Pan-African Parliament Hansard Report, Second Session of the Fourth Parliament
Tuesday, 3rd May, 2016
[The President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditation was observedLa séance est ouverte!Chers collègues,Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Parlements régionaux;Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Parlements nationaux;Mme Fatima SINGHATEH, Ministre de la Justice et Procureur Général de Gambie;Mme Isata KEBIA, Vice-Ministre des Affaires Etrangères de Sierra Leone;Mesdames, et Monsieur les Vice-Présidents du Parlement Panafricain;Excellence M. le Doyen du Corps diplomatique;Excellences, Mesdames, Messieurs les Ambassadeurs et Haut-commissaires accrédités en République d’Afrique du Sud;C’est avec beaucoup de plaisir que je vous retrouve en ce début de 2nde Session ordinaire de la 4ème Législature du Parlement Panafricain, et je voudrais saisir cette occasion pour souhaiter à chacun de vous une chaleureuse bienvenue parmi nous, et un agréable séjour en Afrique du Sud en général, et à Midrand en particulier.Bienvenue aux Présidents de Parlements Régionaux qui ont accepté de faire le déplacement de Midrand pour nous honorer de leur présence!Je veux parler des très Honorables Daniel F. KIDEGA, Président de l’Assemblée Législative d’Afrique de l’Est, et Ahmed bin ALJARWAN, Président du Parlement Arabe!¡Un África, Una Voz!3 de 9Bienvenue également aux Présidents des Parlements nationaux que sont:S.E le Très Honorable Cissé LO, Président du Forum Parlementaire de la CEDEAO,S.E le Très Honorable Job Y. NDUGAI, Président de l’Assemblée Nationale de Tanzanie,Sa Majesté Royale Dr SEEISO BERENG SEEISO, Président du Sénat du Lesotho,S.E la Très Honorable A. N. MOTSAMAI, Présidente de l’Assemblée Nationale du Lesotho,S.E le Très Honorable Mohamed Ali HOUMED, Président de l’Assemblée Nationale de Djibouti,S.E le Très Honorable Aly Abdel AAL SAYED AHMED, Président de l’Assemblée Nationale d’Egypte!Votre présence parmi nous, chers Présidents des Parlements, témoigne de votre foi en l’Union Africaine en général, et en l’un de ses organes, le Parlement Panafricain, en particulier. Nous en sommes honorés, et nous mettrons tout en oeuvre pour la mériter!Aux membres des Gouvernements de Gambie et de Sierra Léone présents dans cet Hémicycle aujourd’hui, je veux parler de:S.E Mama Fatima SINGHATEH, Procureur Général et Ministre de la Justice de Gambie,Et de S.E Isata KEBIA, Vice-ministre des Affaires Etrangères de Sierra Léone, je souhaite aussi la bienvenue et un bon séjour parmi nous!¡Un África, Una Voz!4 de 9Je ne sais pas si je devrais souhaiter la bienvenue aux Ambassadeurs et Haut-Commissaires accrédités en Afrique du Sud, qui nous honorent de leur présence aujourd’hui. Je le fais néanmoins, même comme ils savent, pour avoir préparé cette session avec nous, qu’ici, ils sont chez eux! J’assimilerai à ces Ambassadeurs et Haut-Commissaires, les Commissaires venus de l’Union Africaine pour apporter leur contribution à l’organisation de cette 2nde session ordinaire de la 4ème Législature pour leur dire également Bienvenue chez eux et merci pour l’appui!Merci également d’être venus à tous les autres invités à cette session. Je ne puis malheureusement égrener tous leurs noms au risque d’avoir un seul point à l’ordre du jour de cette matinée: les souhaits de bienvenue! Qu’ils soient néanmoins assurés que nous nous sentons fiers et honorés de compter parmi nous des personnalités de leur dimension.Je me dois néanmoins de m’adresser particulièrement à mes collègues les parlementaires panafricains assis ici aujourd’hui pour leur souhaiter la bienvenue, spécialement à ceux d’entre eux qui siègent ici pour la première fois, après les rudes batailles électorales dont ils sont sortis vainqueurs.Nous les félicitons et souhaitons que leur séjour dans cette auguste assemblée soit mutuellement enrichissant et bénéfique. Qu’ils soient assurés qu’ils¡Un África, Una Voz!5 de 9trouveront toujours auprès du Bureau et de tout le personnel du Parlement Panafricain, l’appui nécessaire pour l’exécution de leur noble et exaltante mission!Mes félicitations s’adressent aussi aux anciens parlementaires du Parlement Panafricain aujourd’hui appelés à exercer dans leurs pays respectifs des hautes fonctions.Je veux parler notamment de:L’Honorable Jorge Pedro Mauricio DOS SANTOS, fraîchement élu Président de l’Assemblée Nationale du Cap Vert,L’Honorable Isata KEBIA, aujourd’hui Vice-ministre des Affaires Etrangères de Sierra Leone;L’Honorable Mohamed BAZOUM, désormais Ministre d’Etat, Ministre de l’Intérieur du Niger;L’Honorable Issa ASSOUMANA MALAM, Ministre de la Renaissance Culturelle, des Arts et de la Modernisation Sociale, Porte-parole du Gouvernement du Niger depuis peu;L’Honorable Prisca MUPFUMIRA, Ministre du Service Public, du Travail et des Affaires Sociales du Zimbabwe;L’Honorable Joram Macdonald GUMBO, nouveau Ministre des Transports et du Développement des Infrastructures du Zimbabwe; - Et de l’Honorable. Prithvirajsing ROOPUN, à qui le Ministère de l’Intégration Sociale et de l’Autonomisation Economique vient d’être confié à l’Ile Maurice;¡Un África, Una Voz!6 de 9A tous, j’adresse les voeux de plein succès du Parlement Panafricain, auxquels j’associe les miens propres! Leur expérience au Parlement Panafricain sera, j’en suis persuadé, un atout dans l’exercice de ces nouvelles fonctions.Comment pourrait-il en être autrement? Un rapide coup d’oeil aux sujets qui seront abordés au cours de cette session ordinaire, comme à ceux de la 3ème session ordinaire de la 4ème Législature, permet de réaliser le lot de connaissances que les parlementaires engrangent à l’occasion d’une session comme celle qui s’annonce. Outre, en effet, le projet de budget 2017 de l’Union Africaine qui sera discuté, tous les problèmes d’actualité feront l’objet d’un traitement minutieux et de débats nourris. Qu’il s’agisse, en effet, des problèmes de sécurité ou de gouvernance, rien ne sera oublié:La sécurité des personnes et des biens sera à l’ordre du jour avec le rapport fait par les parlementaires du Parlement Panafricain sur la situation au Burundi,Celle de la sécurité alimentaire, avec l’exposé du Directeur Général de la FAO, S.E José Graziano Da SilvaEt que dire des problèmes de gouvernance ou d’éducation?Sur ces thèmes, deux commissaires de l’Union Africaine, S.E le Dr Aisha Abdullahi et S.E M. Martial Ikounga, seront chargés d’édifier les personnes présentes dans l’Hémicycle, tout comme le Pr. Eddie Maloka, Directeur Exécutif du Secrétariat du MAEP, ou même notre 4ème Vice-présidente, l’Honorable Dr Bernadette LAHAI, pour ne citer que ceux-là.¡Un África, Una Voz!7 de 9Les Droits de la Femme seront à l’honneur, avec toute une journée, celle du Jeudi 12 Mai, qui leur sera consacrée. Avant, S.E Mama Fatima Singhateh, Procureur Général et Ministre de la Justice de Gambie, aura donné sa vision du thème de l’Union Africaine de l’année 2016, à savoir « Les Droits Humains, avec un accent particulier sur les Droits de la Femme ».Mais le Parlement Panafricain ne saurait oublier l’une des principales préoccupations mondiales de l’heure: les changements climatiques. C’est pourquoi un exposé du rapport sur les changements climatiques sera à l’ordre du jour de la présente session. Il sera lu par la Présidente de la Commission permanente de l’Economie rurale et de l’environnement, l’Honorable Jacqueline Amongin.Je ne puis ici vous lire dans le détail, tous les points inscrits à l’ordre du jour de la présente session, ainsi que les noms de tous les exposants. Je m’en excuse auprès des intervenants et des organismes ou commissions dont je n’ai pas cité les contributions. Cet état de choses révèle néanmoins que le parlementaire panafricain est, lorsqu’il assiste à une session, plongé dans un véritable bouillon de culture, ce qui ne peut qu’être bénéfique pour l’Afrique. Le temps est donc révolu où ils pourraient hésiter à venir en session à Midrand car ils y ont tout intérêt!On a observé, il est vrai depuis quelques mois, comme une tendance, de certaines personnes malintentionnées résidant dans le pays hôte, à s’attaquer à nos parlementaires, ce que nous avons déploré et ¡Un África, Una Voz!8 de 9contre quoi, nous avons protesté énergiquement. Des dispositions adéquates sont en train d’être prises par le Gouvernement Sud-Africain pour que cela ne se répète plus, ce dont nous leur savons infiniment gré. C’est donc sans inquiétude que vous pourrez siéger et vaquer à des occupations normales. Mais ici comme ailleurs, surtout, ne prenez pas de risque!Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs, si nous nous réjouissons des promotions des parlementaires panafricains dans leur pays respectifs, il n’en reste pas moins que cela constitue une saignée qui nous prive de certains d’entre eux, par ailleurs responsables au Parlement Panafricain. C’est pourquoi il est important d’annoncer officiellement ici la vacance du poste de Vice-président représentant l’Afrique de l’Est. Les élections pour pourvoir ce poste seront organisées dans l’après-midi du 10 Mai 2016, la matinée de ce jour là étant consacrée à la campagne électorale.Il sera également procédé au cours de cette session à des élections dans les commissions et Caucus, dont certains postes demeurent vacants, à l’instar du Caucus des Jeunes dont le Président, M. ASSOUMANA MALAM, a été nommé Ministre et Porte-parole du Gouvernement au Niger.Par ailleurs, comme à l’accoutumée, nous avons le devoir, au cours de la session qui débute aujourd’hui, de vous faire le point sur les activités du parlement Panafricain depuis notre dernière session ordinaire qui s’est tenue du 05¡Un África, Una Voz!9 de 9au 16 Octobre 2015, ici à Midrand. Nous nous y attèlerons et comptons sur les conseils avisés des parlementaires pour nous aider à améliorer nos performances. Nous lançons cependant un vibrant appel à toutes les personnes qui nous écoutent aujourd’hui pour qu’elles nous appuient dans notre campagne « 28 en 2016 », qui vise l’obtention des 28 ratifications indispensables pour que le Protocole révisé de Malabo soit désormais applicable et le pouvoir de légiférer du Parlement Panafricain effectif. Aidez nous à ne plus être un organe seulement consultatif! Aidez l’Afrique à avoir un Parlement qui légifère au niveau continental! Pourquoi refuser au continent africain ce dont des régions de ce continent bénéficient déjà? N’y a-t-il pas un Parlement de la région d’Afrique de l’Est, l’East African Legislative Assembly qui légifère pour cette région? Comment justifierez-vous devant les contribuables d’Afrique, les moyens qu’ils mettent à la disposition du Parlement Panafricain? Ceux-ci ne lui servent-ils qu’à être un organe consultatif? Et que dire du rôle que pourrait jouer le Parlement Panafricain, s’il avait le pouvoir de légiférer, relativement aux grands problèmes de l’heure en Afrique et qui ont pour noms: électrification, réchauffement climatique, lutte contre le terrorisme, pour ne citer que ceux-là. Aidez nous à aider l’Afrique!C’est sur ce vibrant appel que je déclare ouverts les travaux de la 2ème session ordinaire de la 4ème Législature du Parlement Panafricain.Je vous remercie de votre bienveillante attentionReference: 0305-095830EThe following Hon. Members took the Oath of Allegiance:1.Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas - Nigeria2.Hon. Patricia Umu DANCAY-BANGURA (MRS) - Sierra Leone3.Hon. Charles NQAKULA - South Africa4.Hon. Mohamed EL-MUKHTAR HASSAN HUSEIN - Sudan5.Hon. Hashim OSMAN HASHIM - Sudan6.Hon. Ali AWADALLA ALI - Sudan7.Hon. Bachir Ali Mohamed Al-Bathani - Sudan8.Hon. Kaltoum Abdelkarim Suleiman - Sudan9.Hon. Asha Abdullah Juma (Mrs) - Tanzania10.Hon. Dr. Faustin Engelrbert Ndungulile - Tanzania11.Hon. David Ernest Silinde -Tanzania12.Hon. Mboni Mohammed Mhita Tanzania13.Hon. Margaret MITI - ZambiaREFERENCE: 0305-101235FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Excellence Mesdames,Messieurs les Présidents d’Assemblées, de Parlements nationaux et régionaux,Nous vous présentons toutes nos excuses. Mais cette cérémonie valait bien la peine que vous la viviez, car à partir d’aujourd’hui, les honorables membres qui viennent de prêter serment sont appelés « députés du Parlement panafricain » et ils jouissent de l’immunité prévue à l’article 10 du Règlement intérieur du Parlement panafricain.Nous prions tous les États membres de l’Union africaine à leur apporter assistance. Le drapeau qu’ils arborent, aujourd’hui, c’est bien le drapeau de l’Afrique.À ce niveau, je voudrais inviter, conformément à l’article 38, alinéa (1)(h), Son Excellence David MAHLOBO, Ministre d’État, ministre de la Sécurité de la République d’Afrique du Sud à faire son entrée dans la Chambre.S.E. David MAHLOBO, Ministre d’État, ministre de la sécurité, à faire son entrée dans la Chambre!Je voudrais, également, inviter Son Excellence l’Honorable ISATA KABIA, Secrétaire d’État au Ministère des Relations extérieures, à faire son entrée dans la Chambre.J’invite Son Eminence Cardinal l’Archevêque de l’Église Orthodoxe, IGNANIUS, à faire son entrée dans la Chambre.(Applaudissements)Excellence Monsieur le Ministre d’État, chargé de la Sécurité,Au moment où vous allez prendre la parole, au nom du gouvernement d’Afrique du sud, le Parlement panafricain tient à vous remercier pour toutes les mesures de sécurité mises à sa disposition. Mais, nous voulons vous dire que l’ennemie de la paix et de la sécurité ne dort pas. Il multiplie des techniques pour vous défier et créer la peur et la désolation parmi nous.Hier encore, des honorables membres de cette Chambre ont été victimes d’attaque à main armée, et même les membres du Secrétariat ne sont pas à l’abri de la violence des hors la loi.Nous vous prions donc, Excellence, de redoubler d’ardeur et de vigilance au travail, pour mettre hors d’état de nuire les hors la loi.Nous vous prions, également, Excellence, au moment où vous allez partir de cette Chambre, de bien vouloir transmettre à Son Excellence Monsieur Jacob ZUMA, Président de la République d’Afrique du Sud et son gouvernement, nos sincères remerciements pour toutes les sollicitudes à notre endroit.Excellence Monsieur le Ministre de la Sécurité,Vous avez la parole pour votre discours.H.E. DAVID MAHLOBO [MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY IN SOUTH AFRICA]:Your Excellency, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, His Excellency Roger Nkondo Dang, honourable Members of the Pan African Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.Mr President, allow me, on behalf of President Zuma, his government and the people of the Republic of South Africa, to warmly welcome you all to our country and wish you successful deliberations during your Ordinary Session of the Pan African Parliament.With your permission, once more, Your Excellency, allow me to humbly welcome to our shores His Excellency the Deputy President of Sierra Leone, Ambassador DaVita Fore, and his esteemed delegation and other Speakers of National Parliaments that are here.Your Excellency, I have noted the message. As Minister responsible for security, I will have a discussion with your office to try and deal with the issues that have been raised. It cannot be correct that it can happen on our soil. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that your stay is a safe and a warm one.Mr President, the year 2016 in our country is a significant year in the calendar. This is the year in which we will be marking 60 years anniversary of the 1956 women’s match to the Union Building. It is very befitting to us therefore that the African Union chose 2016 as the year of human rights with particular focus on the rights of women. 2016 also marks the 20th Anniversary of the signing into law of our own Constitution. Equally this year we shall be celebrating 40 years of the anniversary of June 16, 1976 of the student match against Parliament. This was a time when young people of our country took on the might of the apartheid regime with a tremendous courage. It was in June 16, 1976, that apartheid as we know was shaken to the core and it never recovered. We forever hail that generation and mourn those who lost their lives and whose blood nourished the tree of freedom that we enjoy in our country. More importantly, let me acknowledge the international solidarity that we received from our African brothers and sisters. A number of Africans perished for South Africa’s freedom.Honourable Members, you have descended to our shores at a time when South Africans are readying themselves to exercise their enabled democratic right in the local government election. On 3rd August this year we will be partaking in elections for local government which is our third year in our government structures and an important structure for service delivery. So, this is closer to our people.Your Excellency, Mr President, this session takes place in a momentous year in the history of our continent. This year marks a milestone as we celebrate the African Year of Human Rights which I mentioned before. It is therefore important that while commemorating and celebrating, we reflect on the significant milestones in Africa’s continental human rights history. This year, we will also be marking 35 years of the adoption of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which is referred to as the African Charter; 30 years of coming into effect as well as the 26th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; the 10th anniversary of the Protocol to the Charter and Human Rights and People’s Rights on the establishment of African Court on Human and People’s Right; the Court Protocol; and the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the African Youth Charter.While these noble African instruments have contributed immensely in the advancement of human rights in the continent, the broader promotion and protection of human and people’s rights however remains unattained in some parts of our continent. It should therefore be our collective preoccupation that we rid our continent of all human rights abuses, especially in the conflict zones. No more should African children be dying of curable diseases and malnutrition and our young people daring the waters of the Mediterranean Sea in search of false hope and better lives in Europe and other parts of the globe. No longer should it be acceptable as a norm that young and old lives are lost in our continent to avertable wars and terrorism.Our continent is endowed in natural and human resources, and it is up to us therefore as a collective leadership of our people to we realise the dreams of our people. This is a solemn intention we express in our proud Agenda 2063. It is against this backdrop that we wish to implore the Pan-African Parliament, our Parliament, to explore various African solutions at our disposal and advise the Assembly of Heads of State accordingly. We are certain Mr President that the African Heads of State will come to such an intervention from this august organ of our people.Mr President, as we gather here today, relatively peaceful elections were held on the continent. There were elections in Benin, Niger, Cape Verde, the Semi Autonomous Region of the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar, and a referendum in Senegal took place. Additionally, earlier in the year elections were held in the Central African Republic, in Uganda and in the Comoros. We wish to congratulate these sister countries on exercising their civic rights peacefully and furthermore urge the countries to ratify and adhere to the spirit of the latter of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and respective regional instruments. There is no substitute for the creation of a culture of peace during the electoral periods and we call on all African Members of our Union to create conducive conditions to ensure peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections and referenda in order to allow citizens to exercise their right to vote in an environment that is free of intimidation, violence or any other impediment.Mr President, as Parliament gathers for this important occasion, there is some concern for the resurgence of Ebola virus in some parts of West Africa. We need to redouble our efforts and implore our unified strength as a continent and our global partners to timely respond to this outbreak so as to eradicate such diseases from Africa once and for all.Mr President and Honourable Members, we are further saddened by the additional and persistent unprecedented rise of terrorist attacks in our continent. We have seen three distinct attacks at the hotels in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. This is in addition to the terrorist attacks which were perpetuated in Nigeria, Cameroon and Somalia. These attacks have claimed the lives of innocent civilians; left scores wounded and caused unwarranted destruction of property. In the same vein, we should condemn the terrorist attacks in France, Belgium and in Pakistan. The South African Government condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly attacks on innocent people and stand with the international community in reiterating a stance that terror attacks in whatever form and from whichever quarter cannot be condoned.Mr President, you will recall that in 2015 our country was plunged into unprecedented waves of violence directed to some of our foreign nationals, our brothers and sisters. In this regard we wish to report that the government has put measures in place to stem the tide with regard to these wanton acts of violence and destruction of property. We have engaged with our people to say, “we are one people, we belong to one continent”. Various communities then are joining hands with our security establishment in rooting out the criminal elements responsible for these acts in our land. In the words of our founding father, His Excellency, President Mandela, whilst addressing the then Organisation of African Unity Summit in Tunis on 13th June 1994, Mr President I wish to remind this August House of what Madiba said:“Africa shed her blood and surrendered the lives of her children so that her children could be free. She gave of her limited wealth and resources so that all of Africa should be liberated. She opened her heart of hospitality and her head so full of wise counsel, so that we should emerge victorious. A million times, she put her hand to the plough that has now dug up the encrusted burden of oppression accumulated for centuries.”As stated by Madiba as per the details of our constitution we remain steadfast and unflinching and as such we will stop at nothing to guarantee freedoms to all in our country. Our eventual victory over the crime against humanity that apartheid was, produced a society committed to fight with all its might any manifestation of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.Mr President, South Africa remains committed to the smooth functioning and success of the Pan-African Parliament. We assure that as a country we will do all in our power to ensure that this Parliament functions in an environment that is conducive for it to pursue our African agenda. In this regard, we have set to ensure that all our visitors are comfortable and secured. Our various security establishments of which some of us sit there at Cabinet will ensure that both at national and provincial levels we are all alerted in this regard to do whatever it takes.In conclusion, as the Pan-African Parliament meets to deliberate in the next two weeks, it should, as it is with all Africans, not lose sight of the plight of the people of the Western Sahara. Africa cannot rest until this beautiful sister country is free from all foreign occupation and alien domination.With these few words, on behalf of our President, the government of the Republic of South Africa and the people of South African we wish you, President, and the entire Members of our Parliament successful deliberation.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0305-103044EMR. CLIFFORD ROTIMIE MARCUS ROBERTS [EDUCATIONIST AT THE COMHAS, UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE]:The PanAfrican Parliament, as set out in Article 17 of the AU Constitutive Act, is there, and I quote:“To ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the continent.”The Pan-African Parliament is intended as a platform for people of all African states to be involved in discussions and decision making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. Amongst the eleven permanent Committees, and one ad hoc committee, it is the Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources which compliments my aspirations.The Committee considers issues concerned with the development of human resource in member states. It assists parliamentary policy development and implementation of programmes on issues of access to education, promotion of culture and tourism and human resource development.Education is a key issue of our time, especially in Africa. If we want to address inequalities and ensure equal access to opportunities, education is the answer. To underscore the importance of education, Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, states that, and I quote,“Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free at least in elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory.”With this declaration, it is not surprising that most educational policies and laws make provision for free and compulsory basic education. Similarly, within the “Agenda 2063, the Africa we want”, the African people aspire by 2063 to have well educated citizens and skill evolution underpinned by science, technology and innovation for a knowledgeable society and this is indeed a noble cause.To achieve this, our leaders must be called upon to(a)expand universal access to quality childhood basic education at primary and secondary school levels. Expand and consolidate gender parity in education, strengthen technical and vocational training devotion through scaled up investments, establish a pool of technical and vocational educational training centres across Africa with a view to increasing skills profile, employability entrepreneurship of especially youths and women and closing the gap across the continent. To have greater links with industries and labour market;(b)build and expand an African knowledgeable society through information transformation and investments in society and technology in science and innovation; and(c)ensure the harmonisation of educational standards and mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications while at the same time establishing an African accreditation agency to development and monitor education quality standards across the continent.This means that we must increase both national and international investment in the education sector beyond the current budget threshold which is grossly inadequate.I also advocate for ministers of education to honour the pledges for an increased educational budget. The current average of 8.9 per cent of domestic budget going to education in low income countries which is rising up to 10 per cent in sub Saharan African is not enough. As a result, enrolment in primary schools is slowing down. Completion rate remains slow with either 10 million children dropping out of primary school every year in sub Saharan Africa, while millions of children who do not complete primary school do so with many levels of reading, writing and numeracy due to poor quality teaching while the pupil teacher ratio can also be as high as 100:1.Women and girls remain at a higher disadvantage. Although the gender parity in primary schools enrolment is within reach, girls are still less likely to progress to secondary education. The education goal of sustainability development goals aims at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education at promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. As a result of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development, education can greatly help in reducing poverty.Mr President, the Pan-African Parliament has a key role to play through its Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Rights in the achievement of education in the Agenda 2063. The emphasis on the educational policy through modern laws, intensification of other treaties of advocacy of member states to increase their domestic budget allocation to education, the harmonisation of standards for monitoring quality education, promoting private sector participation in skills development, especially in technical vocational training and others cannot be under played.That is why I urge all Governments and Parliaments to ratify the revised protocol transforming the Pan-African Parliament from an advisory to a legislative body so as to perform the function it was created for in the Constitutive Act of establishing the Pan-African Parliament.In this regard, let me congratulate those states that have signed the protocol and at the same time very heartily congratulate the countries, Mali and Sierra Leone, on ratifying the protocol.ApplauseA lot more work and encouragement is needed to get twenty-six more ratifications for the protocol to come into force.Mr President, let me concluded by, once again, thanking the Pan-African Parliament for affording me the opportunity to be part of this historical official opening of the session and I wish you successful deliberations.Long live Africa.Long live the AU.Long live the Pan-African Parliament.I thank you for your attention.ApplauseREFERENCE: 0305-104252AEH.E. DR. NAFIE ALI NAFIE [SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE AFRICAN COUNCIL OFPOLITICAL PARTIES]:بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمالسلام عليكم ورحمة اللهHon. Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.It is my honour and privilege to address the Second Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament of the PanAfrican Parliament. My thanks and appreciations are due to his Excellency the President for the opportunity to share with you ideas on the ways and means to achieve our common objectives.According to its statutes, the Council of Political Parties of Africa (COPP) acts as a vehicle for the cooperation and coordination between political parties, to promote unity and enhance mutual trust and African solidarity. This council is charged with the promotion of culture, peace, socioeconomic development, sustaining peace and prosperity and the domestication of democracy and good governance in Africa.Your Excellencies, COPP and PAP are inseparable. Members of the PAP are distinguished representatives of their political parties who in turn are members of COPP. The PAP and COPP support common African policies to realise the renaissance of Africa, especially those targeted at and have been indorsed by the AU as part of the “Africa 2063 Agenda”. COPP fully supports the vision of the AU and believes that all state and nonstate actors should play their roles in realising it.Your Excellencies, political parties are expected to study and make plans at national level and through their members in Parliament take legislative measures for implementation. Political parties are expected to be part and parcel of Africa 2063 Agenda and mobilise the grassroots to realise their awareness in close cooperation with the national civil society organisations in trying to fully support the successful implementation and achievement of the 2063 Agenda. Looking ahead at the 2063 Agenda for Africa, we should work closely as of today with the AU.Good morning everybody.Your Excellencies, the last African Summit declared 2016 the year of Human Rights with special emphasis on the rights of women. Respect for human rights in our communities is a shortcut to social peace and development. This entails that political parties and partners in Africa, acting on behalf of the African people, should be the guarantors of people’s rights by playing an important role in women empowerment by ensuring that a significant number of women are in the leadership of political parties and in Parliament.ApplauseYour Excellencies, political parties being represented in the executive and legislative organs of the Government must contribute strongly in shaping the political process in their countries not only by passing legislation, but also by ensuring that Constitutions foster human rights and women empowerment. These must be respected. To play a constructive and needy role in the policy making process, political parties need to qualify for that role by creating synergies between party policies and public performance with a clear vision and well defined programmes.Your excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, African people, countries and organisations should be seen to be concerned that they should work together to overcome instability, poverty and all other problems. To do so, we need to agree in our domestic policies that it is equally important to agree on our external relations. Africa will not gain the respect it deserves without ascertaining its dignity based on respect of its national sovereignty. Mutual respect is rare to achieve. We need to be interested in networks and partnerships. We in Africa categorically reject the engineering, superiority and the prejudice of international organisations when dealing with African countries. COPP Executive Council supports the AU’s call for member states to withdraw from the neo-colonial instrument called theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) that targets only African leaders and Africa.Your Excellencies, distinguished members, the council of Political Parties in Africa, and all its institutions stands ready to work gallantry with the PAP to serve Africa and its people.I thank you.ApplauseREFERENCE: 0305-104923FMME FATIMATA DÈME [DIRECTRICE EXÉCUTIVE DU FORUM DES PARLEMENTAIRES AFRICAINS ET ARABES POUR LA POPULATION ET LE DÉVELOPPEMENT (FAAPPD)]:Excellence Monsieur Roger NKODO DANG, Président du Parlement panafricain,Honorables Vice-présidents du Parlement panafricain,Excellences Présidents des Parlements,Honorable ABDELAZIZ Abdoulaye, membre du Comité Exécutif du Forum des Parlementaires Africains et Arabes pour la Population et le Développement,Honorables Parlementaires, membres du Forum des Parlementaires Africains et Arabes pour la Population et le Développement et membres du Parlement panafricain,Excellence Monsieur le Ministre de la Sécurité de l’Afrique du Sud,Excellences Mesdames et Messieurs les Représentants du Corps diplomatique et des Organisations internationales,Mesdames et Messieurs les Représentants des Agences du Système des Nations-Unies et de l’USAID,Distingués Invités,Mesdames, Messieurs,C’est pour nous un insigne honneur de prendre part à cette cérémonie d’ouverture solennelle de la deuxième session ordinaire de la quatrième législature du Parlement panafricain.Monsieur le Président,Permettez-moi, tout d’abord, du haut de cette tribune, devant cette auguste Assemblée, de remercier au nom du Forum des Parlementaires Africains et Arabes pour la Population et le Développement, l’Honorable Babah Ahmed Babou, Député de la Mauritanie et l’ensemble de ses membres, et à mon nom personnel, le Parlement panafricain pour son invitation à la présente session et pour son accueil chaleureux.Je voudrais vous exprimer, à vous et à tout le Parlement panafricain, toute notre reconnaissance pour avoir bien voulu nous associer à cette importante cérémonie d’ouverture de votre session, et en nous faisant la faveur de nous inviter à délivrer un message de solidarité.Monsieur le Président,À l’entame de mon propos, je voudrais avoir une pensée pieuse pour la mémoire de l’Honorable Idris NDÉLÉ MOUSSA du Tchad, ancien Président du PAP en même temps membre engagé et dynamique.Monsieur le Président,L’occasion m’est, ici, offerte de vous adresser, à vous et à toute votre équipe, nos chaleureuses félicitations pour votre élection, mais également pour votre engagement et votre détermination à porter haut les flambeaux de cette prestigieuse Institution parlementaire de référence, qui joue un rôle crucial dans la promotion du dialogue, de la paix, de la sécurité, de la résolution des conflits, du respect des droits de l’homme, de l’équité et de l’égalité des genres, de l’autonomisation des femmes, de l’intégration et de l’unité totale de l’Afrique.Le Parlement panafricain est appelé à devenir un Parlement législatif pour jouer pleinement son rôle. Le Forum des Parlementaires Africains et Arabes pour la Population et le Développement est disposé à travailler avec votre Institution pour l’accompagner à accélérer le processus de ratification de son Protocole révisé pour lui permettre d’exercer ce pouvoir.Nous vous exprimons notre engagement et notre détermination à appuyer le PAP dans son plaidoyer auprès des pays membres du FAAPPD.Honorables Parlementaires,La Communauté internationale s’est engagée à éradiquer la pauvreté, protéger la planète et garantir la prospérité pour tous, en adoptant en septembre 2015, à New York, les Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD). Ces ODD reposent sur le socle des droits humains en raison de leur dimension transversale.Le thème de cette session porte sur « l’Année africaine des droits de l’homme » avec un accent particulier sur les droits de la femme. Le choix de ce thème n’est pas fortuit. La commémoration du 30ème anniversaire de la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples prévue cette année, porte sur ce sujet. Cette année également, le thème de la 60ème session de la Commission des Nations-Unies sur la condition de la femme a porté sur l’autonomisation des femmes et le lien avec le développement durable.En inscrivant ce thème dans votre agenda, vous mesurez l’ampleur de leurs attentes réelles pour l’atteinte des ODD. C’est l’occasion pour les pays membres de mener une réflexion approfondie sur le système africain de promotion et de protection des droits de l’homme. Déjà en octobre, la journée africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples était célébrée sous le thème: « La promotion des droits de la femme est une valeur partagée en Afrique. » Le principe d’égalité, d’équité, de justice, de tolérance, de participation à la gouvernance, d’autonomie, de respect de l’État de droit, participe au renforcement et au