PAP Plans African Legislative Research Centre to Strengthen Policymaking

PAP President Fateh Boutbig announces plans for an African legislative research centre, linking parliamentary reform with research, culture and Agenda 2063.

Algiers, 4 November 2026 — The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H. E. Dr. Fateh Boutbig, has announced plans to establish an African Centre for Legislative Research and Studies to strengthen the connection between academic research, parliamentary work and public policymaking across the continent.

The proposed Centre would operate under the auspices of PAP. Boutbig said its establishment was planned for the occasion of the Parliament’s second parliamentary session, scheduled for December 2026.

He made the announcement during an intellectual seminar on the sidelines of the Algiers International Book Fair at the Palais des Expositions in Pins Maritimes.

The seminar, entitled “Reading and Building African Awareness: The Role of Culture and Parliamentary Diplomacy in Achieving Continental Renaissance in Line with Agenda 2063,” brought the relationship between knowledge, cultural identity and parliamentary action into focus.

Connecting research with parliamentary decisions

Boutbig presented the proposed Centre as part of his vision for institutional reform and strengthening PAP’s capacity to support decision-making.

Its intended functions include producing studies to inform policy and legislative development, linking academic research with parliamentary needs, and expanding cooperation among parliamentarians, universities and research institutions across Africa.

The proposal addresses an important requirement of effective parliamentary work: access to relevant research when examining policy choices, developing legislative proposals and scrutinizing public programmes.

Cooperation with universities and research centres could give parliamentarians access to a wider range of expertise and African perspectives. It could also help researchers better understand the practical questions confronting parliamentary institutions.

The announcement outlined the Centre’s objectives but did not specify its funding arrangements, organizational structure or detailed implementation timetable beyond the reference to the December session.

Reading, critical thinking and African identity

Alongside the institutional announcement, Boutbig emphasized the role of reading in building awareness and developing critical thinking.

He recalled the contributions of African writers and thinkers to liberation struggles and to restoring the right of African peoples to tell their own history in their own words.

His remarks placed literature and intellectual production within the wider project of continental renewal. Access to books and ideas, in this framing, contributes to the ability of citizens to understand their societies, question assumptions and participate in shaping Africa’s future.

Boutbig linked the promotion of reading to Aspiration 5 of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisages an Africa with a strong cultural identity, shared heritage and common values.

The connection also gave the proposed research Centre a broader context: strengthening parliamentary institutions through knowledge while encouraging African intellectual and cultural contributions to continental development.

Cooperation on books, translation and digital publishing

The PAP President called for a framework of cooperation bringing together national parliaments, continental institutions and stakeholders in the cultural and publishing sectors.

Such cooperation, he said, should facilitate the circulation of African books, support translation and digital publishing, and broaden access to knowledge for children and young people.

These priorities connect cultural exchange with practical questions of access. Translation can help African works reach readers across language communities, while digital publishing offers additional channels for distributing books and educational material.

Parliamentary engagement could provide a platform for examining the policies and institutional partnerships needed to support these objectives. The proposed framework would also create opportunities for dialogue between lawmakers and those who produce, publish and distribute African creative works.

Algiers Book Fair as a continental meeting place

Boutbig expressed his aspiration to strengthen the Algiers International Book Fair’s position as a meeting place for African writers, publishers and intellectuals, and as a platform for showcasing and sharing the continent’s creative output.

His intervention linked parliamentary diplomacy with cultural exchange, highlighting opportunities for cooperation around books, research and public debate.

At the conclusion of the seminar, he honoured Mr. Mohamed Iguerb, Commissioner of the Algiers International Book Fair, in recognition of his efforts in organizing the event and enhancing its contribution to dialogue and cultural exchange.

The December parliamentary session will provide an opportunity for PAP to advance the proposed African Centre for Legislative Research and Studies and clarify how its research and partnerships would support the Parliament’s work.