Story by Gilbert Borketey Boyefio
South Africa: The Pan-African Parliament has announced the Sitting of Permanent Committees and related meetings of the 6th Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament under the African Union Theme of the Year for 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”
The Committee meetings which are expected to start with preparatory meetings scheduled to convene prior to the formal opening of the Committee Sitting on 24 February 2025.
Dignitaries expected to graced the meetings includes AfricanHeads of State and Government,Pan-African Parliamentarians, Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments, Members of National and Regional Parliaments, Clerks of National and Regional Parliaments, Government Officials, Civil Society Organizations, Academia, African Union Member States, African Union Organs and Institutions, United Nations Organs and Bodies, and the Diplomatic Corps.
The programme line-up for the Committee Meetings are as follows: Meeting of the 6th PAP Bureau, 18-19 February; Meeting of the Rules, Privileges and Disciplinary Committee, 17-20 February; Meeting of the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs, 18-20 February; Meeting of the Committee on Audit and Public Accounts, 18-20 February; Meeting of the PAP Bureau with African Ambassadors and Permanent, 20 February 2025; Orientation Meeting for new Members, 23 February, Sitting of the Regional Caucuses, 23 February; Official Opening of the Sitting of Committees, 24 February; and Meetings of Permanent Committees, 24-28 February.
The Pan-African Parliament has eleven Permanent Committees whose functions align with those of the African Union Commissions. Each Committee has a maximum number of thirty Members with regional and gender representation (Rule 22 (5)) excluding the Committee on Audit and Public Accounts which has a maximum number of fifteen Members.
The Permanent Committees meet twice a year for statutory meetings and can meet more often during parliamentary sessions or for non-statutory meetings when the need arises. The Committees enable Parliament to perform its core oversight, advisory, and consultative functions. Further, such an arrangement allows the Parliament to perform several functions simultaneously and provide the required detailed investigation on matters of concern.
The Committees implement programs and projects aligned with the PAP Strategic plan 2018-2023, drafted in consideration of the vision of the Parliament, Agenda 2063, African Union programs and theme of the year.
More information about the Permanent Committees can be obtained from: https://pap.au.int/en/committees