respect de ces droits. C’est dire l’importance des droits de la femme dans les agendas politiques.En mettant l’accent sur ces droits, le Parlement panafricain aborde ainsi une question d’une envergure mondiale. Depuis la première Conférence sur la femme en 1975 à Mexico, les droits de la femme ont été cœur des débats internationaux. À la quatrième Conférence tenue en septembre 1995 à Beijing, l’engagement a été réaffirmé de réaliser l’égalité des droits et la dignité intrinsèque des hommes et des femmes et atteindre les autres objectifs.Monsieur le Président,Les femmes, surtout en Afrique, souffrent encore des inégalités sociales en matière d’emploi, de répartition des tâches domestiques, de prise de décisions, leur faible taux de scolarisation, l’ignorance, la pauvreté, leur statut social avec un faible pouvoir de décision, mais aussi les pratiques et croyances socioculturelles néfastes pour la santé ne militent pas en faveur de leur parfaite autonomisation, alors qu’elles sont aujourd’hui des acteurs incontournables dans l’approche au développement. Dans la plupart des pays, elles représentent plus de 50 % de la population et environ 50 % du taux de participation à la population active. Selon le Programme des Nations-Unies pour Développement (PNUD), elles représentent aujourd’hui 41 % de travailleurs rémunérés hors agriculture. Elles évoluent dans tous les secteurs de développement et apportent une contribution de taille au développement socioéconomique des pays, participant ainsi à l’atteinte des objectifs de sécurité alimentaire, de lutte contre la pauvreté et de croissance économique.Malheureusement, la plupart de leurs activités ne sont pas valorisées, et elles paient le plus lourd tribut des fléaux qui affectent notre continent et accentuent leur vulnérabilité.Encore aujourd’hui, nos mères perdent la vie en donnant la vie; nos enfants meurent de paludisme; nos filles subissent les actes de mutilations génitales; les femmes n’ont pas accès à la terre et au crédit; les pays se battent pour l’atteinte de l’objectif, vers une nouvelle infection, zéro décès lié au SIDA, zéro discrimination.Les progrès réalisés dans la mise en œuvre du Plan d’action de Maputo et de la Déclaration d’Abuja sont encore timides. Dans la quasi-totalité des pays, les Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD) n’ont pas été atteints. Les maladies émergentes comme l’Ébola mettent à l’épreuve le système de santé et hypothèque les efforts pour la réalisation des objectifs de santé et de développement.Les crises politiques, les conflits armés et les menaces de terrorisme déstabilisent nos jeunes démocraties et fragilisent nos aînées, nos économies.Honorables Parlementaires,D’autres enjeux énormes restent liés à la croissance de la population mondiale qui a aujourd’hui dépassé la barre de sept milliards et va continuer d’augmenter, d’après les prévisions des Nations-Unies, si le taux de fécondité n’est pas maîtrisé.Par conséquent, ces pays doivent impérativement saisir l’opportunité de la capture du dividende démographique pour booster leurs économies. La promotion de la santé de la reproduction et de la planification familiale reste une stratégie appropriée pour y parvenir et pour accélérer la réduction de la morbidité, de la mortalité maternelle, infantile et néonatale en Afrique, mais aussi pour améliorer considérablement la santé de la mère et de l’enfant.L’émergence d’une conscience parlementaire permet, aujourd’hui, de renverser la tendance pour relever les grands défis qui gangrènent notre continent. Il revient ainsi aux Institutions parlementaires comme le Parlement panafricain, le Forum des Parlementaires Africains et Arabes pour la Population et le Développement, le Parlement de la CEDEAO, le Parlement de l’UEMOA, l’Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie, l’Union Parlementaire Africaine, le Parlement de l’Afrique de l’Est, le Parlement de la SADC, le Parlement de la CEMAC, la Ligue Arabe, etc., dans un élan de solidarité agissante à rechercher les voies et moyens pour des solutions efficaces et pérennes.Honorables Parlementaires,Il faut déjà se féliciter et saluer la contribution importante apportée par les Parlementaires africains et arabes dans la mise en œuvre du Plan d’action de la Conférence internationale sur « Population et développement et des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement ». C’est la raison pour laquelle l’action du Forum des Parlementaires Africains et Arabes est fondée sur la reconnaissance de ce rôle des parlementaires dans la prise en charge des questions de population et de développement. Mis en place en mai 1997, ici, même en Afrique du Sud, au CAP, et regroupant soixante-cinq (65) pays en Afriques et dans les États Arabes du Moyen-Orient, sa vision est de s’ériger comme une institution parlementaire internationale de référence, incontournable dans la formulation et la mise en œuvre de politiques et de programmes en matière de population au développement, en vue de l’accès, pour tous, à la santé, à l’éducation de qualité, à l’éradication de la pauvreté pour un mieux être économique des populations, et un développement durable en Afrique et dans les États Arabes.Sa mission est de contribuer à la promotion d’un développement durable en Afrique et dans les États Arabes par le plaidoyer et la mise en œuvre d’actions nationales sur l’égalité et l’équité de genre, la responsabilisation des femmes sur la famille et son rôle, leurs droits et leur bien-être.Par sa composition, le FAAPPD reste [10:58:58 Inaudible] de l’intégration et de la coopération SudSud, de la démocratie africaine et arabe. Il contribue au renforcement des capacités des Parlementaires africains et arabes et de leurs actions au niveau national, régional et international. Il devra rester le miroir de l’ensemble de ses pays membres, de leurs actions et de leurs réalisations.Le FAAPPD a initié le plus grand mouvement mondial en matière de législation par l’adoption de deux loistypes régionales sur la santé de la reproduction et de la planification familiale et sur les incidents, contribuant ainsi à l’amélioration de l’environnement juridique et législatif.Avec l’appui du FAAPPD, au total vingt-six lois [10:59:36 Inaudible] nationales ont été adoptées sur la santé de la reproduction, de la planification familiale et sur le VIH/SIDA. En réactualisant son Plan stratégique quinquennal pour la période 2016-2020 qui s’articule autour d’axes programmatiques prioritaires dont la santé, l’éducation, la lutte contre la pauvreté, les questions de genre et des droits humains, la bonne gouvernance, les migrations internationales, la promotion des jeunes, l’environnement, le changement climatique et la sécurité alimentaire, le FAAPPD engage les parlementaires à relever les défis de l’intégration et à établir un lien entre ses composants dans une [11:00:10 Inaudible] multisectorielle et pluridisciplinaire.Honorables Parlementaires,Il est impératif de vous approprier les ODD et l’Accord de Paris sur les changements climatiques en vue de s’assurer que des financements conséquents sont alloués à l’Afrique et d’en faire le suivi pour une meilleure mise en œuvre dans la bonne gouvernance et la transparence.Vos prérogatives sont uniques et revêtent d’un caractère solennel. Vous êtes des législateurs, les seuls au monde à voter des lois! Vous êtes les seuls au monde à voter les budgets nationaux! Vous êtes les seuls au monde à pouvoir convoquer les décideurs à l’hémicycle pour contrôler leur action - l’action gouvernementale. Vous êtes ainsi des acteurs clés, incontournables qui feront voguer à bon port la barque du développement durable d’ici 2030. Vous portez sur vos épaules le fardeau de la réalisation des ODD en tant que Représentants des peuples.Monsieur le Président,Avant de terminer, je souhaiterais rendre un vibrant hommage à tous les Présidents qui se sont succédé à la tête de notre Institution: Honorable Moussa Faka du Sénégal, Président fondateur, Honorable TSITSOL Louis MÉKÉ Philippe du Cameroun, Honorable El Hadj Abdoulaye Salifou du Ghana, Honorable [11:01:25 Inaudible] de la Tunisie, Honorable Issa Abbas Ali du Tchad, Honorable El Hadj Malick Diop du Sénégal, Honorable Baba Ould Ahmed Babou de la Mauritanie et actuel Président, leur engagement, leur détermination et leur dynamisme, mais aussi leur leadership pour maintenir la flamme de notre Forum, malgré les péripéties du moment.Je voudrais réserver une mention particulière à l’Honorable... Ben Fadhel dont le leadership éclairé a permis la signature de notre Accord de siège en juin 2007 et qui affirmait, je cite: « Je suis à la fois Africaine et Arabe; je ne peux pas partager la vision de diviser notre Forum. »Monsieur le Président,Je saisis, ici, cette opportunité pour adresser mes sincères remerciements au gouvernement et au peuple d’Afrique du Sud, membre fondateur de notre Forum et membre du Comité Exécutif jusqu’en 2010.Mes remerciements s’adressent également au gouvernement du Sénégal pour avoir accepté de signer un Accord de siège avec notre Forum et de mettre gracieusement des locaux à sa disposition pour abriter ses locaux.Je voudrais lancer un appel à tous les pays membres pour leur appui en vue du rayonnement de notre Institution et saluer leurs délégations, ici, présentes.J’associe à mes remerciements le cabinet de Marketing Communication qui, dans le cadre du renforcement du partenariat public-privé, a bien voulu faciliter notre participation à la présente session, mais également tous nos partenaires qui, à un moment ou à un autre, ont soutenu le FAAPPD. Il s’agit, entre autres, de l’USAID, du gouvernement du Japon, de l’UNFPA, du PNUD, de l’ONUSIDA.Enfin, Monsieur le Président, en vous réitérant mes remerciements, en priant pour un monde de paix et de sécurité, et en souhaitant plein succès à vos travaux, je vous lance cet appel en anglais:[English: 11:03:13-14]Je vous remercie pour votre aimable attention.Vive le Parlement panafricain!Merci.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Thank you very much! Thank you very much! Thank you!(Applaudissements)Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Docteur ASHEBIR GAYO, qui est Vice-président Honoraire du Parlement panafricain.Honorable, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0305-110346EH.E. HON. ASHEBIR WOLDEGIORGIS GAYO [FORMER SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT]:Your Excellency, Mr Nkodo Rodgers Dan, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Your Excellencies Vice Presidents of the Pan-African Parliament, Your Excellencies Members of the Pan-African Parliament, Ambassadors,distinguished guests, all protocol observed here, ladies and gentlemen, allow me at this stage to thank His Excellency the PAP President who is also my dear brother, and Members of the Bureau, for giving me this opportunity to reunite with my family, friends, and colleagues, brothers and sisters, Honourable Members of the Pan-African Parliament, in my capacity as Former Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament.ApplauseYour Excellency, Mr President, Honourable Members, I am proud to say this august House never let me down as I was seeking a vote twice. I stood before you to become Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament. Since you elected and elevated me to that high position, I was privileged to join the Bureau and render my service to the people of Africa.Dear President and Honourable Members, as you are aware, the approval of our new protocol was a big challenge for our leadership. We spent restless days and nights, it required teamwork, and we travelled to many countries for lobbying and to explain our position. We never gave up. At the same time, I must recognize the special role of the first Vice President of the former Bureau and today’s President, His Excellency Rodger. No doubt it was a big achievement and success for the President of PAP, the Bureau and members of PAP.Dear Honourable Members, it is high time we solidified our efforts and worked together for the ratification of the new protocol on the Pan-African Parliament. Today, PAP is a legislative organ of the African Union. This nomenclature is good. We need to see PAP enjoying and dealing with legislative functions. I assure you in person and as an Ethiopian and in my capacity as the Former Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament that I will stand in solidarity with you in advocating for ratification the process.ApplauseYour Excellency Mr President and Honourable Members, when I joined PAP, Bureau Members did not carry any diplomatic passports and during my election campaign I promised members that I will extensively work with the African Union which is located five minutes from my residence. Honourable Members, we kept our promise. Today, all Honourable Members of PAP are entitled to carry an African Union Diplomatic Passport.Honourable Members, it was not always easy to organise regional workshops, seminars and meetings, but we always tried to convince and engage the government of host countries to cover local costs. Mr President, as PAP members, we used to suffer by flying in economy class during election observation missions. Sometimes, the way we were handled and treated was very immoral. Parliamentarians being the representatives of people of our continent deserve respect. In this regard the Bureau led by His Excellency Rodgers several times had audience with the officers of the African Union, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, and the Chairperson of the African Union Assembly.Honourable Members, I share with pain and concern, the value you believe in, but also I would like to urge you not to surrender considering election missions in your activities in your daily business. It is clear from the reports that you are doing an excellent job. I believe this contributes to at least to holding peaceful elections in Africa. At the same time you can encourage the countries which are going for democratic elections in Africa.Honourable Members, I know PAP has a very good strategic plan which was prepared by the Bureau and approved by this august House. It is obvious the Bureau is in charge, but the implementation of the plan needs full participation of honourable Members in order to achieve our goal.Mr President and Honourable Members we know African Union has financial constraints which seriously affect its activities The Pan-African Parliament cannot openly work if it will always need financial assistance coming from the African Union. At the same time, we do understand there are, thou not aligned, organs to raise funds to finance our own activities. In this regard, Honourable Members, you have an obligation to advocate and try to reach your Presidents and Heads of Government and convince them to assist the African Parliament. Mr President and Honourable Members, if PAP is strong in all dimensions, you will be strong too. More importantly, you will leave a long lasting legacy.Honourable Members, there is no moment a PAP session did not put on its agenda peace and security issues in our continent. Finally we always ended up adopting resolutions, recommendations and declarations, continental economic integrations and environmental use and human rights. The issue of human rights has always been a priority for PAP. All the declarations, recommendations and resolutions should be in the agenda of the respective national Parliaments, debated and reinforced by the people and the governments of Africa. It was with this objective Honourable Members that I came to the Pan-African Parliament with a full sense of responsibility to add value and make a difference.I do remember that when we had meetings with some developed countries, we disagreed on the issue of the so-called illegal migration, which is so subjective and unfair. We call our African immigrants illegal when African children are dying in the Mediterranean Sea when they are migrating. Honourable Members, how come letting them grab African resources is legal? The African children had natural resources. How can running after what is theirs which was grabbed from Africa be illegal? Is it justice? It is high time developed countries kept African children on the African soil by investing in Africa, by adding value to African raw materials and creating job opportunities for Africans. This will help us to live for our values and stop the migration from Africa. Therefore, I call upon African Heads of State, the governments, African Union, the European Union Commission, United Nations and peoples of the world to stand in solidarity with African migrants and recognise the legitimate rights of African migrants who are looking to fulfill basic demands of human beings.Mr President and Honourable Members, it was my singular honour to address this August House and convey a message of solidarity in my capacity as former Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament. Honourable Members, many of you visited Ethiopia and I was privileged to receive your Excellencies, but also I never said welcome to your second home because Ethiopia for you Honourable Members is more than a second home. As you know in Ethiopia, the African Union headquarters is located in Addis Ababa as your political capital. The main street from the venue of Addis Ababa city is named after your respective countries. The embassies representing your great nations own plots of land in Ethiopia. So, it would not be appropriate to say, “welcome to your second home”. That is why we Ethiopians always say to all African brothers and sisters, “welcome home welcome to Ethiopia”.ApplauseHonourable President and Honourable Members, allow me to take this opportunity to reaffirm my commitment to stand in solidarity and to be at your disposal in my capacity as Former Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament. Please, feel free when you visit Ethiopia to call me, to reach me. One African, One Voice.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0305-111704EIOANNIS TSAFTARIDIS [REPRESENTANTIVE OF INTERPARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ON ORTHODOXY (I.A.O.):Your Excellency Mr. President, Roger NKODO, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Pan-African Parliament.In my capacity, as the liaison officer of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodox (I.A.O.) with the Pan-African Parliament, I am conveying the warm greetings of the President of I.A.O Secretary General Mr. Ioannis Amanatidis and the Head of I.A.O Coordinating Cooperation Committee with the Pan-African Parliament, Mr. Andreas Michailidis.The I.A.O. is particularly pleased to watch and record every positive development that substantiates the political role of the Pan-African Parliament for the benefit of the African peopleLadies and Gentlemen,Mr. President,Your Excellencies, it is a common conclusion that the entire world is going through periods of crisis and major difficulties. It is mostly the poor and weak economic classes that bear the difficulties, pushing more and more citizens to the margins of life.This is a shared view, constantly stressed by ever more political and church leaders. Indeed, the recent visit by Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at refuge sites on a Greek island has highlighted precisely this view.The I.A.O. leadership is in close contact with the President and the leadership of the Pan-African Parliament, and we are looking forward to our cooperation during the President’s arrival in Greece, in the context of our General Assembly. Decisions will be made that will highlight in a positive manner issues of cooperation and mutual understanding between the political and religious fields in Africa.REFERENCE: 0305-112015FES.E.DR IBRAHIM ASSANE MAYAKI [SECRÉTAIRE EXÉCUTIF DU NOUVEAU PARTENARIAT POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE L'AFRIQUE (NEPAD)]:Excellence Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Excellences Messieurs les Présidents des Parlements régionaux,Monsieur le Ministre de la Sécurité publique de la République d’Afrique du Sud,Honorables Parlementaires,Excellences Mesdames et Messieurs,Permettez-moi, tout d’abord, Monsieur le Président, de saluer votre leadership et les efforts constants que vous déployez pour faire que cette Maison marche.Je suis très honoré de m’adresser à cette auguste Assemblée qui est un élément clé de l’architecture de l’Union africaine. Et au moment où notre Union s’engage dans la mise en œuvre de l’Agenda 2063, la rationalisation de nos processus de décisions aux différents niveaux national, régional et continental, devient une condition essentielle pour la mise en œuvre de notre intégration régionale.Rappelez-nous que les solutions optimales à nos problèmes nationaux se trouvent au niveau régional.Et rappelez-nous que notre intégration à la globalisation se fera par la construction de nos marchés régionaux.Les efforts déployés par le Parlement panafricain, dans ce sens, permettent la prise en compte des véritables aspirations populaires et précises, et ils méritent donc d’être salués.[English 11:22:00 - 11:23:46]I am therefore particularly pleased by the quality of the technical integrations that are taking place between NEPAD as an implementing agency of the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament. As the execution arm of the African Union Commission it is NEPAD’s responsibility to facilitate the delivery at regional and national levels of our continental frameworks. We do it in Agriculture for the implementation of national investment plans of agriculture in 49 African countries. We do it in infrastructure, framework on infrastructure and on the 16 mega regional trans-boundary projects all over our regions. We do it in climate change adaptation for our Climate Change Fund in 12 African countries. We do it in science and technology for capacity building in science, technology and innovation in 35^[French 11:23:47]Monsieur le Président,L’Afrique, au cours des dix dernières années, s’est montrée non seulement résiliente aux différents chocs de la globalisation, mais elle a su aussi globalement reprendre le chemin de la croissance économique. Cependant, elle doit faire face à deux défis majeurs qui seront critiques au cours des dix années à venir:le défi démographique car nous n’avons pas finalisé nos transitions démographiques et nous sommes toujours à un taux moyen de croissance de 2.8;et le défi des inégalités sociales et économiques, car nous sommes le continent le plus inégal au monde.La stabilité de ce continent dépendra du nombre d’emplois décents créés pour notre jeunesse ainsi que du caractère inclusif de nos économies.Pour y arriver, nous devons réapprendre à planifier, mais planifier de manière concertée en faisant en sorte que nos budgets reflètent les priorités de nos plans.Les véritables stratégies d’un gouvernement ne se trouvent pas dans ce document de stratégie mais dans ces budgets. Et c’est pour cela que votre rôle en tant que parlementaires, est tout à fait capital.[English 11:25:30]If the challenges of youth unemployment and inclusive economic institutions are not tackled, Africa faces the risk of being re-marginalised again. Re-marginalisation is evidently not an option. This is why Agenda 23 has been designed in order to give us a clear direction of what our future should be and this why your voice as Parliamentarians needs to be heard. It needs to be heard in the development of our permitted capacities. It needs to be heard in the development of our human capital so that industrialisation can take place. Without industrialisation, Africa will be re-marginalised. The Pan-African Parliament is a critical force that allows Africa to achieve its objective and NEPAD is evidently ready to support you.Thank you.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Thank very much, Excellency!Je voudrais prier Son Excellence Dr Aly Abdel AAL SAYED AHMED, Président de l’Assemblée nationale d’Égypte de prononcer son message.REFERENCE: 0305-112715AH.E. DR. ALY ABDEL AAL SAYED AHMED [SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF EGYPT]:بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمالصديق العزيز روجيه انكودو دانج رئيس البرلمان الأفريقيالسيدات والسادة أعضاء البرلمان،أتشرف بأن أقف بينكم اليوم متحدثا باسم مجلس النواب المصري بعد تشكيله الجديد في أول حضور أمام هذه المؤسسة الطموحة التي قطعت خطوات متقدمة في النهوض بالعمل الأفريقي التكاملي وأنه لمن دواعى سروري أن التقي للمرة الثانية بالصديق العزيز أنكودو داي رئيس البرلمان الأفريقي بعد أن كان لقاءنا الأول في القاهرة في فبراير سنة 2016، أثناء زيارته لمصر التي التقى خلالها برئيس الجمهورية الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي الذي حملني رسالة تقدير ومحبة و إعجاب لكم جميعا، كما يسرني أن أنقل إليكم تحيات أعضاء مجلس النواب المصري الذينيكنون لكم كل التقدير و االعتزاز لألشقاء في جميع دول قارتنا أفريقياالحاضرة دائما في قلوبنا.الحضور الكرام،تعتز مصر دائما بانتمائها الأفريقي وتحرص على تعزيز أواصر التعاون بينها و بين الأشقاء الأفارقة، فبعد أن خاضت معهم معركة التحرر من الاستعمار التي كانت له فيها خير سند و معين شاركت بدور مهم في عملية التنمية الاقتصادية سواء من خلال إنشاء الصندوق المصري للتعاون الفني مع أفريقيا أو من خلال إطلاق الوكالة المصرية للشراكة من أجل التنمية، و التي أعلنها الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي أمام قمة الاتحاد الأفريقي الثالث والعشرين في ملابو شهر يونيو من سنة 2014 بهدف تقدير الدعم الفني و المساعدات الانسانية للدول الأفريقية و المساهمة في تمويل مشروعات التنمية التي تحتاجها هذه الدول، و لا تقتصر جهود مصر في هذا الصدد على المجالات التنموية فحسب بل إنها تحمل قضايا القارة وهمومها على أكتافها في كافة المحافل الدولية، و لعل عضويتها الحالية في مجلس الأمن خير دليل على ذلك إذ ستضع السياسة الخارجية المصرية الدفاع على قضايا القارة و الحفاظ على الأمن و السلم فيها و تسوية النزاعات الأهلية فيها على رأس القضايا التي توليها اهتماما و هي القضايا ذاتها التي تحملها مصر على عاتقها عند ممارسة مهام عضويتهافي مجلس السلم والأمن الأفريقيو على الصعيد البرلماني، انعكس حرص مصر على تعزيز علاقاتها مع أشقائها الأفارقة عبر استحداث لجنة نوعية متخصصة في الشؤون الأفريقية بمجلس النواب المصري تعبيرا عن الأهمية الخاصة التي يوليها مجلس النواب لقضايا القارة واهتماماتها تأكيدا على حرص المجلس علىاستعادة مصر دورها الأفريقي الناصع.السيدات والسادة الحضور،ندرك جميعا أن تحدي التنمية الشاملة يقع على رأس التحديات التي تواجهها دول القارة و هو تحد لا يمكن التصدي له إلا بتبني نهج تكاملي يعزز روح التكامل الاقتصادي والاندماج الأقليمي بين دول القارة، فأفريقيا هي أرض الفرص الواعدة، و لقد كانت مصر على وعي دائم بهذه الحقيقة فبادرت خلال العامين الماضيين إلى عقد عدد من الفعاليات تستهدف استكشاف آفاق الاستثمار في القارة وتنسيق التعاون بين دولها في مختلف مجالات الاستثمار والتنمية و كان من بينها منتدى التكتلات الاقتصادية الأفريقية الثلاثة في مدينة شرم الشيخ في يونيو السنة الماضية 2015، حيث تم توقيع الاتفاقية التأسيسية لمنطقة التجارة الحرة بين التجمعات الاقتصادية الثلاث الكونيسة والساداك و تجمع شرق أفريقيا، في خطوة مهمة لطالما حلمت بها شعوب القارة في مسار التكامل الأفريقي الاقتصادي، و اسمحو لي أن أعيد على أسماعكم ما أكد عليه الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي في هذا المنتدى، حيث قال أن تحقيق التنمية و الذي يعتبربحق التحدي الرئيسي الذي نباركه جميعا و الذي يستدعي منا تطوير آليات العمل الأفريقي المشترك والأخذ بنموذج التكامل والاندماج الإقليمي خاصة في دور الارتباط الوثيق بين متطلبات التنمية الاقتصادية في أفريقيا و الحاجة إلى تنفيذ مشروعات إقليمية عملاقة في مجالات عدة بما في ذلك البنية الأساسية فضلا عن تعزيز تنافسية أسواقنا الوطنية بما يزيد من قدرتها على جذب الاستثمارات و النفاذ إلى الأسواق الدولية.الحضور الكرام،على الرغم من أن تحدي التنمية المستدامة يمثل التحدي الأكبر أمام الدول الأفريقية إلا أنني أرى ولعلكم تتفقون معي أن الإرهاب وانتشار التطرف قد أضحي خطرا داهما على مستقبل قارتنا، خطرا لا تقتصر آثاره على النواحي الأمنية و السياسية فحسب، وإنما تمتد لتعيق جهود تحقيق التنمية الاقتصادية والاجتماعية وهو تحدي تضعه مصر في سلم أولويات تحركها الخارجي وبخاصة في ظل عضويتها في مجلس السلم والأمن الأفريقي ومجلس الأمن الدولي.السيدات والسادة الحضور،أنني على يقين بأن مؤسستنا الطموحة المتمثلة في البرلمان الأفريقي باستطاعتها أن تمارس دورا فاعلا في دفع آليات التكامل الاقتصادي و الاندماج الإقليمي في القارة تماشيا مع أجندة 2016/2015 التي تمثل خارطة المستقبل للخمسين عاما المقبلة، لتصبح أفريقيا قوة اقتصادية فاعلة على الساحة الدولية، كما أننا نتطلع جميعا إلى أن يقوم البرلمان الأفريقي بالدور ذاته في مكافحة الإرهاب والعمل على تنسيق مواقف البرلمانات الأفريقية في التصدي لهذه الآفة التي يستفحل خطرها يوما بعديومأشكركم على حسن الاستماع وأتمنى لنا جميعا كل التوفيق في أعمالنا ولقارتنا التقدم والإزدهار،عاشت أفريقيا حرة مستقلة.و شكراً.REFERENCE: 0305-113646AFS.E.HON. MOHAMED ALI HOUMED[PRÉSIDENT DE L’ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE DE DJIBOUTI]:بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمالحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم وأما بعد،السلام عليكم ورحمة الله،Excellence Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Mes chers frères,Honorables membres du Bureau du Parlement panafricain,Honorables Présidents des Assemblées régionales,Honorables Présidents des Parlements nationaux,Honorables Parlementaires, membres du Parlement panafricainDistingués invités,Tout Protocole observé,Mesdames et Messieurs,Je voudrais, pour commencer, exprimer ma gratitude à mon ami, Monsieur Roger NKODO DANG, Président de l’auguste Parlement panafricain, mais aussi aux membres du Bureau ainsi qu’au personnel de l’Institution parlementaire panafricaine, pour l’invitation qui m’a été faite afin de participer à cette session du Parlement panafricain, mais aussi pour l’accueil chaleureux et fraternel qui m’a été réservé, ici, à Midrand en terre Sud africaine.Mesdames et Messieurs,Je tiens à vous remercier vivement et chaleureusement.Permettez-moi aussi, Chers Collègues, de vous transmettre les chaleureuses salutations du Président de la République du Djibouti, S.E.M. Ismaël Omar GUELLEH, qui vient d’être triomphalement réélu à la tête de l’État.Panafricaniste convaincu, le Président GUELLEH m’a chargé de vous réitérer son soutien et celui de son gouvernement.Pour en revenir donc à cette session du Parlement panafricain, c’est pour moi un grand honneur et un privilège en ma qualité de Président de l’Assemblée nationale de la République de Djibouti d’y participer en tant qu’invité.Cette session se focalisera aujourd’hui sur la situation de nos pays respectifs, du droit de l’Homme, en général, et plus particulièrement du droit de la Femme et de l’Enfant ainsi que sur l’état d’avancement de la signature et de la ratification du Protocole révisé du Parlement panafricain.Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires,La République du Djibouti est un État démocratique, un État de droit pratique basé sur la séparation des pouvoirs exécutif, législatif et judiciaire et où les droits et les libertés de chacun sont préservés.Comme dans toutes les démocraties, les questions relatives aux droits de l’Homme occupent une place prépondérante dans la définition des politiques publiques nationales [Inaudible 11:39:34] et ce, afin de renforcer encore davantage l’édification de cet État de droit dans notre pays.Le respect des droits de l’Homme est un principe fondamental inscrit dans la Constitution. Notre loi fondamentale est garantie par elle dans le but d’assurer l’épanouissement des hommes et des femmes dans la société djiboutienne. Beaucoup d’efforts ont été consentis par l’autorité djiboutienne pour les promouvoir.Le gouvernement, sous le leadership du Président de la République qui, dès son accession à la magistrature suprême en 1999, a accordé et accorde de plus une importance capitale pour que tous les droits politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels des hommes et des femmes soient en permanence respectés notamment le droit à l’éducation pour tous, le droit à une santé de qualité pour tous, le droit à un logement décent pour tous, les droits civiques et politiques sont respectés. Les libertés individuelles et collectives sont préservées. Les libertés d’expression, de réunions, d’associations, de la presse sont toutes respectées dans notre pays.Par ailleurs, les institutions nationales jouent un rôle majeur dans la promotion des droits de l’homme. Les législations nationales assurent aussi la protection, la préservation et la promotion desdits droits. On témoigne de l’importance que revêtent les droits de l’homme dans notre pays, la création sous l’impulsion du Chef de l’État djiboutien en avril 2008, d’une Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH). Il s’agit en effet d’une institution nationale indépendante chargée de veiller au respect, à la promotion et à la défense des droits humains en République du Djibouti.Le but recherché est de consolider encore davantage les droits de l’Homme dans notre pays. Ladite Commission organise périodiquement les activités de sensibilisation et de promotion des droits de l’Homme. À travers l’organisation des ateliers d’informations et de formation sur les droits de l’Homme, elle porte à la connaissance du public les valeurs et les principes fondamentaux de la démocratie et de l’État de droit mais aussi les libertés individuelles et collectives reconnues à tout citoyen djiboutien. Elle effectue notamment un travail de protection des droits de l’homme ainsi que de visite dans les lieux de détention afin de s’enquérir des conditions de détention des prévenus. Elle remet un rapport tous les quatre ans sur la situation réelle des droits de l’homme dans notre pays.Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires,Concernant la situation des droits de la femme djiboutienne, sachez tout d’abord que la République de Djibouti est l’un des pays arabo-musulmans où la femme dispose des droits les plus avancés.Aux premières heures de l’accession de notre pays à la souveraineté nationale en 1977, les femmes djiboutiennes s’étaient regroupées dans une organisation non gouvernementale (ONG) dénommée l’Union Nationale des Femmes Djiboutiennes (UNFD) présidée actuellement par la première dame du pays. Cette structure joue de puis sa création un rôle important et déterminant dans la promotion de l’égalité hommes-femmes et dans l’autonomisation des femmes djiboutiennes afin d’améliorer la condition féminine.Sous le leadership de l’actuel Président de la République, Monsieur Ismaël Omar GUELLEH, des efforts importants ont été accomplis et des progrès considérables ont été réalisés dans le domaine des droits des femmes.Parmi ces progrès indéniables, il y a lieu de citer l’institutionnalisation du genre dès le premier gouvernement qu’il a formé en 1999, à travers la création d’un Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme et du Planning familial. Ce ministère est chargé d’élaborer et de mettre en œuvre la politique du gouvernement en matière d’intégration de la femme dans le processus de développement socio-économique du pays, de participer à la cohésion de tissu social et particulièrement au bien-être de la cellule familiale.À ce titre, il conduit la politique du gouvernement en matière de planification familiale, de prévention des risques liés à la santé maternelle et enfantine et de sensibiliser aux bonnes pratiques liées à la petite enfance. Il définit le cadre légal et la mise en application des dispositions liées à la protection des droits des femmes. Il élabore et met en œuvre la politique du gouvernement relative à l’insertion professionnelle des femmes vulnérables, notamment celles opérant dans l’informel.Outre la création de ce ministère, un code de la famille accordant plus de droits à la mère et à ses enfants a été mis en place dans les années 2000. Une stratégie nationale d’intégration de la femme dans le développement a déjà été mise en œuvre. De plus, le gouvernement djiboutien s’est, également, doté d’une politique nationale « Genre », pour la période de 20112021, ayant pour objet d’œuvrer à l’instauration de l’équité et de l’égalité de genre conformément aux engagements internationaux traitant des droits économiques, socioculturels des femmes que la République du Djibouti a ratifiés.Le Chef de l’État a mis en place un grand prix pour récompenser chaque année les femmes qui s’illustrent dans un secteur d’activités donné, prix octroyé et remis à plusieurs femmes lors de la célébration de la journée mondiale des femmes. Plus encore, grâce au courage politique du Président de la République par sa vision clairvoyante, la participation des femmes dans la vie politique de notre pays est devenue effective. Actuellement trois femmes sont au gouvernement où elles occupent des postes ministériels importants, en occurrence le portefeuille de la promotion des femmes, du planning familial, celui du logement ainsi que celui de la solidarité nationale et participent activement à la prise des décisions politiques en assistant au Conseil des ministres.Au niveau du Parlement djiboutien, il y a sept femmes parlementaires sur un total de soixante-cinq députés que compte l’Assemblée Nationale Djiboutienne, ce qui représente de plus de 11 % de la représentation nationale.Je suis convaincu que cette proportion va s’accroître dans la prochaine législature. Toutefois, il y a lieu de souligner le rôle prépondérant joué par les femmes parlementaires djiboutiennes dans l’hémicycle national, dans la mesure où plusieurs d’entre elles occupent des postes clefs.De plus, nous envisageons de lancer prochainement un caucus des femmes parlementaires au sein de l’Assemblée nationale pour encore renforcer les droits des femmes dans la société et travailler pour l’égalité du genre. Il aura pour vocation de permettre aux femmes parlementaires djiboutiennes d’agir ensemble et en solidarité en faveur des droits de femmes, de l’égalité de sexe et de la prise en compte du genre par le travail parlementaire en vue de l’amélioration de la situation de la femme djiboutienne.Mesdames et Messieurs,Les femmes djiboutiennes sont présentes également dans toutes les administrations de l’État, occupent des postes de responsabilité et participent à toutes les instances décisionnelles. Elles ne sont victimes d’aucune discrimination, ni à l’embauche, ni au travail. Il y a, dans notre pays, le respect de l’égalité salariale entre homme et femme à diplôme égal.L’Union Nationale des Femmes Djiboutiens (UNFD) que j’ai évoquée tantôt, a récemment lancé l’entreprenariat féminin, un programme de promotion de l’entreprenariat chez les jeunes filles et les femmes, avec à la clef, de formation sur la meilleure façon de créer des entreprises. Il s’agit d’une des solutions proposées pour les femmes afin qu’elles s’intègrent sur le marché du travail.Grâce au système d’assurance-maladie universelle, couverture médicale mise en place en 2014 à l’initiative de Chef de l’État djiboutien, les femmes ont accès à des soins médicaux de qualité pour elles et pour leurs enfants. Les femmes de catégorie modeste bénéficient de programmes des filets sociaux de sécurité en obtenant des aides de l’État dans le cadre de la lutte contre la pauvreté et la vulnérabilité.Elles obtiennent aussi des microcrédits offerts à des conditions avantageuses pour leur permettre d’exercer des activités génératrices de revenus et donc pour qu’elles puissent subvenir aux besoins fondamentaux de la famille. Celles d’entre elles qui sont dans l’extrême pauvreté, bénéficient du programme national « Solidarité Famille », un programme de transfert monétaire trimestriel.Au même titre que les hommes, les femmes disposent aussi du droit de propriété. Elles peuvent acquérir des droits fonciers. Celles désireuses de devenir des agricultrices peuvent avoir accès aux terres exploitable en obtenant de l’État des aides et des facilités dans le cadre de la solidarité nationale.Enfin, les femmes victimes de violence conjugale peuvent, grâce à un numéro vert mis à leur disposition, faire appel à la cellule d’écoute existant au sein de l’Union Nationale des Femmes Djiboutienne, le but étant de les protéger.Pour résumer, en République de Djibouti, les hommes et les femmes sont donc égaux en droits et en devoirs. La femme djiboutienne occupe une place de choix dans la société djiboutienne et participe activement au développement socio-économique de notre pays.Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires,Je ne saurais clore mon propos sans vous donner quelques précisions sur l’état d’avancement de la signature et de la ratification du Protocole révisé de l’Acte constitutif de l’Union africaine relative au Parlement panafricain.En effet, nous avons organisé un atelier d’information et de vulgarisation portant sur ce Protocole révisé au profit de l’ensemble des parlementaires djiboutiens. Cet atelier était animé d’ailleurs par les députés djiboutiens, membres de cet auguste Parlement. Le but recherché était d’exposer à l’ensemble des parlementaires, les tenants et aboutissants de ce Protocole.Nous avons informé toutes les autorités étatiques concernées dans notre pays. Nous espérons que ce Protocole révisé sera ratifié rapidement par notre pays car nous avons déjà accéléré le processus de sa ratification.Je suis convaincu que le Parlement panafricain sera dans un proche avenir un organe disposant de pleins pouvoirs législatifs pour apporter beaucoup à notre projet, à tous, d’édification de l’Union africaine forte et prospère et qui permettra aux peuples africains de participer davantage aux débats et à la prise de décision concernant le problème et les défis auxquels le continent fait face.Sur ce, je vous remercie de votre aimable attention.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci Monsieur le Président.À présent, je donne la parole à l’Honorable MOTSAMAI, Président de l’Assemblée nationale du Lesotho.Honorable Membre, vous avez la parole!(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0305-115109EHON. A.N MOTSAMAI [SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF LESOTHO]:Your Excellency, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, Honourable Roger NKODO DANG, Your Excellencies Vice-Presidents of the Pan-African Parliament, Honourable Speakers and Presiding Ministers of member Parliaments, The Honourable Minister of Public Security of the Republic of South Africa, Esteemed Guests of the 20th Bureau Honourable: Members of Parliament accredited to the Pan-African Parliament, Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Heads of Mission, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.It is a great feeling of honour and privilege to address the Assembly at this momentous occasion of The Second Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament.Mr. President, let me hasten to tell you that this is the second time I had the opportunity to deliver the message of solidarity having been one of the esquire Chairperson of the SADC Parliamentary Forum more than a decade ago in September 2014 on the occasion of the 2nd Session of the 1st Parliament of the Pan African Parliament and I am therefore very grateful.In fact, Mr. President, this was a special occasion when the Parliament met here in the Republic of South Africa in this permanent room for the very first time.From me personally, this event evokes nostalgic memory of my involvement in the events and processes that led to the establishment of the Pan-African Parliament.This Assembly needs to know that some of the first trail blazers include the first Vice-President of the PanAfrican Parliament, Honourable Dr. Edouardo Joachim Mulembwe, who was then the Speaker of the Parliament of Mozambique, Honourable Dr Freni Ginwala, who was the Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa, Honourable Dr. Tjitendero, who was then the Speaker of the Parliament of Namibia, may his soul rest in peace, Honourable Mr. Amusa Mwanamwambwa who was then the Speaker of the Parliament of Zambia, Honourable Mr. Matlapeng Molomo who was then the Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, the then Honourable Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, the then Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Honourable Samuel Sitta who was then the Speaker of Tanzania, Honourable Nicolas Masebila who was then the Speaker of Swaziland, Honourable Forbeteh Vitadeh Aledah who was the Speaker of Angola, Honourable Francis Eleh Kapayoh who was the Speaker of Kenya, Honourable L.Y Cicandi who was then the Speaker of Uganda, Honourable Peter Alah Ajeteh who was then the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, may his soul rest in peace, Honourable Dr. Ahmed Fatisoro who was then the Speaker of the Parliament of Egypt to mention just a few.In my address in 2004, I said to Members of this august Assembly that the SADC Parliamentary Forum will work closely with the Pan-African Parliament primarily because as peoples of Africa our destinies are inextricably intertwined.Secondly, the SADC Parliamentary Forum was one of the building blocks envisaged in the Protocol establishing the Pan-African Parliament in matters of continental unity, peace, security, good governance, political and economic integration. I also suggested that we needed to do more to find Africa’s solutions to our problems. To this effect the theme of this session ‘African Year of Human Rights’ is particularly focused on the rights of women organs and it gives us a moment to pause and ponder and reflect on our mind stance and list of aspirations as Africans.Today, as I stand here before you I wish to once again guarantee the Pan-African Parliament the support of my Parliament and my Government and commit to the main part of African peoples who are determined to journey together towards 2064.Mr. President, distinguished participants, having noted that one of the objectives of the Pan-African Parliament is to promote the principle of human rights in Africa, I consider this session whose particular focus is on the rights of women to be augmentative of this noble initiative. I, therefore, wish to commend the people not only for the choice of the theme, but also for the opportunity it presents to renew our commitments to the right to equality as envisaged by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our own African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.Mr. President, as we continue to intensify mechanisms through which the rights of women, especially the African women could be well understood, promoted and protected, we should do so bearing in mind that we are facing a number of tasks and the challenge of changing the mindsets of societies with such a profound patriarch coloration and origin.Distinguished participants, we wish to recall that the idea of developing an instrument that establishes human right protectionism in Africa was first mooted in the early 60s following the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the U.N. General Assembly on the 10th of December 1948. History suggest that in 1961, the African Jurists had the first Congress in Lagos, Nigeria and adopted a Declaration named as ‘Law of Lagos’ urging African Governments to adopt an African Convention on Human Rights. However, African Governments have not made commendable strive to promote the concept of human rights.From 1961 onwards, a number of declarations, international treaties and conventions were adopted and these include: the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and its optional Protocol, the Beijing Declaration and the Declaration on Gender and Millennium Development Goals, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and the Harare Commonwealth Declaration.Also, the then the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Koffi Annan observed that the key challenge of promoting and protecting human rights at the time was the implementation of the instruments that have been developed and adopted by different countries.Furthermore, it is pertinent to know that while focus is registered in economic and political spheres, the global gender gap index of 2015 still indicates the system of stubborn gender equalities.The foregoing indicates none participation of women in decision-making which, in turn, is recognised as a democratic deficit. I want to believe that supporters of democracy itself will agree with me that there is no democracy of men alone. While noting and commending the recent past advocacy such as the workshop on the Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the rights of women in Africa, I challenge the PanAfrican Parliament as an author that enhances the participation of African peoples in development and economic integration issues, to move speedily and entrust the gender inequalities that still remain in our societies and create a safe environment where an African woman will sleep peacefully and wake up still remembering her dreams - an environment free from violence in private and public spheres.Honourable President, distinguished participants, the general recommendation no. 5 of Article 4 of CEDAW, intimates the following interventions of some of the temporary measures that could be employed to redress the long-term effects of past discrimination and these are: a wide variety of legislative, executive, administrative and other regulatory instruments, policies and practices such as outreach and support problems, allocations and/or re-allocation of justice, preferential treatment, targeted recruitment, and hiring and promotion and quota systems. It is my unwavering conviction that the PAP has a pivotal role to play in the formulation and implementation thereof.Mr. President, distinguished participants, we need to stand together as one Africa with one voice and say gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful and prosperous unsustainable right. It is in this sphere that we urge the Pan-African Parliament to make an effort to keep the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 constantly on the road of claim and this Resolution is amongst others about gender equality and elimination of violence against women.Mr. President, in conclusion, my colleagues and I find it fitting and appropriate to celebrate the successes and milestones achieved by the Pan-African Parliament since its inception. However, the dream will only be fulfilled the day it attains the much desired full legislative powers. That day it will be a parliament fit to build the Africa that the people want - Africa as envisaged by this continent’s luminaries and visionaries - our own Haile Sellasie, Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah and others.I am happily saying “One Africa, one voice”.I thank you for your attention.ApplauseTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0305-120306EHER ROYAL HIGHNESS DR. SEEISO BERENG SEEISO [PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF LESOTHO]:Your Excellency, Hon. Roger Dang,President of the PAP, hon. Vice Presidents, hon. Speakers and Presidents of National Assemblies here gathered, hon. Members of the PAP, invited guests, participants, ladies and gentlemen.I wish to thank you, Your Excellency, most heartily, for inviting me to address this auspicious occasion on the Second Session of the Fourth Parliament of the PAP. This is indeed a singular honour not only for me personally, but more importantly for the Parliament of the little known Lesotho and particularly the senate of Lesotho.Mr President, we are humbled by the opportunity your kind invitation affords us to express our appreciation to you and the distinguished members of this legislature for the way you have executed our lofty mandate. We wish to commend you and your staff for your exemplary commitment to the mission of the PAP and the magnanimity with which you have addressed the many challenges and administered the resources at your disposal. This is coupled with the times in which we are living in. The PAP is a watershed institution that attests to the far sightedness of its founding fathers. So, it is fitting today to acknowledge the visionary wisdom of the African Union for creating this Parliament.Among other things, this institution serves as an enabling instrument for harmonisation and alignment of member states rules and policies. Its creation marks a milestone in breaking down and removing barriers among countries of the African continent with a view to deepening inter-country interaction and cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of Africa.The PAP offers a unique opportunity for member states to assess and relate their individual countries’ experiences and challenges to those of the continent as a whole and to identify and develop appropriate evidencebased policy responses.Founded on broad means and principles of democracy, PA is also best geared to foster the growth of shared values that buttress Africa’s development and promotes participative governance, peace and prosperity.Mr President, your Excellencies, I am moved to note that our PAP has stirred the course to become the institution that the African Union envisaged, a permanent continental assembly in which Africa’s people and the social organisations, the very strata of our population, can meet to debate issues of our common interest and concern. That, in itself, is an adequate indication that Africa is ready, willing and able to assume responsibility for her destiny. It is a laudable development that has undoubtedly earned our continent international respect and has built in our global partners confidence in our ability to participate meaningfully on the global stage.It is fitting, therefore, to celebrate the PAP as one of the steady pillars of the AU that buttresses and supports the continent’s institution so that it remains focused on its mission and purpose. It is a means of vast and connective legitimate interests of our nations in order to guarantee improved livelihoods of our people across the length and breadth of our vast and beautiful continent.Yet, Mr President and your Excellencies, today, we know in all honesty that this august House, the PAP, which we are also justifiably proud of, has not yet enjoyed the full material and political support it deserves. That some member states have not yet ratified the protocols of the PAP testifies to this fact. Necessarily, such non-ratification has hindered or slowed down progress on important and needy aspects of the Parliament’s mission. This is a serious deficiency and one on which immediate action is required.Mr President, your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I am informed that inadequate budgetary support is a corner challenge for the operational efficiency of Parliament and that consequentially, this limits the institution’s choice and options and narrows the scope of its activities and functions. It is my firm belief that with adequate support and the resources it needs, the PAP will be able to overcome the very challenge it faces, including erratic and inconsistent attendance as well as delays in implementing some of the articles of the protocol.1, and my fellow Lesotho parliamentarians who are delegates at this legislative assembly, undertake to remind our Government that it is its duty to ratify fully the protocols as required. It is also our firm belief and hope that other states that are remaining will equally do so.Mr President, your Excellencies, let us all recall our pledges and responsibility as capitulated in the Agenda 2063, in January, 2015, our collective commitment to the ideas of Pan-Africanism, Africa’s unity, Africa for Africans, and that we should remember that the continent’s development, prosperity and peace are the responsibility of its people. Let us remember that it is Africans themselves, more than anyone else, who must bear the burden of responsibility required for Africa to surge forward and realise the objectives of its development agenda.Mr President, the challenges we face as a continent are many and extremely complex, but we can tackle these successfully if we are united and if we speak one voice and walk in one direction. Today, it is more than half a century since the political independence of our continent, but we are yet to achieve true economic independence and ensure the benefits of managing our own affairs at all strata of our people. This is why solidarity at all levels amongst us as Africans is not a choice, but a sine qua non for a brighter future ahead. In that spirit, I challenge this Parliament, this audience, to go back to the roots of the Pan-African ideal to remind ourselves that Africa has proudly, and will always be top of the mark, in all recorded history as a continent. We are the very cradle of mankind and civilisation. We started Pan-Africanism long before even European countries, our former colonial masters, started talking about the integration of Europe.Your Excellencies, because of the PAP, our national Parliaments now have an opportunity to think beyond their immediate horizons and indeed beyond their national interests. They have an opportunity to think about issues that matter to all of us at continental level, but I wish to report that for the PAP to become a true Parliament of the people of Africa, it should be elected directly by the citizens of Africa themselves with candidates championing the issues of continental significance and proposing solutions that go beyond the immediate localities. A successful PAP will plough the sea of a future Africa that transcends the continent’s colonial heritage of division and mutual suspicions. More significantly, it will take our dream and vision of a united Africa, a significant step closer to reality.I thank you for your attention.Applause.REFERENCE: 0305-121339EH.E. HON. JOB Y. NDUGAI [SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TANZANIA]:Your Excellency, Honourable Roger NKODO DANG, President of the Pan-African Parliament,Speaker of various Parliament present here,Members of the African Parliament,Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen.It is indeed a great honour for me to be invited to address the Pan-African Parliament. I have travelled with the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of our Parliament, Honourable Gadiab Abadou who is seated somewhere behind there.Mr. President, I am pleading because this Parliament has a vital role to play in African democracy and in galvanising the African people. The Pan-African Parliament is envisaged by the Treaty. It is essentially geared to be the common platform for the people of this continent to get involved in the deliberations and challenges on the prospects of Africa. I am glad that the Republic of South Africa continues to be the host of the august body since its establishment in the year 2004. I trust that this noble act of kindness from South Africa will continue for the far future. I am equally glad that my country has been a member of this august body since day one as the first President of PAP was a Tanzanian lady, Her Excellency Madam Gethro Monguela and today, I have witnessed Members of Parliament from Tanzanian taking the oath of office to this august body.Mr. President, we meet at a time when African countries are still struggling to build the nations out of the actions of our tragic history, but we look toward to a future of prosperity, peace and tranquility. Our meeting here signifies a lot more than a legal sitting of the PanAfrican Assembly. It signifies a gathering of continental members to discuss matters of mutual interest and any issue concerning planning for a better future because in globalisation, there is no domestic or foreign anymore. As the British Prime Minister David Cameron said in his speech to the Rwandan Parliament in the year 2007, and here I quote: “In this world, we are in it together, the rich cannot escape the consequences of poverty and instability, what happens in one place affects many others. Civil wars in Somalia can bring migrants to Europe.”I could not agree more with that statement because in Africa our progress and challenges are more interlinked as never before. Tanzania and other African countries have all experienced, first hand, the fact that troubles in our nations can have consequences in other nations. We need to strengthen therefore our ties and cherish more what binds us together than what keeps us apart.Mr. President, this Regional Parliament has a lot to do, but its importance is paramount. This Parliament has proved to be a key organ of the African Union towards shaping the future of our continent. There is a need therefore to integrate its relevance to the modern day issues like the scourge of terrorism, famine in some parts of our continent, climate change, internal strife, adherence to democracy, Government challenges and the like.As our founding father of the nation, Mwarimu Nyerere said, “We must run where other are walking.”Mr. President, you have given me a huge honour in inviting me to address the Pan-African Parliament. I stand confidently and with conviction that in the very near future, Africa will reclaim its rightful place in the world as a full, equal and committed power house where its people are free of strife and all countries are stable and prosperous. I am sure that for Africa, the best is yet to come. It has been my honour and privilege to address you all this morning. Thank you very much for listening.ApplauseREFERENCE: 0305-122000AH.E. MR. AHMED BIN MOHAMED ALJARWAN [SPEAKER OF THE ARAB PARLIAMENT]:بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمالحمد الله و الصلاة والسلام على رسول الله،معالي السيد روجيه انكودو ،دانج رئيس برلمان عموم أفريقيا،أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،السيدات والسادة الحضور الكريمالسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته،أتقدم بادئ ذي بدء، بخالص التحية والتقدير إلى جمهورية جنوب أفريقيا قيادة وحكومة وشعبا على كرم الضيافة وحسن الاستقبال، كما أتوجه بالشكر والتقدير إلى برلمان عموم أفريقيا على الدعوة الكريمةوحسالاستقبال والتنظيم لهذه الدورة المهمة للبرلمان الأفريقي، ويشرفني أنأتحدث إليكم نيابة عن شعب اثنين وعشرون دولة عربية منها عشر دولأفريقية وأثنتا عشر دولة آسيوية تربطها علاقات تاريخية وطيدة معالقارة الأفريقية.أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،السيدات والسادة،يؤمن البرلمان العربي بأن القارة الأفريقية تمثل البعد الاستراتيجي للوطن العربي لما بين الشعوب العربية والأفريقية من تقارب و روابط مبنية على عدة عوامل لعل أهمها التقارب الجغرافي والموقع الاستراتيجي لدولنا و وحدة المناخ و الثروات والخيرات التي تنعم بلداننا العربية والأفريقية بها، ولذلك فإننا نؤمن بأن التعاون العربي الأفريقي و العمل المشترك المتكامل بين كافة الدول الأفريقية و العربية من شأنه أن يحقق لشعوبنا ما تصبوا إليه من أمن وسلام وتنمية ورخاء وازدهار، وإننا نؤكد أن البرلمان العربي يولي أهمية قصوى للتعاون العربي الأفريقي من أجل تحقيق السلام والأمن وتعزيز التكامل الاقتصادي المتعدد من مصلحة كافة الشعوب العربية والأفريقية، لذلك فنحن على ثقة أن مثل هذه الاجتماعات المهمة للمنظمات البرلمانية الفاعلة و ما تحضى به من مشاركة واسعة لممثلي شعوب كافة الدول الأفريقية ستسفر بإذن الله عن ماهو مأمول منها بما فيه خير الشعوب العربية والأفريقية والعالم أجمع، ويسرني بهذه المناسبة أن أهنئ برلمان عموم أفريقيا وجمهورية مصر العربية بعودة ممثليها إلى البرلمان الأفريقي لما لمصر من أهميةوثقل تاريخي وبعد حضاري ومكانة أقليمية ودولية ستثري بكل تأكيد أعمال هذا البرلمان الموقر وإذ نشيد بهذه العودة الحميدة فإننا نهنئ الشعب والحكومة المصرية بإتمام إنجازاتها الديمقراطية ونشيد بجهود القيادة المصرية في الحفاظ على أمن وسلامة المنطقة العربية والأفريقية والعالم أجمع أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،السيدات والسادة الحضور،يؤكد البرلمان العربي وبكل قوة على إدانته الشديدة لظاهرة الإرهاب التي لا تمت بأي صلة للدين الاسلامي وتعاليمه السمحاء الداعية إلى السلام والحرية لكافة شعوب العالم وإذ نؤكد أن الإرهاب ظاهرة دخيلة على مجتمعاتنا و أخلاقنا وتدعمها جهات لها مصلحة في إستنزاف ثروات المنطقة وتهدف إلى العبث بمقدرات الشعوب وتهديد أمنها واستقرارها، فلقد حذرنا مرارا و في مختلف المحافل والمناسبات الدولية من أن هذا الإرهاب سيطال بلدان العالم أجمع ما لم يتم التعامل معه بجهود دولية موحدة على كافة الأصعدة السياسية والعسكرية والاقتصادية والتربوية والتعليمية والثقافية، ونؤكد أننا ندعم جهود الدول الأفريقية في محاربة الإرهاب، وندعو برلمانكم الموقر من أجل عمل عربي أفريقي في هذا المجال لعله يركز على الجهد الثقافي والإجتماعي والتوعوي لخطر هذه الظاهرة الهدامة والعمل على تجنيد الأجيال القادمة من خطر الانخراطفي هذه المنظمات الإرهابية.أصحاب المعالي والسعادة،السيدات والسادة،يدعم البرلمان العربي البرلمان الليبي المنتخب الذي يقف خلف إرادة الشعب الليبي ووحدته بما فيه خير ومصلحة الشعب الليبي الشقيق ويدعو إلى رفع الحظر عن تسليح الجيش الليبي ليتمكن من مجابهة ودحر الإرهاب وتثبيت الأمن والسلام والإستقرار في ليبيا، كما ندعو الى عمل ليبي توافقي تشاركي ينهي الأزمة في ليبيا ويبدأ من خلاله الشعب الليبي في إعادة بناء دولته لما فيه خير ومصلحة الشعب الليبي، ولما لليبيا وشعبها الكريم من إمكانيات وكفاءات من شأنها أن تسهم في نهضة وإزدهار بلدانها والمحيط العربي والأفريقي، كما أننا نقف خلف خيار الشعب الصومالي وبرلمانه ومؤسساته المنتخبة، وندين بشدة كافة الأعمال الإرهابية التي تهدف إلى زعزعة أمن الصومال و الاضراربمصالحه ومقدرات شعبه الأبي،السيد الرئيس،أن دعم الصومال وجيبوتي وجزر القمر والعمل على محاربة الفقرودعم التعليم فيها و التأسيس لتنمية اقتصادية في هذه الدول تمنح شعوبها حياة أفضل بما يضمن لها أمن وإستقرار وازدهار، ولعل التعاون العربي الأفريقي ومشاريع التكامل الاقتصادي بين الدول العربية والأفريقية تعملعلى تحقيق هذه الأهداف عبر عمل اقتصادي أفريقي عربي مشترك بما فيه خير الشعوب العربية والأفريقية، وفي هذا السياق فإن البرلمان العربي يجدد دعمه لمخرجات القمة العربية الأفريقية الثالثة التي عقدت في الكويت و وضع كافة امكانياته من أجل التعاون مع برلمانكم الموقر في سبيل متابعة وتفعيل قرارات هذه القمة المهمة لما فيه خير ومصلحة الشعوب العربية والأفريقية، كما ندعو إلى تفعيل مشاريع الأمم المتحدة من أجل تحقيق الأهداف الإنمائية لما بعد سنة 2015 و بالأخص في القارة الأفريقية،أصحاب المعالي و السعادة،إننا نرى أن أهم سبل تأسيس عالم أكثر أمن وسلام هو نشر السلم والعدل وتطوير القرارات والمواثيق الدولية وأهمها الاحتلال الإسرائيلي الفلسطنية المستمر على مدار 68 عاما وتمكين الشعب للأراضي الفلسطيني من حقه المنصوص عليه دوليا واهمها بناء دولته المستقلة ذات سيادة وعاصمتها القدس الشريف وإننا ندين التعامل الدولي مع القضية الفلسطينية ومحاباة إسرائيل على حساب الشعب الفلسطيني المضطهد لذلك فنحن نؤكد على ضرورة الضغط على إسرائيل دوليا وفي كافة المحافل الدولية من خلال الدول الأفريقية الشقيقة من أجل إحقاق الحق وتحقيق الأمن و السلام في المنطقة والعالم أجمع، كما أن الوضع في سوريا يزداد تفاقما يوما بعد يوم، فالجهود والتفاعلات الدولية لا ترقى إلى مستوى الحدث وأنهار الدماء التي تسيل في مشاهد يندى لها جبين الإنسانية و لعل آخرها الخرق السافر لاتفاقية وقف إطلاق النار الذي جرى في مدن متعددة في سوريا و في حلب بالذات والاعتداء الوحشي على مستشفى به اطفال و مرضی، فنحن ندين و بشدة هذا القتل للشعب السوري الشقيق ونطالب بإنهاء هذه المماطلات و التجاذبات الدولية على حساب دماء الشعب السوري و البدء فوراً في حماية الشعب السوري من أي قصف جوي أو أرضي و فرض وقف اطلاق النار ومحاسبة المخترقين له، وإنهاء معاناة الشعب السوري المستمرة عبرحل جدي يوقف اهدار الدم السوري ويعيد السوريين إلى وطنهم وأمنهم وسلامتهم وحريتهم، وإننا نقف خلف إرادة الشعب اليمني وندعم خياراته ضد من يوختاما،سيدي الرئيس،أتمني لكم التوفيق والنجاح في هذه الدورة و الخروج منها بتوصياتتخدم مصلحة الشعوب األفريقية و العالم أجمع مؤكدين أن البرلمانالعربي يضع كافة امكانياته للعمل مع برلمانكم الموقر بما فيه خير ومصلحة الشعوب العربية واألفريقية.والسالم عليكم ورحمة هللا تعالى وبركاتهREFERENCE: 0305-123000FS.E. MOUSTAPHA CISSÉ LO [PRÉSIDENT DU PARLEMENT DE LA COMMUNAUTÉ ÉCONOMIQUE DES ÉTATS DE L’AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST (CEDEAO)]:Excellence l’HonorablePrésident du Parlement panafricain,Excellence Monsieur le Ministre d’État, Ministre de la Sécurité publique de l’Afrique du Sud,Mesdames et Messieurs les membres du Gouvernement de l’Afrique du Sud,Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres africains présents, ici, à Midrand,Messieurs les Présidents des Parlements sousrégionaux,Messieurs les Présidents des Assemblées nationales d’Afrique, représentés ici,Honorables Mesdames et Messieurs les membres du Bureau du Parlement panafricain,Excellence Madame la Présidente de la Commission de l’Union africaine,Honorables représentants des partenaires au développement,Excellences Messieurs les Ambassadeurs et Corps diplomatique accrédités, ici en Afrique du Sud,Messieurs les représentants des Parlements sousrégionaux,Mesdames et Messieurs,En vos rangs, grades et qualités,Il m’échoit, Monsieur le Président, l’honneur, mais surtout le plaisir de prendre part à l’ouverture de la deuxième session ordinaire de notre auguste Assemblée. Après trois mois, suite à mon élection à la tête du prestigieux Parlement de la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO), votre Parlement nous a fait la confiance, l’estime et la reconnaissance de bien vouloir nous associer à cette importante cérémonie.Permettez-moi, d’abord, de transmettre au nom du Parlement, mes salutations et mes encouragements au Président de la République d’Afrique du Sud, Monsieur Jacob ZUMA, à son gouvernement et au peuple frère d’Afrique du Sud.Ainsi, nous venons de clôturer, il y a quelques jours, la première session ordinaire de la quatrième législature de notre Parlement, qui s’est tenue du 11 au 15 avril 2016 à Abuja, pour tracer clairement la voie à suivre. C’est l’occasion de me réjouir de l’excellence des relations de corporation entre le Parlement de la CEDEAO et celui Panafricain.Depuis bien longtemps, le Parlement de la CEDEAO a eu l’honneur d’enregistrer la participation remarquée des différents Présidents de votre prestigieuse institution à l’ouverture nos sessions, ainsi que des séminaires tenus conjointement sur des sujets d’intérêt continental.C’est vous dire, Monsieur le Président, que le Parlement de la CEDEAO n’est plus à présent à votre Assemblée. Comme vous le savez, nous restons toujours un Parlement consultatif en dépit des efforts inlassables déployés par les parlementaires durant les trois précédentes législatures. Notre session qui vient de s’achever, et qui est exclusivement consacrée à l’adoption du Plan stratégique 2016-2020 du Parlement, et à la feuille de route relative à la relance du processus pour l’adoption de l’Acte additionnel sur le renforcement des prérogatives du Parlement de la CEDEAO, que notre quatrième législature entend poursuivre.Excellence Monsieur le Président,Chers invités,Vous me permettez, néanmoins, de souligner que sa quatrième législature qui est ainsi installée, il y a à peine trois mois et qu’en application du principe de la rotation instituée en 2006, le Sénégal, à travers ma modeste personne, en assure la présidence pour les quatre années à venir.À cet égard, nous nous félicitons que le renforcement de la coopération interparlementaire figure parmi les objectifs stratégiques de notre institution. Ce qui explique une volonté forte de la quatrième législature à placer au centre de ses priorités, la coopération entre, d’une part, le Parlement de la CEDEAO et les autres Parlements sous-régionaux, d’autre part, le Parlements panafricain et le Parlement de la CEDEAO.C’est pourquoi, je voudrais utiliser cette tribune pour suggérer quelques pistes de réflexions dans le cas du renforcement de la corporation interparlementaire au niveau africain.Tout d’abord, je pense qu’il est important d’institutionnaliser cette heureuse tradition qui consiste pour chacune de nos institutions à inviter ses pairs à l’ouverture de ses travaux. Les adresses qui seront prononcées à cette occasion, donneront l’opportunité de partager des informations sur nos activités respectives. Nos différentes administrations pourront être instruites à étudier les modalités pratiques de ces mécanismes.Ensuite, dans le cadre du renforcement de la corporation interparlementaire, il me paraît nécessaire que nous envisagions la tenue régulière d’une conférence annuelle des Présidents des Parlements des différentes sous-régions d’Afrique, à savoir: l’Afrique de l’Est, l’Afrique de l’Ouest, l’Afrique Centrale et l’Afrique Australe.Évidemment, une telle conférence pourrait se tenir sur la houlette du Parlement panafricain. Cette institution continentale commune en assurerait la coordination à coup sûr. Un tel forum servirait de cadre d’échanges et de débats parlementaires de haut niveau sur les grands défis auxquels notre continent est confronté, mais aussi sur les questions majeures qui affectent la marche du monde. Nous aurons ainsi l’occasion d’aborder les drames de l’immigration dont sont victimes quotidiennement de nombreux citoyens africains que nous représentons. Nous pourrions également débattre et traiter des relations entre l’Afrique, les autres continents et regroupements régionaux du monde, comme l’Union européenne. La question de la libre circulation des citoyens africains dans les différents pays du continent, mais également de la xénophobie à laquelle, hélas, beaucoup d’Africains font face sur des terres africaines. Les questions liées à l’environnement mériteraient aussi d’être évoquées dans nos instances suite aux résolutions de Paris.Excellence Monsieur le Président,Il va sans dire que des différents mécanismes nous conduirons à nous enrichir mutuellement, à développer et affiner des positions solides sur les questions qui seront abordées. Ils nous permettront aussi d’harmoniser nos actions et de rationnaliser nos moyens pour un plus grand impact de l’action parlementaire sur des questions touchant les préoccupations quotidiennes des citoyens africains.Ainsi, seraient sans doute traitées plus adéquatement, la lutte contre le terrorisme sans laquelle il ne saurait y avoir une sécurité humaine, la protection et la promotion des droits humains et des droits de l’homme, y compris en faveur des africains immigrés, qui vivent dans des conditions incompatibles avec des valeurs universelles partagées.Voilà, Excellence Monsieur le Président, quelques pistes de réflexions que je soumets à votre haute attention et à celle de mes pairs, Présidents des Parlements des autres sous-régions d’Afrique. Face à la gravité des défis qui menacent l’existence même de notre continent, je fais là allusion, particulièrement, au terrorisme, à la protection de l’environnement et à l’éradication du paludisme.Excellence Monsieur le Président,Chers collègues,Honorables députés, membres du Parlement panafricain,Je sais que la victoire sur ces défis se fera au rythme de l’avancée du processus des réalisations de l’unité africaine. Seule cette unité, pourra consacrer l’élan de solidarité indispensable au sursaut nécessaire pour la victoire contre le terrorisme, la misère et les guerres futiles qui, hélas, minent encore notre continent. Je sais aussi que les acquis réalisés dans ce processus sont le prolongement de la vision, de l’audace et de la détermination de nos prédécesseurs qui ont su assumer leurs responsabilités devant les exigences de l’histoire, qui avaient conscience qu’une génération n’échappera à la rigueur du jugement de l’histoire. Ces figures du panafricanisme, tous ici, nous les connaissons. Point n’est besoin de les citer, mais il s’agit de les célébrer et de les placer dans la trajectoire qu’ils ont placée souvent au péril de leur vie.C’est pourquoi, Monsieur le Président, Excellences, je voudrais qu’il me soit permis d’attirer l’attention de mes pairs, députés africains, sur la nécessaire jonction de nos volontés pour insuffler au niveau de nos États respectifs, une dynamique d’appui pour la poursuite et l’accélération de l’impérieux chantier futuriste du panafricanisme, qui reste à la fois unificateur et libérateur.À cet égard, je termine mon propos par ces questionnements qui s’adressent à vous tous.Sera-t-il dit dans l’histoire, un jour, que le Parlement continental africain, le Parlement de la CEDEAO et les autres Parlements sous-régionaux d’Afrique, n’ont pas été capables d’impulser la création des conditions objectives d’une unification structurée et compétitive de ce riche espace géophysique qui suscite la convoitise de toutes les puissances étrangères?Aussi, voudrais-je emprunter les propos de Madame Bintou Sanankoua, historienne malienne, dans son livre « Les États-nations face à l’intégration régionale en Afrique de l’Ouest, le cas du Mali », je cite:« Les États-Unis deviennent le leader incontesté de la planète. L’Europe renforce son unité et sa cohésion pour faire face au niveau défi. La Chine continue son ascension irrésistible.Et l’Afrique?Et son intégration?Va-t-elle demeurer en pièces détachées, incapable de s’assembler pour assurer sa suivie dans un monde où la concurrence est sans concession.L’Union africaine, réussira-t-elle à triompher de tous les écueils que le passé colonial, les hésitations au lendemain des indépendances, les rivalités des leaders, les égoïsmes nationaux, les intérêts et les pressions extérieures, l’affaiblissement continu de l’économie africaine, les habitudes de vivre dans les carcans coloniaux ont dressé devant la nouvelle organisation mise en place par les Africains pour aborder la mondialisation avec des chances de succès.