Expectations High as Annual Consultative Meeting Between Pan-African Parliament and Peace and Security Council Kicks Off

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Pan-African Parliament Bureau with AUC Chair H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat. Image from PAP Media

As the annual consultative meeting between the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) kicks off today, African citizens and the international community are expressing their views and expectations regarding the significance of the meeting for peace and security in Africa. Organized in accordance with Article 18 of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the African Union (AU) PSC, the meeting which also falls exactly one year since the new PAP Bureau was elected,  aims to strengthen the working relations between the PSC and the PAP to achieve a conflict-free Africa by the year 2030[PDF].

UN Support to the AU Initiative on Silencing the Guns in Africa. Image courtesy of UN.org

Critics have been quick to point out the long hiatus since the PSC and PAP last meeting in 2012, raising doubts about the effectiveness of their collaboration. During a debate on the status of peace and security in Africa on the second day of the First Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament in Midrand last November, the Chairperson of PAP’s CCIRCR expressed concern [VIDEO] that the relationship between the PSC and PAP has not developed as it should. In recent times, the Pan-African Parliament has decried financial starvation, and lack of political goodwill as impediments to its mandate.

While there has been significant acknowledgement of the commitment of the Bureau of the Continental Parliament, led by H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira, to revive and reposition the legislative arm of the Union, there are also calls for specific strategies and actions to achieve the ambitious goal of Silencing the Guns by 2030. African citizens, who are directly affected by the peace and security challenges in their respective countries, hope that the revived PSC-PAP relationship will go beyond mere rhetoric and deliver tangible actions to address pressing security issues.

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To that end, a notable development ahead of the consultation is the establishment of the Permanent Committee on Co-operation, International Relations, and Conflict Resolution (CCIRCR) within the Pan-African Parliament. Notwithstanding the presence of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on International Relations, Peace, and Security in the consultation is applauded by all stakeholders, it is observed that there is need for a consistent and structured mechanism of dialogue and cooperation in the African Union, especially between the two institutions to ensure their efforts are effective and sustained. Active engagement, expert input, and concrete recommendations from this committee is deemed crucial.

As the African citizens and the international community closely follows the consultative meeting, great importance is placed on its outcomes. Expectations are high for the PAP and PSC to demonstrate their commitment and devise practical strategies during the meeting to pave the way for a stable continent that is futile for investment, economic development and a peaceful environment for its citizens to thrive in.

 

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