PAP and IPU Strengthen Parliamentary Cooperation at UNGA80

On the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80), H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), held a working meeting with Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The discussion centred on strategic areas of mutual interest, deepening institutional ties between Africa’s parliamentary voice and the global parliamentary arena.

Deepening Ties between PAP and the Global Parliamentary Family

The meeting underscores PAP’s growing engagement on the multilateral stage and its ambition to position African parliamentary perspectives within global conversations. As the legislative arm of the African Union, PAP is increasingly asserting a role not just in continental discourse but in shaping normative frameworks that intersect with global parliamentary networks.

For the IPU, which comprises over 170 national parliaments and aims to foster democratic governance, parliamentary diplomacy, and legislative capacity building, enhanced cooperation with PAP offers a pathway to amplify African priorities and promote shared agendas in areas like peace, democracy, sustainable development, gender equality, youth inclusion, and parliamentary innovation.

While the details of their meeting were not publicly disclosed in full, such a dialogue typically allows both institutions to explore collaboration modalities from joint capacity-building programmes and exchange of best practices to coordinated advocacy at international forums.

Strategic Imperatives and Shared Agenda

At a time when parliaments everywhere face pressures, from rising demands for accountability, digital transformation, shrinking civic space, and complex cross-border challenges, collaborative engagement is essential. Key areas where PAP and IPU may align include:

• Strengthening parliamentary capacity and oversight. Working together to uplift the legislative, research, and oversight functions of African parliaments in conformity with global best practices.
• Promoting parliamentary diplomacy. Coordinating joint representation at UN bodies, regional organizations, and interparliamentary forums to elevate African legislative interests.
• Fostering inclusion. Deepening efforts around gender equality, youth engagement, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups in legislative processes.
• Advancing innovation and digital transformation. Exploring how parliaments can responsibly leverage technology, address misinformation, and maintain transparency in an evolving information ecosystem.
• Synchronizing normative and advocacy efforts. Harmonizing PAP’s continental agenda (e.g. Model Laws, AU legislative frameworks) with IPU’s global policy priorities to create synergy and avoid duplicated efforts.

Significance for Africa’s Parliamentary Future

This meeting sends a strong signal: PAP is not an insular continental body but an active partner in the global parliamentary ecosystem. By aligning more closely with IPU, PAP can leverage international tools, networks, and legitimacy to support its continental mandate.

Moreover, such high-level engagements can help PAP increase its visibility, sharpen its institutional capacity, and mobilize support (technical, financial, political) for its priority initiatives, whether it is the ongoing development of the Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity, strengthening legislative oversight of AU institutions, or pushing for improved integration between continental and national policy processes.

Looking Ahead

To translate this meeting from symbolism to impact, the two institutions may move to:

1. Develop a formal collaboration agreement or memorandum of understanding outlining joint programmes, resource commitments, and governance structures.
2. Launch pilot projects or joint trainings targeted at strengthening parliaments in under-resourced African states.
3. Coordinate joint representation in upcoming UN, AU, or regional events to present unified parliamentary positions.
4. Create mechanisms for knowledge exchange, such as delegations, capacity building visits, secondments, or shared research platforms.
5. Track and report on outcomes, holding both institutions mutually accountable for delivering on the shared agenda.

In sum, the working meeting between President Charumbira and Secretary-General Chungong may appear modest in optics, but it represents a potentially important step in bridging Africa’s parliamentary architecture with the broader global parliamentary movement. As PAP continues to mature, forging these strategic networks could prove decisive in anchoring Africa’s legislative voice in global policy arenas.