From Charter to National Action: Pan-African Parliament Equips MPs to Champion Democracy and Constitutional Governance

MIDRAND, South Africa: The Pan-African Parliament has strengthened the capacity of its Members to promote democratic governance, constitutionalism, human rights and sustainable peace as part of renewed efforts to translate African Union governance commitments into effective national action.

The capacity-building programme focused on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, commonly known as ACDEG, and the responsibilities of parliamentarians in advancing its ratification, domestication, implementation and reporting requirements.

The training was jointly convened by the PAP Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution, with technical support from the Secretariat of the African Governance Architecture.

It took place during the Permanent Committee phase of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament, being held at the Parliament’s headquarters in Midrand, South Africa. The wider Session brought together parliamentarians and African Union institutions to deliberate on governance, peace and security, economic integration and other continental priorities.

The engagement reflected growing recognition that the effectiveness of Africa’s governance frameworks depends not merely on their adoption at the continental level, but on the ability of national institutions to translate them into laws, policies, oversight mechanisms and practical improvements in the lives of citizens.

President Boutbig Urges Parliamentarians to Become ACDEG Ambassadors

Opening the training, President of the Pan-African Parliament, H.E. Dr. Fateh Boutbig, called on Members to become active champions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance in their respective countries.

He described ACDEG as the African Union’s most comprehensive governance framework and a critical instrument for achieving the democratic and institutional aspirations of Agenda 2063.

“We cannot remain observers in this process. We must become active advocates for universal ratification of the Charter,” President Boutbig said.

He urged parliamentarians to use their legislative, oversight, representative and advocacy responsibilities to promote democratic governance, constitutionalism, accountability and respect for the rule of law.

The PAP President stressed that ratification alone would not fulfil the purpose of the Charter. Member States must also incorporate its provisions into national legal and policy frameworks, establish the institutions required for implementation and subject governments to effective parliamentary oversight.

“The real success of this engagement will be measured by the actions we take when we return to our respective national parliaments,” he told Members.

President Boutbig encouraged PAP Members to become ambassadors of the Charter and champions of democratic constitutionalism, arguing that parliamentarians occupy a strategic position between continental commitments, national institutions and African citizens.

What Is the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance?

The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance is one of the African Union’s principal legal instruments for promoting democracy, constitutional rule, credible elections, accountable government and respect for human rights.

The Charter was adopted by African leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 30 January 2007 and entered into force on 15 February 2012. It establishes common standards for democratic institutions, electoral processes, political participation, constitutional transfers of power and the prevention of unconstitutional changes of government.

Among its objectives are strengthening democratic institutions, promoting adherence to constitutional principles, improving the quality of elections, encouraging citizen participation and fostering political, economic and social governance.

It also condemns unconstitutional changes of government and requires States Parties to promote a political culture founded on regular, transparent, free and fair elections.

Although ACDEG provides an extensive continental framework, its impact ultimately depends on whether Member States ratify it, incorporate its principles into national law and comply with their implementation and reporting responsibilities.

This makes the role of national and regional parliaments indispensable.

Parliamentarians can promote ratification where it remains outstanding, review existing legislation for conformity with the Charter, enact laws needed for its implementation and scrutinise executive action through questions, committee hearings, budgetary oversight and reports.

Democracy and Peace Are Inseparable

The training featured a presentation by H.E. Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the African Union and Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council for July 2026.

Ambassador Otengo stressed that sustainable peace could not be secured through military and security responses alone. It must be built on justice, credible institutions, constitutional government, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

“Good governance remains the foundation upon which peace and security is built,” she said.

Her intervention highlighted the close relationship between the African Governance Architecture and the African Peace and Security Architecture.

While the African Peace and Security Architecture provides the African Union with mechanisms for conflict prevention, mediation, peace support and post-conflict reconstruction, the African Governance Architecture brings together AU institutions and instruments concerned with democracy, governance, elections, human rights and constitutionalism.

The two frameworks are therefore complementary. Weak governance, political exclusion, constitutional manipulation, human rights violations and the absence of accountable institutions can create conditions for instability and conflict.

Conversely, credible elections, independent institutions, lawful political transitions and effective public accountability can help prevent disputes from escalating into violence.

