Pan-African Parliament Declares New Era of Action, Accountability and Results

MIDRAND, South Africa — 30 July 2026: The First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Pan-African Parliament has officially concluded with a pledge to transform the continental legislature from a forum of debate into an institution focused on implementation, accountability and measurable results for the people of Africa.

Closing the Session at the Parliament’s headquarters in Midrand, President of the Pan-African Parliament, H.E. Dr. Fateh Boutbig, declared that the Seventh Parliament would mark “the beginning of a new era” in which the institution would actively contribute to the fulfilment of Africa’s continental aspirations.

He said the success of the new Parliament would not be judged by the number of meetings convened or documents adopted, but by the tangible impact of its work on the lives of African citizens.

“Our success will not be measured by the number of meetings we convene or the volume of documents we adopt, but by the tangible impact we make on the lives of African citizens,” Dr. Boutbig told Members.

The closing address followed several days of committee meetings, plenary debates and consultations on issues including African integration, peace and security, food and water security, democratic governance, women and youth empowerment, critical minerals, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the institutional capacity of the Pan-African Parliament.

A Foundational Session for the Seventh Parliament

Dr. Boutbig described the First Ordinary Session as a foundational milestone for the Seventh Parliament, noting that it had reflected a shared determination to build a more effective and citizen-centred continental legislature.

He praised the Permanent Committees and Members of Parliament for producing substantive reports, assessments and recommendations on the challenges confronting Africa.

According to the PAP President, the reports adopted during the Session demonstrated that the institution possessed the expertise, experience and political determination needed to make a meaningful contribution to continental affairs.

He cautioned, however, that the value of the reports would depend on whether their recommendations were followed up and converted into practical initiatives in cooperation with national parliaments and other organs of the African Union.

The closing address placed implementation at the centre of the new Parliament’s agenda and signaled a shift from adopting resolutions to building mechanisms for delivery, monitoring and evaluation.

Ramaphosa’s Presence Reflects Support for PAP

The PAP President also highlighted the participation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the opening of the Session.

President Ramaphosa addressed Members from the Chamber of the Pan-African Parliament, an occasion Dr. Boutbig described as politically and institutionally significant.

He said the South African President’s presence reflected the continued support of the host country for the Parliament and its role within the African Union institutional architecture.

Dr. Boutbig expressed appreciation to President Ramaphosa, the Government and people of South Africa for their hospitality and continuing support for the continental Parliament.

He also thanked representatives of African Union organs, diplomatic missions, partner institutions and other organizations whose participation enriched the deliberations.

Africa Must Become an Active Global Partner

Reflecting on the wider geopolitical environment, Dr. Boutbig warned that Africa was operating in a period of profound global transformation.

He pointed to changes in the international balance of power, intensifying competition for natural resources and the disruptive influence of technology on economies and societies.

At the same time, he said, millions of Africans continued to face conflict, terrorism, poverty, unemployment, climate change and insecurity relating to food, water and health.

The PAP President argued that Africa could no longer remain a passive recipient of decisions taken elsewhere.

Instead, the continent must become an active global partner capable of shaping international developments according to its own interests and the priorities of its people.

“Africa’s time has come,” he declared.

He called on African countries to speak with one voice, defend common interests and harness the continent’s natural and human resources for the benefit of its citizens.

According to Dr. Boutbig, African unity must be understood not merely as a political slogan, but as a prerequisite for continental strength, prosperity, sovereignty and strategic independence.

Renewed Call for Ratification of the Malabo Protocol

The closing address renewed the call for Member States to accelerate the ratification of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament, commonly known as the Malabo Protocol.

Dr. Boutbig said completing the ratification process would strengthen the Parliament’s powers and reinforce its role in the democratic and institutional development of the African Union.

He also called on AU organs and institutions to deepen coordination and operate in the spirit of a single continental institution.

Africa’s challenges, he stressed, were interconnected and could not be effectively addressed by individual institutions working in isolation.

Strengthening cooperation among the Pan-African Parliament, national parliaments, the African Union Commission and other AU bodies would therefore be essential to translating continental decisions into national action.

Midrand Declaration 2026 Sets Out Ten Commitments

A major feature of the closing address was the proclamation of the Midrand Declaration 2026, which sets out ten principles and commitments intended to guide the work of the Seventh Parliament.

