Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recognized the urgent need to expedite the ratification of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) relating to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), also known as the Malabo Protocol. This follows a meeting between a delegation from the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Gender, Family, Youth, and People with Disabilities, led by Hon. Mariam Dao Gabala, and a team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Ambassador Yapi Koffi Evariste, Secretary General of the Ivorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting was part of an advocacy mission conducted by the PAP Committee to promote the ratification and domestication of key AU protocols concerning vulnerable populations. During the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a comprehensive briefing on the status of the Malabo Protocol, which Côte d'Ivoire has yet to ratify. The Pan-African Parliament delegation also used the opportunity to discuss other crucial protocols, including the Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons, the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security—all of which are pending ratification in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for preparing and submitting international protocols and legal instruments for parliamentary ratification, has pledged to take the necessary steps to ensure that Côte d’Ivoire fulfills its commitments. One of the key resolutions adopted by the Pan-African Parliament during its 3rd Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament in July 2024 was a call for increased support from member countries for the ratification and domestication of the Malabo Protocol and other AU legal instruments.
Additionally, the Parliament resolved to prioritize specific AU legal instruments for further promotion and signature. By strengthening these frameworks, Côte d’Ivoire aims to join other African nations in empowering the Pan-African Parliament and safeguarding the rights of vulnerable populations across the continent. The Malabo Protocol, adopted during the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in June 2014 in Equatorial Guinea, seeks to elevate the Pan-African Parliament into a fully-fledged legislative body. It requires ratification by a minimum of 28 countries to come into force. To date, only 15 countries have ratified the protocol.