À notre avis, le doute et le désespoir ne sont pas permis ». Fin de citation.Et la cohésion pour vous dire!Donc, allons ensemble dans l’unité et la cohésion pour bâtir l’unité africaine pour l’intérêt de nos peuples.Chers collègues Présidents,Je vous remercie.C’est ce message que je voudrais délivrer au nom du Parlement de la CEDEAO.Obrigado!Thank you!(Applaudissements nourris)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Gracias! Obrigado! Assante!À présent, j’invite le Très Honorable Daniel KIDEGA, Président de l’Assemblée législative de l’Afrique de l’Est à délivrer son message.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0305-124217ERT. HON. DANIEL F. KIDEGA [SPEAKER OF THE EAST AFRICA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (EALA)]:Your Excellency, Rodger Nkondo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, the Vice Presidents of the Pan-African Parliament, the right Honourable Speakers of the National Assemblies, the Senate, Members of the Pan-African Parliament, Members of the National Parliaments here present, high ranking government officials specifically the representative of the South African Government, Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and High Commissioners, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.Excellency, I bring to you fraternal greetings and good wishes from the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the legislature of the East African Community, a community of six great nations comprising the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Burundi and now the Republic of South Sudan.ApplauseWe in East Africa are deeply engaged in the integration of the African States and that is why today we proudly speak of a community of six great nations with South Sudan being our baby.Your Excellency, allow me to extend my appreciation to you and your entire team for inviting me and my delegation to be part of the opening of this great Parliament. Indeed today is my third time to be part of this very important occasion. It is a testimony of a great working relationship between the East African Legislative Assembly and your great Parliament. The 160 million people of East Africa firmly stand with you in the struggle to liberate the African People. Allow me at this juncture to congratulate the Pan-African Parliament upon attaining 12 years of service to the continent. We are proud of your success and track record and demonstrated ability over the period. Evidently, Africa needs the Pan-African Parliament at this day in time, and in the future, to steer it ahead to the much cherished unity and prosperity of a United States of Africa.I further congratulate the Pan-African Parliament following the passage of the Amended Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union by the heads of State and government of the African Union at its 23rd Ordinary Session held in June 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. This makes the Pan-African Parliament get closer to its dream of becoming a legislative assembly. At the East African Legislative Assembly, we cherish the long held dream of the continental block that it started at our third setting, a meeting of the Third Session of the Third Assembly that sat in Kigali, a great city in Rwanda in November 2015. The East African Legislative Assembly passed a key resolution urging the East African Community Partner States to urgently sign, ratify and deposit required instruments of the Amended Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union. This decision was duly informed by the fact that the Amended Protocol which requires 28 ratifications from the African Union Member States for it to come into force by them had only 6 signatories with the Republic of Mali being the third country to ratify and deposit the instrument. I am now duly informed that the Republic of Sierra Leon is one of those who have accomplished this.Mr President, Excellencies, I assure you that the East African Legislative Assembly is taking on the matter very seriously. We are following up with the countries’ ministers, and my colleagues, Speakers of the National Assemblies, and Senate of the EAC partner states, some of whom are here represented to make sure that our governments ratify and deposit these instruments. It is time Africa did more acting than speaking. For us in the Eastern African Community we have really tested the fruits of having a legislative regional Parliament. Therefore, there is no doubt that the six partner states of the EAC shall ratify and deposit the instrument.Mr President, I would like also to address myself to the question of the Membership of the Pan-African Parliament. It is our humble view in the East African Legislative Assembly that the membership of the PanAfrican Parliament be discarded from the national membership of the assemblies. We believe that the African Continent deserve a full time Parliament with members who were elected to represent the continent on a full time basis without sharing their time and responsibility with no compensation at all.ApplauseAfrica deserves better. Experience has shown that for regional integration to succeed it must be people centered. Your Excellency, on the basis of this the East Africa Legislative Assembly would like to share its experience with you. For us in the East Africa Legislative Assembly we have adopted a policy of rotating our sittings in the partner states with the quest of taking the legislature to the people and strengthening the legitimacy of representation of the people to the institution of Parliament. It is my humble request to your Excellencies that the Pan-African Parliament, if it finds it befitting, should borrow this experience and sit throughout the continent and take this Parliament to the people. We in the East African Legislative Assembly are more than willing to offer you accommodation and make sure you conduct business of the African people in Arusha in Tanzania.ApplauseExcellencies, the presence of African Integration conferences, sustained dialogue, collaboration, confidence building, loving between and among members - and I would like to emphasize that complementing and not competition - is the way to go. The effectiveness and sustainability of Africa and involvement of people in the development process depend on sustained political goodwill, maintenance of peace and security, development of indigenous capacity for investment as well as good governance. I would like to appeal to the Pan-African Parliament to revisit its national agenda, enhancement of integration process in the entire continent and the eventual harmonisation of legislation in African. EALA stands with you in the struggle.In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm our commitment to the struggle, that is the liberation of the African people from poverty and diseases and to take Africa to its desired position, a continent where women are treated with dignity, where young people aspire to participate in the development of their motherland and people with disabilities are treated with dignity.I thank you. God bless Africa.REFERENCE: 0305-125116FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Excellences Mesdames, Messieurs,Chers collègues,Je voudrais, tout d’abord, continuer à implorer votre indulgence pour le retard que nous avons déjà connu.Je demande aux huissiers de faire entrer tous les députés qui sont à la salle des pas perdus.La première partie de notre cérémonie étant arrivée à son terme, je suspends les travaux pour deux minutes.Deux minutes!Prenez place!Restez sur place!La séance est suspendue pour deux minutes!La séance est suspendue à douze heures cinquante-uneminutes cinquante-quatre secondes.REFERENCE: 0305-130446FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Excellence Monsieur Joaquim CHISSANO, ancien Président de la République du Mozambique et actuel Envoyé spécial de l’Union africaine au Sahara Occidental,Excellence Monsieur Victor BOKARIE FOH, Viceprésident de la République de Sierra-Léone et Représentant personnel de S.E. Ernest BAI KOROMA, Président de la République de Sierra-Léone,C’est pour moi un agréable devoir et un plaisir toujours renouvelé d’accueillir, dans nos murs, des personnalités aussi importantes que vous. Je ne vous ferais pas l’offense de vous présenter, tant vous êtes connus et vos notoriétés largement établies. Vous êtes de véritables icônes de l’histoire contemporaine et l’un d’entre vous, au moins, a tissé une histoire particulière avec le Parlement panafricain.Il y a de cela douze ans, en effet, Son Excellence le Président Joaquim CHISSANO, alors Président de la République du Mozambique et Président en exercice de l’Union Africaine, a mis en place le Parlement panafricain en présidant ses premières élections au cours desquelles était élue S.E. Docteur Gertrude MONGELLA de la République de Tanzanie comme première Présidente du Parlement panafricain.Depuis, notre Institution a grandi et consolide chaque jour sa maturité démocratique. Le 18 mars 2004, lors de l’installation du Parlement panafricain, deux cent deux (202) parlementaires de quarante-un (41) pays avaient prêté serment.Aujourd’hui, nous sommes près de deux cent soixantedix (270) issus de cinquante-quatre (54) pays membres. C’est dire, Excellence Monsieur Joaquim CHISSANO, si, l’enfant que vous avez porté sur les fonts baptismaux a grandi, nous savons votre engagement dans les problèmes africains. Vous apportez des solutions à des maux dont souffre notre continent. Aujourd’hui, vous êtes encore Envoyé spécial de l’Union africaine pour la cause du Sahara Occidental.S’agissant de S.E.M. Ernest BAI KOROMA, représenté ici par S.EM. Victor BOKARIE FOH, Vice-président de la République de Sierra-Léone, il force l’admiration de tous, car sa lutte contre la terrible pandémie d’Ébola qui menaçait de rayer son pays de la carte du monde, est tout simplement admirable. Il a su organiser son peuple pour y faire face courageusement, grâce au concours de la communauté internationale et notamment de l’Union africaine. Il a pu éradiquer cette terrible épidémie et, aujourd’hui, il peut se tourner vers d’autres défis.Ce faisant, il rappelle les héros dont parlait S.E.M. Joaquim CHISSANO dans le poème qu’il a déclamé lors de son discours d’inauguration du Parlement panafricain et de l’installation de son premier Bureau, je cite:« Ô, Mère Afrique, tu n’es pas en rien mineure parmi les nations, car ton sein a grandi de héros qui ont osé rêver le rêve des générations africaines.De ton sein sont nés des géants qui essuieront les larmes que nous avons souvent versées en voyant nos enfants tomber dans la spirale lugubre de la misère et de la souffrance. » Fin de citation.Toujours très attentif au devenir du Parlement panafricain, la Serra-Léone fait partie des pays qui ont déjà ratifié le Protocole de Malabo. Nous l’en remercions infiniment. Elle aide ainsi l’enfant du Président CHISSANO à devenir grand.Il y a douze ans, Excellence Monsieur Joaquim CHISSANO, vous mettiez ce Parlement en place. Vous êtes le père fondateur du Parlement panafricain. Comme tout parent, vous rêvez de voir votre enfant grandir, d’où votre présence ici, et nous vous en sommes reconnaissants.Nous voulons par votre présence, ici, vous adouber de titre d’Ambassadeur de bonne volonté pour qu’au retour, vous essayez de parcourir les capitales africaines, prier nos Chefs d’État de bien vouloir ratifier le Protocole qu’ils ont librement signé à Malabo, le 27 juin 2014.Excellences Mesdames, Messieurs,Plusieurs défis ont été relevés, il reste cependant l’épineux problème lié à la ratification du Protocole de Malabo qui est toujours laborieuse. À ce jour, seuls dix pays ont signé ce Protocole et trois l’ont ratifié. Seul un pays a transmis les instruments de ratification à l’Union africaine, il s’agit du Mali.Nous nous remettons à votre immense sagesse pour trouver les voies et moyens de sensibiliser vos pairs afin qu’ils accélèrent le processus de ratification de ce document dont l’importance n’est plus à démontrer.L’Afrique, continent le plus riche du monde, est à l’inverse le continent le plus pauvre. Le Parlement panafricain pourra apporter le début de solution dans les recherches de financement et de développement du continent africain.C’est sur cette note optimiste que je termine mon propos en vous souhaitant, une fois encore, un bon séjour dans votre maison.C’est avec beaucoup d’intérêt que nous suivons vos allocutions respectives.Vive l’Union africaine,Vive le Parlement panafricain,Je vous remercie pour votre aimable attention.Thank you very much!Asante sana!Obrigado!Shucran.(Applaudissements)L’ordre du jour appelle l’intervention de S.E. Joaquim CHISSANO, ancien Président du Mozambique et Envoyé spécial au Sahara Occidental.Excellence Monsieur le Président, Vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0305-131226EH.E. MR. ALBERTO JOAQUIM CHISSANO [FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE]:The Speaker reminded me of that summit in that year 2004. He said, “when you are coming we will pick you up from the airport” where with the protocol officer we were talking about the languages of Africa and I said well once in this chair I have to remind them about that summit. Here again you are really reminding me of that summit. I started my speech by saying something like this, “Speaking in Kiswahili”.ApplauseThat is Kiswahili which is the official language of the African Union, but which is seldom utilised. We continue stick to French and English. Even the Arabic sometimes is utilised and it comes and goes, but the English and French are there, very strongly spoken and yet the Parliamentarians are here in Africa. We need to take up the discourse of our protocol officer who was accompanying me. I said that languages are linked to the culture of the people. Languages are the vehicles of the culture.Sir, I am going to speak in English because if I speak in Kiswahili, and I will not communicate properly because my Kiswahili is not so good. It is a pity. Well you take it as a home work.Excellency Honourable Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh Vice President of Sierra Leone, Excellency Honourable Mama Fatima Singhateh, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Gambia, Honourable Vice Presidents of the Pan-African Parliament, Honourable Members of the Pan-African Parliament, Excellency Commissioners of the African Union here present, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I will begin my message of solidarity by saying what most people would like to ignore or forget, namely that the political landscape in Africa has changed considerably. Africa is currently on the path towards realising Africa’s dream of building “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing the dynamic force in the global arena.” However, it is very much deplorable that after having brought down the most brutal colonial powers, racist minority regimes and apartheid in our continent, one of our sister countries, Morocco, with whom we fought side by side for freedom still occupies the Western Sahara territory formerly colonised by Spain, and denies its people the right of exercising their self-determination.The question of the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara has been on the decolonisation agenda of the United Nations (UN) over the past fifty-three years. In fact, Western Sahara has been inscribed since 1963 on the list of territories to which the UN General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples would apply. To date, Western Sahara remains on the UN list of the 17 non-self-governing territories yet to exercise their right to selfdetermination.Efforts towards the search for a solution to the problem has been ongoing, in some form or another, ever since the UN, in mid-1970s, called on Spain, as the Administering Power to organise a referendum of selfdetermination for the people of Western Sahara. The challenge brought forth at the time by Morocco subsequently led to the occupation of the Territory by the latter, in spite of the Advisory Opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 16 October 1975, affirming that it had not found legal ties of such a nature between Western Sahara and the concerned neighbouring countries that might affect the application of resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and, in particular, of the principle of self-determination through a free and genuine expression of the will of the people of the Territory. This ushered in a 16-year long armed struggle against Moroccan occupation of the Territory by the armed forces of the POLISARIO Front.In August 1988, the parties accepted the settlement proposals presented to them by the UN and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), on the basis of the Peace Plan adopted by the 19th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 6 to 12 June 1983. The objective was to enable the people of Western Sahara to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. On 29 April 1991, the Security Council, in resolution 690 (1991), established the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, (MINURSO) to organise and conduct the referendum, in close cooperation with the OAU. While the ceasefire component of the Proposals agreed to by the two sides in September 1991, still holds, no progress has been made to date regarding the organisation of the envisaged self-determination referendum.Moreover, the question of Western Sahara has continued to stall as there has been no progress whatsoever in the peace process. In fact, unlike previous occasions when, though not successfully, efforts were seen to have been exerted in the search for a solution, the period since the UN Security Council reviewed the matter, that is from April 2015 to date, has elapsed without the UN mediation being able to achieve any progress. The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Ambassador Christopher Ross, undertook a set of consultations in the region. He visited the region five times during 2015, but without success.From 2 to 7 March 2016, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, undertook visits to the region, in parts of Western Sahara under the POLISARIO Front control, including Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, and the Liaison Office of MINURSO therein as well as Algeria. During his visits, the UN Secretary-General met with the Secretary-General of the POLISARIO Front in Rabouni, and with UN staff working in the area and visited the Bir Lehlou team site of MINURSO. He also met in Algiers with the President of Algeria, as well as senior Algerian Government officials. The objective of his visits was to assess and contribute to the search for a settlement to the Western Sahara conflict, including an assessment of the work being carried out by MINURSO and the personnel performing demining activities in Bir Lehlou team site. Mr. Ban Ki-moon had wished to travel to Rabat, and to Laayoune, capital city of occupied Western Sahara, MINURSO’s headquarters, but Morocco gave reasons of inconvenience to deny the UNSG the opportunity of the said visit.During his visit the UN Secretary-General emphasized the dangers of the situation in the Sahel-Saharan region, threats posed by extremists and terrorists operating beyond borders and increased regional tensions, the growing frustrations in the refugee camps, the harsh living conditions, and the deterioration o the humanitarian situation and the importance of an early solution to the Western Sahara conflict. At the same time, he called donor countries to increase their assistance to this overlooked population to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid. He also added that he would soon convene a meeting of donor countries and assistance providers in Geneva to assist the Saharawi people.In an interview with the media during his visit to the refugee camps and in Algiers, the UNSG used the term “occupation” to describe the Moroccan presence in Western Sahara and also responded to a query that if the two parties agreed, MINURSO would be in a position to organise a referendum of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. Morocco, at that stage, took strong exception and denounced the Secretary-General as partisan, or supporting the other side in the conflict, and took the opportunity to expel 81 staff from MINURSO and all three AU staff from the territory on a 72 hour deadline. It had also threatened, but later rescinded to withdraw Moroccan contingents from the UN peacekeeping operations.Over the past few years, the POLISARIO Front, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) and a number of international human rights activists have been calling on the UN to empower MINURSO with a human rights monitoring mandate. In his 10 April 2016 report on the situation concerning Western Sahara, the UN Secretary-General urged for further international engagement and, given ongoing reports of human rights violations, stressed that the need for independent, impartial, comprehensive and sustained monitoring of the human rights situations in both Western Sahara and the camps has become ever more pressing. While Security Council resolution 2218 (2015) of 28 April 2015 did not empower MINURSO with such a mandate, it however stressed the importance of improving the human rights situation in Western Sahara and in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf and encouraged the parties to continue in their respective efforts in this regard.In October 2015, exceptionally heavy downpours caused unprecedented devastation in the Sahrawi refugee camps destroying several houses and facilities. The floods have further aggravated the already deteriorated humanitarian situation in the refugee camps.The issue of the exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara by Morocco has been the subject of continued complaints by the POLISARIO Front, which underlines that Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory ought to have its natural resources protected for the benefit of its own people, and that the international community should ensure that they are not exploited by Morocco. It has, in that connection, called on Morocco and on all other foreign entities to halt the exploitation of Western Sahara’s resources and desist from entering into any agreements that would violate the Sahrawi people’s permanent sovereignty over their natural resources. In his 10 April 2014 report, and in the light of increased interest in these resources, the UN Secretary-General stressed that it was timely to call upon all relevant actors to “recognise the principle that the interests of the inhabitants of these territories are paramount”, in accordance with Chapter XI, Article 73 of the Charter. It should be recalled that, on 10 December 2015, the European Court of Justice revoked the 2012 trade agreement signed between Morocco and that included the occupied territory of Western Sahara.For its part, the AU PSC, last reviewed the situation in Western Sahara at its 588th meeting, held in Addis Ababa, on 6 April 2016. Council recalled its earlier decisions on the matter, namely Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM/1.(CDXCVI) and Press Statement PSC/PR/COMM.2(DII) adopted at its 496th and 503rd meetings held on 27 March and 30 April 2015, respectively. It also recalled Communiqué PSC/AHG/COMM.4(DXLVII) adopted at the 547th meeting of the Council held on 26 September 2015, in New York, at the level of Heads of State and Government, in which it urged the UN Security Council to fully assume its responsibilities, and take all necessary measures to rapidly resolve the Western Sahara conflict and find an effective response to issues related to respect for human rights and the illegal exploitation of natural resources of the territory.Council, further recalled decisionb Assembly/AU/Dec.598(XXVI) adopted by the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, held in Addis Ababa, from 30 to 31 January 2016, reiterating AU’s call for the early resolution of the four-decade long conflict in Western Sahara, in line with international legality as well as reiterating calls to the UN General Assembly regarding the determination of a date for the holding of the self-determination referendum for the people of Western Sahara.With regard to recent developments, at its last meeting of 6 April 2016, Council commended the efforts of UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in the search for a settlement to the conflict in Western Sahara and welcomes his visit undertaken to Western Sahara and the region, from 2 to 7 March 2016 and further encouraged the UN Secretary-General to prevail in his efforts and reassured of him of full support of the AU. Council further condemned the decision by Morocco to expel 84 international civil servants, including AU personnel, from MINURSO and for denying the visit of UN Secretary-General to Rabat and to Laayoune. Council also reiterated paragraph 24 of decision Assembly/AU/Dec.598(XXVI), adopted by the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, which requests the African members of the UN Security Council (A3), to work with the Commission, including the AU Permanent Observer Mission to the UN, to present reports, through the PSC, to the Assembly of the Union, on their efforts within the UN Security Council and the extent to which they managed to promote African positions as articulated by the Council.Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, the major challenges of Western Sahara are as follows:Organization of the referendum/implementation of MINURSO mandate** - MINURSO has not been able to implement its full mandate, including the organisation of the referendum;The deadlock of the peace process - disagreements between the parties that have led to deadlocks in the peace process over the last couple of decades. The UN SecretaryGeneral has so far deployed three Personal Envoys to unblock the process, without success;Illegal exploitation of natural resources - to address the issue of the illegal exploitation of the Territory’s natural resources;Human Rights - there is a need for independent, impartial, comprehensive and sustained monitoring of the human rights situations in Western Sahara. Efforts to introduce a human rights component in the mandate of MINURSO have so far failed; and - Humanitarian Situation - the living conditions in the refugee camps declined further as a result of reductions in international humanitarian aid;Implementation of AU Decisions and Articulation of AU Positions - the need for implementation of relevant AU Decisions, such as the decision to establish an International Contact Group and that of the reactivation of the former Ad-Hoc Committee of Heads of State and Government as well as the decision adopted by the Assembly of the Union and other AU organs with regard to the common positions.Indeed, the Pan-African Parliament stands as vivid testimony of the changing political landscape which has ushered multiparty democracy in Africa with relatively strong national, sub-regional and regional parliaments. That is why I thought it was good to bring to this House more knowledge about what is going on in Western Sahara.I would like to say this is not the first case. We had the case of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde where the PAGC had declared unilateral independence of Guinea and Cape Verde and that independence was recognised by many countries, but still the PAGC was able to continue to negotiate when the time came with the Portuguese and that independence was validated and an official ceremony was made to proclaim the independence of Guinea and Cape Verde.The other example is the Eastern Timor which was occupied by the militia after the withdrawal of the Portuguese. Therefore, there was the political movement and the Republic Of Eastern Timor proclaimed unilateral independence, but that did not impede dialogue between the political movement and Indonesia. Later, the United Nations recognised the right of independence of the Timorese people and they therefore made an official proclamation of the independence of Eastern Timor. I may add that today one of the best friends of Eastern Timor is the Indonesian State. So, this can fit also to what we think about Western Sahara.There is no doubt that we have sustained a total and unmitigated victory in putting in place the Pan-African Parliament. This great Pan-African institution has increasingly been recognised as Africa’s premier institution in parliamentary diplomacy.From a historical perspective, the Pan-African Parliament also stands testimony to the end of the dark days of one-party state and persistence coups d’état that plagued the continent in the early years of the postindependent period. The prevalence of coups and counter-coups is now a matter of history. Significantly, incidents of coups are now considered an aberration, thanks to the Lomé Declaration of July 2000 on the framework for an OAU response to unconstitutional changes of government. Indeed, multiparty democracy has been entrenched despite the fact that we may have to reflect on the emerging signs of democratic decline in many parts of the world. The parliamentarians are best placed to make an analysis of this phenomenon in order to find the reasons of the apparent or real decline. I assume that democracy is a good system, but it has to be well defined and well understood by all including the ways of its implementation, particularly when it comes to the extent of the peoples’ participation in the conduction of their destinies and in the processes of redistribution of their countries’ wealth.Sometimes, democracy appears only as a game of competition for power for some individuals or a handful of individuals and not a game for peoples’ empowerment. I am convinced that as we move towards free, fair and credible elections in Africa the term of office for Heads of State and of Government will be determined by the people. The Pan-African Parliamentarians who represent all the people of Africa are well placed to bring about a common understanding among African countries on these issues.Elections in Africa have become a common event and I know that members of the Pan-African Parliament have and continue to monitor elections all over the African continent. The constant exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices may bring to the continent electoral processes and other democratic practices such as avoiding post elections violent conflicts that have caused many unnecessary losses of lives in the continent.Honourable Members will recall that on the occasion of the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the PanAfrican Parliament, the Africa Forum for Former Heads of State and Government and Other Leaders that I currently preside over, in a message sent to you, said:“...the PAP represents all the people of Africa. Its ultimate aim is to evolve into an institution with full legislative powers and whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage. Indeed the objectives of the Parliament of inter-alia facilitating the effective implementation of the policies and objectives of the AU; of promoting the principles of human rights and democracy in Africa; promoting good governance, transparency and accountability; promoting peace and security, strengthening continental solidarity and building a sense of common destiny among the peoples of Africa, among others, cannot be achieved without an empowered PAP with full legislative authority.ApplauseWe note that the dialogue on the conferment on the Parliament full legislative powers is underway. Obviously, at this critical juncture in the quest for African unity the importance of a stronger Pan-African Parliament cannot be overemphasised. In this respect, the leadership in Africa must therefore ensure that the process of transforming the body from advisory to legislative authority is hastened and its capacity to promote the principles of democracy and human rights in Africa strengthened. We urge governments and national Parliaments to redouble their efforts and finalise the legal, political and administrative measures that remain outstanding so that the fully empowered Pan-African Parliament can emerge.Today, I am happy that the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union concluded in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on 27 June 2014 took a landmark decision to amend the Protocol establishing the PanAfrican Parliament. The decision was essentially to grant the Parliament legislative powers as opposed to just being a consultative and Advisory body. It is encouraging to note that the Assembly agreed that the PAP may exercise legislative powers on the subjects/areas that the Assembly has approved and or propose model laws in accordance with its Parliamentary mandate. I believe that this is a major accomplishment and it is my view that the decision will be judged by the rate of implementation. I am very much concerned that only a few member states have signed the amended Protocol and even less have ratified. I would like to remind all the leaders that even if a member is not fully in agreement with a decision, once it is democratically taken he is bound to it. He has to implement it. Some of the delays in the development of Africa are related to the non-implementation or slow implementation of decisions by those who take them. Therefore, I urge all AU member states to sign and ratify as soon as possible the Revised Protocol so that this most important Organ of our Continental organisation may effectively pursue its noble objectives above described.Additionally, the Parliament is expected to give a voice to the African peoples and the Diaspora. More specifically the African Parliament is expected to encourage the ratification, domestication and implementation of AU legal instruments on governance so as to allow African citizens access to fundamental freedom and basic human rights. These are indeed noble objectives. However, what is needed is to match this decision with the requisite funding so that the Parliament is in a position to move forward with implementation. While making a call for the Heads of State and Government to pay attention to this issue, I would like to recall that if Africa wants to succeed in the implementation of its Agenda 2063, she has to develop creative ideas on how to generate funds internally. I know that this process has been started at the level of the African Union and some members of the Africa Forum are involved in this search, but I would like to point out that the parliamentarians of Africa should take the lead in looking for and proposing the best ways for the mobilisation of financial, material and human resources, including those for the good functioning of the PAP.Honourable President of the Pan-African Parliament, Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, Vice President of Sierra Leone, Excellency Honourable Mama Fatima Singhateh, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Gambia, Honourable Members of the Pan-African Parliament, as the honourable Members are aware, I stand before the 2nd Ordinary session of the 4th Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament as former President of the Republic of Mozambique, but more particularly as the Chairman of the Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government, commonly referred to as Africa Forum. This is an organisation of over 40 former African Heads of State and Government and other African Prominent Leaders.Membership of the Forum is by invitation from the General Assembly of former Heads of State and Government with strong democratic credentials. Such leaders will have made significant contributions towards the promotion of the principles of human and peoples’ rights and democracy in Africa, encourage good governance, respect for the rule of law, and promoted transparency and accountability in their respective countries, sub-regions and in Africa in general. Moreover, membership to the Forum is subjected to membership criteria based on the principle of democratic entrance and democratic exit. Clearly the major competences of the Forum are in advocacy and facilitation. You will find many of us mediating conflicts, observing election and participating in conferences. That is why I am here. I believe there is a strong possibility for collaboration given the convergence of the overall objective of the Pan-African Parliament and the Africa Forum.Honourable President of the Pan-African Parliament, Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, Vice President of Sierra Leone, Excellency Honourable Mama Fatima Singhateh, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Gambia, Honourable Members of the Pan-African Parliament, against this background, I bring this message of solidarity to the Pan-African Parliament and confirm the commitment of the Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government to work closely with the Pan-African Parliament, particularly in support of the implementation of the overall objectives of the Pan-African Parliament and indeed the African Union Commission. Together, we have the opportunity, using the tools of Parliamentary diplomacy, to increase mutual understanding between countries, to improve scrutiny of government, to represent the people better, and to increase the democratic legitimacy of the PanAfrican Parliament considered as an institution of Parliamentary Diplomacy. We share the view that the cardinal principle of Parliamentary Diplomacy is the acknowledgement of the equality of states and the supremacy of constitutions. In this regard, it is important for the Pan-African Parliament to continue to use the tool of parliamentary diplomacy to promote its overall objectives within and outside the African continent.It is generally acknowledged that parliamentary institutions engage in international affairs in three major ways:by influencing foreign policy through national parliaments; andby conducting parallel diplomatic relations through parliamentary diplomacy. This is essentially by establishing and empowering parliaments as representative bodies of national, sub-regional, regional and international organizations.We know that the first classical