PAP March Sittings of the Permanent Committees of the 5th Parliament holds from Feb 27 to March 7

The March Sittings of the Permanent Committees of the fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) will hold from 27 February to 07 March 2020 at the precincts located at 19 Richard’s Drive, Gallagher Estate (Midrand).

This is contained in a press released signed by Jeffrey Onganga, PAP’s Media Officer.

According to the release, “These sittings will be held under the African Union (AU) theme for 2020: “Silencing the guns: creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development.” The sittings will also take place in the context of the chairship of the AU by South Africa following the recently concluded 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU.”

The Pan-African Parliament has eleven Permanent Committees whose functions are aligned to those of the African Union Departments as required by the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU).. These are;

1. Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Human Rights
2. Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs
3. Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration matters
4. Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflicts Resolution
5. Committee on Transport, Industry, Communication, Energy, Science and Technology
6. Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs
7. Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources
8. Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability
9. Committee on Justice and Human Rights
10. Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline
11. Committee on Audit and Public Accounts

According to the Programme, there will be a Joint sitting and Workshop on Intra-African Trade and its opportunities promoted in Member state by Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration And Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy and Technology on Saturday Feb. 29. Other highlights include:

Joint capacity building workshop by Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability; and Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs on Competence of Parliamentarians to develop follow-up mechanisms to accelerate the commitments of AU Heads of State towards health, rights and development to reduce inequality by 2023 and achieve social security and protection for inclusive growth (March 3).

Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs  will be meeting to consider: Update on the Africa Double Taxation Agreement; and Presentation on a proposed cooperative model law– International Cooperative Alliances- Africa (Monday March 2)

Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs will hold Committee meeting to develop a new joint work plan and the road map for the implementation of the Brazzaville Declaration on Health Financing by United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDS) (Monday March 2)

Joint sitting of Committees on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment & Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources to Joint Sitting to Consider the Report of the Regional Consultative Workshop on Model Law on Food and Nutrition Security in Africa, held in Kampala, Uganda from 27 – 28 November 2019  (Monday March 2)

Update Committee on the finalization of the Model Law of Food and Nutrition Security in Africa – FAO Present to the Committees the AUDA-NEPAD Nutrition and Food Systems

Implementation plan, 2019-2025 to be Presented by: Fati N’Zi-Hassane – Supervisor, Human Capital Division - AUDA-NEPAD Consider the “Initiatives for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa (IFNA) Presenter: Mr. Kenjiro Ban, Chief Official – IFNA Secretariat

Joint Workshop on “Youth Policy Development: The Experience of East African Community”  by: Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability; Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs; Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources (Thurs. March 5)

Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs will meet to consider presentation on Economic Integration and Institutional Transformation for reaching the development goals of Agenda 2063 by AUC Commissioner for Economic Affairs (March 5).

Committee on Audit and Public Accounts will meet to Review  Audit Reports on PANAF for the year ended 31 December 2019; and Status of Implementation of Audit and CAPA Reports  2016 to 2019

Committee on Cooperation, International Relation and Conflicts Resolution to consider: Presentation on Statelessness in Africa by Ms. Emmanuelle Mitte United Nations High Commission for Refugees; and  Report on the fact-finding mission to Niger.