Under the Declaration, Members renewed their commitment to African unity and pledged to place the interests of the continent and its people above all other considerations.

The Declaration reaffirmed that peace and security were essential conditions for development and called for conflict prevention, dialogue, reconciliation and renewed efforts to silence the guns across Africa.

It also committed the Parliament to becoming a stronger, more effective and citizen-centred institution, while supporting accelerated ratification of the Malabo Protocol.

The Seventh Parliament further pledged to promote faster implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and stronger economic integration and cross-border infrastructure.

Food security and food sovereignty were identified as continental priorities, alongside greater support for agriculture, industrialization and the development of Africa’s green and blue economies.

The Declaration recognized women and young people as essential partners in Africa’s renewal, decision-making, innovation and entrepreneurship.

It also committed the Parliament to supporting education, scientific research, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, while strengthening Africa’s digital sovereignty.

Members rejected terrorism, extremism, organized crime, corruption, human trafficking and the unlawful exploitation of Africa’s natural resources.

The Declaration further stated that Africa’s international partnerships must be based on equality, mutual respect, non-interference and shared interests.

Its final commitment was that the Seventh Parliament would be defined by action, delivery, follow-up and accountability.

The Parliament pledged to move beyond issuing recommendations and instead actively contribute to their implementation.

From Recommendations to Implementation

Dr. Boutbig described the ten principles as both a commitment to the African people and a roadmap for the new Parliament.

He said the institution would need to develop structured systems for implementation, follow-up and evaluation in cooperation with national parliaments and AU institutions.

The Seventh Parliament would continue to support mediation, conflict prevention and electoral processes, while defending democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

It would also promote African economic integration, industrialization, infrastructure development, environmental protection, food security and investment in education, research and technology.

Women and young people, he stressed, would not be treated merely as beneficiaries of public policy, but as full partners in decision-making and continental transformation.

The PAP President said Africa did not lack ambition, natural resources or expertise.

What it required, he argued, were strong institutions, good governance, shared political will and collective action capable of transforming potential into achievement and wealth into prosperity.

Stronger Links with National Parliaments

Dr. Boutbig urged PAP Members to return to their respective countries and national legislatures carrying the spirit and outcomes of the Session.

Members were encouraged to advocate for implementation of the resolutions and recommendations adopted in Midrand and to maintain a close connection between the continental Parliament, national parliaments and African citizens.

This approach reflects the Pan-African Parliament’s unique position within the African Union system.

Its effectiveness depends in part on the ability of its Members to transmit continental priorities into national parliamentary processes and bring national concerns back into continental deliberations.

Stronger institutional links with national and regional parliaments will therefore be central to the Seventh Parliament’s implementation agenda.

Conference of Speakers to Sustain Momentum

Although the Ordinary Session formally closed on 30 July, Dr. Boutbig said the momentum would continue through the Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments scheduled for 31 July and 1 August 2026.

The Conference is expected to strengthen cooperation between PAP and national parliaments, coordinate positions on continental issues and expand parliamentary diplomacy.

It will also provide a platform for legislators to support peace, democracy, development and integration and to explore more effective mechanisms for parliamentary consultation and coordination.

Dr. Boutbig expressed hope that the Conference would help transform Africa’s legislative institutions into a stronger force for implementing Agenda 2063.

“The Sons and Daughters of Africa Expect Action”

Concluding his address, the PAP President said Africans expected action rather than words, unity rather than division and hope rather than despair.

He challenged Members to rise to the historic responsibility placed upon them and to transform Africa’s diversity into strength, its youth into a force for innovation and its institutions into effective instruments of development and integration.

“The Seventh Parliament will not merely be an extension of what came before it, but the beginning of a new era,” he declared.

Dr. Boutbig said the Pan-African Parliament must evolve from a forum for debate into an influential force for action and from an institution that merely articulates the aspirations of Africans into one that actively contributes to their fulfilment.

He announced that the guiding motto of the Seventh Parliament would remain:

“Africa First, African Unity Always, and Service to the African Citizen Above All Else.”

With that declaration, the President formally brought the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Pan-African Parliament to a close, setting an ambitious benchmark against which the work of the new Legislature will be measured.

The challenge now is to ensure that the Midrand Declaration 2026 becomes more than a statement of intent and serves instead as an actionable framework for delivery, institutional reform and accountability to the people of Africa.