function of parliaments is of a national character within the framework of a legislature even though parliaments do so vary from one democracy to another. The second function is recent and has focused mainly on peace-building and conflictprevention activities and specifically PAP regional integration and harmonisation of laws. The third is the most atypical function, and is ideally oriented towards supranational institution building. Unfortunately the concept of parliamentary diplomacy has not been given the attention it deserves as a tool of foreign policy and international relations.It is clear that the parliamentary dimension to international relations could be defined as a continuation of engagement on national issues, political processes and dialogue among legislatures at regional and international levels. Significantly, parliamentary diplomacy could be a tool that the Parliament could use in resource mobilisations, especially by identifying areas of convergence with institutions and governments within and outside the continent. I have to emphasize that the viability of any institution and strategies whether in domestic setting or in foreign policy and international relations such as parliamentary diplomacy is predicated on accessing the requested resources within and outside its confines. Unfortunately, Africa is very fast in establishing national, sub-regional and regional institution, but very slow in funding them. We have the reputation of being the poorest and at the same time the richest continent.In conclusion, I would like to assure the honourable Members of the Pan-African Parliament that the African Forum is the new partner in the overall implementation of the broad objective of both the Pan-African Parliament and the decisions of the African Union Commission. We pledge to work together whether in the domestication of model laws or in encouraging good governance, respect for the rule of law as well as transparency and accountability in Member States. As a Forum of former African Heads of State and Government, we envisage a more proactive advocacy role in familiarising the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora with the objectives and policies aimed at integrating the African Continent. Obviously, we will work within the framework of the African Union to promote peace, security and stability. I am confident that together we can also work to promote the domestication of the African Union Commission Agenda 2063. This can be accomplished by initiating strategy for advocacy at national, sub-region and regional levels. In the same vein we need to build the requisite capacities for the implementation of Agenda 2063. We, therefore, look forward to a consultative process on how best to work together based on comparative advantage of the two institutions.As we pledge solidarity with the Pan-African Parliament, I wish the 2nd Ordinary Session of the 4th Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament a constructive and fruitful deliberation. As Africans, we have the resources and we have the will. We are not poor. Together we can accomplish the vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”Thank you.REFERENCE: 0305-140543FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Excellence Monsieur le Président.Chers Invités,Chers Collègues,Je vous invite à suivre, avec une attention soutenue, le mot de solidarité de Son Excellence Monsieur le Président Bai KOROMA qui sera délivré par son Viceprésident, S.E. Victor Bockarie.Excellence Monsieur le Président,Vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0305-140702EAMBASSADOR DR. VICTOR BOCKARIE FOH [VICE PRESIDENT REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE]:Your Excellency, President of the PanAfrican ParliamentHon. Roger Dang NkodoHon. Vice PresidentsHonourable members of the Pan-African ParliamentExcellenciesDistinguished GuestsInvited DelegatesLadies and GentlemenI bring you fraternal and goodwill greetings from His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the people of the Republic of Sierra Leone. I also bring you profound apologies from President Koroma for not being able to attend this Session of the Pan-African Parliament. He asked me to represent him, and I am sure he is here with us in spirit, because he holds dearest to his heart the Pan-African Parliament and what you stand for, namely, good governance and prosperity for the people of Africa.On my own behalf, I consider this a singular honour for which I am thankful, first to my President for asking me to represent him and second, to the President of the PanAfrican Parliament (PAP), Hon. Roger Dang Nkodo, Vice Presidents, Honourable Members and staff of this august Body, for the privilege to address them on this occasion. I am considerably humbled, yet extremely pleased that with PAP, Africa is certainly moving towards integration and development.Mr. President, Excellencies, it is disheartening to note that while Africa is moving forward, we are confronted with emerging challenges which, otherwise, could be avoided. The threat posed by armed organisations and the unsavoury attacks by these groups are among some of our greatest man-made challenges we are faced with.Let me, on behalf of President Ernest Bai Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone, express deepest sympathy to all those countries affected by such attacks. As a country, we went through this situation for more than ten years, and we know how frightening and devastating these attacks could be, not least of all the fear and anxiety the people live with. It is a pity that these attacks are happening in our “backyards” and committed by our own compatriots. While these attacks may target individual countries, we must find a continental and / or global solution to them. We believe PAP, through its mandate, can strengthen continental solidarity and build a sense of common destiny among the people of Africa.Mr. President, Excellencies, recently, we were visited by the deadly Ebola Virus. We lost scores of our compatriots. It was a dreadful scourge. As a country and as a sub-region, we were devastated. Economic growth and development were halted. Our survival as a nation was threatened. With the resilience of our people and through the support of friendly countries of the world, we fought a good fight and defeated the Ebola Virus. Some of our dear African countries banned flights to Sierra Leone and to the sub-region. We bear no grudge. Suffice it to say, we learnt good lessons, and we will build on lessons learnt to push for greater African unity, and show each other that we should, and must be our Brothers’ Keepers”. Sierra Leone is now Ebola-free, and we are on the path to Economic recovery.On behalf of His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone, let me thank all those friendly countries that supported us and our sister countries in the Mano River Basin to combat the outbreak of the Ebola Virus. We say so from the bottom of our hearts.Mr. President, Excellencies, a new Bureau of PAP has been elected into office. I wish them a successful tenure. Let me thank the out-gone Bureau for moving PAP to another level. The secret to success is for the new Bureau to build on the foundation laid by the outgone Bureau. You can never succeed by quarreling with your past. However, you can learn good lessons from the past to build great institutions. You can learn from the successes and/or failures of the past to promote peace, security and prosperity throughout the continent. You can use the failures and/or successes of the past to be innovative; to facilitate cooperation and development in Africa; to facilitate cooperation among regional economic communities and their parliamentary fora.Mr. President, Excellencies, the new Bureau is dear to all Sierra Leoneans because this is the first time a Sierra Leonean is elected to the Bureau of PAP and in no mean capacity.As a Government, we wholeheartedly supported the candidacy of Honourable Dr. Bernadette Lahai, notwithstanding the fact that she does not only belong to the Opposition Party, but also, the Minority Leader in our Parliament. We should practise cross-party politics to do what adds value to us as a country, and as a continent. As recently observed by His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Politics is not a matter of life and death. Let us change the dynamics and see politics as a means to improving the welfare of our people.Mr. President, Excellencies, the Pan-African Parliament was founded on the principle that the people of Africa would be fully involved in the economic development and integration of the continent. It grew out of the vision to provide a pan-continental platform for the people of Africa through African Parliamentarians, and grassroots organisations to get more involved in discussions and decision-making on emerging challenges in Africa and elsewhere. While progress may be slow, we applaud your achievement, so far. I am pleased to inform you that the Sierra Leone Parliament ratified the protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament on 21st April, 2016 making us the fourth country to ratify this protocol in Africa. Let me also assure this House that all the remaining AU legal instruments will be ratified with minimum delay.Mr. President, Excellencies, it is pleasing to note that the AU theme for 2016 is: Year of Human Rights, with special focus on the Rights of women and girls; the role of women in development and challenges to the full enjoyment of their human rights. We feel strongly and passionately about the involvement of women in the economic growth and prosperity of Africa. We all should march forward, leaving no one behind, as we endeavour to build a strong and productive continent. We must empower women through purposeful education, appropriate exposure and useful resources so that they would emerge and favourably compete in all fields of endeavours. In our Recovery and Development Strategy, namely, our Agenda for Prosperity, the issue of gender, women’s human rights and empowerment and human development stand out very prominently. Empowerment and advancement of women must be a priority to all of us.Mr. President, Excellencies, in this light, Sierra Leone has taken giant strides to enact laws and ratify Protocols in favour of women, including:The Maputo ProtocolThe Domestic Violence Act of 2007Devolution of Estate Act of 2007The Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act of 2007Child Rights Act of 2007The Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDs Act of 2007The Sexual Offence Act of 2012His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, is mindful of the role and contributions of women to national development. Critical decision-making positions in Sierra Leone are now occupied by women. We believe women who have been capacitated must be part of state governance at all levels.Mr. President, Excellencies, there cannot be good reason why it is easier to trade with Asia, Europe and the Americas, than trade with our compatriots in Africa. Why should trade with other continents flourish to the detriment of intra-African trade? Where is our common destiny? For the most part of our recent history, we are only a source of raw materials; exporting resources and jobs to other parts of the world with gross imbalance in rewards. Africa must use its raw materials and resources to industrialise; to create jobs for its own people; and to significantly open its market to African products, so that we can together build a prosperous Africa. This way, we can end the risk of insecurity, of radicalising our youth and promote peace, security and stability. The nexus between peace, security and development cannot be over-emphasized. By this way, we can create a prosperous continent now and for the future. We must see ourselves as competitors for the development of Africa. Our collective destiny lies in our collective hands.Mr. President, Excellencies, let me end my remarks by touching very briefly on the African Peer Review Mechanism, the APRM. As we all may recall, the APRM was established primarily to foster the “adoption of policies, values, standards and practices of political and economic governance that lead to political stability, accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration, economic growth and sustainable development”. It is a mutually agreed instrument, voluntarily acceded to by the member states of the African Union as a self-monitoring mechanism. By becoming a member, we all agreed to “voluntarily and independently review our compliance with African and international governance commitments”.To be able to compete favourably in the international sphere, we must ensure good governance by instituting measures to monitor our progress and build on our successes. The Pan-African Parliament must strengthen its monitoring capacity of member states through established structures, not least the African Peer Review Mechanism. This is how we ascertain and ensure that quality services are delivered on a timely basis. This is how Africa can move forward.God Bless youLong Live African UnityGod Bless AfricaI thank you for your attention.REFERENCE: 0305-142853PHON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULEMBWE [MOZAMBIQUE]:Sua Excelencia Dr. Roger Nkodo Dang, Ilustre Presidente do Parlamento Pan-AfricanoSua Excelência Joaquim Alberto Chissano, antigo Presidente da República de Moçambique, enviado especial da Uniâo Africana ao Sahara OcidentalSua Excelência Senhor Vice-Presidente da República da Serra Leoa, Dr. Victor FohVossas Excelências e distintos colegas Vice-Presidentes do Parlamento Pan-AfricanoHonorável Dr. Ashebir Gayo, antigo Segundo VicePresidente do Parlamento Pan-Africano e meu eterno amigoSuas Excelências Senhores Membros do Corpo DiplomáticoCaros e estimados Membros desta augusta Casa Parlamentar do Continente, Meus ParesSenhoras e SenhoresRespeitados Concidadaos da África e do MundoA sentença da Mesa do Parlamento Pan-Africano sem apelo nem agravo ou sem recurso, impeliu-me para a harmonizaçao de algo para o qual eu nao me sentia capaz.Nao me sentia capaz por falta manifesta de habilidades e de requisitos para o efeito necessários.Devaguei, rodopiei à procura de uma soluçao, de uma saída que fosse o começo do cumprimento da minha incumbência.Nesta cogitaçao, acabei ouvindo os gritos que dois séculos antes de Cristo alguém teria feito a partir da casa de banho da sua residência e pelas ruas da cidade, o que eu nao farei, dizendo: Eureka! Eureka!O que significa “encontrei”, “encontrei” ou por outras palavras “achei”, “achei”.E também notaria nesta cogitaçao, achada a minha tábua de salvaçao para me colocar diante de vós. E socorri-me daquela palavra que me parece prenhe de força e de vitalidade, a palavra engedrada pelos filhos e pelas filhas das terras sul-africanas, o emblemático “Sani Bonani”.“Sani bonani” nao à guisa ou à jeito de convite para um outro discurso. Seria um erro crasso da minha parte porque os discursos feitos sao brilhantes e neles reconheço a eloquência, a excelência.Certamente nao é esta a minha missao!ExcelênciasColoquei-me diante de vós a partir deste pódio, lugar privilegiado para... (inaudível) apenas e tao somente para um objectivo: satisfazer a força da razao de uma rotina. De uma rotina protocolar. De uma prática protocolar que tem como objectivo único aproveitar estes instantes para exprimir, manifestar, apresentar ou transmitir os tradicionais agradecimentos ou votos de agradecimento.Votos de agradecimento pela Vossa decisao, de todos vós presentes aqui nesta Sala, decisao que consistiu em partilha de vários pontos de dentro e fora de África para em romarias virem convergir nessa cidade parlamentar de África; instalada em Midrand, em Johanesburgo, na África de Sul.Votos de agradecimento pela vossa prestigiante e honrosa presença. Presença que certamente deu mais vida, mais colorido a esses momentos inaugurais da Segunda Sessao Ordinária do Parlamento Pan-Africano na sua Quarta Legislatura.Votos de agradecimento pelas mensagens de solidariedade, olhando para a profundidade, pelo alcance dos recados que transmitiram para esta Casa; para que os propósitos para os quais este Parlamento foi constituído possa ser alcançado no quadro da família da Uniao Africana, tendo bem presente a nossa finalidade que é de servir aos nossos povos.Que me seja permitido sublinhar duas figuras; dois filhos de África presentes nesta cerimónia: Vossa Excelência antigo Presidente da República de Mozambique e Vossa Excelencia Senhor VicePresidente da República da Serra Leoa, em representazao de Sua Excelencia Senhor Presidente Ernest Bai Koroma.Vossa Excelencia Senhor Presidente Joaquim Alberto Chissano, provavelmente usando a veia de um filho de camponeses soube em 2014 regar a semente que os vossos predecessores haviam lanzado á terra.Esta semente germinou e nasceu fitossanitariamente uma árvore. Uma árvore que todos nós queremos que seja robusta e frondosa; uma árvore que deia sombra e frutos; frutos deliciosos; frutos que possam ser saboreados pelos nossos povos e esses frutos tem nome próprio, nome concreto, sem me preocupar com a hierarquizazao diria o pao, a paz, a seguranza, a estabiliadade, a democracia, a boa governazao, o emprego, a igualdade, a educazao, a saúde, a solidariedade, a justiza social, a liberdade e, porque também nao, a independencia incondicional, total e completa do Sahara Ocidental.Esses sao os frutos que os nossos povos querem e frutos que significam o desenvolvimento económico e social sustentável, significa o progresso, a prosperidade.O desenvolvimento económico e social sustentável, o progresso e a prosperidade que se traduzam no bemestar de todos os nossos povos.Excelencia Senhor Vice-Presidente da República da Serra LeoaAgradecemo-vos profundamente por ter aceite ser a bicicleta, a motorizada, o carro, o barco, o aviao para trazer até junto de nós o carinho e a fidelidade das nossas irmas e dos nossos irmaos da Serra Leoa.Agradecemos a necessidade que nos deu, de como a Serra Leoa ve a questao da democracia, pedimos Excelencia humildemente que seja portador da nossa penhorada gratidao á Sua Excelencia dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Presidente da República da Serra Leoa e ao seu povo.Caros ColegasDistintos ConvidadosExcelênciasChegados aqui, apenas me resta uma palavra que quero partilhar convosco, palavra que é um desejo ardente e ao mesmo tempo uma firme vontade:Que viva o Parlamento Pan-Africano!Que viva a Uniao Africana!E que viva a África!Pela vossa atençao dispensada e sem a merecer:ShukranMerci BeaucoupMuchas graciasMuito obrigadoThank you very much.AplausosREFERENCE: 0305-143828FELE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much, Mr VicePresident.Maintenant, chers collègues, l’heure est à la remise des cadeaux, cadeaux symboliques à nos deux invités.Excellence Monsieur Joacquim CHISSANO, ancien Président de l’Union africaine, nous vous remettons ce cadeau, preuve de l’unité du continent, une carte d’Afrique sans barrière et nous voulons compter sur vous pour que cette idée puisse se réaliser.Nous vous remercions.(Applaudissements)Excellence Monsieur le Vice-président de la République de Sierra Léone, ce cadeau est dédié à Son Excellence Monsieur BAI KOROMA, pour tous les efforts qu’il fait pour l’intégration du continent africain et pour l’Afrique unie. Nous vous remettons ce cadeau, à l’intention de Son Excellence Monsieur le Président.(Applaudissements)Chers collègues,Excellences Mesdames et Messieurs,Nous sommes arrivés au terme de notre cérémonie d’ouverture, riche en leçons.Je voudrais donner la parole au Secrétaire général pour quelques annonces.Monsieur le Secrétaire général, rapidement deux annonces.ANNOUNCEMENTSTHE CLERK:His Excellency ABATOU Joacquim CHISSANO, former President of the Republic of Mozambique and His Excellency, Vice-President Victor BUHARI, Vice-President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Your Excellencies, Presidents, Honourable Members, Distinguished Guests, I have a few announcements to make, one of which is to announce the election of the Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament for the East African Region, which has become vacant.In accordance with Rule 15(2) of the Rules of Procedures, the Clerks are called for submission of candidatures at least seven days before the election. This period may be reduced to three days in case of emergencies declared at the PAP plenary. The election of the Bureau of the PAP will take place in the PAP Chamber on Tuesday, 10 May at 2.30 pm. Nominations of candidatures has to be made not later than six hours before the time fixed for the elections. Therefore, candidates for elections to the office of Vice-President should be submitted in the prescribed form to the Clerk not later than 8 am on Tuesday, 10 May according to Rule 15(3).The Eastern Regional caucus should know that for the nomination of the Vice-President, there should be two candidates thereby ensuring equal representation of men and women Rule 15(1)Withdrawal of candidature: A candidate who wishes to withdraw his or her candidature may do so at any time before the elections by notifying the Clerk in writing.It is the duty of the Clerk to announce such withdrawal which is in accordance with Rule 15(5).Following this, today in the afternoon, because we are a bit delayed, the regional caucus meetings will take place from 4 o’clock to 6 o’clock and the West African caucus will be meeting in room 1, East African caucus will meet in room 2, Southern African caucus will meet in room 3, Central African caucus will meet in room 4 and the Northern African caucus will meet in room 5.There will be a lunch at the end of this program.Thank you.It will take place at the Gallagher. You will find the buses outside to take you to the venue. You are all invited.LE PRESIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Secrétaire général.Excellence Monsieur Joacquim CHISSANO,Excellence Monsieur le Vice-président,Le Corps diplomatique africain, avec tous les députés du Parlement panafricain et le bureau, vous convient à un déjeuner qui sera servi tout de suite à Gallagher.J’invite les honorables députés à se mettre en place pour la photo.L’ordre du jour étant épuisé, la séance est suspendue. Elle reprend demain à 09 heures.The House accordingly adjourned at 14.38 hours until 09.00 hours on Tuesday 4, May 2016
Wednesday, 4th May, 2016
The House met at 09.00 a.m.[THE President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observedLa séance est ouverte!Chers collègues,Je vous adresse un salut fraternel.Je salue la présence parmi nous de nos interprètes, des hommes de la presse et de tous nos invités spéciaux.Je voudrais reconnaître, avec vous, que la journée d’hier a été très longue parce que moi-même j’ai eu de la peine à me lever ce matin. Mais pour ceux qui ont eu le courage comme moi d’être là, je vous félicite parce que nous sommes venus pour travailler. Les autres vont nous rejoindre au fur et à mesure.J’ai donné hier, dans toutes les réunions de caucus régionaux, les règles de consignes de sécurité à observer, ici. Je crois que ce n’est que par-là que nous allons nous mettre un peu à l’abri de notre ennemi commun qui cherche toujours à nous distraire de notre travail.À présent, je passe la parole au Secrétaire général pour qu’il nous donne l’ordre du jour de notre travail.Monsieur le Secrétaire général, vous avez la parole!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Prestation de serment.L’Honorable Paul BIE EYENE est-il dans la salle?Vous avez la parole pour votre prestation de serment.(Prestation de serment)L’Honorable Paul BIE EYENE a prêté serment.REFERENCE: 0405-091106PHON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWE [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Das competenciasprevistas no Regimento, dou agora a palavra a Sua Excelencia Senhor Dr. Roger Nkodo Dang, Ilustre Presidente do Parlamento Pan-Africano para proceder a apresenta^ao do Relatório das Actividades da nossa instituido.Excelencia tem a palavra.REFERENCE: 0403-091135FHON. ROGER NKODO DANG [PRÉSIDENT DU PARLEMENT PANAFICAIN]:Merci beaucoup Excellence Monsieur le Président.Excellence Monsieur le Premier Vice-président du Parlement panafricain,Excellences Mesdames et Monsieur les Viceprésidentes du Parlement Panafricain,Excellence Madame la Présidente du Caucus des Femmes,Monsieur le Président du Caucus des Jeunes,Mesdames, Messieurs les Présidentes et Présidents des Caucus régionaux,Mesdames, Messieurs les Présidentes et Présidents des Commissions permanentes,Monsieur le Secrétaire général,Madame le Directeur du Bureau,Mesdames, Messieurs,C’est pour moi un agréable devoir et un plaisir ardent de m’adresser devant notre auguste Chambre, ce matin, pour vous présenter le rapport d’activités durant l’intersession de notre auguste Assemblée. Ce rapport qui est un rapport chronologique porte sur quatre points essentiels:Le premier point: Les activités du Bureau du Parlement panafricain;Le deuxième point: Les activités des Commissions permanentes;Le troisième point: le personnel;et enfin le quatrième point: la conclusion.Parlant de notre rapport, dans mon propos introductif, je voudrais me limiter à ces propos. Ce rapport est d’ailleurs un rapport récapitulatif qui est dans un ordre chronologique dont les principales activités du Parlement panafricain vont d’Octobre 2015 à Mai 2016.Comme vous le verrez, toutes les composantes de notre Parlement se sont mises résolument au travail. Qu’il s’agisse du Bureau, de la Plénière, des Commissions permanentes et du personnel administratif. Le processus de réforme et d’innovation destiné à apporter un souffle nouveau au Parlement panafricain, dont je parlais dans mon discours d’ouverture de la session d’octobre, est donc effectivement en marche.Mesdames et Monsieur les Vice-présidents du Bureau,Honorables Parlementaires,La période sur laquelle porte ce rapport d’activités a débuté dès notre première session ordinaire de la quatrième législature. Nous avons effectivement ouvert, ici, la première session qui a été du 5 au 17 octobre 2015. Durant toute cette session, nous avons débattu des problèmes liés à l’électricité, dont le rapport nous avait été proposé, ici. Le rapport du Mécanisme Africain d’Évaluation par les Pairs (MAEP) et l’exposé sur le changement climatique par l’Ambassadeur de France.Je voudrais, au lieu de lire tout le rapport, passer les grandes séquences qui ont marqué notre vie, ici. Après donc notre session, on a débuté avec la campagne. Votre Parlement avait été reçu en France en début du mois de novembre - les 3 et 4 novembre 2015. Le Président du Parlement, accompagné d’une délégation, avait été reçu en France, d’abord à l’Assemblée nationale où on nous avait réservé un accueil républicain, et ensuite au Sénat.L’objectif de cette mission était d’aller faire le lobbying pour le projet « Énergie en Afrique », objectif que nous avons pleinement atteint au regard de ce que l’une des décisions de la COP a porté sur cette énergie en Afrique.Il s’agit, ici, dans ce rapport des activités internes et des activités à l’extérieur. Je voulais vous dire que durant cette intersession, notre Parlement s’est illustré beaucoup dans la diplomatie parlementaire. L’intense activité que nous avons vécue hier, c’est grâce à cette diplomatie parlementaire qui a permis la visibilité à notre Parlement et dont nous sommes de plus en plus sollicités au regard de ce qui s’est passé hier.Après cette démarche en France, nous sommes revenus ici, et nous avons assisté à la Conférence des Parties dénommée COP21. Bien que ne faisant pas partie de la négociation, mais nous nous sommes constitués en un groupe de lobbying à l’extérieur, et tous les membres, pris individuellement ou collectivement, ont participé aux négociations à travers les interviews. On assistait aux ateliers, et nous n’avions qu’un seul mot à la bouche: « il fallait qu’on paie les contreparties à l’Afrique et soutenir les projets émergés en Afrique ».Sur le plan interne, nous avons effectivement débuté ici, au mois de février, du 29 février au 2 mars, avec la réunion des Commissions permanentes. Si vous lisez le rapport, cette réunion des Commissions est résumée de la page 8 aux pages 11 et 12. Ce sont là les activités des Commissions permanentes. Nous n’avons pas voulu vous apporter un rapport narratif, mais on a tout fait pour synthétiser, parce que si ce rapport qui est aujourd’hui de 19 pages, on l’avait amené brut, il serait d’au moins 60 pages, parce que chaque commission a envoyé son rapport d’activités qu’on devait inclure dans ce rapport, parce que je vous avais dit que c’est désormais le rapport du Parlement panafricain et non le rapport du Bureau. C’est pour cette raison que vous allez voir qu’on a pris l’essentiel des différents rapports que vous avez envoyés, pour mettre ici.Au mois de février, nous avions mis en place l’assurance médicale qui, de l’avis des uns et des autres, fonctionne bien. Lors de cette session, nous avons également bénéficié d’un grand exposé de paix et de sécurité par le Commissaire Smaïl CHERGUI, qui est commissaire chargé de la paix et de la sécurité de l’Union africaine.Nous avions, également débattu, à l’occasion de ces réunions des commissions, du budget du Parlement panafricain, compte tenu du fait que le budget de l’Union qui devait nous être présenté, avait été différé, et nous allons en débattre ici. Chaque commission, sous la supervision d’un des Vice-présidents, a tenu une réunion statutaire dont nous avons résumé ici dans ce rapport.Également sur le plan interne, le Premier Vice-président du Parlement panafricain avait reçu ici, à Midrand, une délégation indonésienne qui venait justement à la recherche des relations avec notre Institution.Sur le plan de la ratification du Protocole, nous voulons remercier tous nos collègues qui ont facilité les rencontres avec leurs gouvernements respectifs. C’est ainsi que, durant l’intersession, on a pu - je reviens un peu plus en arrière - visiter les pays ci-après: l’Algérie, l’Égypte, la Gambie, le Ghana - nous l’avons déjà fait - le Kenya, le Madagascar, le Malawi, le Sahara Occidental, le Sénégal, la Sierre-Léone, le Swaziland, le Togo et le Zimbabwe.Au terme de ces rencontres, l’espoir naissait à nous, parce que les rencontres que nous avions eues étaient des rencontres de haut niveau, et les différents responsables, que ce soit de l’Exécutif comme du Législatif, nous donnaient des assurances qu’ils vont faire quelque chose pour que le Protocole soit ratifié. Et nous allons continuer!Ce qui freine effectivement notre mouvement, ici, à l’intérieur, nous allons débattre, c’est un problème de financement. La diplomatie parlementaire coûte énormément cher. Ce n’est pas les perdiems que tout le monde peut connaître, parce que nous touchons tous les mêmes perdiems, ce n’est pas cela qui est important, mais c’est plutôt les billets d’avion qui coûtent chers pour se déplacer d’un pays à un autre. Dans la même intersession, le Parlement panafricain a participé aux côtés de l’Union africaine à diverses missions d’élections, notamment dans les pays suivants: au Burkina Faso, en Côte d’Ivoire, en Tanzanie, aux Comores, au Niger, au Bénin, au Cap-Vert, en République du Congo, au Djibouti, au Tchad et en Guinée Équatoriale. Peut-être que certains n’ont pas pu effectuer le déplacement parce qu’ils ont reçu l’invitation en retard, mais nous avions aussi déployé au niveau du Parlement, des observateurs à toutes ces missions d’observation.C’est pour dire qu’aussi bien au niveau du Bureau qu’au niveau des Parlementaires, nous avions tout fait pour essayer d’accomplir notre mission en dépit, comme je le disais, de la modicité des moyens qui caractérisent notre Institution.Le Premier Vice-président avait été également chargé du Comité ARPOB, il s’est engagé à combler le recrutement en cours dans notre Institution. Parce que, le gros problème ici, c’est le problème du recrutement. Ce recrutement, les gens ont tendance à la politiser, alors que nous avons besoin dans l’administration des technocrates et non des politiciens. Et chaque fois qu’il y a recrutement, ça créé des problèmes, parce qu’on voudrait bien prendre tout le monde, mais les gens aussi ne présentent pas de bonnes candidatures. Et j’ai laissé ce dossier exclusivement entre les mains du Premier Vice-président et du Comité APROB. Il a déjà fait une partie, et il s’est attaqué sur une autre grande partie pour les 14 postes professionnels restants, de P6 à P1.P6 ici revient parce qu’il y a une petite erreur matériel dans votre rapport, je ne sais pas si ça a été corrigé. Pourquoi le poste P6 revient? Le poste P6 revient suite au décès du Secrétaire Général Adjoint chargé de la législation, qui est mort le 30 octobre 2015 et non le 30 octobre 2016. Parce que, tel que contenu dans le rapport, sa voudrait dire qu’il n’est pas encore mort. Or, il est bien mort le 30 octobre 2015. Je vous prie donc de corriger cette erreur matérielle.Le poste étant donc devenu vacant, ensuite le poste du Directeur du Protocole, lui aussi étant devenu vacant du fait de la démission de son titulaire qui était l’Egyptien — qui avait démissionné. En vue donc d’accélérer ce processus, le processus était un peu lent, parce que, comme je vous ai dit, il y a beaucoup de critères qui entrent en jeu, et beaucoup d’interventions. On ne laisse pas les responsables faire leur travail. GIZ vient de donner les moyens et a décidé de choisir un Consultant externe pour pouvoir poursuivre le travail en compagnie du Comité de recrutement interne.Et tout récemment, si vous prenez le point 20.00, une mission du Parlement Panafricain s’est rendue à nouveau en Europe, sur invitation du Président duParlement Européen. La délégation du Parlement Panafricain comprenait: l’Honorable NAAH ONDOA Sylvestre du Cameroun, l’Honorable RABETAFIKA Robertine de Madagascar, l’Honorable BOURAS Djamel, et Monsieur JOBE Yusupha qui était le Secrétaire de la délégation.L’objectif était quoi? C’était d’aller renouveler, et on avait pour la partie... pour montrer que, nous on était dans une délégation très peu équilibrée, et nous étions^ parce qu’il n’y avait pas de moyens, les parlements mentionnés étaient obligés de payer ceux qui voyageaient.La partie européenne était composée du Président du Parlement Européen, Martin CSHULZ; de Walter MASUR, Conseiller diplomatique; de Mario DAMEN, Conseiller en relations extérieures; de Edwin KOEKKOEK, conseiller en politiques internes; et de Madame Valérie RAMET, Secrétaire.Les sujets que nous avons abordés durant cette audience, il y avait en premier lieu l’électrification de l’Afrique, ensuite le problème de l’immigration. Ce n’était pas l’immigration clandestine, on a parlé du problème de la migration des jeunes africains et du terrorisme — donc le problème de paix et sécurité en Afrique. Je vous demande de corriger, il ne s’agissait pas de l’immigration clandestine, mais de la migration des jeunes, parce qu’on s’est rendu compte^ la délégation s’était réunie et on s’est dit, ce qui se passe en Europe aujourd’hui, il y a deux sortes de migrations: la migration africaine et la migration syrienne. Et vous voyez qu’aujourd’hui, avec la migration syrienne, les européens accordent les quotas aux pays qui acceptent de recevoir les Syriens. Alors que du côté de la migration africaine, on ne nous dit même pas combien de personnes meurent en méditerranée. J’avais suivi une certaine critique lorsque le Pape François était partie en Grèce et a ramené quatre familles des syriens. Les noirs se sont soulevés, mais ceux qui ont suivi la presse, ils se sont soulevés pour dire que la migration africaine se déroule à un pas du Vatican, le Pape n’a jamais... on n’a jamais eu ce geste de solidarité, mais plus loin, on amené. Donc, on est parti débattre de ce problème avec le Président du Parlement Européen.Donc les conclusions étaient, pour ma part, satisfaisantes. La première conclusion était de mettre en place un groupe de travail, qui doit débuter le travail ici même à Midrand le 5 mai prochain. Et ce groupe de travail va donc débuter ses travaux sur les problèmes que nous avons débattus, mais également sur d’autres sujets des financements de notre Parlement. La délégation de l’Union Européenne est annoncée pour les tout prochains jours, ou bien aujourd’hui.Mais également, nous avons assisté au parlement du Conseil de l’Europe. Là aussi, le Conseil de l’Europe et le Parlement Panafricain avaient un mémorandum d’entente depuis 2004. Malheureusement, ce mémorandum, il n’y a pas eu de réchauffement. Et nous sommes partis pour réchauffer ces relations, également aussi nos fonctionnaires et les députés pourront bénéficier d’une formation.Parlant du Parlement Européen, le Parlement Européen avait déjà accordé deux fois la formation à notre personnel administratif, et il se propose maintenant de recevoir les Députés en commençant par les Présidents des Cocus régionaux pour former ceux-ci à gérer les Cocus; ensuite les Présidents de Commissions, ainsi de suite, voire si on peut arriver à former tous nos Députés.Donc, il y a eu une vaste activité médiatique. Je voudrais vous dire que depuis que nous sommes là, on a tout fait pour arrimer notre Parlement à la modernité. Tout est sur enregistrement sonore. Donc, tout ce que nous faisons, vous pouvez le voir, pour ceux qui suivent les médias des nouvelles technologies de l’information, tout ce que nous faisons ici, tout est dans le Web Site, Face book mais également tout est en ligne. Tout ce que nous faisons ici, nos interventions sont en ligne; ce que je suis en train de dire passe en ligne dans tous les médias sociaux pour que nous rendions notre Parlement visible.Cette action médiatique a permis à. Goné du Soudan du Sud, aux membres du Parlement et à certains de nos parlementaires d’avoir des interviews dans différents médias du Monde. Quant au Président du Parlement Panafricain, j’ai accordé beaucoup d’interviews à FRANCE24, à AFRICA24 et au Sénégal, partout où nous sommes passés; en Algérie, nous avons tenu un point de presse. Il faut noter que partout où nous passons, nous essayons de réunir la presse nationale pour relayer ce que nous disons. Et je puis vous assurer qu’aujourd’hui, le niveau de perception — les gens qui regardaient notre site — est passé de 2472 à 20 000 à nos jours. Donc chaque jour, le nombre de personnes qui visitent le site du Parlement, qui font des réactions, qui réagissent à travers ce site, est passé de 20 000 personnes. Et je puis savoir que d’ici la fin de cette session, ça va encore augmenter — comme maintenant toutes les activités sont rayées.Parmi les obstacles que nous avons rencontrés, Excellences, permettez-moi de soulever quelques-uns des défis: il y a la lenteur du processus de ratification. Cette lenteur, je continue à penser — peut-être que je suis naïf — qu’il s’agit des mécanismes de chaque pays en matière de ratification des instruments internationaux. Parce qu’il n’y a pas seulement que le protocole du Parlement Panafricain qui n’est pas ratifié à ce jour, mais sur les 52 instruments de l’OUN (l’Organisation de l’Unité Africaine) à UA (Union Africaine), il y a peut-être que dix qui sont ratifiés par les États membres.Donc, je crois que le travail que je recommande aux uns et aux autres est d’en faire comme ceux qui ont eu le bonheur de nous inviter dans leur pays, soit provoquer la question lors des séances plénières en posant la question au Ministre des Affaires Étrangères pour savoir, soit faire le lobbying pour que le Président soit reçu et qu’on puisse en débattre, que les gens prennent les engagements à la presse et que le public en sache.L’autre grande insuffisance que nous avons, c’est l’insuffisance de ressources. Le problème de ressources ici, n’est pas un problème propre au Parlement. Le problème de ressources est un problème qui vient de notre organisation mère, l’Union Africaine, du fait de la crise qui frappe beaucoup de pays de notre organisation, n’arrive plus à réunir les fonds nécessaires pour son fonctionnement. C’est cette raison qu’aujourd’hui, ce qui vient ici au Parlement, je ne peux pas vous répondre sur les finances du Parlement, mais je sais parce que je suis souvent aussi informé, comme vous tous, parce qu’il y a des gens ici dans notre administration qui passent le temps à donner les informations, je sais que maintenant l’Union Africaine envoie l’argent mensuellement. Quand la commission envoie l’argent, on a déjà identifié ce qu’on va faire avec cet argent. Et généralement, ce qui reste ne permet même pas de mener beaucoup d’activités. Par exemple, à cette session, on a envoyé de l’argent; dans cet argent, il était question de payer les salaires, de faire la session. Et si on vous montre l’écart, qu’est-ce qui est resté pour les diverses activités, c’est vraiment très, très minime. Et je ne vais pas m’engager sur ce pas, n’étant pas gestionnaire du budget.Autre défi, il y a le problème de l’accord de siège. Nous nous sommes engagés à emmener la République d’Afrique du Sud à revoir l’accord de siège. Et notre collègue, Madame KELIANE, s’est impliquée personnellement à ce que cet accord puisse être révisé. Il ne s’agit pas de l’accord, l’accord n’est pas à réviser, mais il s’agit des annexes de l’accord, c’est-à-dire la fourniture de la sécurité, la fourniture d’internet, la fourniture du fax, etc. Ce sont ces accords du matériel que nous sommes en train de nous battre pour renouveler les infrastructures du PAP, parce que le matériel que vous voyez, tout ce qui est ici maintenant, ça a été mis en place en 2004. Et ce matériel est déjà vétuste, obsolète et ça ne permet plus de travailler.Hier, j’étais dans une commission, on m’a soulevé un problème, et je suis rentré courroucé dans mon bureau, et la réponse était une réponse uniquement technique. Pendant que je demandais qu’on envoie le rapport, il n’y avait pas de net au PAP. Donc, les gens ne pouvaient pas envoyer le rapport. Mais, ce que je leur ai dit: quand il y a un problème comme ça, saisissez moi avant pour que je sois au courant qu’il n’y a pas le net et on ne peut pas envoyer le rapport aux députés. Mais ils m’ont dit qu’ils ont pallié à ça en commençant à distribuer le rapport à la main, sur support papier hier avant que le problème ne se pose.Donc, c’est pour vous dire qu’ici on a pas mal de difficultés qui peuvent aussi nous empêcher de bien travailler, notamment ce problème des TIC. Parce que, ici il n’y a pas de fax depuis plusieurs années, le téléphone donne quand il veut, mais l’internet aussi a des problèmes. Donc, c’est ça que je disais, nous avons commencé donc les négociations avec la partie sud africaine. Et comme vous pouvez le constater, les efforts sont en train d’être faits. Parce que cette session, beaucoup de mesures qu’on décriait ont été prises, notamment les mesures de sécurité. Pour ceux qui ne savent pas, là où vous dormez, ça fait que quand vous dormez, il y a la police dehors. J’en ai fait l’expérience moi-même, parce que, une soirée, j’avais fait le tour de tous les hôtels pour savoir s’il y avait effectivement... — parce qu’on m’avait assuré qu’il y aura des policiers dans les hôtels — effectivement, j’ai trouvé les policiers qui étaient en train de patrouiller pendant que vous étiez dedans. Et, hier encore, le Ministre de l’Intérieur, le Ministre d’État qui était ici nous a rassurés qu’ils vont continuer à améliorer les services. Mais, conseil: essayez de marcher en groupe, ne pas vous disperser après vos travaux.Votre Président a pu être logé cette fois-ci. Depuis que j’avais été élu, je dormais dans les hôtels. Mais avec les négociations, la résidence des Présidents étant dans un état très vétuste ne permet plus que j’entre dans cette résidence. Donc, nous sommes tombés à la conclusion selon laquelle on me logeait dans une résidence provisoire, en attendant de faire les travaux. Tout ça, c’est pour montrer que nous, de notre côté, on essaie de tout faire pour que le travail ici soit agréable.Maintenant en guise de conclusion, je voudrais vous dire Excellences Mesdames Messieurs que je ne saurais terminer ce rapport d’activités sans remercier l’Union Africaine qui n’a ménagé aucun effort pour débloquer au Parlement Panafricain les fonds qui lui étaient dus, malgré les tensions de trésorerie auxquelles elle faisait face. Mes remerciements vont ensuite aux membres du Bureau, Mesdames, Messieurs les Vice-présidents qui n’ont ménagé aucun effort pour qu’ensemble nous puissions relever les défis de notre Institution.Nous remercions également tous les Députés qui ont cheminé avec nous, et plus particulièrement ceux qui ses sont engagés corps et âme dans le processus de ratification, en interpellant leur Gouvernement pour que ceci soit fait à temps. Nous avons pris acte. Et nous remercions nos généreux donateurs qui continuent à nous assister, notamment GIZ qui s’est engagé, au regard de la lenteur du recrutement, pour la troisième fois consécutive à remettre. pour ce processus de recrutement. Mais également à notre Secrétariat général et à la direction du Bureau, dont les professionnels et les équipes mises en place essaient de tout faire pour relever les défis que nous nous sommes fixés.Mais ce qui nous reste à faire et que je souhaite de tout vent pour nous tous ici, c’est que nous puissions marquer de près les 26 États manquants, aujourd’hui nous pouvons dire 25, parce que le rapport montre qu’il y a dix pays qui ont signé, trois ont ratifié mais un seul a déposé les instruments de ratification. Cela voudrait dire que les deux autres, s’ils ne l’ont pas fait, il faut qu’ils envoient les instruments de ratification à l’Union Africaine. Si ceci est fait, il nous reste à identifier 25 pays qui pourront également aussi le faire d’ici la fin de notre année.Permettez-moi, Mesdames, Messieurs, de jeter un regard, nous sommes déjà à la tête de ce Bureau depuis un an. Un an, c’est quand même le temps, on a eu le temps de se ressaisir, le temps de remettre les gens au travail, le temps de rendre notre Parlement visible. Je souhaite de tout vent — ça, ce n’est pas la victoire d’un individu que je suis, mais c’est une victoire collective — que nous nous en félicitions, nous tous pour cet effort. Et que désormais, la nouvelle année qui commence soit l’année des réalisations, parce qu’il n’est plus question aujourd’hui de se chercher, on connait déjà d’où est le problème, tout en respectant ce que l’Union Africaine mettra à notre disposition comme moyens. On continue à le faire.Je voudrais également remercier les Présidents des Parlements nationaux pour leur prise en charge effective, parce que lorsque nous nous déplaçons, ce que nous recevons ne peut pas nous permettre de payer une chambre d’hôtel. Mais partout où nous allons, les Présidents d’Assemblées prennent en charge le séjour du Président. Tel a été le cas au Gabon, le cas au Sénégal, le cas à Madagascar, partout. En Algérie, le Président m’a dit non, on te prend en charge; parfois même le transport local. Je vous remercie, et je vous prie de transmettre ces remerciements à leur Excellence Messieurs les Présidents pour ces efforts. C’est aussi là un apport substantiel pour le travail que nous sommes en train de faire. Parce que s’il faut que le Parlement Panafricain paie tout ce que j’étais en train de vous dire, nous n’arriverons pas. Donc c’est bien venu que nos partenaires des parlements nationaux nous prennent en charge. Mais également, ces mêmes Présidents, aujourd’hui, on a mis en place une nouvelle politique, quand le Président est invité et qu’il ne peut pas aller, on essaie d’écrire à une Assemblée pour demander d’envoyer ses représentants, représenter le Président aux frais de cette Assemblée. Cela a été fait au États-Unis tout récemment, où on décidait de grands projets avec la Banque Mondial. Je n’ai pas pu effectuer le déplacement, j’ai écrit au Parlement Kényan qui a envoyé les gens nous représenter, et ils ont discuté de nos projets au Parlement. Ça aussi, c’est des apports qu’il faut saluer et tout un chacun est en mesure de le faire dans son parlement s’il venait à être sollicité.Voilà, Mesdames, Messieurs, le rapport brièvement résumé. Je me mets à votre entière disposition pour toute question complémentaire liée à ce rapport.Monsieur le Président, Je vous remercie.Je vous remercie, Mesdames, Messieurs.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0405-093930PHON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Quero, em nome da Casa, agradecer a Vossa Excelência Senhor Presidente do Parlamento Pan-Africano pela apresentaçao objectiva do Relatório de Actividades da nossa Casa.Eu gostaria de partilhar convosco três aspectos antes do início do debate:Em primeiro lugar, gostaria de lembrar que para a pauta de hoje ou a nossa ordem do dia temos três temas, três assuntos.De acordo com o nosso programa, o debate desses três temas tem de terminar por volta das 12 horas; o que significa que temos apenas três horas de trabalho. E agora temos menos de três horas; talvez tenhamos duas horas e vinte minutos.Tendo dito isso, este é o segundo aspecto e de acordo com o disposto no artigo 43 do nosso Regimento, gostaria de sugerir que cada orador tenha 3 minutos no máximo.Repito, três minutos no máximo para que depois Sua Excelência Senhor Presidente do nosso Parlamento possa responder as eventuais questoes que possam ser suscitadas.E queria saber se efectivamente concordamos com a sugestâo dos très minutos para cada orador? Très minutos?Muito bem!Estao inscritos 29 oradores. Tendo constatado que estao preenchidos... order? Please!?REFERENCE: 0405-094134APEHONORABLE MEMBERS:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمالسالم عليكم جميعا هنالك بعض النواب و الزمالء الذين يريدون التدخل،لكن لم يسمح لهم الوقت بتسجيل أسمائهم ولذا أرجو من حضرة رئيسالبرلمان اعطاء قائمة تكميلية للسماح لبقية النواب بالتدخل و التعبير عنأرائهم وشكرا.HON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Eu creio que é uma questao pacífica, teremos que saber como gerir o tempo; e o Secretariado vai cuidar agora de passar a recolher as eventuais inscriçoes.FRENCH [094237-094256]Il vient juste de nous informer qu’il était parmi les premiers à inscrire mon nom, dans les listes d’intervention. Que mon nom ne figure pas dans la liste. Voilà!HON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Como dizia, tendoconstatado que está observado o disposto no artigo 41, eu vou agora dar a palavra aos meus ilustres colegas à luz do disposto no artigo 42 do nosso Regimento.Vejo uma mao.ENGLISH [094321-094406]HON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:Mr President, I think that this is already gone, but we should know that one of the major activities that we need to put much attention to, is the activity of PAP itself. We should not delay it and then say that we want to use three minutes to run through. Please, I think it is important that next time we dedicate the whole morning to the activities of PAP so that we can debate it because that is what we are doing. It is the only way we can check and correct ourselves. So, I think that the three minutes is too inadequate. We need to see, if it is possible, to put one or two items in the afternoon so that we can take minimum five minutes. This is our own activity. It is important that we are able to debate it adequately.Thank you very much.HON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Se é justa a preocupaçâo, eu gostaria de recordar à Vossa Excelência que nós a Casa aprovamos este programa. Ontem foi anunciado que teríamos estes três temas, por um lado, por outro estes dois temas sao temas que serao apresentados por personalidades que vêm de fora da instituiçao.Estarao programadas para despender o seu tempo hoje. E portanto, se nós chegarmos a conclusao que nao estamos satisfeitos com o debate no fim do tempo que for estipulado. A Mesa irá ver como fazer as coisas.O que devemos evitar é que obriguemos pessoas que vem de fora para trabalhar connosco a fazer adiamentos constantes porque isto perturba a actividade que já terao programado. E eu espero a Vossa compreensao e vamos tentar iniciar e depois veremos como fazer.Mantemos os três minutos iniciais e depois no fim vemos se estamos satisfeitos ou nao.Quero agradecer a sua compreensao caro colega e sendo assim dou a palavra ao primeiro inscrito o distinto Deputado Fidel Rwingamba de Ruanda.REFERENCE: 0403-094549EHON. FIDEL RWIGAMBA [RWANDA]:Thank you Mr President. Thank you for according me this time. I will be brief. First of all I want to thank the President of PAP for the presentation which was very clear and very well summarised without leaving out the main points. Mr President, I want to thank you most sincerely together with your team and members of the Bureau, for the work that you have done and you continue to do ever since you took the reins of this Parliament. You have in a very short period of time - one year is not a lot of time - turned things around. In a short period of time there has been a remarkable positive change and it is there for everybody to see.I will cite a few examples, just a few to be brief; we finally have a Clerk, although I see him very rarely in the Chamber, and we have almost all the staff in place, something that had been very difficult to achieve in the past. These days working documents are beginning to trickle in. I am saying trickling in because there are still a few, but at least they have started to come a few days before the start of the session.As promised last October in the Planning Retreat in Centurion the annual calendar of activities was sent to us. This is a very important planning tool because it can allow Members to plan ahead. Most of all I must stress the insurance. I can testify to this because last month I presented the card very timidly in my local hospital at home, very timidly because I was apprehensive that it may not work. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me that I was going to pay zero money. So, we thank you for thatHowever, Mr President there are a few issues, some of them you have explained, but I still stress them, that need your urgent attention; a detailed programme should always accompany the invitation letter to any session, be it a session dedicated to the Committees or a session dedicated to Plenary. We have said this many times. You should take an undertaking that this time around it would start happening. All these working documents should be sent to Members some days, not just one day before the start of the session.Mr President, although you went to great lengths to explain it, we urge you to do all in your power to introduce ICT in this Parliament and hence make it as paperless as possible. This will enhance efficiency and it will be cheaper to do business. Further, Members would no longer be required to take loads and loads of papers which are very cumbersomeWith these few remarks, I thank you, Mr President.REFERENCE: 0403-095003FHON. JAYNET KABILA [RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO]:Honorable Président,Merci pour m’avoir accordé la parole.Comme les premiers intervenants, je vais être brève.Je commence, d’abord, par vous féliciter pour le travail déjà abattu jusque-là, bien sûr c’est vous-même et tous les membres du Bureau.Honorable Président,Je pense que pendant cette quatrième législature, nous avons déjà adopté beaucoup de résolutions; beaucoup de résolutions ont été prises et aussi beaucoup de recommandations ont été faites. Mais quand j’ai lu le rapport, je n’ai pas vu là où vous avez donné une synthèse de l’état d’avancement de toutes ces recommandations et résolutions.Je propose que cela figure dans votre prochain rapport, parce qu’il va nous aider à suivre l’état d’avancement.Merci beaucoup!REFERENCE: 0403-095124EHON. JOSEPH MBAH-NDAM [CAMEROON]:Mr President, I would like to thank you for giving me the Floor.I want to join my voice to my predecessors in congratulating the President of the PAP and the whole Executive of our Parliament on the work they have been able to do so far within a limited space of time. I have about three anxieties to present.Mr President, we have been informed of the recruitment that is ongoing, but I want to say that the personnel that is recruited from all fields of activity need to be trained in Parliamentary Procedures and for their efficiency, this training must be reinforced and multiplied. They must get acquainted with the documents of Parliament, the Rules and Procedures and especially the initial protocols. So, some programming must be done to train the personnel we will recruit. We know that language is a problem with us because we have a multiplicity of languages, but when this training is done, we can ensure efficiency.Secondly, I want to emphasise the issue of visibility. I recognise the fact that this time around we have become visible and some talking goes on in our various countries concerning PAP and the awareness is gradually being drawn onto it, but I implore our President and Vice Presidents to multiply their efforts in making this Parliament visible.Thirdly, on the obstacles faced in the ratification of AU Conventions, I know how much we put in to have the Charter on Elections, Democracy and Good Governance ratified. I want to recommend that for us to have the present conventions ratified, we need to adopt the method we adopted at that point in time and that is actually engaging the region caucuses to be able to sensitise our various Governments. I want to say that very often the Governments do forget what they have to do because of pressure, but when Parliamentarians get engaged in the process of sensitising Governments, we have often got the results.Lastly, Mr President, the yearly calendar is a very important tool. I want to advise that this calendar should be sent not only to us, but to various High Commissioners of South Africa in our countries. We have had an experience of having very limited visas because the embassies have said they do not know our programmes or activities.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0403-095523FHON. AHAMAT TAHIR AHAMAT [TCHAD]:Merci à Monsieur le Président, pour la parole accordée.Honorable Président,Mesdames et Messieurs.Permettez-moi, tout d’abord, de féliciter notre Président ainsi que l’ensemble du Bureau du Parlement panafricain, pour l’excellent rapport qu’il vient de nous présenter.Monsieur le Président,Notre Parlement est en mutation et des avancées significatives ont été enregistrées, mais il nous reste encore à œuvrer davantage dans l’intérêt de l’Afrique.L’application du Protocole est un défi auquel nous allons nous atteler pour obtenir les vingt-huit (28) ratifications et notre Parlement deviendra un parlement avec des pouvoirs législatifs.Monsieur le Président,Le Parlement panafricain doit mettre en place également, une stratégie de mobilisation de fonds pour son fonctionnement eu égard à l’insuffisance des moyens financiers mis à sa disposition.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 0403-095640FHON. NOURENOU ATCHADÉ [BÉNIN]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais, tout à d’abord, à la suite de mes collègues vous féliciter pour votre leadership à la tête de notre Institution.Monsieur le Président,Je crois que vous embarquer notre Assemblée dans l’ère du changement comme toutes les nations le prônent aujourd’hui, le changement, le nouveau départ, et nous sommes en train de vivre au niveau du Parlement panafricain un nouveau départ. Merci pour cela, Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais vous dire qu’il reste à faire et je voudrais vous interpeller par rapport aux missions d’observation. Vous l’avez évoqué dans votre rapport, les habitudes, Monsieur le Président, ont la peau dure et je voudrais que vous entreprenez les réformes à ce niveau-là. Je constate que les copinages continuent, le traitement de façon clanique continue par rapport aux missions d’observation. Hier, au niveau de notre Caucus de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, nous n’avons pas eu l’occasion de discuter de ce point. Je crois qu’on va en revenir.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais dire également que dans la Chambre, nous avons certes l’internet, mais le dépit est faible et je voudrais vous appeler à faire augmenter le dépit de l’internet pour qu’on puisse naviguer facilement.Monsieur le Président,Notre ancien collègue, l’ancien membre du Bureau, avait annoncé, hier en plénière, quand il prenait la parole par rapport aux passeports au niveau de l’UA; qu’ils ont tout fait et qu’on a puis avoir les passeports. Il faut dire qu’il y a certains députés qui continuent de ne pas avoir cet outil-là, alors que c’est très important pour circuler au sein des pays de l’Afrique.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais finir en vous demandant, pour ma propre gouverne, que vous avez l’habitude d’appeler certains « les Très honorables », « les Très, Très Honorables », d’autres « les Honorables ». Je voudrais savoir quand est-ce qu’on est « Très Honorable » et quand est-ce qu’on est « Honorable ».Merci bien, Monsieur le Président.(Rires et applaudissements dans la salle)REFERENCE: 0405-100017FHON. BAKARY OUATTARA [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.J’ai voulu juste dire un mot de félicitation à notre Président pour tout l’effort qu’il fait au niveau du Parlement panafricain. Il a promis et je pense qu’il est en train de tenir toutes ses promesses.J’aurais voulu faire une intervention sur les missions d’observation, mais je crois que j’ai été précédé par un collègue du Bénin. C’est tout juste l’appuyer pour dire qu’il faut que le Président essaye de revoir cette question de missions d’observation.Il y a là beaucoup de choses que nous ne comprenons pas. Il serait intéressant que nous essayions de revoir clairement, qu’il nous dise clairement qui s’occupe de l’identification des parlementaires qui doivent aller en mission dans les différents pays.Je vous remercie.THE PRESIDENT:Honourable Zely Pierre Inzoungou Massanga from Congo.REFERENCE: 0403-100117FHON. ZELY PIERRE INZOUNGOU MASSANGA [CONGO]:Monsieur le Président, je vais commencer mon propos par vous présenter mes félicitations, d’abord pour la qualité du rapport, mais aussi et surtout pour la qualité du travail abattu.J’ai été témoin, me trouvant à Paris, quand vous avez déployé une activité très intense lors des préparatifs du Sommet sur l’environnement, COOP21.Monsieur le Président,Vous étiez presque sur tous les médias, j’étais en France en ce moment-là. Sur tous les médias, on parlait du Parlement panafricain. D’aucuns venaient de découvrir cette Institution. Pourtant le Parlement vit depuis dix ans! Il a fallu certainement attendre que cette heure arrive pour que le Parlement soit davantage connu.Mes félicitations, encore une fois de plus, Monsieur le Président pour la qualité du recrutement que l’on opère désormais, ici, au Parlement. Vous vous souviendrez, Monsieur le Président, que toutefois pendant dix ans, il y avait un mal récurrent, ici, au Parlement et tout le monde s’en plaignait. C’était la qualité du travail rendu par le personnel du Secrétariat général. À toutes les sessions, on ne parlait que du Secrétariat général. On ne demandait que le renouvellement de l’équipe ou des équipes au Secrétariat général. Mais depuis un temps, force est de constater qu’il y a eu une évolution notoire dans la prestation des membres du Secrétariat général. Quand ça va bien, il faut féliciter, tout comme on critiquait, quand ça n’allait pas bien.Je vous exhorte, Monsieur le Président, à continuer dans le sens de faire que les prochains recrutements soient des recrutements de qualité et que le personnel qui viendra s’ajouter à celui qui est déjà là soit aussi un personnel de qualité. Ce sera tout à l’honneur de notre Parlement.Dans ce que nous disons ou ce que nous faisons, Monsieur le Président, on a semblé oublié qu’ici nous avions adopté un Code de conduite. Depuis 2004, ce Code de conduite était attendu. Et il y a deux ans, nous l’avions adopté dans cette salle, mais il se passe que, malheureusement, ce Code est ignoré ou presque par nous tous, ici, au point où il y a certaines attitudes, certains comportements qui sont décriés dans le Code de conduite et qui se font jour mais on ne fait pas attention à cela.Monsieur le Président,Il est peut-être temps que ce Code de conduite soit mis en application.Des collègues ont parlé des missions d’observation des élections, oui Monsieur le Président, j’allais dire toutes les missions du Parlement panafricain. Il y a un problème: je ne parle pas de la sélection des membres qui composent ces missions, mais je parle du processus du départ en mission du parlementaire concerné.Souvent, l’information arrive à quelques heures du départ supposé. Figurez-vous par exemple, que quelqu’un soit pris dans une mission d’observation électorale. L’élection a lieu un dimanche et c’est jeudi qu’on lui donne l’information et c’est samedi qu’il reçoit le billet. Allez comprendre que dans ces conditions, il n’est pas possible pour ce député de se déplacer malgré sa volonté.Donc un effort doit être fait de ce côté-là. Je sais qu’il y a des contraintes qui ne relèvent pas du Parlement. Par exemple, les billets peuvent être émis depuis Addis-Abeba, j’en conviens, mais quand même, on ne peut pas demander à un député d’aller observer une élection et il arrive dans le pays 24 heures avant le scrutin. Ce n’est pas possible, c’est une balade inutile.Monsieur le Président,C’était l’essentiel, encore une fois toutes mes félicitations; essayez de continuer dans ce sens, et le Parlement panafricain gagnera en notoriété, d’abord, en visibilité, ensuite et peut-être en crédibilité.Je vous remercie.(Applaudissements)HON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Tem a palavra o colega Oscar Nsaman-O-Lutu de DRC.Is out. Now I give the floor Madam Aissatou Sow Diawara de Senegal.REFERENCE: 0403-100703FHON. AISSATOU SOW DIAWARA [SENEGAL]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président, je commence par féliciter pour le travail inlassable qu’il est en train d’abattre pour honorer son engagement te de faire du PAP une Institution de haut niveau, et l’excellent travail accompli par vous, votre Bureau et les Commissions. Les rapports fournis montrent que le PAP est en train de bouger.Cependant, Monsieur le Président, le travail serait meilleur si on arrivait à régler ce problème de ressources finances. Aussi, il faudrait que ce ne soit pas seulementREFERENCE: 0403-100700EHON. DR. TAPIWA MASHAKADA [ZIMBABWE]:Thank you, Mr President. First of all, I want to start by thanking the President for the report and the bureau for the contributions you have made to make this report a success. Mr President, I think we are here to represent a billion people which is the population of Africa. We are here to be the voice of Africa. How can we play that role of being the voice of Africa if our legal status remains that of an organisation which comes up with resolutions and recommendations which have no legal force?This is the reason why I am joining my colleagues in emphasising the need for the Revised PAP Protocol to be ratified. We have to up our game in terms of the lobby, in terms of advocacy to make sure that our Parliaments do ratify the protocol. Looking at what has been happening all along I think we are targeting the wrong people when it comes to lobbying and advocacy. Yes it is good to talk to Heads of State and government but once they sign the protocol then that is it. The ball is in the court of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and I think that is where we need to do a lot of lobbying and our advocacy in our various countries.To begin with, when you sent your emissaries to our countries to lobby for the ratification of the PAP Protocol we were fortunate enough to have Dr Butale from Botswana. He did a great job. We met the Ministers of Justice and we met the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. I think it really took the debate to the next level. I want to thank you very much for the deployment of those emissaries because they woke us up and we are now eager to make sure that we ratify the protocol.So, I continue to urge you to continue to deploy high level emissaries so that we can ratify the protocol so that PAP can have a legal voice and legal force. We need to come up with modern laws for the good governance of Africa. We need to transform the continent. If we do not have a legal status because we have not ratified the Protocol, we will not be doing justice to a billion people of Africa who look to us to give them a voice.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0405-100907PHON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWE [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Convido agora a Ilustre Deputada Thandi Cecilia Memela, mas antes de usar a palavra permita-me uma nota, dos que estao inscritos e chegaram até a mim, como disse, sao 29 e já tiveram oportunidade de usar a palavra um pouco menos de metade.Quero sublinhar, quero agradecer porque todas as interven^oes até agora tem sido objectivas e nenhum deputado foi obrigado a ter que interromper sem conclusao o seu discurso, e apelo para que continuemos a ser o mais objectivos possível.Senhora Deputada Thandi Cecilia Memela.REFERENCE: 0403-101007EHON. THANDI CECILIA MEMELA [SOUTH AFRICA]:Honourable President, Honourable First Deputy President, and the other two hardworking women who are part of the BureauFirstly, I would like to say yes though we received the report very late and we have very limited time to actually peruse it, I will mention a few issues here.For example, I am taken aback by some of the things mentioned on page 11. I think we have to reserve the Protocol, but at this stage I am not going to deliberate on it. There are areas in there that are worrisome. So, we need more clarity.On page 12, we learn that the Cooperation, International Relation and Conflict Resolution Committee went to Burundi, I would like to know right now, Honourable President, what the follow-up actions are because it is still not as we think the country should actually become. Women and children are the worst sufferers thus far. So, as PAP, we should actually be seen to be trying to make peace and have proper understanding of what is really happening. What is the cause of this uprising? These are our people; this is Africa.These are our people; we are not going to sit back. In South Africa, we are not. We are taking a stern stand by saying that the world should recognise PAP as peacekeepers, where it is necessary. We have to try and help our people and then we will be a peaceful country.On the ratification of protocols, I would reserve the comments right now, but Honourable President, I think there is an area that is of concern to us. We want to actually have a clear list of people employed here and the proper rules and regulations as to how some of them got to the positions they have.The Mozambique Protocol touches on women land ownership. Are we adhering to some of these areas of concern? It seems as if we are not following what goes on. Do we have proof that everybody has actually signed that protocol - the Maputo Protocol? Right now, those who are interested in gender know that it says every woman deserves one hectare of land and even the very trodden on women, the widows, must never ever lose the ownership of land because they have children and they are left with children and we have to actually go even further to have a thorough discussion with the traditional leaders because they also own land.