Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Second Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), has called on African Union member states to accelerate the ratification of the Malabo Protocol to strengthen the legislative authority of the continental Parliament.
She said empowering the Pan-African Parliament to function fully within the African Union governance framework was essential to advancing regional integration, improving policy coordination and supporting the implementation of Agenda 2063.
Speaking at the 26th Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments in Midrand, South Africa, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed that stronger continental institutions were critical to addressing Africa’s shared development challenges.
She urged African governments and parliamentary institutions to deepen cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy, legislative harmonisation and coordinated action across the continent.
According to her, Africa’s development goals cannot be achieved if institutions continue to operate in isolation.
She called for strategic, results-oriented partnerships that produce measurable improvements in the lives of African citizens.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings identified peace and security, economic integration, climate resilience, democratic governance and gender equality as priority areas requiring collective parliamentary action.
She argued that a stronger Pan-African Parliament would enhance accountability, improve governance and support the effective implementation of major continental initiatives.
The conference also brought together representatives of regional parliamentary bodies, including the ECOWAS Parliament, which reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the Pan-African Parliament.
Participants emphasised the importance of closer collaboration among African legislatures to improve legislative oversight, promote policy coherence and advance initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Agenda 2063.
They noted that sustained cooperation among national and regional parliaments would help strengthen democratic governance, regional stability and inclusive development across the continent.
The Conference of Speakers forms part of the Pan-African Parliament’s broader efforts to deepen parliamentary cooperation and promote the African Union’s vision of “The Africa We Want.”
