Yaounde, Cameroon, 22 Aug 2017 – The Pan African Parliament (PAP) with the support of its partners—the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the International Organisation of la Francophonie (IOF)—is convening a high-level multi-stakeholder conference to chart ways of rapidly advancing the pan-African ideals of political and socio-economic integration. This inaugural Conference will be held under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, H.E. Paul BIYA, from the 22nd to 25th August 2017 in the country’s capital city – Yaoundé.
Organized under the overarching theme: “the Political and Socio-Economic Integration of the African Continent: The Role of the Pan-African Parliament,” the event comes at a crucial period when Africa is implementing various plans for its political, economic, social transformation and integration amid various internal and external challenges. The conference will assemble members of government and eminent political leaders from across Africa and the world; development partners, distinguished academics, lawmakers, legal and other world-class experts.
Ahead of the Conference; the PAP President, Hon. Roger Nkodo DANG, said despite the progress made in building a stronger continental concert of nations with the transition from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU) and the adoption of the Agenda 2063, ‘continental integration’ still has numerous challenges.
“It is therefore necessary to start a sharp reflection on the catalyst as well as the means that can unblock the process and achieve these objectives in the framework of the first ten-year implementation phase of the Agenda 2063,” Hon. Dang said.
The President added that the conference will also examine progress made by regional economic communities, share experiences and good practices; and most importantly, review all the legal instruments relating to the political and socio-economic integration of the continent and reflect on relationships between regional integration and a continental free-trade area, as well as on the role of the Pan–African Parliament in achieving the latter.
This initial conference is also meant to define the role of the Pan African Parliament in realizing this African dream. The Pan African Parliament is regarded the main driving force to achieve a developmental, democratic, transformative governance in Africa as well as efficient governance polices, coordination and harmonisation between African states.
International IDEA’s Regional Director for Africa and West Asia says harnessing Africa’s abundant natural resource endowment is imperative for the continent’s socioeconomic transformation. Professor Adebayo OLUKOSHI, emphasised that “A new developmental approach to natural resource governance serves as a good starting point to achieving the overarching purpose of the drive for sustainable change, which is improved lives.” International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization with a mission to support sustainable democracy worldwide.
Speaking ahead of the Yaoundé Conference, the Executive Secretary of the ACBF, African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development, Prof Emmanuel NNADOZIE said that “the biggest impediments to achieving the dream of political and economic integration in Africa are the deficits in human and institutional capacity in the key integration agencies to leverage various programs; notably the continent’s transition into a continental free trade area and rolling out the first ten-year plan of the Agenda 2063.”
“With its unmatched experience in conceiving and managing composite and complex capacity development programs across Africa, ACBF has proposed practical recommendations for achieving both regional integration and agenda 2063; and has been working hand-in-glove with the PAP as well as the International IDEA to strengthen parliamentary oversight and advocacy to help quicken the pace of these agendas for Africa’s transformation,” Prof NNADOZIE added.
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