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0403-101630FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais commencer mon propos par des félicitations à Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain, à tout le Bureau pour non seulement la qualité du rapport présenté, mais aussi pour les actions menées en vue d’insuffler un dynamisme nouveau au Parlement panafricain.Force est de constater à présent que le PAP, qui avait pris du plomb dans l’aile, a reçu une bonne dose de dynamisme nouveau avec des initiatives et des activités réalisées en si peu de temps.Je voudrais souligner une des activités très importantes. C’est la synergie d’action initiée avec Monsieur Jean Louis Borloo de France qui a son projet phare sur l’électrification de l’Afrique. C’est surtout cette initiative qui a permis d’inscrire dans les Accords de la COP21, le problème de l’électrification de l’Afrique. Vous en êtes félicité!Néanmoins, j’ai quelques préoccupations, des remarques et quelques propositions.Au titre des préoccupations, au niveau de la page 6 du rapport, au point 12 sur « Afrique Gouvernance Architecture » où Mme Bernadette LAHAI, Quatrième Vice-présidente a pris part à une rencontre, je remarque sur la version française que j’ai, que le paragraphe est en anglais. Il n’a pas été traduit. Je me demande pourquoi? Il en est de même pour le point 17.2 à la page 14, sur la Conférence sur le racisme. Tout le paragraphe est également en anglais. Si le document est en français, il serait souhaitable que tous les points soient traduits.Concernant mes propositions: Le point 18 qui est relatif à la ratification du Protocole du PAP, vous avez effectué un plaidoyer intense au niveau de certains pays. C’est le point 13, si je ne me trompe pas. Pour réaliser ces promesses, il serait souhaitable que les députés du Parlement panafricain de ces pays assurent le suivi pour que les promesses soient traduites en réalité dans les plus brefs délais.Toujours dans les propositions au compte des défis, vous avez fait allusion aux ressources insuffisantes. Nous le disons, ici, et à tout moment, les recommandations en font foi, mais vous avez souvent parlé, surtout dans l’axe stratégique du PAP 2014-2017, de financements innovants. Je voudrais proposer que le PAP demande à l’Union africaine de s’inspirer du modèle de la CEDEAO où pour avoir des ressources budgétaires suffisantes, l’initiative a été prise de faire un prélèvement communautaire au niveau des États sur le plan financier. Je pense que le PAP peut faire cette proposition à l’Union africaine.membres. Ce qui a aidé la CEDEAO à être autonomeÀ mon humble avis, il faut mener cette action de la CEDEAO, parce que je pense que le mimétisme n’a pas un défaut lorsque l’action menée est en phase avec la bienséance et elle de tirer partie des ressources nous permettant d’avancer.Je vous remercie.HON. ROSINE DAGNIHO [BÉNIN]:Merci.Tout comme mes prédécesseurs, je félicite le Président.Ma seule préoccupation était déjà prise en compte par le premier intervenant.Je vous remercie.SR. PRESIDENTE:L’Honorable Ernesto Joaquim Mulato de l’Angola.REFERENCE: 0405-102128PHON. ERNESTO JOAQUIM MULATO [ANGOLA]:Também vou-me juntar a todos os colegas que felicitaram Sua Excelência Senhor Presidente pela acçao que tem levado a cabo, em especial as palavras do colega deputado Massanga. Também com brevidade, eu gostaria apenas de me focar na preocupaçao que temos que é da ratificaçao da Carta revista. Para além da advocacia que está a ser feita, gostaria de saber se nao é possível, durante as reunioes ou as Cimeiras dos Chefes de Estado, o Parlamento apresentar um memorando que faça essa advocacia junto de todos eles.Como nós sabemos, há muita dificuldade na ratificaçao de todos esses dossiers, campanhas têm sido feitas junto dos nossos Governos, mas encontramos sempre resistencia que tem a ver, penso eu, com a separagao de poderes.Se der ao Parlamento um poder legislativo e que faga leis que possam ajudar as nossas populates, penso eu que junto dos nossos Governos encontra muitas dificuldades. Por isso, eu queria saber se e possivel.Se fosse possivel, seria bom que durante a Cimeira dos Chefes de Estado fizessemos um memorando que podia ser apresentado a todos para se saber que ha uma preocupagao da parte do Parlamento Pan-Africano, em que os nossos Chefes de Estado nao estao francamente a agir em conformidade.Muito obrigado.REFERENCE: 0403-102331EHON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:Thank you, Mr. First Vice-President.Let me thank the Bureau for presenting the report because I have been here for sometime enough to know that there have been times when even the report is not submitted. However, I am very concerned and worried that these reports are presented late. This is one of the major concerns that we have been seeing year-in-year out. As Members, we need to insist when this report comes late that the debates should take place the next day. Always, the advantage that is taken is that the debate is programmed. If it is even given to us in the morning, we are forced to carry on. We must insist that if these reports are not presented a day before then the debates should be postponed to the following day so that we get the opportunity to read thoroughly so that we will be able to debate properly. I am not surprised that many Members are not able to speak to the issues deeply because they did not receive the report in good time. I could not even get a copy because there were not enough copies. I had to take this copy that I am holding from another colleague just to flip through.Having said this, let me say this: colleagues, let us remember that we have a responsibility to our individual countries and to ourselves. Let us remember the history of PAP where we had to go through the ‘Now Now’ movement in this House. Let us remember the issue of Ernest and Young who had to come and audit us and around the day PAP was put in a very shameful state to an extent that many non-governmental organisations had to withdraw funding to PAP. Let us remember what informed the formation of café and today we have turned it into the public accounts. It is because of accountability. Someone should go through page one to the last page and tell me where in this report the issue of auditing is mentioned.They have been here for one year - Mr. President with the greatest respect to you - one solid year - you were a Member of the last Bureau - one solid year there has not been an audit report - what is happening to PAP? Are we retrogressing? This should not be made to happen. Please, for Heaven’s sake my compatriots from Africa, this is what is making Africa retrogress. We must not allow this to continue. We have to have an audited account of the PAP before we conclude this report. Let us not allow ourselves to conclude this debate without an audited report of what has happened the past one year.Colleagues, it is shocking for many of us to know the level of arbitrariness at PAP now. I am happy to see the three Vice-Presidents, including the first Vice-President who is chairing today. I expect you people to speak today. We are tired of you calling and talking to us about one thing happening at the Bureau or the other.We are discussing PAP today. We expect you to talk. Let us know what is happening at the Bureau.Members, you will be shocked to know that even the supporting staff that are supposed to be supporting us here, when we demand the list and where they are coming from, all of us will be shocked at the arbitrariness. It is something that we need to demand every time we meet. The supporting staff should be part of this report so that we know where everybody is coming from. It is supposed to be one Africa, one people, one voice. It cannot be because you have the opportunity then it should be only your people. We must insist; this is something every single one of us should know. It is a battle we have to fight and make sure that Africa gets to be better. I am a young man; I want to see Africa better than my father left it. I want to leave a better Africa for my child and then my grand children. I do not want to see an Africa that is retrogressing when we do things based on arbitrariness.Look at the missions that we have been attending. Every report should tell us for the past one year or for the past six months all those who have attended missions so that we see the divisions. Is this fairly distributed among all the five regions or it is skewed because I am from West Africa and I have influence - more people from West Africa should rather participate in mission or it should not be used as a tool to get people to be sycophants? People may want to go on missions therefore they are going to be used as a tool for what they do. We can call it enticing people so that they can keep quite. Please, we have a responsibility to ourselves. We have a responsibility to all our people.Misters and Madam Vice-President speak, on the security of Members of Parliament, what has happened to the security of Members of Parliament? The lastCommittee meeting that we had some Members were attacked in their hotel room. I have been here where there are security police personnel at every single hotel.Mr. President, make this your priority. Please, it is good; I do not want to sound like those who will have a half empty and a half full. I appreciate that at least you have been able to present a report, but please let us improve what we do at PAP. Let us not retrogress. We need to account to the people of Africa.I thank you very much for the opportunity.REFERENCE: 0403-102922FHON. MARTIN BOHUÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais dire merci au Président, pour son intervention qu’il a voulu synthétique en invitant les parlementaires, que nous sommes, à aller plus en profondeur dans la lecture du document. Mais encore, faut-il que ce document ait été mis à notre disposition dans les délais requis. Je dois remarquer que cette foisci, un effort a été fait. Félicitations!Deuxième point, je dis merci aussi et surtout au Président pour la grande solennité donnée désormais à nos séances; au déroulement de nos séances par le port des toges par les membres du Bureau, par le port des redingotes par les huissiers et bien entendu par des échappes qui sont gracieusement distribuées aux parlementaires que nous sommes.Félicitations, Monsieur le Président!Mais, je voudrais porter un accent sur deux aspects de votre intervention et cela sur le fond.Sur le fond du travail, vous avez participé au deuxième Sommet des Parlementaires africains, sur la politique climatique du 12 au 13 novembre 2015 au Kenya. À ce Sommet, vous avez adopté quelques objectifs. C’était de faire en sorte qu’à la COP21, vous puissiez parler d’une seule voix et faire en sorte qu’un certain nombre de préoccupations du Parlement panafricain soient prises en compte, dès l’initiative. Je remarque qu’à la COP21, hélas, nous n’avons été invités qu’en tant qu’observateurs. N’y-a-t-il pas là antinomie entre votre volonté manifeste de nous voir participer pleinement aux travaux et les strapontins que l’on nous donne en tant qu’observateurs?Deuxième point: l’Accord de siège! Il y a un Accord de siège entre le gouvernement Sud-africain et l’Union africaine. Cet Accord de siège, dites-vous a expiré en 2009. Jusqu’à ce jour, Monsieur le Président, et selon vos dires - je m’inquiète puisque depuis 2009 jusqu’à maintenant - cet Accord de siège n’a pas été renouvelé.Faut-il croire que nous vivons dans l’insécurité totale?Faut-il croire que nous sommes dans l’illégalité totale?La situation d’insécurité que nous vivons en Afrique du Sud, n’est-elle pas pour quelque chose dans toute cette situation qui fait que l’Accord de siège, hélas, ne nous protège plus puisqu’il a expiré.Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0403-103318EHON. BEATRICE BARUMBA [UGANDA]:Thank you very much, Mr President. I want to add my voice to that of my colleagues to congratulate you on presenting the report early enough. Many queries have been talked about by my colleagues. Let me just fuse in. Now, I want to thank you for the changes because those of us who were here before you came in, Mr President, we can really see there is a change.Things cannot be done only in one year, but we want to thank him for what he has done. Right now, you can distinguish Members from the members of staff. Before you came in, Mr. President, you would not tell a member of staff from a Member of Parliament. So, we want to thank you for that and other issues about reports coming on time and Members having to stay in the night within, I hope you have heard, Mr President, and with your effective staff you will improve in this area. Otherwise, I bring you greetings from Uganda and we appreciate what you are doing.Thank you so much.REFERENCE: 0403-103458FPHON. AMOUSSOUVI KPADENOU [TOGO]:Merci, monsieur le Président.HON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:Colegas, de acordo com o nosso Regimento, o Relator tem de fazer as suas intervençoes de pé.HON. AMOUSSOUVI KPADENOU [TOGO]:Comme mes prédécesseurs, je voudrais féliciter le Président pour les actions menées jusqu’alors. Mais comme les habitudes ont la vie dure, il y a encore beaucoup de choses à améliorer. Certains collègues ont parlé ici de relations que je ne veux pas qualifier de copinages, mais il faut que les choses se passent dans les normes. Nous sommes ici, in parlement et le parlement c’est la loi qui s’applique, c’est l’équité qui est exigée. Je voudrais donc insister sur cet aspect. Tous les députés ici, sont prêts à aider le Président pour que ce parlement marche, mais pour que cela arrive, cela dépendra du Président.Je voudrais dire ici que le Président a effectué une mission au Togo et la mission qu’il a effectuée au Togo a été très bénéfique pour nous. Cette mission a été très bénéfique, parce qu’il a su choisir les membres de la délégation qui devaient l’accompagner au Togo. Ce sont des gens qui sont connus du gouvernement togolais et à son arrivée, ils ont été bien accueillis et la mission, je pourrai le dire aujourd’hui, a été couronnée de succès.Actuellement, notre parlement est en train d’examiner la ratification et je suis sûr qu’elle sera faite avant notre arrivée même au parlement. Quand nous serons de retour, ce sera fait. Si ce n’est pas fait, une chose est sûre le texte est déjà sur la table du parlement et ce sera fait dans les plus brefs délais. Je voudrais donc demander au président, de continuer à œuvrer dans ce sens, de continuer à multiplier ces missions et pour ses missions qu’il étudie bien la délégation qui doit l’accompagner, parce que c’est extrêmement important. Les relations entre Présidents et parlementaires, vous les connaissez. Et je vous dirai que pour le Togo, cela été une mission réussie.Le deuxième aspect que je voudrais évoquée, c’est le passeport diplomatique. Cela fait trois ans que nous Togolais nous sommes ici et c’est un seul parmi nous qui a le passeport diplomatique. Cela est inadmissible, monsieur le Président et chaque fois que nous venons que nous venons ici, nous réitérons la demande et finalement nous sommes lassés. Moi j’ai failli ne pas venir à cause du visa. S’il y avait le passeport diplomatique ce problème ne se poserait pas. La dernière fois, nous avons eu beaucoup de problème au Ghana avant, d’arriver ici. Donc, de grâce faites un effort pour que nous puissions avoir le passeport diplomatique au moins cette fois-ci, les anciens au moins.Merci, monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 0403-105330FHON. SÉKOU FANTAMADI TRAORÉ [MALI]:Merci Monsieur le Président.La répétition étant pédagogique, je joins ma voix à celles de mes prédécesseurs pour féliciter le Bureau et son Président, pour le travail rabattu. En une année, tout ne peut pas être parfait et nous sommes des êtres humains. On ne peut pas tout réussir. Sinon, le rapport nous l’avons reçu depuis hier et cela est une grande innovation. Mais, je m’en voudrais, Monsieur le Président, si je ne fais pas cette remarque au Bureau. Sur les cinq personnes du Bureau, les cinq personnalités du Bureau, il n’y a que Bernadette LAHAI dont son pays a ratifié le Protocole. Je souhaite, très prochainement, que vos quatre pays - parce que vous êtes la tête de proue - donnent le bel exemple.(Applaudissements)Une autre remarque très pertinente, c’est qu’on nous a donné les échappes, ce n’est pas, chers collègues, pour qu’on les laisse au fond des valises. Dans l’invitation, cela a été clairement dit: l’Afrique doit être notre fierté. Portez alors l’échappe, c’est fait confiance à notre continent; c’est se respecter nous-mêmes. Mais quand nous observons dans la salle, combien d’honorables députés portent l’échappe? Dans notre Chambre, la Chambre du Mali, aucun député ne peut pénétrer la Chambre sans l’échappe. Cela est obligatoire, parce que c’est un signe distinctif qui va vous différencier des assistants. Cela n’est pas de trop demandé aux camarades.Il faudrait désormais, qu’on fasse violence sur nousmêmes pour respecter le Règlement intérieur que nousmêmes, nous avons délibérément conçu et dans ce Règlement intérieur, cela est dit et très clair.Enfin, on ne cessera jamais de le dire: dans ce Parlement, on dit sur les lèvres, mais est-ce qu’au fond de notre cœur, nous sommes prêts pour « Une Afrique! Une Voix »? Je dirai non parce qu’au jour d’aujourd’hui, plus que jamais, on doit se donner la main plutôt que de se chercher les pieds. Les efforts sont en train d’être inlassablement soutenus, parce qu’il faut se le dire: toutes les missions qui s’effectuent, si vous voyez, vous allez trouver que ce sont les États, les Parlements nationaux qui supportent les frais mais non pas le Parlement panafricain. Cela est très important que chacun de nous doit en savoir.Est-ce que nos Parlements vont continuer à le faire?Comme l’a dit Madame Traoré Zalikatou Diallo, les recettes sont là! Il faut que désormais, on réfléchisse et qu’on fasse des propositions concrètes à l’Union africaine. Si on doit alors ratifier le Protocole de Malabo qui va donner l’autonomie et qui va donner une certaine force législative au Parlement panafricain, il faut que nous ayons les moyens de notre politique, parce que sans une finance adéquate, on ne pourra rien réussir.Encore une fois de plus, je demande au Bureau de se donner la main et de travailler, parce qu’ici, quoiqu’on dise, quoiqu’on fasse, on sera toujours critiqué et cela est normal. Mais améliorons-nous, cela pour le bonheur de l’Afrique.Je vous remercie.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0403-105903EHON. DR. PHENYO BUTALE [BOTSWANA]:Mr Vice-President, as I speak now, I am still waiting for the list of speakers which is not here, but at least I have a chance to comment on the Activity Report. As has been done this morning, let me also begin by congratulating the President on the efforts made and the strides taken in this one year that he and the bureau have been in office.I would want to fully associate myself with comments made by my colleague from Ghana who spoke about the need for accountability in the Pan-African Parliament, but I want to preface that by proposing a cultural change. I think we need a paradigm shift if we are to achieve the objectives of this Parliament primarily among which is to be the voice of the African people. I think we need to begin by changing first things first, which is, I find it horribly wrong for Members of Parliament here to be expected to run through an Activity Report like we are doing. I believe we need to be given adequate time to properly engage on the Activity Report.I believe that, as Members, we need to adequately contribute to the direction that we want this Parliament to go. If we do not do that and continue with business as usual, if we come here and speak for three minutes and simply pass the Activity Report, we will not do that which the African people expect us to do. The Activity Report will be simply an itinerary of visits that we have done. It will not include any engagement that we have had with the people of Africa. I think it is high time there was a paradigm shift.I see the energy that you have, Mr President, and I wish that it could be directed at transforming this Parliament so that we are able to do that which we are supposed to do. This cultural change involves the way we are doing things in this Parliament. I find it horribly wrong and not acceptable that Members of Parliament are simply expected to rubber stamp a lot of things. I think that is exactly where the problem starts. It starts with our committees. I sit in the Finance Committee. The budget is brought to us with speed and we are told it is going to the Plenary, please, pass it. We pass it without any meaningful input and then we come to the Plenary and the same thing is expected. We cannot transform Africa in that way.How do you then have accountability if the report is rushed through and does not even provide enough information for Members of Parliament to adequately contribute? I think we need a radical departure from this business as usual mentality if we are to achieve anything, Mr President.I also wanted to briefly talk on the issue around staffing which I believe is a very contentious issue and as a continent we need to address the issue quite aggressively. I believe and I am reliably informed that if we were to do an audit of the staffing around, we will see that there is no equitable representation of all regions. This equitable representation is what will bring us together as brothers and sisters of Africa. It does not and should not matter who is in the bureau such that who gets employed is a reflection of who is in the bureau. I think we need to move beyond that as Africa. We need to move beyond.There is this practice; I hope it is not true. I hear there is a practice of purging employees who may happen to come from regions that may not be in power at a said time. I think that is a practice that we should all shun and speak against with one voice because this is our Africa, our continent and we are the only ones who can make it better by standing firm and speaking when things are not done right.Mr President, I also wanted to briefly touch on the issue of the Host Country Agreement and give you our understanding as Southern African region. Our understanding of the Host Country Agreement is that it does not mean that the Host Country Agreement does expire. We understand it to mean that there would be technical aspects to the agreement that would be revisited from time to time and that would necessitate re-negotiating, if you will. So, I believe that what we should be discussing should not be issues around renewal, but issues around how we can make this work. How do we make this Parliament serve the people of Africa better?Mr President, I wanted to finally speak to you and say that I have seen how you want to engage Members of Parliament, how you move around on various caucuses and I want to congratulate you on that. Let that translate into actual consultation with Members of Parliament and actual input into things like the Activity Report and also let us help you improve the efficiency of this Parliament. I do not think that in the 21st century as a Parliament that wants to foster the going forward of Africa we could be struggling to simply print a list of speakers on a given topic to give to Members of Parliament. That is a serious problem that if not addressed we cannot go forward. We should not be struggling to come up with audited financials because if we have audited financials then we have accountability and can speak to anybody to fund us and show that we take the mandate forward.I wanted to end by saying that, you know, we cannot continue depending on donors for funding to this Parliament. We need to come up with creative ways of fundraising. We need to come up with innovative ways of fundraising, but it all comes together if there is efficiency in the Pan-African Parliament, accountability, transparency and unity of all Members of Parliament.I rest my case.REFERENCE: 0403-111810FAHON. MOHAMED TAYEB LASKRI [ALGÉRIE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je saisie cette opportunité, avant de faire mon intention, pour présenter mes sincères condoléances suite au décès de la mère de notre collègue, le Professeur Mourad Mokhtari, Secrétaire général du PAP. Nous prions Dieu, Tout Puissant, d’accorder la Miséricorde à la défunte et de l’accueillir dans son vaste paradis.Arabe: 11:18:33-11:18:37إنا هلل وإنا إليه راجعونJe reviens au rapport d’activités du Parlement panafricain. On arrive aux termes de la première année du mandat du nouveau Bureau et on doit avouer que cette première année du mandat est très riche en activités et beaucoup de choses ont été concrétisées. Je m’arrête là! Ce n’est pas la peine de revenir sur cela. J’essayerai de mettre beaucoup plus l’accent sur quelques insuffisances pour qu’on puisse aller de l’avant et pour qu’on puisse améliorer.Sur le plan rédactionnel du rapport, je trouve, du moins pour la version française, et cela a été dit par certains de mes collègues, pour la version française, cela n’a pas été à la hauteur de la qualité de la recherche des activités réalisées. J’ai l’impression que ce rapport a été fait « à la va vite ». Je m’explique avec quelques points. Sur le plan de la forme, il y a manque d’homogénéité dans la rédaction. Le premier point a été évoqué par l’une de mes collègues, concernant la version française.Puisque le PAP produit plusieurs versions en langues différentes, pourquoi dans la version française, il y a l’anglais et le français en même temps? C’est inadmissible! Chaque rapport ne peut être rédigé que dans une seule langue, pages 6 et 8.Deuxième point sur le plan de la forme aussi, certaines activités des commissions permanentes ne sont pas précisées, à part le thème, le titre. Donc, on ne trouve rien dans le paragraphe relatif à l’activité de la commission alors que pour d’autres commissions, on énonce au moins le but de l’activité réalisée. Il faut donc être homogène dans la rédaction de ces activités.Sur le plan de la réflexion et des résultats: d’abord on revient à cette fameuse Conférence de Paris, la COP21. Malgré la bonne participation du PAP aux deux missions, puisque la participation a été très active, et en plus la première mission a trop sensibilisé les autorités françaises pour être à l’écoute du projet africain. Si on regarde les conclusions de la COP21 par rapport à l’Afrique, il n’y a rien de convaincant; juste une clause mentionnant l’électricité de l’Afrique. Où en sont donc les grands pollueurs qui sont les pays développés et où l’Afrique subit. On a parlé de la taxe carbone! On a parlé de cette taxe qui permet de financer les projets pour l’Afrique, pour l’électrification de l’Afrique. Le projet Borloo qui a été présenté dans cette même Chambre, il nous a fascinés, en quelque sorte. On a trouvé qu’il était très bénéfique! Apparemment, il a été bien accueilli mais au niveau des conclusions, il n’y a rien qui a été retenu sauf cette fameuse clause concernant l’électricité de l’Afrique.Mon deuxième point est mentionné dans le rapport d’activités, Monsieur le Président, une visite officielle de la délégation de l’Assemblée consultative du peuple de l’Indonésie et le rapport mentionne les échanges de point de vue. On aimerait bien savoir, quels sont les aspects des échanges qui peuvent avoir lieu entre le PAP et l’Assemblée consultative du peuple de l’Indonésie? Est-ce qu’on énonce juste pour dire qu’il y a une activité, mais il faut dire les conséquences de cette activité?Troisième point, concernant la ratification du Protocole, si on regarde un tout petit peu ce qui a été mentionné au niveau du rapport, le rapport mentionne les remerciements envers seulement quatre pays pour la signature du Protocole alors qu’il y en avait dix. Il y avait dix pays qui ont signé dont l’Algérie, dernièrement. Je suis tout à fait d’accord avec vous, de dire qu’à nous aussi de faire des plaidoyers auprès de nos Assemblées nationales. Un ami du Ministère des Affaires étrangères m’a dit que ma question qui a été adressée au Ministre des Affaires étrangères concernant la ratification et la signature, a fait bouger les choses. Après cela, il y a eu beaucoup de discutions et l’Algérie a signé ce Protocole.Je termine avec un point concernant les missions d’observation. Je pense qu’il y a beaucoup à améliorer dans les missions d’observation si on veut être équitable avec les collègues au niveau des caucus. On a cette lourde tâche de gérer ces missions d’observation mais seulement, on ne nous donne pas le temps qu’il faut pour qu’il y ait une bonne harmonisation, une bonne gestion de ces missions d’observation. On nous prévient la veille pour envoyer les noms le lendemain.Voilà une proposition que je pourrais faire. Nous savons un tout petit peu, dans quelle période les élections vont avoir lieu dans les différents pays. Il suffit de faire un inventaire de toutes les élections de l’année en cours, donner à temps l’information au niveau des Caucus. Toutes les élections qui vont avoir lieu, qui vont se dérouler, à nous de planifier à l’avance les collègues qui pourraient aller vers tel ou tel pays et dès que l’information officielle parvienne, même si c’est la veille, il suffit de mentionner les noms qu’on a déjà sollicités à l’avance.Je pense que c’est quelque chose de facile à faire, à mettre en place. Je sais que c’est l’Union africaine qui pousse le PAP à utiliser ce paramètre temps qui est crucial pour nous. Mais je pense que c’est faisable. Par exemple, je sais qu’un collègue du Ghana me dit qu’il y a les élections en novembre prochain. Donc, c’est une information très importante pour nous. Novembre, c’est un peu loin, mais c’est important pour nous.Donc je pense qu’on pourrait faire un inventaire de toutes les élections et de le mettre à notre disposition afin que nous puissions le gérer.Voilà, je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président et très bonne continuation.REFERENCE: 0403-112542EHON. SULAIMAN M. SISAY [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this all important report.The Activity Report is a state of the Pan-African Parliament and it should be discussed thoroughly. I thank the second Vice President for the manner he has conducted this debate by giving ample time to MPs to contribute. I also congratulate the President on this report. Before I dwell on the report, I want to thank the President and the bureau for the warm welcome given to my Vice President Dr Bokarafi yesterday. I thank the President for the present he gave to His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, yesterday.Having said that, Mr President, I come to the question of ratification. Charity begins at home and so, examples must be set. Our Bureau, the President and the Vice Presidents countries should have been the first to ratify these agreements, that is the Malawi and Maputo Agreements but I take it for granted that it is probably the First Vice-President who went out of her way to make sure that her country, Sierra Leone, ratify these agreements. I thank her for that. That has also shown that we are serious about what we want to achieve in terms of ratifications.Mr President, I also want to comment on migration. The President has gone out of his way on the issue of migration, but I say that the chicken has come home to roost. Who created this mess? It is the Western Powers. Our former colonial masters made a mess with Saddam Hussein in Iraq by over throwing him. They went toTripoli and got rid of Gaddafi, a friend of this Parliament. What has happened is that the entire area is burning. Now the chicken has come home to roost. In Syria, thousands of people are leaving and going to Europe. Who created that mess? It was them.Africa is not to blame. So, the President going to Europe advocating for us so that we can migrate to Europe is not the answer. The answer is here in Africa. What are we going to do to make sure that our people do not go to Europe for greener pastures? We should create the environment for that to be done.Mr President, I now come to the budget. Why can we not copy an example from ECOWAS wherein each country’s imports are taxed to fund ECOWAS activities? We have problems with PAP because we do not have our own money. The President said he has no control over the money he gets. It is always small amounts of money given to us by the AU. If we can find a way wherein we can get our resources the problem will be a thing of the past. Take, for example, Cap 21. I was supposed to attend the Committee on Agriculture, but there was no money. We had the visas to go, but we could not because there was no money. Some Members were funded by their countries, but we had no money. We will be going to Cap 22 in Morocco. Are we going to have funds? I am made to understand that the committees were only provided US$25,000. Is that enough? Can it take us anywhere? That is chicken change. Mr President, we should revisit that issue.I agree with what my colleague from Ghana said about accountability. Mr President, accountability is very important. Do we have an M and E Officer in the PanAfrican Parliament? Monitoring and Evaluation Officer? I do not think so. All these reports must be given to us in time so that we can debate them.Mr President, you mentioned something about your residence. Providing a residence for our President is great. What about our four Vice Presidents? Are they going to provide residences for them as well? So, that again should be noted.Lastly but not least, Mr President, I want to talk about the insurance. I spent hundreds of dollars up until now I have not received a penny from this insurance company. I had given all the bills to them. I do not know. It might be too good to be true, but I do not want to criticise them yet until I see that I will have my money.Finally, my colleague from the Western Region mentioned something about the Observer Mission. She is the rapporteur of our caucus and the Vice President is there. If there is a problem in terms of Observer Missions, it is an internal affair. It is a matter for that caucus. The Fourth Vice-President is from the Western Region. Why can they not bring their grievances to the caucus? Let us take our dirty linen to our caucus rather than bringing it to the Plenary. It does not sit well with this Member of Parliament.I thank you Mr President.REFERENCE: 0403-113220AHON. HASHIM OSMAN HASHIM [SUDAN]بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمو الصالة و السالم على النبي الكريم،شكراً أخي الرئيس على هذه الفرصة و هي أول فرصة رسمية لي بعد أداء القسم، وأحيي المنصة الرئاسية، و أضم صوتي لكل من شكر رئاسة المجلس والأمانة والإداريين المشرفين على إنجاز تلك المهام،اشك أن الجهد المبذول من خلال التقرير هو جهد بشري، ولكنه يحتاج إلى مراجعة وتقييم و نظر و معالجات جمة حتى يتجود العمل، أما التقييم بشكل عام، وللأسف لم أتسلم التقرير باللغة العربية وذلك يتكرر كل مرة حتى في الأنشطة الداخلية، و لذا أرجوا معالجة هذا الخللإجماال، قمت بتقسيم التقرير إلى ثالثة محاور:المحور األول/ المحور الهيكلي واإلداري.المحور الثاني/ يتمركز في أنشطة البرلمان وكذا النشاط الرئاسي.المحور الثالث/و يتعلق بالمتطلبات والتحديات.و لذا أرجوا سيدي الرئيس وحتى نصل إلى ذروة جودة العمل، أن يصلنا التقرير في الأيام القادمة في زمن كاف حتى يطلع عليه الأعضاء ويكون ذلك مسارا للتحسين والجودة والمراجعة، و بذلك نتقدم خطوة إلى الأمام، وحتى تكون مختلف التقارير والمداخلات التي نسمعها من الأعضاء الموقرين ذات فعالية، وذات أثر و غير ذلك فلن يكون لها أي تغيير.أعتقد أخي الرئيس، أن المهام الواقعة على عاتق البرلمان كبيرة وعظيمة جداً ليست أقل بالطبع من حجم القارة وثقلها، و لذلك إذا ما أسقطنا واقع متطلبات القارة من الأمن والسلم والتعليم والصحة والسياسة والتكنولوجبا والتقنية والتقانة والإعلام والثقافة والعمل الأكبر الكامن في التحرر الأفريقي الكامل من قبضة أعداء هذه الأمة، هذا العمل يحتاج إلى عزيمة وإلى قوة وإلى فكر وإلى علم و لذلك لإزالة التحديات بالتدرج لابد من بذل الجهود تجاه الاتحاد الأفريقي أولاً، لتمكين البرلمان من خلال تعلية أسقف البروتوكول من خلال التشريعات اللازمة والمطلوبة لتوأمتها مع المتطلبات والتحديات (بروتوكول (ملابو و غير ذلك فإن الثغرة ستبقى دوما موجودة ومستمرة و هذا ليس معناه أن رئاسة المجلس مطالبة بإنجاز هذه المهام لوحدها، بل لابد من إنجاز استراتيجية للدول الأفريقية حول القضايا المصيرية، حتى يمكننا القول قياسا أننا أنجزنا نسبة واحد في المئة أو أثنين في المئة أو عشرة في المئة أو سبعين في المئة وهكذا، كما أرجو أن يتضمن التقرير في الأنشطة القادمة تجارب الدول الناجحة في مسألة الحكم الرشيد في بعض القضايا التي نرى أنها مهمة.أخي الرئيس،ختاماًتحتاج ترجمة الشعارات العظيمة في واقع الأرض مثل أفريقيا موحدة، أفريقيا واحدة إلى رجال أقوياء أشداء أمناء عظماء، يستلهمون من قيم التاريخ قيم أجدادهم الذين بنوا هذه القارة، ويتعاملون مع واقعنا الحاضر، ويستشرفون المستقبل، كما أتمنى إنجاز استراتيجية لدولنا، على الأقل حتى نقف نحن في خط واحد معها و في خط موازي مع البرلمان، و نقيس درجة الإنجازات ودرجة إحداث التغيير في أوطاننا و لشعوبنا، لذلك أتمني ودائماً يا أخي الرئيس، أن تبدأ الاستراتجيات بالحلم، وأنا أحلم هنابعد خمسة وعشرين سنة أن تتحدث أفريقيا بلغة واحدة، لغة هذه الأمة، و هذا من أجل أجيالنا القادمة حتى نتخلص من تلك الألسن التي تتحدث بها الآن وهي ثقافة غيرنا، ونعلم أن الثقافات هذه جاءت بعذاب و ويلات على أجدادنا الذين تعذبوا و تألموا آنذاك، لذلك نأمل أن تكون هذه الألسن بعد خمسة وعشرين عاما تراثا ماديا وليس تراثا حيا يمشي بين الناس.أخي الرئيس،ذلك ما حلمت به، وأرجو أن نتحدث وأن نحمي أفريقيا بقوة ونترجم تلك الشعارات، وأسال هللا سبحانه وتعالى لكم جمعيا التوفيق وأن يبارك في عملكم.وشكراً أخي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 0403-113910APHON. FAYCAL TEBBINI [TUNISIA]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيممرحباً بالجميعترحاب خاص بالوفد البرلماني المصري الذي التحق بهذه الدورة، كما نتمني التحاق ليبيا أيضا بهذا البرلمان وجميع الدول الأفريقية التي لم تلتحق إلى حد الآن مهما كانت الأسباب، لأننا نريد أفريقيا موحدة، و برلمان أفريقي يحكي ويتحدث ويقرر ويشرع باسم أفريقيا،نحن نناقش ونتداول تقرير أداء البرلمان الأفريقي، آداء البرلمان الأفريقي، وليست المهام المالية أو الإدارية، فمهمة البرلمان الأفريقي لا تنحصر في الدفاع على شعوب أفريقيا في الخارج فقط بل لا بد له من الدفاع عليهم أيضا في الداخل في بلدانهم، لأننا نعلم أن الدول العظمي ما كان لها أن تجد موطأ قدم إذا لم تجد حكومات تنفذ أجنداتها، وبالمناسبة، أتساءل: كيف للبرلمان ألا يشرع؟ ماهي قيمته إذا كان لا يشرع فالبرلمان سلطة تشريعية، ماذا نفعل كنواب إذا لم تكن لدينا سلطة تشريعية؟ ولذا سنسعى جميعا سيدي الرئيس زملائي، أن تكون لنا سلطة تشريعية فالمصادقة على البروتوكول هي إعطاء سلطة لهذا البرلمان ليقرر، أقول هذا الكلام لأنني أريد لهذا البرلمان أن يكون له سلطة مثل البرلمانات الأخرى كالبرلمان الأوروبي مثلا، فنحن نعلم أن القارة الأفريقية غنية تحت الأرض ولكن للأسف الشعب فوقها يعاني ويلات الفقر المدقع، وهي كلها تنطلق من قوانين وتعهدات وتوافقات ومعاهدات دولية، وأمامي كتونسي ونائب عن البرلمان التونسي اتفاقية يصادق عليها البرلمان الأوروبي (الغات) و هي اتفاقية التبادل الحر المعمق والشامل والتي ستكون كارثة على الشعب التونسي، على قطاعي الفلاحة والخدمات مثلمادمرت اتفاقية الغات الصناعة، فنحن نريد لهذا البرلمان أن ينقذ هذا الشعب من هذه الاتفاقية، و حيال ذلك كله فأنا أتساءل عن دور البرلمان ذلك و عن نسبة تدخله في مثل هذا الوضع الكارثي؟ فهذا الشعبسيدمر وسيجوع.ثانيا تحدث الزملاء عن مشاركة البرلمانيين في انتخابات الدول، لكنني سأتحدث تواصلا مع زميلي سليمان سيسي من سيراليون على معاهدة الكاف 21 للتغيير المناخي، فهناك جمعية الائتلاف الأفريقي للعدالة المناخية وكأني بها تريد أن تأخذ الشرعية من هذا البرلمان ومن نواب البرلمان ومن لجنة الزراعة والأمن الغذائي و بالتالي فهي ليست في حاجة إلى النواب الأفارقة، لأن ما وقع - و الزملاء في اللجنة حاضرون أننا لم نكن مبرمجين أي نائب من اللجنة للتدخل، فكان عليهم أن يأخذو التأشيرة من هذا البرلمان دون دعوة النواب للحضور في كينيا،ثالثا ما لاحظته مع احترامي للاتحاد الأفريقي الذي يمثل الحكومات وهذا ما علينا الإقرار به هو الذي يمول، فمن أدراكم بوجود نواب يقبلون أن تصرف عليهم حكومات أخرى؟ ألا تعلمون أنه من جملة شروطكم لعضوية الدول أن يكون هناك معارض و أنا أتحدث كمعارض في دولتي، فأنا لا أقبل أن تصرف علي أي حكومة كانت، بل أريد لهذا البرلمان الذي أنا ابنه وأتشرف به أن يقوم بتمويل كل مايخصني أو يترك لي حرية التنقل من عدمه، هذا ما عليكم التأكيد عليه، و أتمني من هذا البرلمان أن يكون واضح في علاقته ببروتوكول ملابو، فهل من التقصير عدم التعريف بهذا البروتوكول ؟ أم هنالك دول لاتقبل به لأنها تريد أن تبقي هي المسيطرة...وبالمناسبة أريد من هذا البرلمان أن يكون واضحا في علاقته باتفاقية ملابو حتى لا يكون هنا نواب يتجسسون على البقية مع احترامي لجميع النواب ونريد أفريقيا موحدة من لا يقبل بهذا البرتوكول لاغاية له....REFERENCE: 0403-114544AHON. SAID BRAHIM SAID [SAHARAWI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]:شكراً سيدي الرئيس على إتاحة هذه الفرصة ، كذلك بدوري أود في البداية أن أضم صوتي الي الأخوة النواب الموقرون علي شكر السيد الرئيس على هذا التقرير الواضح والمفصل وعلى هذه الإقدامة الجيدة رغم اننا لازلنا في البدايات وبالتالي من وجهة نظري التقييم لا يكون إلا بالخواتيم ، المشروع طويل و نحن بصفتنا رافد من روافد الاتحاد الإفريقي لدينا أجندة وفيها حتي 2063 و بالتالي إذا كنت تريد نتائج جيدفعليك أن تنظر في الإنطلاقة اولاً، أنا بصفتي نائب رئيس كوكس الشباب هناك برامج تمت المصادقة عليها في إطار هذا الكوكس والتي من ضمنها ملتقى للشباب سينظم ولم أسمع من سيادة الرئيس في هذا التقرير أي كلام حول هذا الموضوع خصوصا أن هذا البرنامج في نظري أنه كان مصادقا عليه حتي أن التمويل كان موجود وبالتالي لم يتم هذا البرنامج الى يومنا هذا، لقد ذكرتم سيدي الرئيس في تقريركم زيارة الى بلدي الصحراء الغربية وأنا أتفهم جيدا أنكم أشرتم الى ذلك فقط لكن هناك جانب مهم في هذه الزيارة لم تلفتوا الإنتباه اليه لكن بما أنه جانب يستحق مني في الحقيقية الإشادة والتهنئية والتقدير ، رئيس برلمان عموم أفريقيا عندما زار الصحراء الغربية زار مخيمات اللأجيئن الصحراويين والتي يتواجد بها 150 ألف ما بين أطفال ونساء ورجال وهولاء اللأجيئن منذ أربعين سنة وهم تحت الخيم جنوب منطقة تندوف بالجزائر السيد رئيس البرلمان عند ما وصل الى هذه المخيمات لم يقم (بالاوتيل) لقد إختار خيمة من هذه الخيم لهذه المواطنيين و أقام بها ثلاثة أيام وثلاثة ليالي وبالتالي هي لم تكن زيارة وأنما كانت كذلك رسالة تضامن بحيث انه تقاسم مع المواطنيين الصحراويين من الأمهات و النساء والأطفال نفس المعاش نفس الأكل وحتي نفس النوم داخل خيمة من هذه الخيم ويستحق من الثناء و من جميع النواب الموقرون واريد أن أنبه الى ذلك ولك مني التهنئية على هذه الزيارة، شكرا سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 0403-115236EHON. CLAUDE D.M. KAMANDA [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President, I join other Members to congratulate you, not because of protocol, but because you deserve it, because of the leadership of innovation you have set in this House. However, there is room for more work. On that, Mr President, I take you to 8.0 and 13.0 of your report about the consultative meeting you attended in Brussels on the PAP Revised Protocols and other consultative meetings you attended in Senegal with key stakeholders of the AU Organs. Mr President, we have not seen in this report the outcome of these meetings.Secondly, Mr President, I take you to 19.0 that talks about the ratification of the Protocol. It is about the strategies and the only strategy I saw in that report is about advocacy. I want to bring two more strategies, but before that let me deal with the advocacy. Advocacy does not go with hypothesis. Let me say for example you send a delegation to the country and someone asks a member of that delegation, how did you do that? What will that member of the delegation say when they have not ratified as a country? So, we are calling on all other delegations to shout out and fast track the issue of ratification.One of the strategies I want to provide here, Mr President, is that we need to have a session where we need to hear from Honourable Members from the various Assemblies why they have not ratified the Protocol. Secondly, another strategy is exhibition of leadership and commitment. Other colleagues have mentioned that of the Presidency. We have 5 members at the Presidency, that is the President and the four Vice-Presidents. They have to show commitment and true leadership and ratify this protocol in their various national assemblies. Let us also go down to the Regional Caucus; we have 5 Regional Caucuses and each will give 3 members to the bureau and that is 15. If you take members of the Presidency, 5, and that of the Regional Caucuses, 15, that gives us 20. Then go down again to the Youth caucus. You have the President and four Vice-Presidents, that is 5. Once, you go to the women caucus, you have the President and four VicePresidents. That gives us another five bringing the number to 10.So, automatically we have 30 countries that will ratify this Protocol. So, let us use this strategy and move forward. We cannot ask other countries to ratify the Protocol when the leadership of those various organs; the Presidency, the Regional Caucuses, the Youth Caucus and the Women Caucus are yet to ratify the Protocol in their various countries.