The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is convening at the Parliament’s Headquarters in Midrand, South Africa to hold its 19th meeting. This is also the first engagement of the interim Bureau, which comprises of Regional Caucus Chairpersons. The meeting is chaired by Acting President, Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira.
The five-day meeting of the Bureau is expected to review and discuss the mandate and responsibilities of the interim Bureau; sittings of the Permanent Committees; logistical preparedness for virtual meetings; 2021 and 2022 PAP Budgets; engagements with the African Union Commission leadership as well as the pending retreat with the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC).
Preparations for the next ordinary session of the 5th Parliament are also on the agenda of the Bureau meeting. The Bureau is further meeting with the Clerk of Parliament and members of the Secretariat to receive reports on various aspects pertaining to the institutional state of readiness and staff matters.
On the sidelines of the Bureau meeting, the Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA) is also meeting on the organisational Audit of the PAP. The Committee is scheduled to meet with the Bureau on the progress of the audit and obtain their input on procedures for the successful completion of the project.
As part of the ongoing activities of the Bureau, the Acting President of the PAP is expected to lead a delegation to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of the Republic of South Africa for consultations on the hosting of the May Ordinary Session.
The interim Bureau is responsible for running the affairs of the Parliament until the next Plenary Session of the PAP, when a full Bureau is expected to be reconstituted. This follows a resolution adopted during the meetings on the revision of the PAP Rules of Procedure and the Joint Bureau and Bureaux of Committees and Caucuses, which took place from 8 to 12 March 2021 in Midrand.
