Pan-African Parliament Signs Key Partnerships at 39th AU Assembly to Strengthen Citizen Participation

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 10 February 2026

The Pan-African Parliament has strengthened its continental partnerships during the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, signing new cooperation agreements with African Union organs and civil society organizations to advance people-centred governance across Africa.

Led by its President, Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, the Pan-African Parliament delegation is participating in the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and has concluded Memoranda of Understanding with African Union ECOSOCC, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the African Leadership Foundation.

The agreements aim to deepen citizen participation, strengthen human rights advocacy, and reinforce institutional cooperation within the African Union system.

Advancing People-Centred Governance with the African Leadership Foundation

PAP and ALF signed an MoU aimed at strengthening cooperation in the promotion of good governance, human rights, and citizen participation across Africa. The partnership provides for collaboration in capacity-building for parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, joint research and policy development, parliamentary diplomacy and advocacy, and the promotion of ratification and domestication of AU legal instruments at national level.

The MoU, signed by President Charumbira and Dr. Olumide Ajayi, Executive Director of ALF, also envisages joint conferences, workshops, and multi-stakeholder engagement initiatives designed to amplify citizens’ voices in continental governance processes. ALF, a not-for-profit civil society organization, focuses on enhancing the capacity and competency of African leaders to address Africa’s development challenges. The partnership reflects a shared resolve to harness institutional and civic strengths in support of democratic governance, accountable leadership, and people-driven development.

Strengthening Citizen Representation through PAP–ECOSOCC Cooperation

In a parallel development, PAP and AU ECOSOCC signed an MoU to deepen institutional cooperation and enhance the representation of African citizens’ voices within AU policy and decision-making processes. The agreement was signed at the AU Headquarters by President Charumbira and Louis Cheick Sissoko, Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC.

Both institutions are core AU organs mandated to give expression to the aspirations and participation of African peoples. While PAP serves as the AU’s quasi-legislative body representing citizens through elected parliamentarians, ECOSOCC provides a formal platform for civil society organizations from Africa and the Diaspora to engage AU policy processes. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation in human rights, democracy, good governance, joint advocacy, policy dialogue, and coordinated engagement within the African Governance Architecture. It also provides for joint initiatives to harmonize advocacy efforts and ensure that African voices meaningfully influence continental outcomes.

Elevating Children’s Rights with the ACERWC

PAP also signed an MoU with the ACERWC to strengthen cooperation on the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children in Africa. The agreement was signed by President Charumbira on behalf of PAP and Sabrina Gahar, Chairperson of the ACERWC, on behalf of the Committee.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration in advocacy, policy dialogue, legislative support, and the promotion of child-sensitive governance, in line with relevant continental legal and policy instruments. Both PAP and the ACERWC are vested with human rights mandates under the AU Constitutive Act, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament. The agreement reaffirms a shared commitment to strengthening Africa’s normative frameworks on children’s rights and ensuring that children’s voices, protection, and welfare remain central to Africa’s governance and development agenda.

A Broader Signal from Addis Ababa

Taken together, the series of MoUs signed during the 39th AU Assembly signal a deliberate effort by the Pan-African Parliament to deepen institutional synergies, bridge parliamentary and civil society engagement, and embed rights-based, citizen-driven approaches more firmly within the African Union’s work. As the AU advances its continental agenda, PAP’s expanded partnerships position it as a more connected and responsive platform for translating African citizens’ aspirations into continental policy and action.