Pan-African Parliament Reclaims Influence at Landmark Africa Team Roundtable in Malabo

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has begun reasserting its role within the African Union (AU) during the Africa Team Roundtable, held on 12 July 2025 in Malabo. The high-level forum was co-hosted by the AU Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Government of Equatorial Guinea as part of the 7th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union.

The roundtable marked the launch of the Africa Team platform, a new initiative designed to replace fragmented development funding with a unified, continent-wide investment strategy. It aligns with the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 and seeks to drive progress in infrastructure, healthcare, food systems, digital transformation, and climate resilience. The platform’s guiding principle, “Pamoja – Working Together to Ignite Regional Integration,” underscored the emphasis on collaboration and inclusivity.

Senior officials from across the AU system were in attendance, including representatives from the AU Commission, all eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs), development finance institutions, and the private sector. Among them, the Pan-African Parliament stood out—an institution often regarded as ceremonial or sidelined within the AU structure.

PAP President H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira delivered a forceful address that both supported and challenged the Africa Team initiative. While commending its long-overdue creation, he warned that it must not fall into the familiar pattern of well-intentioned but ineffective frameworks. “We cannot repeat the past mistakes of fragmented benefits and regional imbalance,” Charumbira stated. “The Africa Team must serve all Member States equitably.”

He called for a development model that strengthens the entire value chain, from project design to implementation and long-term sustainability. He also urged the African Union to look beyond rhetoric and emulate the structural integration achieved by the European Union and ASEAN. According to Charumbira, real unity will only come with free movement, trade, and shared accountability.

Charumbira’s leadership since June 2022 has revitalized the Pan-African Parliament after years of diminished influence. He successfully lobbied for a $650,000 special budget allocation from the AU Executive Council, restored full operations following the pandemic, and positioned the Parliament as a voice for both policy oversight and continental advocacy. He has also taken bold stances on global justice issues, supporting reparations for colonial injustices and urging stronger African positions on matters like Palestinian statehood.

Historically, the Pan-African Parliament has struggled to define its role within the AU. Headquartered in Midrand, South Africa, the body was envisioned as a future legislative authority. However, it never received law-making powers and has largely served an advisory role. Despite this, it remains the only AU organ composed of elected representatives, offering a level of democratic legitimacy that executive bodies do not.

With its renewed presence at the Africa Team Roundtable, PAP is positioning itself as more than a symbolic institution. Whether this signals a lasting shift in its influence remains to be seen, but its involvement in shaping the continent’s development agenda is a step forward.