In a final communiqué sanctioning the work of a consultation meeting of Presidents and Representatives of the African national parliaments members of the Pan-African Parliament, held Thursday 8th of July, in Rabat, the participants reaffirmed their commitment in favor of an upgrade of pan-African parliamentary work, with the aim of making of it an essential lever in the process of consolidating African integration, and a solid link in the strengthening of democratic culture in Africa.
They confirmed their strong commitment to "constructive and positive" African legislative action, while acting in favor of African unity and integration, in accordance with a common vision of Africa.
In this context, they recalled that the Pan-African Parliament is the voice of the citizen, the civil society and the African Diaspora, to defend and promote their rights and ambitions.
Nevertheless, the Members of the Pan-African Parliament expressed their concern for the evolution of the process of preserving and promoting of African democracy, as well as their union in favor of a “legitimate, efficient and credible” Pan-African Parliament.
Indeed, they noted that without an authentic and genuine parliament, the pan-African institutional edifice remains incomplete, calling on all African forces to defend pan-African democracy, in favor of Africa’s best interests.
They highlighted the role of the Pan-African Parliament in strengthening the solidarity, tolerance, unity and union of Africans, in favor of cooperation and integrated development of the Continent, underlining its fundamental role in the promotion of democracy, human rights, the rule of law and good governance.
In this regard, they urged for an end to “the intolerable acts, the non-compliance with the rules of procedure, and all the irresponsible acts likely to tarnish the brand image of Africa of the 21st century and sow division between brotherly countries”.
They also expressed their categorical rejection of the attempts to divide the Pan-African Parliament and deviate it from its fundamental mission and its functions to the detriment of the imperative to serve the best interests of African peoples, we read in the final press release.
The parliamentarians called for the “sincere commitment” of all the structures of the Pan-African Parliament, at all levels, for consolidating its coherence and cohesion, and for the rationalization and optimization of its work and its action.
In addition, they called for respecting the rules and procedures, transparency, good governance and accountability in the management of the Pan-African Parliament in order to strengthen its credibility and authority, including what concerns the election of the new Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament and wishing relief to the brotherly people of Mali from their sufferings.
Reaffirming the relevance of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the AU relating to the Pan-African Parliament, adopted on June 27, 2014 by the 23rd ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Malabo, the members recommended the ''acceleration of its ratification, the establishment of a monitoring and conciliation committee in order to restore unity and cohesion within the Institution, as well as the organization of the October 2021 session in the Republic of Congo which requested it or in any other country which shows its availability.
The members of the Pan-African Parliament also commended the initiative taken by their colleagues, the Presidents of the House of Representatives and of the House of Councilors of the Moroccan Parliament, in convening this consultative meeting, aiming at discussing the way forward for the Pan-African institution.
