Your Excellency, President Thabo Mbeki
Your Majesty
Your Excellencies
Mr Secretary General
Ladies and Gentlemen
The inauguration of the African Union is a major
milestone in the long march to take control of Africa’s
destiny and development, and so ensure the realization
of the full potential of our continent and all its
people, men, women and children.
In our various Parliament and associations, all
African Parliamentarians have acknowledged that the
foresight in providing for a Pan African Parliament as
a core part of the African Union was a bold and
necessary step forward for African democracy and for
the achievement and promotion of good governance on an
continent.
Accordingly, 154 members from 33 African
Parliaments met in the South African Parliament 10
days ago. It is my honour and privilege to report to
you, Your Excellencies on that meeting, and to present
you with the statement we agreed.
We were inspired by the heroic struggles waged by
our peoples, men and women, and by our countries for
political independence, human dignity, economic
development and human security; and convinced of the
need to acerbate the process of implementing the
Treaty establishing the African Economic Community in
order to promote the socio-economic development of
Africa and to face more effectively the challenges
posed by a rapidly changing world.
We deliberated extensively on steps that must be
taken to ensure a strong and effective role for
Parliaments in advancing the objectives of the African
Union and those elaborated in the Pan African
Parliament (PAP) Protocol and recognized the urgent
imperative of consolidating the aspirations of
Africans for greater unity, solidarity and cohesion,
in an united Africa wide community that will transcend
cultural, ideological, ethnic, religious and national
differences;
According we affirmed that the Parliamentarians as
the representatives of the peoples of Africa must play
an effective role in enhancing continental unity;
Your excellencies Heads of State and Government,
Members of African Parliaments assert that the
objectives of the African Union cannot be effectively
realized without the full involvement of Parliaments;
the core principles that guide Parliaments, i.e.
transparency, accountability, democracy and public
participation, will lend positive weight to the
activities of the African Union; the creation of the
Pan African Parliament will give concrete expression
to the vision of a united, integrated and strong
Africa; Parliaments must play a role in achieving the
socio-economic development of the continent
particularly as detailed in the New Partnership for
Africa’s Development (NEPAD); and Parliaments must
make a vital contribution towards the eradication of
wars and conflicts on our continent;
We strongly urged that effective mechanisms for
ensuring the involvement and active participation of
Parliaments in the present and all phases of the
African Union be put in places.
However, we were concerned to note that very few
countries have ratified the Protocol on the Pan
African Parliament. This morning, I was advised that
only 5 of the Member states have ratified the Protocol
so far. This is a matter of grave concern, as we
require ratification by a majority of Member States
before the Protocol can come into effect, and the Pan
African Parliament can be established.
We urge you, Excellencies, to accelerate the
ratification of the Protocol and ensure its
implementation in accordance with the relevant
national constitutions. The meeting of
Parliamentarians recommended that the Assembly
instructs the Commission to establish a representative
steering committee of Parliamentarians that will
support and co-ordinate the steps necessary to achieve
an early inauguration of the Pan African Parliament.
Your Excellencies,
Yesterday, I noted the Dean of the African
Ambassadors in Addis Ababa indicate that he had been
advised that he should not lecture to Heads of State
and Governments. I will follow his example and not
presume to do so.
However, I wish to bring to your attention an
important provision in the Protocol which you have
agreed, that there be at least 1 woman among each
country’s representatives in the Pan African
Parliament. Your Excellencies, the relative absence of
women at this meeting, does not augur well for
democracy on our Continent. May I recommend, that
before the 2nd Ordinary Session of the
Assembly of the African Union, you draw on the example
of this aspect of the Protocol in composing your
delegation for the Summit.
We understand also, that there has been agreement
that there will be an equitable representation of men
and women in the Commission, and we hope that this
will be extended to all the institutions and
structures of the African Union.
In particular, I refer to the Committee of the
Wise, which will advise the Peace and Security
Council. Your collective wisdom will I am convinced,
indicate to you that as women do not make war, all
five members of the Committee of the Wise need to be
women in order to bring true peace and security to our
Continent and an end to conflict.
Your excellencies, I submit for your consideration
the statement from the meeting of African Parliaments
of June 27 and 28th : Developing links
between the newly established African Union and the
Parliaments of Africa’s signifies the confirmation
of the complementary partnership that does and must
exist between governments as leaders in the
implementation of the will of the people, and
Parliaments wherein representatives of the people in
the nations of Africa, articulate that will and
monitor and accelerate the progress of the African
Continent.
