Pan-African Parliament Announces Sitting of Permanent Committees and High-Level Engagements

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the legislative arm of the African Union, has announced that the Sitting of its Permanent Committees and other organs will take place from 17 September to 4 October 2025 at the PAP Headquarters in Midrand, South Africa. The meetings will be held under the African Union’s Theme of the Year: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”

Strengthening Oversight Through Committees

PAP’s eleven Permanent Committees—mirroring the functions of African Union Commissions—play a pivotal role in enabling the Parliament to fulfill its oversight, advisory, and consultative mandates. Each committee is composed of up to thirty Members, ensuring regional and gender balance, except the Committee on Audit and Public Accounts which is limited to fifteen Members.

Meeting twice a year for statutory sessions, the Committees are central to detailed investigation, policy review, and follow-up on priority issues. Their work is anchored in the PAP Strategic Plan (2018–2023), Agenda 2063, AU flagship programs, and the annual AU theme, ensuring that continental priorities guide legislative deliberations.

High-Level Events and Special Sessions

Alongside the statutory Committee sittings, the programme features several significant events:

·       APBT/IAPSS Youth Day Event (25 September 2025): “Reimagining Africa: Youth, Institutions, and the State”

·       Workshop on Artificial Intelligence (27–28 September 2025): Exploring Africa’s positioning in the AI era

·       Conference of Clerks and Secretaries General of African Parliaments (27 September 2025): Enhancing parliamentary administration and knowledge exchange

·       Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments (29–30 September 2025): Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation across the continent

·       Capacity Building Workshop for the Committee on Justice and Human Rights (3–4 October 2025): Reinforcing PAP’s role in advancing human rights and continental justice

These high-level engagements are designed to bring together parliamentarians, policymakers, youth, experts, and stakeholders to deliberate on Africa’s pressing governance and developmental challenges.

Public and Media Participation

The PAP has emphasized that its processes remain open to citizens. Members of the public who wish to observe proceedings in Midrand may obtain daily passes from the accreditation centre. Media representatives will be briefed through a separate accreditation advisory.

For broader access, the sessions and events will be livestreamed on PAP’s official digital platforms:

·       Facebook

·       Twitter

·       YouTube

·       LinkedIn

Looking Ahead

The upcoming sittings reaffirm PAP’s role as a key continental platform for legislative dialogue and citizen participation. By combining statutory committee oversight with strategic engagements on youth, technology, justice, and inter-parliamentary collaboration, the Midrand meetings promise to deepen PAP’s contribution to Africa’s integration and development agenda.

For inquiries and participation details, the public is encouraged to contact the Clerk of Parliament, Ms. Lindiwe Khumalo, at clerk@panafricanparliament.org, or reach out to designated PAP officers handling accreditation, documentation, media, and protocol.