“BUILDING resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate
the human capital, social and economic development”
Fortune Charumbira, Pan-African Parliament (PAP) President, this week
gave a scorecard of his Bureau since their inauguration in June 2022.
Addressing the Strategic Reorientation Workshop for the Permanent
Committees of the sixth Parliament in Midrand, South Africa which was
convened under the African Union theme of 2022, “Building resilience
in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital,
social and economic development”, Charumbira noted that the Bureau is
committed to restore the battered image of the parliament following
the incidents of May 31 and June 01, 2021, that led to the suspension
of parliamentary activities.
“The Bureau has actualised the confirmatory statement you made in
support of the principle of rotational leadership by ensuring that it
is cascaded throughout all the structures of the PAP. For the first
time in the history of our institution, each Region now chairs at
least two Committees, deputises in at least two Committees and has at
least two Rapporteurs. “In so doing, your Bureau has underlined its
commitment to the abiding values of fairness, equity and justice
within the PAP by ensuring that no Region exercises undue dominance
over the other. Rest assured that your Bureau intends to follow the
same procedure in the recruitment of staff to vacant positions in
order to guarantee that the cosmopolitan nature of our continent is
reflected even in the staff complement at the institution. It is my
hope that when the advertisements for vacant posts are flighted, Hon.
Members will encourage qualified prospective employees from their
various countries to apply for these positions.”
Charumbira futher highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation
between Regional Economic Communities in Africa and their
Parliamentary fora. “As PAP, we recommit to strengthen regional
parliamentary cooperation and relationships. This is in recognition of
the fact that collaborative and mutual engagements of PAP and regional
bodies embody the best hope for regional integration which is integral
to the actualization of the foundational objectives of PAP,” he said.
The Bureau has also embarked on a successful mission to re-engage the
Executive Council of the African Union and the African Union
Commission at the African Union 4th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in
Lusaka, Zambia.
At that meeting, the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat
presented the Report on the PAP Elections and subsequently introduced
the Bureau to the Executive Council.
Moreover, PAP equally presented its vision and challenges it faces
particularly the budgetary constraints occasioned by austerity
measures which had been instituted during its prolonged enforced
hiatus.
“The Executive Council and AU Commissioners roundly supported our
request for a Supplementary Budget to support Committee activities,
fact-finding missions, Bureau activities and plenary sessions, among
others. In that regard, we submitted a Supplementary Budget of
slightly over USD 5 million to allow our full return to operational
functionality. I am pleased to report that the request for a
supplementary budget has since been approved with the proviso that it
should not exceed 15% of the original budget in compliance with the
Financial Rules.”
Charumbira also highlighted on the improved relations of PAP with
other organisations.
“It is gratifying to note that there is a rekindled spirit and
interest to embrace PAP’s agenda with an overwhelming expression of
support for PAP’s institutional programmes. Since then, there has been
an unprecedented number of Ambassadors and national Parliaments
expressing support for the Bureau, requesting courtesy calls and/or
inviting the Bureau and the PAP to participate in various
parliamentary activities,” he said.
Charumbira went on to highlight the commitment to mainstream gender
issues and ensure that affirmative guidelines on gender equity and
inclusiveness are prioritized.
And on July 31, 2022, the Pan-African Parliament celebrated the
Pan-African Women’s Day, led by the third Vice President, Lucia Maria
Mendes Goncalves dos Passos, at the National Assembly of Cabo Verde.
“At this engagement which brought together parliamentarians,
government officials, civil society organisations, members of the
diplomatic corps and immigrant communities, the Vice President
reiterated that the focus of the PAP will be to ensure that financial
inclusion of women is prioritized and regarded as a pathway to
sustainable development. I throw down the gauntlet to the Committee on
Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability to ensure that this
aspiration is realised for the greater good of all disenfranchised and
disadvantaged women on the continent.”
Furthermore, to reposition the PAP within the African Union (AU)
governance architecture, the Bureau has also taken initiatives towards
forging lasting relationship with Organs and agencies of the Union.
“We must address issues around the framework for collaboration,
including but not limited to, election observation missions (EOMs),
Fact-finding missions, the African Governance Architecture (AGA) and
the role of the PAP in the ratification of AU Legal Instruments. As a
result of these engagements, I am pleased to report to you that PAP
Parliamentarians have now been re-engaged in Election Observer
Missions. To that end, our MPs participated in the EOM to Kenya and
are currently among the team of observers to the elections in Angola.
We have also agreed on the development of a work plan and roadmap for
the implementation of collaborative initiatives and transversal
activities. We look forward to mutually beneficial co-operation with
all AU Organs into the future,” Charumbira added.
Accordingly, PAP is scheduled to convene a Strategic Retreat with the
African Union Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) in September
2022.
“Hon. Members will agree with me that over the years the PAP’s
relationship with the AU has significantly deteriorated to a point
where serious questions and concerns were raised relating to the image
of PAP, the lack of respect for AU decisions, the failure to adhere to
institutional regulations, and what they perceived as the absence of
viable results to underscore the PAP’s legislative mandate. The
PAP-PRC Retreat will thus provide a platform for the PAP to outline
the challenges it has been facing in fulfilling its mandate and,
hopefully, elicit the full support of the PRC in resolving these
challenges,” Charumbira further observed.
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