Ends-
