By Ramatoulie Jawo
Honorable Alhagie Mbowe, the head of the Gambian delegation to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), on Thursday, presented a report on the second ordinary session of the sixth Pan-African Parliament, which took place in Midrand, Republic of South Africa, from May 8 to June 2nd.
Honorable Mbowe highlighted the contributions made by members of the Gambian delegation to the Pan-African Parliament.
He specifically mentioned their participation in discussions on the floor of the house on matters relating to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, their work as rapporteurs of the women’s caucus, their efforts to advance youth in Africa, and their insights on the role of the Pan African Parliament in the development of Africa.
“In his contribution on the ongoing conflict in Sudan, Hon. Suwaibou Touray, the member for Wuli East, opined that one of the best solutions to resolve the conflict in Sudan could be the option for coherent strategy in order to silence the guns through ceasefire agreement to restore normalcy in the country,” he said.
In reference to the women’s caucus report, Hon. Mbowe highlighted that Hon. Touray addressed the adverse impacts experienced by women and children in conflict-ridden African nations, as they are the most heavily affected by the ongoing crisis.
“He also expressed his support for the caucus and advised that the caucus set up a delegation to visit Sudan in order to make findings on women and children with a view to assist and promote their welfare,” he told the members.
Hon. Mbowe added that Hon. Suwaibou Touray believes that continuous dialogue between the youth of Africa and parliamentarians is a good move and a better strategy to advance the youth caucus.
Hon. Mbowe went on to highlight some of the deliberations made by Hon. Salifu Jawo who is also part of the Pan-African Parliament.
“On his part, Hon. Salifu Jawo member for Jokadu, underscored that the functions and duties of the Pan African parliament can only have full impact on the lives of the people of Africa if it is given full legislative power through ratification of the Malabo protocol relating to the pan-African parliament. He suggested that this dream of the union can be realized because all member states of the AU are represented in the PAP.”
Hon. Mbowe said the president of the Pan African parliament highlighted some key challenges facing the Pan African Parliament that impede its ability to realize its full potential as a continental legislative body.
“Those challenges include the slow process of ratification of the PAP protocol for transformation into legislative jargon, insufficient financial resources, an acute shortage of staff, a slow pace of recruitment, and poor attendance at plenary and committee proceedings, among others,” he said.
Hon. Mbowe also mentioned some of the resolutions and recommendations that were adopted by the plenary. He said that the plenary made recommendations on accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), labor migration in Africa, the youth dialogue held in the Kingdom of Morocco, climate policy and equality in Africa, and for an inclusive digital world.
He mentioned that the resolutions encompassed various aspects, such as the creation of a climate change model specific to Africa, the pan-African parliament’s endorsement of a financial transaction tax to support climate action, and the role of traditional medicine within the African healthcare system, among other topics.
Following the report presentation, National Assembly members shared their opinions on it, and subsequently, the report was approved and adopted by the members.