African Legislators Gather in Midrand for Sixth Ordinary Session of the Pan-African Parliament

The Pan‑African Parliament (PAP) is set to convene its 6th Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature, bringing together parliamentarians, regional Speakers, AU organs, civil society and youth actors for two weeks of deliberations from 3 to 15 November 2025 at its Midrand headquarters in South Africa.

Anchored in the Year of Reparations

This session falls under the African Union Theme of the Year for 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.” the choice of a reparative justice framework signals PAP’s intent to place historical accountability, equity and governance at the heart of its agenda.

A Packed Programme of Plenary and Side-Events

From the opening ceremony and swearing-in of new members on 3 November to plenary deliberations (4-6 November) and a rich suite of thematic side-events, the schedule reflects a broad engagement across institutional, youth, civil society, and inter-regional dialogues.

Key highlights include:

Opening Ceremony and Swearing-in: 3 Nov (09:00–12:30 SAST)
Plenary Sessions: 4-6 Nov (09:00–18:00)
Presentation & Adoption of Final Resolutions: 6 Nov (14:00–18:00)
“Beijing +30 The Legacy – A Moment to Reflect”: 6 Nov (14:00–18:00)
“Future of Africa-Europe Partnership: 25 Years of AU-EU Summit”: 7 Nov (09:00–18:00)
Third Civil Society Parliamentary Dialogue (co-organized with the Centre for Human Rights): 8 Nov (09:00–17:00)
Stakeholder Consultation on the Model Law on the Right to Nationality & Eradication of Statelessness: 10–11 Nov (09:00–17:00)
Joint Committee Meeting on “Impact of Military Coups and Militarization of Politics on Constitutionalism and Democracy in Africa”: 10–11 Nov (14:00–18:00)
5th Youth Symposium (co-organized with the African Peer Review Mechanism) under the theme “Strengthening African Youth & Reimagining Activism for Equity & Restorative Justice in Democratic Governance.": 10–11 Nov (09:00–17:00)
High-Level Training for relevant PAP Committees on “Operational Guidance on Security Sector Reform, Oversight and Accountability”: 12 Nov (10:00–17:00)
PAP-EP Joint Parliamentary AU-EU Pre-Summit Dialogue: 14–15 Nov (09:00–17:00)

Institutional and Policy Implications

As the continent accelerates its journey towards integration, good governance, human rights and youth empowerment, this session provides a pivotal juncture for the PAP to play a strategic role:

It offers the plenary an opportunity to revisit institutional mandates, budgets, and outcomes of previous sessions and align them with the 2025 theme of reparations and justice.
The inclusion of specialized events (youth symposium, civil society dialogue, nationality and statelessness consultation, committee trainings) shows a broadened agenda beyond pure legislative debates: a hybrid forum of policy, oversight, capacity-building and multi-stakeholder engagement.
The engagement with Europe (AU-EU dialogue) underscores that Africa’s governance agenda is being set in regional and global partnership contexts, not isolation.

Accreditation & Media Coverage

Media representatives are formally invited to cover the public sessions and side-events. Accreditation is required for in-person attendance at the PAP seat in Midrand. A press conference by the PAP President and the Guest of Honour will follow the opening ceremony on 3 Nov, and a press briefing will follow the closing plenary on 6 Nov. Interview opportunities will be available throughout the programme with parliamentarians, civil society, AU organs, national/regional parliamentarians and the diplomatic corps.

Setting the Scene: PAP’s Institutional Role

Since its inauguration in March 2004, the Pan-African Parliament has served as the continental legislature for the African Union, providing a space where representatives from all Member States deliberate on issues of continental importance. With a composition of up to 275 members from the 55 AU Member States. According to its Rules of Procedure, the PAP must hold at least two plenary sessions per year. During these sessions the plenary reviews committee reports, makes recommendations to the Summit of Heads of State and Government, and receives reports from other AU organs.

Key Narrative Threads to Watch

For this session, the following narrative strands are especially significant:

Reparations & Justice: How will the theme of “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” translate into concrete resolutions, model laws, or oversight requests?
Youth & Restorative Governance: With the youth symposium and related sessions, the PAP is signalling a focus on young Africans, activism, equity and governance renewal.
Security Sector Reform & Constitutionalism: The committee training and joint meeting on coups/militarisation point to deeper oversight work—aligning with the user’s interest in institutional robustness, staffing, budgeting and autonomy of continental bodies.
Africa-Europe Relations: The AU-EU Summit reflection and parliamentary dialogue will test how Africa positions itself in global governance partnerships, beyond donor relations, and how PAP influences that.
Model Laws & Nationality/Statelessness: As Africa grapples with migration, citizenship, stateless populations and legal frameworks, PAP’s consultation on a model law could drive impactful output.
Institutional Governance of PAP: Underlying all this will be how PAP manages the session logistics, budget lines, staff regulation, plenary efficiency, and how it ensures its own institutional autonomy and efficacy.

Conclusion

As the 6th Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament opens in Midrand on 3 November, the eyes of the continent and the world will be on how Africa’s legislative body uses the 2025 reparations theme to anchor transformative deliberations across justice, youth governance, security oversight, partnership strategy and institutional reform. For media, civil society and parliamentary watchers, the next two weeks promise both substance and strategic import.