The eleventh ordinary session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) opened yesterday in Midrand, Johannesburg , South Africa.

The session brought together delegates from various African countries including journalists and the Pan-African parliamentarians representing all the peoples of Africa with the ultimate aim of evolving into an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage.
With its seat in Midrand, South Africa , the Pan-African Parliament was established in March 2004, by Article 17 of The Constitutive Act of the African Union, as one of the nine organs provided for in the treaty establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja , Nigeria , in 1991.

In her official statement at the opening session, Dr Gertrude I. Mongella, president of the Pan-African Parliament said PAP has marked its first five years of existence as it was inaugurated on March 18, 2004 as one of the organs of the African Union and this year marks the revision of the protocol establishing the PAP, in which they are reconfiguring their mandate towards the realisation of their continental political and economic integration. "The PAP's strongest credence is to see this parliament strengthening its oversight role in its debates and ensuring that policies, programmes and activities of the African Union are effectively implemented. In this, PAP will keep making recommendations to the Heads of State and Governments on matters of good governance, democratisation and human rights and socio-economic matters for their deliberations," she stated.

According to her, among the achievements and accomplishments of the PAP are the strengthening of the institution, establishing human resources structure and recruitment of permanent staff (at present, totalling fifty), establishing a PAP website and adopting a communication strategy for the institution. Some key challenges facing them, according to her, include finance, human and technical resources, mobilisation and capacity building for the needs of the PAP, communication and connectivity to diverse cultural, linguistic and political systems of the African continent. For his Part, H.E John Mahama, vice president of Ghana - who was the guest speaker, said that conducting of democratic elections at constitutionally determined intervals is becoming an accepted practice in much of the continent noting that Africa is now awake to the political and economic transformation taking place all over the world.

According to him, the principle of sovereignty resting on the will of the people is a time tested principle of democratic governance
 
PAP background
The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament is informed with a vision to provide a common platform for Africans and their grass-roots organisations to be more involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. The objectives of the Pan-African Parliament are to facilitate the effective implementation of the policies and objectives of the OAU/AEC and ultimately of the African Union, promote the principles of human rights and democracy in Africa, encourage good governance, transparency and accountability in Member States, and familiarise the peoples of Africa with the objectives and policies aimed at integrating the African continent within the framework of the establishment of the African Union.

Among the objectives are also to promote peace, security and stability, contribute to a more prosperous future for the people of Africa by promoting collective self-reliance and economic recovery, facilitate cooperation and development in Africa, strengthen continental solidarity and build a sense of common destiny among the peoples of Africa and facilitate cooperation among regional economic communities and their parliamentary fora.