At the margins of the ongoing 5th Ordinary Session of the 6th Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, parliamentarians from across Africa convened for a pivotal symposium aimed at advancing the continent’s agenda through South Africa’s 2025 G20 Presidency.
Held under the theme “Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” the symposium was convened by the Parliament of South Africa in collaboration with the Pan-African Parliament. It spotlighted Africa’s urgent need to assert a stronger voice on the global stage by promoting trade justice, climate resilience, equitable resource management, and sustainable development.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of the Pan-African Parliament, emphasized the strategic opportunity South Africa’s G20 membership offers as a gateway for Africa to influence global governance.
“South Africa must lead a continental—not national—agenda at the G20,” he declared, urging the Pan-African Parliament to guide this engagement through inclusive consultations with youth, women, farmers, and civil society.
H.E. Charumbira stressed the importance of aligning this agenda with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), underscoring the Pan-African Parliament’s responsibility in promoting trade justice, climate resilience, and ethical resource governance.
He called for strong oversight to ensure Africa’s resources benefit its people and demanded climate justice for a continent disproportionately affected by environmental shocks.
To institutionalise Africa’s voice in global affairs, H.E. Charumbira proposed mechanisms such as pre-summit consultations, a dedicated G20 advisory board, and regular briefings by South Africa’s G20 delegation. He urged the continent to become a co-architect of global solutions rather than a passive recipient.
Representing the Parliament of South Africa, Hon. Cedric Frolick, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, highlighted the need for African parliaments to reclaim agency and unity in shaping global policy.
He outlined the symposium’s aim to consolidate African positions on critical issues such as trade, climate change, mining, debt, and agriculture.
Hon. Frolick condemned persistent colonial-era power structures that reinforce socio-economic injustice, advocating for legislative frameworks grounded in human dignity, ethical governance, and gender justice. He stressed the necessity of reparative policies that address historical dispossession to tackle Africa’s post-pandemic challenges, including debt and poverty.
On agriculture, Frolick noted that intra-African trade remains below 20%, and called for the full implementation of AfCFTA and targeted support for smallholder farmers to enhance food security and economic growth.
Criticising U.S. trade sanctions, he defended Africa’s sovereignty and its right to economic self-determination, warning that “development without an agricultural revolution is a false promise.”
He further advocated for climate resilience through grassroots adaptation planning, condemned exploitative mining practices, and urged enhanced parliamentary oversight to ensure sustainable development.
Calling on African legislatures to shift from passive observers to proactive architects of global policy, Frolick urged the formulation of unified continental positions on trade, debt, and climate justice. He stressed solidarity, agency, and reparative justice, urging Africa to resist imposed global norms and redefine its engagement on its own terms.
Hon. Bhekizizwe Radebe, Chairperson of International Relations in South Africa’s National Council of Provinces, focused on trade justice and improving global market access for African agricultural products.
He pointed out that over 70% of Africa’s workforce depends on agriculture, primarily smallholder farmers, who face challenges such as limited financing, climate change, and restrictive global trade barriers—including tariffs, subsidies in developed nations, and stringent sanitary standards that hamper exports. These constraints contribute to Africa’s paradoxical position as a net food importer, despite its vast agricultural potential.
Hon. Radebe called on parliamentarians to support fairer trade rules and enhanced support for smallholder farmers.
Adding further depth, Hon. John B. Bideri, Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration Matters at the Pan-African Parliament, reaffirmed the centrality of trade as a driver of economic growth aligned with Agenda 2063.
He emphasized that the AfCFTA, launched in 2018, is critical to boosting intra-African trade, driving industrialisation, and fostering socio-economic transformation.
Hon. Bideri called for a comprehensive strategy to promote trade justice and expand global market access for African agriculture. This includes the removal of trade barriers, strengthening strategic partnerships, promoting exports, enhancing productivity, investing in infrastructure, and fostering both regional and international cooperation.
He pointed to challenges such as fragmented regional markets and Africa’s dependence on raw commodity exports, advocating for value addition and deeper integration through mutually beneficial trade agreements covering goods, services, investment, and intellectual property rights.
He acknowledged the ongoing debate between protectionism and liberalisation, but maintained that trade—when properly managed—can improve food availability, diversity, and affordability, especially in the face of climate change.
Established in 2010, the Parliament 20 (P20) is composed of the presidents of the parliaments of G20 countries. The group aims to strengthen global collaboration through parliamentary engagement and ensure the practical implementation of international agreements within G20 member states.
Given the crucial role parliaments play in guiding their respective governments, the P20 offers a powerful and unique platform for legislative bodies to contribute meaningfully to global policy debates. Its goals include enhancing inter-parliamentary cooperation and deepening engagement between governments, parliaments, and other stakeholders to advance the implementation of G20 outcomes.
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