AFRICAN AMBASSADORS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR PAP

African Ambassadors based in South Africa have pledged their unflinching support to the Pan- African Parliament (PAP) in the discharge of their mandate as the representative of the African people.
Speaking on the topic, “Enhancing collaboration between the PAP and Diplomatic Corps,” the leader of the Technical Team, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Taher El Fadly, Ambassador of Egypt, encouraged the PAP to reflect on the composition of its membership, as the current status where every member country has equal representation is not good enough. He noted that consideration should be given to a country size and population in determining the number of representations to be allocated to each member state.

H E El Fadly further assured the PAP of the ambassadors’ readiness to work with the Parliament to expedite the ratification of the Malabo Protocol.

Adding his voice to the solidarity message, the Ambassador of Morocco to South Africa, H E Youssef Amrani, indicated that he is proud to see once again that the Pan-African Parliament has return to be one of the beating hearts of an exemplary Pan-African renewal that reflects
the vision of the founding fathers for a Continent that moves forward in serenity, dialogue, and sharing.

“Now is the time when we need to work together to ensure that the PAP reclaims its place in the continental governance matrix by making an impactful contribution to the lives and livelihoods of the people of Africa. This is more critical than ever, especially in the current uncertain international context, that the African continent still faces numerous challenges including new conflicts and violence, poverty, rising unemployment, lack of control over our
resources,” he stated.

He emphasized that the PAP undoubtedly has a central contribution to make in building a better Africa and achieving the continent’s aspiration for progress and collective prosperity. “We should support the policies and the programs of the PAP in this context, aiming at fulfilling its mandate. It should be an exercise that would revisit the architecture of a technocratic institutional scaffolding that has remained, in all likelihood, inadequate.”

H E Youssef Amrani stressed that the common goal should be to better equip the PAP to enable it to carry out its mission. The PAP has an advisory role and it will only be able to go beyond the legislative stage, as provided for by the Malabo protocol, by demonstrating the political voluntarism that befits and the operating methods that are essential. Transforming the PAP into a place of power would allow Africa to boost its continental policy.

Acknowledging the support from the African Ambassadors, the President of the PAP, H E Chief Fortune Charumbira, noted that the collaboration with the ambassadors is key. He observed that this new trajectory is needed to start the discussion on the ratification of the Malabo
Protocol.

He solicited the support of the ambassadors to push for more funding for the PAP to enable it to function well. He pointed out that the current funding of PAP, which is $11million a year, as against $22million a year in the past, is woefully inadequate.

According to him, the current funding gap is restricting the work of the committees of the Parliament and the ability of the Parliament to develop model laws to guide every sector of the Continent.

H E Chief Charumbira pledged PAPs readiness to work with the ambassadors to ensure that sanctions imposed on some African countries are lifted.

Story By: Gilbert Boyefio