Ambassador Otengo’s role as Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council for July 2026 has been officially confirmed by the African Union. In recent engagements, she has also warned against unconstitutional changes of government and emphasized the importance of elections, judicial remedies, citizen accountability and constitutional processes.

PAP, PSC and AGA-APSA Cooperation

Ambassador Otengo outlined the complementary responsibilities of the Peace and Security Council, the AGA-APSA Platform and the Pan-African Parliament in promoting constitutional governance and preventing conflict.

She called for stronger and more regular cooperation among the institutions, particularly in parliamentary oversight, early warning, preventive diplomacy and responses to emerging threats.

The Pan-African Parliament can contribute by providing a representative continental forum through which parliamentarians examine governance trends, debate threats to constitutional order and promote harmonized legislative responses.

It can also help connect continental decisions with national parliaments, where many of the laws, appropriations and oversight measures necessary for implementation must be adopted.

The Peace and Security Council, for its part, has primary responsibility within the African Union for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts, while the AGA-APSA Platform provides a basis for closer coordination between governance, human rights, democracy, peace and security institutions.

Sustained engagement among these bodies could strengthen Africa’s ability to identify and address the political, institutional and socioeconomic conditions that contribute to conflict before they develop into full-scale crises.

Cyber Insecurity and Disinformation Emerge as Governance Threats

The training also addressed emerging challenges affecting democracy and constitutional governance, including cyber insecurity and disinformation.

Digital technologies have expanded public access to information and created new opportunities for political participation. At the same time, they have facilitated the rapid circulation of false information, foreign interference, hate speech and coordinated campaigns aimed at undermining trust in elections and democratic institutions.

Cyberattacks against electoral commissions, public institutions and essential infrastructure also represent a growing risk to national security and democratic stability.

Ambassador Otengo therefore called for greater investment in digital resilience, early warning and preventive diplomacy.

For parliaments, the challenge is to develop legal and regulatory responses that address harmful digital activity without unduly restricting freedom of expression, media freedom, privacy or legitimate political debate.

This requires carefully designed legislation, independent oversight and stronger technical capacity among lawmakers.

It also highlights the importance of cooperation across borders, as cyber threats, digital manipulation and disinformation campaigns are rarely confined to a single jurisdiction.

ACDEG Must Deliver Results for African Citizens

The second session was led by Ambassador Salah Hammad, Head of the African Governance Architecture Secretariat, who provided Members with a detailed overview of ACDEG and the African Union’s broader Shared Values instruments.

The African Union’s Shared Values framework encompasses principles and legal instruments relating to democracy, human rights, constitutional governance, public administration, elections, humanitarian affairs and the rule of law.

Ambassador Hammad stressed that the Charter must not be viewed merely as a legal text or a declaration of continental aspirations.

“The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance is more than a legal instrument; it is Africa’s collective commitment to democratic governance, constitutional order and accountable leadership,” he said.

He explained that strengthening PAP Members’ understanding of ACDEG would enable them to promote its domestication, implementation and oversight more effectively.

The ultimate objective, he added, was to ensure that commitments made by governments at the continental level produce meaningful improvements for African citizens.

This requires moving beyond formal ratification to examine whether national laws, institutions and administrative practices comply with the Charter.

It also demands measurable progress in areas such as electoral integrity, judicial independence, political participation, government accountability, human rights protection and constitutional transfers of power.

Members Demand Tangible National Action

During the interactive discussion, PAP Members emphasized that Africa already possesses significant legal and institutional frameworks for governance, democracy and peace.

The principal challenge is the gap between continental commitments and national implementation.

Members therefore called for stronger parliamentary oversight of governments’ compliance with African Union instruments, more effective action to address the root causes of conflict and greater support for African-led approaches to peace and security.

They also highlighted the importance of improving digital resilience, promoting peer learning among Member States and strengthening cooperation among AU organs and institutions.

Some of the discussions focused on the need for parliamentarians to receive timely information about States’ reporting obligations under ACDEG.

Without access to national implementation reports and relevant government data, parliaments may be unable to evaluate progress, identify compliance gaps or demand corrective action.

Members’ contributions reflected the need for a more structured relationship between the Pan-African Parliament and national legislatures on democracy and governance.

