CSOS CALL FOR THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PARLIAMENT-CSOS DIALOGUES

Civil Society Organizations under the auspices of the Pan-African Parliament Civil Society Forum (PAP-CSO Forum) have recommended the institutionalization of the Parliament-CSOs dialogue at all levels of Parliaments on the Continent.

 

In a series of recommendations made at the end of a one-day Parliamentary Dialogue with CSOs, held alongside the Second Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament, the CSOs proposed for a regular platform to be given to them to actively participate in the work of Parliament, especially at the Committee level. They also challenged the PAP to champion the full ratification of numerous AU instruments by Member States such as the PAP Malabu Protocol, the Maputo Protocol, the ACDEG, etc.

 

The CSOs challenged the PAP to improve upon its visibility and information-sharing platforms.“There is a lack of information on PAPs resolutions and recommendations on its website. There is no information on the five Members of Parliament from Member States to the PAP on their website. We need this information to be able to hold the institution and its members accountable,” Prof Frans Viljoen observed.

Emphasizing the importance of strengthening the relationship between the PAP and CSOs, Ms. Bonolo Makgale, Programme Manager, Democracy and Civic Engagement, Centre for Human Rights, Pretoria University, noted that a collaboration between these two actors can amplify their impact and drive positive change, indicating that, “PAP should actively engage with CSOs, recognizing their expertise and leveraging their knowledge to inform legislative processes.”

 

The PAP-CSOs Forum was established in 2018 as a medium for the PAP to engage with CSOs on issues affecting the people of the African Continent. The Forum continues to grow and to work towards increasing the visibility of PAP and fulfilling the vision of an integrated Africa. 

 

“As we reflect on the progress made and the challenges ahead, let us remember that this intricate dance between democracy and human rights is nothing short of a symbiotic relationship, each profoundly dependent on the other, and each providing sustenance to the other. They are not just interconnected but mutually constitutive and inseparable in their essence. Let us support civil society organizations as they tirelessly advocate for transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. Let us encourage governments to actively engage with CSOs and respect their pivotal role in shaping policies and legislation,” Ms. Bonolo Makgale stressed. 

 

She strongly believed that together, Parliament and CSOs can build a future where democracy flourishes, human rights are protected, and every African citizen can actively participate in shaping their destiny.

 

Quoting the words of Martin Luther King Jr, "We are not makers of history. We are made by history," Ms. Bonolo Makgale, who is also the Convenor of the PAP-CSOs Forum, encouraged all stakeholders to ensure that “the history we are made by is one of justice, of democracy, and of unyielding commitment to the rights and voices of all Africans. Because that is the Africa we strive for, the Africa we believe in, and the Africa we can and will build together”.

 

Acknowledging the important role CSOs can play to help Parliament build a better-developed Africa, the Fourth Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Francois Ango Ndoutoume, noted that, “Africa is for all of us; we need to build it together. We will always embrace and welcome the CSOs which are not used by external forces”. 

 

He challenged CSOs to promote capacity building and community development on peace and security that will help shape a better Africa.

 

On her part, the Guest of Honor for the occasion, Yvonne Dausab, Minister of Justice in the Namibian Cabinet, challenged CSOs to eschew promoting the agenda of foreign interest, and the mentality of a “We against them.”

 

She noted that the Africa that we want is one of diversity in unity, one that would help us find African solutions to African problems.