The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) officially opened the Sixth Ordinary Session of its Sixth Parliament at its headquarters in Midrand, South Africa, under the African Union’s 2025 theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” on Monday.
Presiding over the opening ceremony , the President of the Pan-African Parliament , H.E Chief Fortune Charumbira, reaffirmed the Parliament’s role as the voice of African citizens, calling on Members to strengthen unity, accountability, and people-centred governance, stating that, “The Pan-African Parliament must remain the moral and democratic compass of the African Union, a voice that ensures every decision we take reflects the will and hopes of Africa’s 1.4 billion people.”
Building on this message of unity, the Guest of Honour, H.E Ahmed Mohamed Aljarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, commended the Pan-African Parliament leadership for advancing peace and legislative diplomacy, while highlighting Africa’s growing role in global stability, stating that, “Africa is not only looking for peace; Africa creates peace. The world must look to Africa not as a receiver of solutions, but as a maker of them.”
Representing the host country, Sybil Ketlareng Matlhako from South Africa’s Department of International relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) reaffirmed her government’s commitment to supporting the Pan-African Parliament and African Union institutions, emphasising the importance of collaboration to advance continental integration and legislative impact.
Calling for transformation, H.E.Marie Antoinette Rose Quatre, CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) highlighted that reparative justice must be grounded in strong governance, inclusivity, and transparency. She presented ongoing APRM initiatives on governance, youth participation, and economic management, and announced upcoming collaborative programmes with Pan-African Parliament, including the November Youth Symposium. These initiatives aim to strengthen intergenerational participation, reinforce accountability, and foster sustainable development across the continent.
Dr. Mimi Delese Darko, Director General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) outlined the agency’s mission to harmonise and strengthen medical product regulation across Africa, emphasising its commitment to ensuring access to safe, effective, and quality-assured medicines, while supporting national regulators and fostering local pharmaceutical manufacturing. She highlighted the need for collaboration with the Pan-African Parliament in building Africa’s regulatory capacity and strengthening health security across the continent.
Echoing the theme of justice and accountability, Idrissa Sow, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, commended the Pan-African Parliament for promoting human rights and good governance, noting the Parliament’s support for the draft protocol on the abolition of the death penalty. He stressed that true justice requires reparations for historical injustices and that recognition alone is insufficient without tangible accountability and redress.
The Opening Ceremony concluded with a shared commitment among all partners to advance Africa’s vision of unity, peace, and transformation under Agenda 2063, setting the stage for parliamentary deliberations on reparative justice, governance, and sustainable development.
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