Pan-African Parliament Seeks Stronger Partnership with African Ambassadors to Advance Agenda 2063 and Institutional Reforms

MIDRAND, South Africa: The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), led by its President, H.E. Dr. Fateh Boutbig, has called for a renewed partnership between the Pan-African Parliament and African diplomatic missions as it unveiled the vision and strategic priorities of the Seventh Legislature ahead of its First Ordinary Session.

The high-level engagement with African Ambassadors accredited to South Africa formed part of the preparatory programme for the First Sitting of Permanent Committees and the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Legislature, taking place from 20 July to 1 August 2026 at the Pan-African Parliament Headquarters in Midrand. The preparatory phase of the Session specifically includes meetings between the PAP Bureau and Ambassadors before the commencement of committee deliberations and plenary proceedings.

Addressing members of the diplomatic corps, President Boutbig described the meeting as an opportunity to reset and strengthen relations between the Pan-African Parliament and African Union Member States through their diplomatic missions.

"We meet at a defining moment in our continent's history," he said, noting that while Africa possesses enormous human and natural resources and unprecedented opportunities for transformation, it also faces persistent challenges including conflicts, unconstitutional changes of government, corruption, illicit financial flows, poverty, climate change, food insecurity and unequal development.

A Vision for a Stronger Pan-African Parliament

President Boutbig presented an ambitious roadmap for the Seventh Legislature, anchored on building "a stronger, more responsive and more effective Pan-African Parliament" capable of fully delivering its mandate under the PAP Protocol and serving as a key pillar of the African Union's governance architecture.

He emphasized that the Parliament's overarching mission is to support the implementation of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, describing it as Africa's collective promise to future generations.

Rather than remaining a continental policy framework, Agenda 2063, he said, must be translated into national legislation, effective parliamentary oversight and tangible improvements in the lives of African citizens, with national and regional parliaments serving as indispensable partners in implementation.

Completing Institutional Reforms

One of the Bureau's foremost priorities is the completion of the long-running review of the Pan-African Parliament's Rules of Procedure.

President Boutbig said strong institutions depend upon clear, credible and predictable rules. He pledged that the Seventh Legislature would work towards finalizing reforms to ensure the Rules are fully aligned with the PAP Protocol, African Union values and principles, ethical standards, and decisions of the AU Assembly and Executive Council.

According to him, the reforms are intended to strengthen institutional governance, improve efficiency, enhance transparency and reinforce the credibility of the Parliament as a rules-based continental institution.

Parliamentary Diplomacy at the Centre

Another major pillar of the Bureau's programme is the expansion of parliamentary diplomacy.

President Boutbig argued that parliamentary engagement has become an increasingly important complement to traditional state diplomacy, enabling legislators to promote dialogue, prevent conflicts, strengthen democratic governance and deepen regional cooperation.

He said PAP intends to play a more active role in supporting the African Peace and Security Architecture, promoting constitutional governance, observing elections, encouraging peaceful dialogue and advancing continental integration.

Parliamentary diplomacy, he added, would also support flagship African Union initiatives, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), infrastructure development, agricultural transformation, industrialization, digital innovation, climate resilience, and the empowerment of women and young people.

Fighting Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows

A significant portion of the President's address focused on combating corruption and illicit financial flows, which he identified as one of Africa's greatest development challenges.

Citing estimates that Africa loses between US$88 billion and US$90 billion annually through illicit financial flows equivalent to approximately 3.7 per cent of the continent's Gross Domestic Product, he called for stronger parliamentary oversight, tougher anti-corruption legislation and greater transparency in public financial management.

"Parliamentarians must become champions of integrity and custodians of public trust," he declared.

Building a Strong Continental Parliamentary Network

President Boutbig also pledged to strengthen cooperation with national parliaments, regional parliamentary fora and Regional Economic Communities.

He said the Bureau intends to expand structured dialogue, legislative harmonization, joint oversight initiatives, exchange programmes and the sharing of best parliamentary practices.

The objective, he explained, is to build a united parliamentary community capable of speaking with one voice on issues affecting the continent while supporting Member States in implementing Agenda 2063.

Making PAP More Responsive to African Citizens

Beyond institutional reforms, the President stressed that the Parliament must remain firmly focused on the everyday concerns of African citizens.

He identified peace and security, economic transformation, youth employment, gender equality, climate action, food security, public health, digital transformation and sustainable development as the principal areas that will guide the Parliament's legislative and oversight work.

The Bureau, he said, intends to produce evidence-based policy recommendations that provide practical solutions to Africa's development challenges.

Stronger Coordination Across AU Institutions

Recognizing the complexity of the African Union's institutional landscape, President Boutbig called for greater coordination among AU organs and specialized institutions.

He said the Pan-African Parliament would champion closer collaboration with the African Union Commission, AUDA-NEPAD, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the African Development Bank, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Parliamentary Fora.

Improved coordination, joint planning and complementary implementation, he argued, would reduce duplication, maximize resources and accelerate delivery on continental priorities.

Institutional Capacity and Staffing

The President also highlighted the need to strengthen the Parliament's internal capacity by modernizing administrative systems, embracing digital transformation, improving committee effectiveness, enhancing knowledge management and ensuring sound financial governance.

He acknowledged that inadequate staffing continues to hamper effective service delivery and pledged that the Bureau would work to facilitate the recruitment of critical personnel needed to strengthen the institution.

Ambassadors Recognized as Strategic Partners

A central theme of the engagement was the indispensable role of African Ambassadors in supporting the Parliament's work.

President Boutbig urged diplomatic representatives to help promote the implementation of PAP resolutions and recommendations, facilitate engagement with national governments and legislatures, encourage closer cooperation between executive and legislative institutions, and support the implementation of Agenda 2063 at both national and continental levels.

"The success of the Pan-African Parliament depends upon strong partnerships with Member States... and equally importantly, with you, the distinguished Ambassadors representing our nations," he told the gathering.

In a practical outcome of the meeting, the Bureau and the diplomatic corps agreed to revive the PAP–Ambassadors Working Group as a structured platform for regular dialogue, consultation, information sharing and institutional cooperation.

Setting the Tone for the Seventh Legislature

The meeting comes at a pivotal moment for the newly elected Bureau as it prepares to lead the Pan-African Parliament through its Seventh Legislature.

The upcoming Session will bring together parliamentarians from across the continent to deliberate on governance, peace and security, economic integration, sustainable development and the African Union's 2026 Theme of the Year: "Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063." Committee deliberations will culminate in plenary debates, resolutions and recommendations to the African Union Assembly.

By placing institutional reform, parliamentary diplomacy, anti-corruption, stronger partnerships and citizen-centred governance at the heart of its agenda, the Bureau signalled its determination to position the Pan-African Parliament as a more dynamic and influential institution within the African Union architecture.

Concluding his address, President Boutbig reaffirmed the Bureau's commitment to building "an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa, where our institutions are responsive to the aspirations of our people and where the promise of Agenda 2063 becomes a lived reality for eevery African citizen."