Pan African Parliament Signs Strategic MOU to Strengthen Governance and Human Rights

On the sidelines of the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament, held at its Midrand seat, the Pan‑African Parliament (PAP) formalized Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Afrobarometer, NANHRI (Network of African National Human Rights Institutions), SAPNAC (Southern African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption), and APHRC (African Population and Health Research Center). These agreements aim to anchor PAP’s legislative, oversight, and advocacy functions in data, human rights, and anti‑corruption mechanisms.

Remarks by H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of PAP

Chief Charumbira described the agreements as “more than symbolic gestures”, positioning them as strategic alliances designed to reinforce:

• Evidence-based lawmaking and citizen-focused advocacy, through Afrobarometer’s continent‑wide public opinion surveys in over 30 countries.
• Integration of human rights frameworks into legislative processes and joint governance monitoring through NANHRI, drawing from their collective mandate to hold governments accountable and protect vulnerable groups.
• Strengthened institutional integrity and anti‑corruption oversight in collaboration with SAPNAC, to combat one of the gravest threats to Africa’s democracy and development.
• Health, population, and development insights through APHRC to inform policy and legislative interventions addressing Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.

Chief Charumbira emphasized that Afrobarometer would serve as a “mirror to reflect and a map to act”, while the NANHRI partnership would enable lawmakers to advance a culture of constitutionalism and the rule of law. On the SAPNAC MoU, he warned:

“The cost of corruption is immense, it undermines public trust, deters investment, diverts resources and erodes the legitimacy of our institutions”.

Strategic Priorities and Markers of Progress

These overarching strategic partnerships align closely with key priorities of the AU Agenda 2063, especially Aspiration 3 (good governance, democracy and human rights) and Aspiration 4 (peace and security). They also contribute directly to SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and the AU Theme of the Year for 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”.

The agreements are complemented by PAP’s wider reform initiatives under Chief Charumbira’s leadership built around the mantra of “Reviving, Renewing, Repositioning and Reinvigorating PAP” emphasizing measurable performance, strategic planning, and enhanced institutional credibility. This approach has earned recognition from AU bodies such as the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) and the Executive Council, particularly after securing a special budget allocation to ensure continuity of PAP activities.

Key Features of Each Memorandum of Understanding

1. PAP–Afrobarometer

• Access to continent‑wide public opinion data on governance, economic performance, and service delivery.
• Capacity building for MPs to interpret and utilize data in debates and oversight functions.
• The MoU positions Afrobarometer as the primary evidence base informing PAP’s legislative agenda and citizen engagement strategy.

2. PAP–NANHRI

• Embedding human rights frameworks into legislative drafting at PAP and national parliaments.
• Collaboration on joint monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track government compliance.
• Advocacy support for access to justice, gender inclusion, freedom of expression, and protection of vulnerable communities.

3. PAP–SAPNAC

• Joint efforts to enhance transparency and accountability among legislators and government officials.
• Anti-corruption legislative review and oversight frameworks.
• Promotion of regional parliamentary networks to monitor corruption trends and mobilize institutional responses.

4. PAP–APHRC

• Leveraging APHRC’s research to inform public health, population, and development policy.
• Partnerships to integrate demographic and socio‑economic evidence into PAP’s legislative proposals.
• Joint initiatives focused on health equity, youth demographics, and data‑driven sustainable development.

Broader Institutional Context And Momentum

These MoUs form part of a broader wave of institutional consolidation. Earlier in the session, PAP signed a landmark MoU with the APRM (African Peer Review Mechanism), strengthening governance evaluation capacities, legislative support for APRM recommendations, and alignment with Agenda 2063's governance goals.

Deliberations at the session itself have focused intensively on the AU’s reparations theme, with calls for model legal frameworks, reparations modalities including land, education, and psychological healing and diaspora engagement. Speakers emphasized that delivering justice requires both legislative action and robust data to inform policymaking.

The PAP–PSC (Peace and Security Council) joint retreat during the session marked the first such institutional engagement in 11 years, emphasizing the need for regular, structured coordination around governance, peace, and security policies.

Why These Partnerships Matter

1. Bridging Research & Policy: PAP now has structured access to high‑quality data and research, ensuring decisions reflect citizen realities.
2. Strengthening Institutional Synergy: Aligning legislative action with civil society, technical agencies, and governance mechanisms enhances coherence.
3. Building Capacity & Credibility: Training MPs in data use, rights-based frameworks, and anti‑corruption tools strengthens PAP’s role and visibility.
4. Delivering on Continental Commitments: The MoUs reinforce PAP’s commitment to AU themes like reparations, good governance, and peace.

Moving Forward: Implementation And Impact

• Joint Action Plans: Each MoU will be operationalized through action plans involving workshops, research dissemination, citizen engagement campaigns, and legislative drafting sessions.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: PAP and its partners will establish mechanisms to track implementation, results and citizen feedback.
• Continued Institutional Partnerships: The PAP–APRM and PAP–PSC collaborations underscore a continental shift toward sustained institutional synergy within the AU system.

Conclusion

The MoUs signed on 29 July 2025 mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Pan‑African Parliament from a deliberative body into a data-informed, rights‑based, and anti‑corruption centric legislative actor. By partnering with Afrobarometer, NANHRI, SAPNAC, and APHRC, PAP is aligning its legislative mandate with trusted evidence, human rights norms, social accountability, and public policy impact.

As Chief Charumbira aptly noted, these agreements should be remembered not just as documents, but as the beginning of a journey where knowledge, rights, and integrity move hand in hand in service of Africa’s people.