Such cooperation could include parliamentary briefings, national sensitization programmes, model legislative provisions, implementation scorecards and regular reporting on the ratification and domestication of the Charter.

Political Commitment Remains Essential

Responding to the contributions, Ambassador Otengo welcomed the robust engagement and encouraged increased collaboration and peer learning among African countries.

She observed that the continent had developed strong legal and governance frameworks but that their effectiveness depended on national political commitment.

This remains one of the central challenges facing African Union treaties and policy instruments.

Governments may sign or ratify continental agreements without taking all the legislative, institutional or administrative steps required to implement them.

In other cases, laws may be enacted but inadequately enforced, institutions may lack independence or resources, and reports required under continental instruments may not be submitted regularly.

Parliaments therefore have an essential role in closing the implementation gap.

They can question ministers, examine treaty implementation, require periodic national reports, allocate funding to governance institutions and ensure that domestic laws conform to continental commitments.

They can also use their representative role to involve civil society, the media, academia, women, young people and other citizens in monitoring implementation.

Regular Institutional Dialogue Can Strengthen Oversight

Closing the first session, Chairperson of the PAP Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Hon. Chitraduthsing “Kevin” Lukeeram, called for sustained engagement between the Pan-African Parliament, the Peace and Security Council and the AGA-APSA Platform.

He said regular dialogue and evidence-based exchanges would strengthen parliamentary oversight and help lawmakers develop more informed responses to Africa’s governance and security priorities.

His intervention underscored the importance of institutionalising the engagement rather than treating it as an isolated training exercise.

A regular exchange mechanism could enable the Peace and Security Council to brief parliamentarians on emerging governance and security threats, while PAP Members could provide perspectives drawn from national and regional parliamentary processes.

The cooperation could also support joint fact-finding, policy research, early-warning analysis and follow-up on the implementation of continental decisions.

Advancing Agenda 2063’s Governance Aspirations

The capacity-building programme is directly connected to Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term blueprint for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent.

Agenda 2063 identifies democratic governance, peace and security among the conditions necessary for Africa’s transformation. Its third aspiration envisages an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law.

The Agenda also recognizes that sustainable development cannot be separated from accountable institutions and political stability.

Economic integration, infrastructure development, trade, investment and social transformation are unlikely to achieve their full potential where States are affected by constitutional instability, disputed elections, weak public institutions or violent conflict.

By equipping Members to understand and promote ACDEG, the Pan-African Parliament is therefore contributing not only to democratic governance but also to the wider development objectives of the African Union.

Turning Training Into Parliamentary Action

The lasting value of the programme will depend on the steps Members take after returning to their national parliaments.

These could include advocating for the ratification of ACDEG in countries that have not yet ratified it, proposing legislation to domesticate its provisions and seeking parliamentary debates on national implementation.

Members could also press governments to fulfil their reporting obligations, hold public hearings on democratic governance and strengthen oversight of electoral management bodies, human rights institutions and other constitutional authorities.

At the continental level, PAP could develop a structured follow-up mechanism through its relevant Permanent Committees.

Such a mechanism could monitor implementation, document national progress, identify recurring obstacles and facilitate exchanges of legislative experience among Member States.

The Parliament could also work with the AGA Secretariat to produce practical guidance for national parliaments on ratification, domestication, oversight and reporting.

From Commitments to Democratic Practice

The training reaffirmed the Pan-African Parliament’s determination to play a more active role in promoting democracy, constitutionalism, peace and accountable governance.

It also reinforced a central message: Africa does not lack governance standards. The challenge is ensuring that those standards are consistently reflected in national laws, political institutions and government conduct.

ACDEG provides a continental foundation for credible elections, constitutional rule and accountable leadership. However, its promises will remain incomplete unless parliaments, governments, courts, electoral bodies and citizens actively defend and implement its principles.

By strengthening Members’ knowledge of the Charter and linking parliamentary work more closely with the African Governance Architecture and the African Peace and Security Architecture, PAP is positioning parliamentarians to become more effective guardians of constitutional government.

The true test will come after the training—when Members return to their countries and begin transforming continental principles into legislation, oversight and concrete democratic action.