The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, today delivered an address at the official opening of the 11th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20), held at Benguela Cove Wine Estate in Cape Town, South Africa.
Speaking before Speakers and Presiding Officers from across the G20 and partner countries, Chief Charumbira stressed that parliaments cannot be passive bystanders in tackling pressing global challenges such as climate change, inequality, conflict, and food and energy insecurity. He underscored that parliamentary diplomacy must complement executive action, ensuring that the voices and interests of citizens are placed at the centre of global decision-making.
“We are here not merely to bring a parliamentary dimension to global governance, but because we represent the collective voice of our people. Our institutions are at the heart of democracy, representation, and accountability,” he affirmed.
In his intervention, the PAP President highlighted five key priorities for parliamentary leadership:
- Climate Action and Justice – Parliaments must drive laws and oversight mechanisms that ensure equitable climate policies, transparency, and accountability, while fostering peer learning across legislatures.
- Reform of Global Governance – Chief Charumbira called for urgent reforms to international institutions, including permanent African representation on the UN Security Council, reforms to the global financial architecture, and fairer global trade rules that allow Africa to industrialize.
- Peace and Security – He emphasized the critical role of parliaments in conflict prevention, dialogue facilitation, and peacebuilding, in support of the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns by 2030” initiative.
- Food and Energy Security – Stressing the interlinkages between agriculture and energy, the PAP President cited PAP’s Model Law on Food and Nutrition Security in Africa as an example of how parliaments can legislate to protect citizens’ right to food.
- Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Development – Chief Charumbira urged parliaments to take the lead in crafting legislation on AI ethics, data protection, and innovation, warning that Africa must not be left behind in shaping the digital future.
Concluding his remarks, Chief Charumbira called on his fellow Speakers to use the P20 as a platform to reshape global cooperation:
“The world is changing fast, and injustice, inequality, conflict, and climate breakdown impose tremendous costs on our people. Let us commit to being the generation of leaders who changed the narrative and reshaped the future through the P20.”
The P20 Summit, held under the theme “Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for the Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”, brings together presiding officers of national, regional, and continental parliaments from G20 member states and beyond.
