PAP Secretariat confirms readiness to support virtual statutory meetings

Clerk of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Mr. Vipya HARAWA has assured that the Secretariat has taken all necessary steps and it is ready to support virtual statutory meetings of the PAP in 2021.

Mr. Harawa gave the assurance while addressing members of the Permanent Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs (CMFA) of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). He also stated that this meeting ushers in a new era that will see all the statutory meetings in 2021 conducted as scheduled.

“We have embarked on a thorough review of our systems and we can confidently affirm that we are prepared to abide by the directives of the AU leadership to priortise virtual meetings in accompanying the work of Parliamentarians in 2021. We spent the entire part of 2020 hosting a series of virtual consultations. This has sharpened our capacity to accommodate members of Parliament as they deliberate on issues facing the continent. We are also using the ongoing meeting of the CMFA as a model for the future. As we aim to resume all statutory meetings in 2021, I hereby declare the PAP Secretariat ready!” says Mr. Harawa.

The Committee has concluded the first leg of its virtual consultations. Over two days, the first statutory meeting held by the PAP since March 2020, reviewed the PAP report on budget execution for 2020, the PAP 2021 budget framework and roadmap on budget preparation for 2022.

The work of the Committee was guided by the Executive Council Decision on the 2021 African Union (AU) budget, which directs “the AU Commission and AU organs to make use of virtual meetings instead of physical meetings, with a view to make savings on travel costs.” In this regard, members of the Committee were briefed by the Directorate for Programming, Budgeting, Finance and Accounting of the AUC.

The presentation by the AUC covered budget principles of the Union and how the Directorate is ensuring inter-departmental coordination in programming and the budgetary process, as well as to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of programmes in realizing organizational goals and objectives in the context of Covid-19 pandemic. The second day of the virtual Committee meeting constituted a platform to assess the preparedness of the PAP Secretariat to support the holding of statutory meetings in line with directives from the Executive Council and within the current budgetary constraints.

Hon. James GONY, Chairperson of the PAP Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs invited the Secretariat to provide an update on the measures in place to carry out statutory meetings in 2021 by taking into account the financial resources at the disposal of the institution. Hon. Gony further highlighted that the adoption of the budget and its allocation to different programmes will heavily depend on the PAP’s capacity to adjust to the ‘new normal’ while ensuring the mandate of the PAP is still being achieved.

“The ongoing virtual meeting of our Committee is the first statutory engagement we have held since March 2020. I am pleased with the manner our business is being conducted so far. However, we need reassurance that all future meetings can be held without any disruptions, within the parameters of the budget narrative for 2021 while maintaining substance of our parliamentary work,” says Hon. Gony.

As a reminder, under Rule 28 of the PAP’s Rules of Procedure, the Parliament should meet at least twice in ordinary session within a one-year period. The Permanent Committees should meet twice a year (March and August) for statutory meetings and can meet more often during parliamentary sessions or for non-statutory meetings when the need arises. The caucuses should meet in ordinary session twice a year during parliamentary sessions. The PAP’s Rules of Procedure also provide for statutory meetings to be held outside of the Parliament’s seat upon invitation of an AU member State.

The CMFA is scheduled to reconvene next week to finalize budget adoption and way forward. The Committee’s role is to examine the Parliamentary budget draft estimates. It also meant to examine the AU budget and makes recommendations. The Committee reports to the Parliament on any problems involved in the implementation of the PAP budgets. It advises the Parliament on economic, monetary and investment policies.