African Parliamentarians Call for Strategic Reforms in AU Governance and Agenda 2063 Domestication

At the Workshop on Result-Based Planning, Management, Budgeting, Reporting, and Domestication of the Second Ten Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, held on Friday, September 13, 2024, members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) made critical contributions, calling for enhanced transparency and strategic alignment of the African Union’s (AU) monitoring and evaluation systems. The session was marked by calls to revise the African Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Tool (AMERT) methodology and ensure the framework better reflects the PAP's mandate under Article 17 of the AU’s Constitutive Act and Article 11 of the PAP Protocol.

The contributions emphasized that the evaluation framework must be designed to align with the PAP’s specific objectives as envisioned during its establishment, ensuring that reporting and management systems are robust and tailored to the institution’s unique role.

Senator Danson Mungatana’s Call for PAP Involvement in AU Chairperson Election

Kenya’s delegation leader to the PAP, Senator Danson Mungatana, stressed the importance of giving the PAP a central role in electing the next Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). With the election scheduled for February 2025, Mungatana underscored the need for candidates to present their vision directly to African citizens through their elected representatives in the PAP.

Citing Article 17 of the AU’s Constitutive Act, which established the PAP as a forum for people’s participation in continental affairs, Mungatana argued that aspiring AUC Chairpersons should use the PAP platform to communicate their vision for Africa’s future. “This engagement must be televised,” he insisted, as part of promoting transparency and accountability in African Union leadership elections.

He also advocated for the PAP’s participation in the AU’s budget-making process, noting that it is "wrong to exclude the representatives of the African people" from such critical decisions. Mungatana further highlighted the importance of domestication of Agenda 2063, noting that as it was not developed within the PAP, the document should be domesticated in national parliaments through a formal motion.

Hon. Esther Passaris on Accountability and Population Challenges

Also contributing to the debate was Hon. Esther Passaris, another member of the Kenyan delegation. She emphasized the need for accountability in the implementation of Agenda 2063. Passaris raised concerns about the absence of a comprehensive report on the first ten years of the plan. “How can we be talking about the next ten years of Agenda 2063 when we do not have the report of the last ten years?” she queried, calling for a detailed evaluation of the progress made so far.

Hon. Passaris also turned her focus to Africa’s demographic potential, expressing disappointment that Africa’s vast population has not been effectively leveraged for development. “We need to address population challenges,” she urged, suggesting that concrete plans are required to harness the continent’s demographic dividend.

Like Senator Mungatana, Hon. Passaris supported the demand for PAP’s involvement in the AU budgetary process, arguing that the representatives of the African people, as provided for in Article 17 of the Constitutive Act, should be part of key decision-making processes.

On the AUC Chairperson election, Hon. Passaris echoed Senator Mungatana’s sentiments, advocating for candidates to present their platforms to the PAP. She asserted that it was “fair and reasonable” for those seeking leadership positions to engage with elected representatives to share their vision for the continent’s future.

In a striking remark, Passaris also lamented the absence of discussions around corruption, an issue she felt should be prioritized on the continent’s agenda.

Reforms Toward a More Transparent AU

Overall, the workshop underscored a growing consensus within the Pan-African Parliament on the need to re-evaluate and enhance the mechanisms guiding African Union processes. By advocating for the domestication of Agenda 2063, PAP involvement in the AU budget, and transparency in AUC leadership elections, members are pushing for reforms that will solidify the role of PAP in Africa’s governance structures.

The debate showcased the commitment of PAP members to ensuring that the institution’s mandate is not sidelined and that its powers, as articulated under Article 11 of the PAP Protocol, are fully recognized in driving Africa’s long-term vision of unity, prosperity, and sustainable development through Agenda 2063.

The session marked a pivotal moment in the dialogue on how the Pan-African Parliament can better fulfill its role as the voice of the African people within the broader African Union governance framework.