Diplomats Urged to Back Pan-African Parliament on its Reform Agenda

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) President Chief Fortune Charumbira has urged African Ambassadors to throw their weight behind the continental parliament as it embarks on its reform agenda. H.E Chief Charumbira made this call at the meeting of the new Bureau of African Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Diplomatic Corps held at the Tswane Municipality in Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday.

He was accompanied by the PAP Bureau’s 1st Vice President, Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf; 2nd Vice President, Ashebiri Gayo; and 4th Vice President, Francois Ango Ndoutoume, to present the vision of the Bureau of the 6th Parliament of the PAP.

In his speech, the PAP President urged African Diplomats to act as PAP’s “brand ambassadors” in their respective African Union (AU) member states, especially at a time when the Bureau undertakes reform as AU’s legislative organ under the slogan: “revive, renew, reposition, and reinvigorate.”

After years of malfunction precipitated by governance issues and later the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAP emerges from the dust seeking to regain the confidence of the African citizenry. A reformed PAP, according to H.E. Chief Charumbira, hopes to reclaim its place in the continental governance matrix by making an impactful contribution to the lives and livelihoods of the people of Africa through its consultative and advisory role.

“At the end of our tenure, the PAP must be visible throughout the continent, inclusive in its approach, united, relevant, and impactful to the African citizenry”, declared President Chief Charumbira.

The new Bureau of African Heads of Diplomatic Missions takes over at a time when the AU and the PAP are tasked with solving a plethora of challenges including poverty, food insecurity, new political conflicts, and economic development and recovery post-COVID-19 pandemic.