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0403-115540EHON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN [SOUTH AFRICA]:Mr President, I thank you for the opportunity.Colleagues, I wish to address the oversight role that we, as members of this Parliament, have on the Activity Report. Now, in the last session, the Finance Report was rushed through and today, I am glad that we have had the time to look at this report even though it did not come much earlier and I was not here to hear the reason yesterday because of the debate in my own Parliament, but I understood that it was due to internet reasons.Now, it is not something that I can fully accept because it is my understanding as in every other Parliament that at the end of every session, committee reports and minutes are taken and, therefore, to compile it should not be such a major problem.The report is rather vague on who attended. For example, in the India-Africa bureau, under the Vet Programme, it just says Pan-African Parliamentarians. Then when it goes to the summit on matters relating to climate policy, it says, some Parliamentarians. When it comes to the electrification, there is a delegation of PanAfrican Parliamentarians, but who these people are remains a mystery. The delegation to the European Parliament comprised three members and I heard the President mention the names, but the names are not in the report. It should be in writing.The consultations between PAP and regional Parliaments, PAP in its capacity as President attended, who are these people? I like the report. Of course, there was a delegation to Addis Ababa as well and I highlighted it because I would like to know who these people are that are representing us. What are they doing there? When you come back to give us a report, you want us to adopt it. We do not know who you are and what you did out there. The participation of a delegation of the Pan-African Parliament led by the President went to Addis Ababa, but we do not know who you are.Now, colleagues, we have a very important oversight role. When we go back to our Parliaments, we have to say what we did here. Are you going to say, no, the report was not ready on time, but to honour the audience, we adopted the report? Let us not work like that. The report should also be available because it is a tradition that regional caucuses sit on the opening day of Parliament. Now, if the regional caucus has not had the time to look at this report and discuss it from a regional perspective, that is defeating our objects.Lastly, I would like to know...THE PRESIDENT:Thank you for you have to leave now.HON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN:Why do we have to have so many speakers at the opening of the session? I would like to know the cost factor to it and I hope that, that will be presented in the Finance Report. The flowers are very beautiful, but is it really a necessary item? We are in a place of work and we got to cut back and employee austerity measures.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0403-120156EHON. ZAKAYO K. CHERUIYOT [KENYA]:Thank you, Mr. Vice-President, for allowing me an opportunity to also join my colleagues in commenting on the President’s report to the House. I would like to first and foremost thank the President for allowing a delegation of Parliamentarians from this House to visit Kenya on the issue of climate change and the issue of the use of animal resources. We had a successful interaction together and we look forward to receiving more delegations to Kenya. We hope this time they find an opportunity to tour the country.Having said so, I think there are more issues also which have been raised by Members of this House which actually must be addressed as a matter of concern. This Parliament ideally must be a model for Africa, which should show transparency and accountability in all its activities.REFERENCE: 0405-121214EPHON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [PRESIDING OFFICER]:I will now call on Honourable Oscar O-Luto. I will now call, it is last but not least, Chief Charumbira.Ausente o colega Charumbira, que é o último da minha lista, agora tenho a honra e o prazer de conceder a palavra a Sua Excelência Senhor Presidente do Parlamento Pan-Africano dr. Roger Nkodo Dang para as respostas que assim entender.Excelência tem a palavra.REFERENCE: 0403-125229FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues,Je vous remercie pour votre soutien.Monsieur le Secrétaire Général,Donnez-nous le point suivant inscrit à l’ordre du jour.English 12:52:36-12:53:07THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE:Thank you all.The next item we is presentation and debate on Human Rights with particular focus on the Rights of Women and the presenter is Honourable MAMA FATIMA SINHATEH, ATORNEY-GENERAL ANDMINISTER OF JUSTICE OF THE GAMBIA.We call upon Her Excellency to the podium.[French 12: 53:08 - 12:53:33]M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues,Je vais maintenant inviter, Son Excellence Madame Mama SINGHATEH, à faire son entrée dans la Chambre.Avant que Madame la Ministre ne prenne la parole, j’ai reçu quatre avis de motion.La première motion porte sur l’encouragement des États africains à transporter tous leurs minéraux et leurs ressources naturelles au niveau national.La deuxième, c’est un projet de motion pour la condamnation de la corruption en Afrique et demandant à l’Union africaine de mettre en place un bureau de lutte contre la corruption au sein du Secrétariat général de l’Union africaine.Le troisième projet de motion, appelant les États africains à envisager la promulgation des lois encourageant la bonne gouvernance telles que nos lois sur la Déclaration de biens et de liberté.Enfin la quatrième motion, est un projet de loi appelant les pays africains à consacrer au moins 5 % de leur budget à la recherche et à la technologie.Les motions seront inscrites à l’ordre du jour des travaux de notre session à partir du lundi 9 mai 2016.Mesdames et les vice-présidents,Vous avez devant vous, Madame Mama Fatima SINGHATEH. Elle est Juriste de formation, Avocate générale et Ministre de la Justice de la Gambie. Elle est venue s’adresser au Parlement, aujourd’hui, en tant que professionnel du droit sur le thème de notre année.Donc, Madame la Ministre, ce Parlement va vous écouter et certainement, les honorables membres auront quelques questions à vous adresser.Je vous invite donc à prendre la parole pour votre exposé.Madame la Ministre,Vous avez la parole!Without transparency and accountability we will fail particularly the youths in Parliaments all of Africa now and even in this Parliament there are so many youths with so many ideals and new management skills which we need to use. So, I hope that this will be taken seriously. We have had a report made on activities which are really of concern, which if not address will likely bring down the organisation. We need to be transparent and accountable in all our activities and I believe we have the capacity and the ability to do so.So, with these remarks, I want to congratulate the President on his good report.Thank you.A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FROM NIGERIA:Thank you, Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to say one or two things. I have gone through the report an heard had Members of Parliament contributing and most of them have been here before. For some of us that are new, I am not in a position to commend or to criticize but discuss areas of challenges.Mr. President, in this new world order you mentioned in your speech press conferences and the media which you have been able to do. I want to say that there is need for you to step up in the area of the media. I have a media background. I know that sometimes if we want to change opinions, we use the media. If you want to make sure that ratification of treaties or some of the protocols here are done, step up in the area of media.Just like the last speaker said, there are youths here and all over Africa now. I am a young man and the issue is that we should use more the area of publicity. I think major press conferences should be organised. A Committee should be put in place to identify people who have a media background who would publicise PAP issues to the outside world so that our individual Governments will know about what is happening here. By the time we get to approach them, we will have our advocacies and it will be easy because things would be so true. If the media is not used very well, I think we will have issues.Secondly, I want to plead with Mr. President that we should also have soft copies of some of these documents. Having hard copies really is very boring for everybody to go through. We submitted our emails when we came to register. Some of these things should be sent to the mails so that it makes it easier for us to access even in our bedrooms and within the comfort of our rooms. It would be easier rather than coming here carrying so many bags. It still tells us that we are still in Africa. I think something should be done about this.Thank you Sir.REFERENCE: 0403-125538EH.E. HON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE OF THE GAMBIA:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمThank you very much.Good afternoon to you all.His Excellency Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Honourable Vice Presidents of the Parliament, Hon. Members of the Parliament, Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, The Clerk and Staff of the Parliament, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, all protocols duly and respectfully observed.Some 25 years ago our leaders came together for the signing of the Abuja Treaty, which amongst other things made provision for the creation of important continental institutions which were key to the attainment of the aspirations of a united and prosperous Africa. At the dawn of the new millennium, our heads of state and Government, meeting in Lomé, Togo, approved and adopted the draft Constitutive Act of the Pan-African Parliament. Here we are today, a gathering of representatives from every corner of Africa, a true voice of the people of Africa. I must say it is indeed an honour and a privilege to be here today.Africa is no stranger to the concept of human rights. Although it might be relatively new, as a legal concept, Africa through its longstanding history, rich cultural diversity, the independence struggles of the 50s and 60s and the post-independence Pan-African movements, has always recognised and promoted human rights.The 1981 African Charter on Human and People’s Rights ( The Banjul Charter) adopted by the 18th Assembly of Heads of State and Government stands as proof of our resolve to uphold and promote Human Rights. This same resolve is seen in Article 30 of the African Charter which provides for the establishment of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, charged with the responsibility of promoting and protecting human and peoples’ rights on the continent.Furthermore, the Second Ordinary Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government adopted in 2003 the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. This historical protocol laid down a proper framework for the advancement of women’s rights in Africa.Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, This year marks a defining moment on our Continent’s Human Rights journey. 2016 marks the 35th Anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter in 1981; 2016 also marks the 30th Anniversary of the entry into force of the African Charter in 1986; this year also marks the 29th Anniversary of the operationalisation of the African Commission in 1987 and 2016 also marks the 10th Anniversary of the operationalisation of the Court. The African Union is therefore justified in declaring 2016 as the African Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on women.As the African Union rightly put it, 2016 is a chance for us to commemorate and celebrate the significant milestones in our continental human rights journey. It is an opportunity to tell our story, to showcase the African local human rights activities by Africans themselves - not only to raise awareness about the great work that we have been doing to uplift our communities, but also to inspire future generations to emulate innovative and exciting approaches to making a difference through human rights based approaches.In declaring 2016 as the African year of Human Rights, the AU deemed it fitting to lay a special emphasis on Women’s Rights. This special emphasis became necessary due to the increasing plight of women on the African continent; of course the rights of women cannot be separated from the rights of the girl child.Discussions on Women’s rights in Africa have always tended to take the approach of narratives on the deplorable situation of women’s rights, the broad gender inequality and vulnerability to gender based violence. My discourse today shall deviate from that narrative.Today, I want to talk about the progress made and achievements attained by the African woman. This decade has seen unprecedented increases in the number of girls getting access to quality education. On the business front, we are seeing a rising number of women at the helm of successful corporations at the same time as more and more women are taking their seats on boards of corporations continent wide. All around Africa substantial progress has been made towards attaining the 30 per cent goal of women in Parliament. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, over the past 20 years we have seen a steady increase in the percentage of women in Parliaments across Africa from 9.8 per cent in 1995 to 14.5 per cent in 2005 and 22.3 per cent in 2015 putting Africa third out of six regions in terms of percentage of women in Parliament. That is worthy of commendation.ApplauseHON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH:This steady rise by 12.4 per cent increase puts Africa second globally in terms of percentage increase points after the Americas with 13.7 percent. At 22.3 per cent Africa is also above the global average of women in Parliament which stands at 22.1 per cent. It is worthy of mention that Rwanda, a fellow African country, with 64 per cent of women in Parliament, tops the world rankings on the proportion of female legislators.ApplauseHON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH:According to statistics from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) South Africa, Cape Verde and Lesotho have all surpassed the goal of over 30 per cent representation in national Ministerial Cabinets with Cape Verde coming second globally, with women making up 52.9 per cent of its Cabinet.ApplauseHON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH:Other African countries like Burundi, Uganda, Botswana and Gambia are approaching the 30 per cent benchmark. Mozambique, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Benin, United Republic of Tanzania, Liberia and Seychelles are in the 20-25 per cent representation rate range. It is also interesting to note that there is a clear move away from the previous practice of only appointing women to so called ‘softministerial portfolios’ like social Welfare, Basic Education, Health, and Tourism, as women are increasingly getting appointed to key Ministries such as Justice, Finance and Defence.All across Africa women are breaking old barriers and setting new records. Be it from the board rooms or at home as our mothers, sisters and wives. It is therefore very important that we recognise and celebrate these achievements so that they may serve as an inspiration to all the women and young girls across the continent, that if others can do it then they also can; that they can become whatever they want to be. So they may believe that women can become economically empowered to afford to provide for their families, that young women everywhere can have access to adequate reproductive health facilities, and that the little girls everywhere might dare to dream of one day becoming, a head of state, a Minister, or a member of the Pan-African Parliament.Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, while underscoring the progress made by women into these positions of ‘power’, we must also salute the women who are changing the continent, not from the board rooms or from the office front, but those working hard on the farms in our villages to provide for their families, the petty traders that form the backbone of our commercial sectors to everyday women raising their kids and tending to their families. They too are heroes worth celebrating.ApplauseHON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH:With all the progress made, there are times like this when we as women need to pause and reflect on what use we have put all the power and opportunities that we have so long clamoured for and have earned over the years. Have we contributed our fair share to national development? Have we been the voice of our less opportune mothers, sisters and daughters around the continent?I can say to a greater extent we have. Women in positions of leadership are leading the fight for gender equality, be it at the helm of Business Corporations, regional institutions, Government departments or as activists. And this is rightly so, as who else can understand the plight of women most and can lead the march for greater rights for women than women themselves?Studies have shown that when women are directly involved in decision making, meaningful progress is made in lots of areas that affect not only themselves but children and families as well. By virtue of women simply attaining positions of responsibility and being able to do certain jobs which hitherto were beyond their reach, and for that reason alone, without much else being done, they serve as a beacon of hope; a source of inspiration for millions of women on the continent. Innovative campaigns have been successfully mounted that seek to inspire girls to aspire for more, such as the Take a Girl to Work Campaign that seeks to pair successful women with young school girls for a typical day at their places of work, to instil in them the belief that if we can do it, they too can.Our celebration of these great achievements is in no way a declaration that the struggle is over; far from it. In spite of all the progress made, many women in our continent continue to be the primary victims of human rights violation. While all human rights are equally important and equally essential to the respect for the dignity and worth of every person, one cannot deal with one specific right in isolation without taking into consideration the whole range of related rights. I would however like to draw attention to burning issues such as domestic violence; customary traditions many of which fail to acknowledge the rights of women to own or inherit land; I was pleased to hear this issue being raised by the hon. Member from South Africa. I think this is an issue that really needs to be looked at; women continue to be the predominant victims of rape and sexual abuse in situations of armed conflict. Women continue to lack access to education, and quality sexual and reproductive health services.Numerous conferences are held annually to deliberate on the plight of women. From the chambers of the United Nations in New York, to the Halls of the African Union in Addis Ababa, and all our national capitals, we cannot help but ask the question; are the voices that matter being heard? Are the opinions of the most vulnerable and destitute women taken into consideration? Do all our conclusions and decisions reflect the views of women at the grassroots?The privileged few that often get the opportunity to attend these gatherings are very often not the ones most affected by the lack of basic rights. While our conclusions and resolutions call for the organisation of consultations and international conferences and panel discussions, which to a great extent go a long way in addressing a lot of the issues, the majority of women and girls at the grassroots level desire very simple things: accessibility to clean drinking water, accessibility to reliable reproductive health care, access to credit to start small businesses to feed and clothe their children and give them an education, the ability to live each day without the fear of being physically or sexually abused; all basic things which go a long way in improving the overall quality of life of any women. The sad truth is that at times due to the opportunities we have, we become desensitised to the plight of those without our opportunities. We become too comfortable in our new reality that we forget that there are women out there who are unable to exercise their basic fundamental human rights. It comes as no surprise therefore that statistics on the plight of women might sometimes sound outlandish and hard to believe because in all honesty their realities do not match ours.Women make up more than 50 per cent of Africa’s population and as long as they are denied an education, denied the right to participate in the decision making process, denied the right to own or inherit property, denied a say in who they marry, denied a say in family planning decisions, and lack access to basic reproductive health care, then it would be impossible for Africa to attain any meaningful development. Joachim Chissano, former President of Mozambique said and I quote “Women and girls are Africa’s untapped resource, it is they, not diamonds, oil and minerals that will be the foundation for solid, sustainable progress”.This is most true in the context of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and our transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals. According to a McKinsey Global Institute Report published in 2015 Africa could see its GDP add as much as 12 per cent by 2025 by simply advancing women’s equality. The study showed that Africa could add as much as $300,000,000,000 (Three hundred Billion Dollars) to its GDP if women played an equal role as their male counterparts in economic processes. Advancing gender parity in Africa therefore presents a simple yet significant solution towards solving Africa’s development woes.In The Gambia we have done and continue to do our fair share towards improving the Rights of Women. Constructive policies have led to an increase in the literacy rate for women between the ages of 15 and 25 from 41.4 per cent to 67 per cent as at 2014 and the effective transition rate from primary to Lower secondary school now stands at 95 per cent. More and more women are ascending to positions of leadership with upwards of 30 per cent percent of the Cabinet positions occupied by women, including key Ministries. Constructive legal measures have been taken for the protection of women’s rights. The Gambia was one of the early nations to sign the Maputo Protocol and is one of only fifteen nations to have ratified it.The Gambia in 2010 passed the Women’s Act, which among other things is meant to implement the legal provisions of the National Policy for the Advancement of Gambian Women and Girls and to also incorporate and enforce the internationally agreed instruments and protocols of both the UN and AU to which The Gambia is a member. This year a crucial amendment was made to the Women’s Act officially banning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation and thereby putting an end to that foul practice.ApplauseHON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH:Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights. The assurance of the protection and promotion of these rights is dependent on the existence of a robust legal framework to this effect. This is where you, Hon, Members, come in. The legislation you pass at your various national assemblies are the guarantees of an orderly society in which the rule of law is upheld. The Laws you pass have the potential to substantially advance the case for improved human rights in Africa.Of great significance also is the need to ensure that these laws are implemented, that human rights are protected and that justice is not delayed. As Africans, in the framework of our Pan-Africanist Agenda, a concerted effort is essential to our growth as a continent and if we are to guarantee equal rights for all in Africa at a steady and uniform pace then there is no better body than you, the Pan-Africa Parliament. This legislative assembly has the potential to be a force for good in the continent, to craft model laws that will guide our national legislatures towards passing comprehensive and robust laws.However, in order for the Pan-African Parliament to effectively carry out its mandate, it needs to be given the right tools to do so. Until the adoption in June 2014 of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union Relating to The Pan-African Parliament, the PAP was merely a consultative assembly. This new Protocol gives the PAP legislative powers that are crucial to the attainment of its mandate. For this Protocol to be operational it requires twenty ratifications by African Union members; sadly, these ratifications have been very slow in coming. It would be unfair of us to expect much of the PAP without first giving them the necessary tools to implement their objectives.My country is currently working towards the ratification of this protocol and I am happy to say upon approval by Cabinet it would soon be on its way to our National Assembly for ratification. I must at this point salute the hard work and dedication of the President of the PanAfrican Parliament for his hard work in lobbying for the full ratification of this protocol and I call on all states to ratify this protocol so that PAP can set to work.Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, while underscoring the importance of political and economic change in our fight towards human rights and equality in Africa we also need to increase commitment towards changing the social and cultural perceptions of women. Equal attention should be paid to all spectrums of the human rights scale. As Paul Farmer, the American anthropologist rightly observed “The Human Rights community has focused very narrowly on political and civil rights for many decades, and with reason, but now we have to ask how we can broaden this view”. Now that is food for thought. I would like at this point to reemphasize the need for member states to implement Human Right instruments that seek to promote and protect women and girls’ rights in all aspects of their lives, in particular:Promote and protect women’s rights to political participation.Promote and protect women’s rights to adequate and decent standard of living including land and propertyPromote and protect women’s sexual and reproductive health rights by ensuring that adequate resources are available in support of quality affordable SRH services to all women and adolescent girlsPromote best practices on the prevention of violence against women and the girl child. This requires holistic measures that address both inter-gender and intra-gender inequality and discrimination.Ensure that survivors of violence and abuse have easy access to the justice system where they can seek redress on the violation of their rightsEnsure that perpetrators are convicted and punished for crimes committed against womenApply human rights based approach to facilitate reaching specific groups of women who are excluded from access to essential services such as health and maternal and child health services, functional education and other empowerment programsEnsure that national and sectoral policies and programmes are designed in accordance with human rights requirements following the policy cycle of planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and accountability including the require steps from human rights perspectives, these tools are available and can be easily accessed.Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, before I conclude please allow me to say that the prospects are bright; the opportunities available to us in Africa today are greater than they have ever been at any point in our history. We are confident in the PAP’s commitment to the promotion of the welfare of its constituents and women in particular. There is no better proof of this commitment than your decision today to have an address on human rights in Africa with a particular focus on women, as part of the events to mark the opening of this new Parliamentary Session. Let us all work together towards ensuring that we do not only build a strong, united and prosperous Africa but that we leave behind a much better continent than we found it for our children.I call upon all of you to do your utmost in influencing crucial decisions at national, regional and continental levels towards promoting the wellbeing of women and girls in Africa and to guarantee equal rights for all.Thank You.God Bless You.God Bless Africa.ApplauseREFERENCE: 0403-132201FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Madame la Ministre. Vous pouvez regagner votre place.Chers collègues,Nous avons encore trente minutes devant nous. Je vous suggère que nous suivions le deuxième exposé avant de partir à la pause et que nous revenions débattre dans l’après-midi.(Applaudissements)Merci beaucoup.Conformément à notre Règlement intérieur, je vais inviter le Commissaire de l’Éducation, le Professeur IKOUNGA à faire son entrée dans la Chambre.Son Excellence Monsieur Martial IKOUNGA, Haut Commissaire de l’Union africaine en charge des Ressources Humaines, de la Science et de la Technologie.Chers collègues,Comme vous pouvez le constater, nous travaillons de plus en plus très proche de nos Commissaires pour que nous puissions régler, ensemble, des problèmes transversaux dont nous débattons ici.Je donne donc la parole au Commissaire pour faire son exposé et nous allons en débattre.Commissaire,Les membres du Parlement panafricain vous écoutent.Je vous donne la parole.REFERENCE: 0403-132419FS.E.M. MARTIAL IKOUNGA [COMMISSAIRE DE L’UNION AFRAICAINE POUR LES RESSOURCES HUMAINES, LA SCIENCE ET LA TECHNOLOGIE]:Honorable Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain et cher frère, Roger NKODO DANG.Honorables membres du Parlement panafricain,Mesdames et Messieurs,À tout honneur, tout Seigneur.C’est un grand privilège pour moi d’avoir été invité en cette circonstance, dans cette auguste assemblée, en ma qualité de Commissaire de l’Union africaine. Cela augure bien ce qui sera demain - je l’espère - le moment où les parlementaires africains seront appelés à jouer pleinement le rôle qui est le leur et qui leur est dévolu. Pour ma part, il s’agit d’un exercice qui m’est connu et que j’ai déjà exercé, ayant été, avant d’aller à l’Union africaine, député et Président de la Commission Éducation, culture, science et technologie au Parlement congolais.En ma qualité de Commissaire en charge des Ressources humaines, science et technologie, ce sera ma troisième fois de venir devant cette tribune m’adresser à vous autour des questions relatives à mon portefeuille.Mais permettez-moi de revenir au cœur de mon sujet pour vous faire part de ma présentation de ce jour qui sera faite à travers quatre thèmes:La stratégie africaine de la science et de la technologie adoptée par décision, telle qu’elle est affichée:La stratégie continentale de l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle;La stratégie continentale de l’éducation en Afrique adoptée également comme les décisions placées sur le tableau, comme vous pouvez le voir;et enfin je vous parlerais de l’harmonisation de l’enseignement supérieur et de la Convention d’Addis-Abeba.Au moment où vous célébrez ici votre 10e anniversaire, je me permets de vous ramener au 24 mai de l’année1963, c’est-à-dire 53 ans plus loin. Lorsque, lors de son premier discours inaugural, à l’occasion de la fondation de l’OUA, le Président Kwame NKRUMAH déclarait:« Nous accumulerons des usines et des aciéries!Nous relierons les divers États de notre continent à travers un réseau de communication!Nous étonnerons le monde avec notrepuissance hydroélectrique!Nous drainerons les marées et nous assécherons les marécages, assainirons les zones infectées!Nous nourrirons les sous-alimentés et nous débarrasserons notre peuple des parasites et de la maladie!La science et la technologie possèdent la capacité de permettre de transformer le désert du Sahara en un vaste champ verdoyant de végétation pour notre développement agricole et industriel ».Et depuis, vous pourrez imaginer le chemin que nous avons parcouru alors que nous constatons avec une certaine amertume que la réalité est encore loin. La stratégie que je présente, bien sûr, part de la vision de l’Union africaine. Une Afrique intégrée, prospère et en paix, gouvernée et dirigée par ses propres citoyens et représentant une force sur la scène internationale.La mission de la science et de la technologie est d’accélérer la transition de l’Afrique vers une économie basée sur le savoir et l’innovation. La science et la technologie sont alors un outil, un outil tout à fait important, parce que nous voulons dans ce cas-là lier l’outil le plus performant à la main la plus experte, c’est-à-dire améliorer l’état de la science, la technologie et l’innovation en termes d’infrastructures de masse critique, mais aussi de toutes les compétences et de la capacité de l’esprit d’entreprise.Pour cela, notre démarche est de fixer des priorités et de mettre en œuvre des programmes mobilisateurs avec l’appui du management efficace pour répondre aux besoins de la société et c’est pour cela que nous sommes devant vous aujourd’hui.Notre timing est simple et se base sur l’Agenda 2063 qui est fixé jusqu’en 2063 et la STISA, aujourd’hui, occupe la première partie des dix premières années 2014-2024, et c’est pour cela nous disons Agenda, nous aimons et disons STISA 20-24.Le programme c’est une priorité; des priorités qui sont fixées, il y en a six:La première étant d’éradiquer la faim, d’assurer la sécurité alimentaire;La deuxième, c’est de prévenir les maladies, assurer le bien-être; il nous faut communiquer, sauvegarder l’espace, c’est-à-dire tous ces problèmes que nous avons abordés, ici, lorsqu’on parlait de COP21, c’est à travers ces questions de sauvegarder l’espace.Il faut définir aussi, savoir faire la recherche sur les capacités de vivre ensemble et de bâtir la cité. Capacité de vivre ensemble oui! Vivre ensemble, parce que l’Afrique bientôt ce sera cent villes de plus d’un millions d’habitants. Il faut donc savoir, pouvoir faire de la recherche et cela veut dire, comment nous allons habiter ensemble. Et il y a la question de la création de la richesse. Créer la richesse au-delà de ce que nous appelons la production seulement de [...] nous savons qu’aujourd’hui la richesse africaine est faite de matière première mais créer la richesse c’est aussi les ressources humaines.À côté de cela, nous avons des domaines prioritaires qui sont nécessairement parfois croisés les uns sur les autres, parce que quand on veut éradiquer la faim, on veut prévenir la maladie, on a pris ici, l’exemple de l’eau pour montrer que quand on veut parler d’éradiquer la faim, de prévenir la maladie, de communiquer, de sauvegarder l’espace, de vivre ensemble, parce que dans les villes il faut bien qu’on ait de l’eau, et de créer les richesses, on parle des questions de l’eau. Ça c’est un exemple qui a été donné mais il y en a bien d’autres que nous pourrons bien sûr égrainer. Ceux-ci, nous les avons appelés le programmes mobilisateurs qui, eux vont créer la possibilité à nos chercheurs d’avoir des programmes de recherches, mais les premiers que nous avons dit c’est de la responsabilité des politiques. Bien sûr, c’est le politique qui dit, où est-ce que je vais aller et en ce moment-là les chercheurs peuvent mettre en place ce qu’il faut faire, et derrière donc, des équipes de chercheurs travaillent sur cette base.Ce que nous voulons faire, une fois que la définition des priorités relève de la décision politique des domaines clés, elle exprime la politique commune de toutes les priorités. La communauté scientifique en Afrique est donc appelée à transformer les priorités politiques en programmes mobilisateurs puis en programmes de recherche. Mais il est essentiel de financer cela. Et donc nous voulons qu’à travers cette stratégie, nous puissions les présenter comme des projets de développement banquables, pour que nous puissions les financer.Des conditions préalables, bien sûr, parce que lorsqu’on veut faire de la recherche, la première chose, c’est de pouvoir résoudre un certain nombre de choses, de montrer d’abord les volontés politiques et les choix réels et une capacité aussi, la capacité et la foi que nous pouvons avoir dans la croyance, parce qu’il faut faire confiance à l’intellectuel africain, qu’il soit fille ou garçon.Il faut revaloriser les infrastructures de recherches. Il faut accroître nos capacités techniques et professionnelles, réaliser la masse critique, c’est-à-dire qu’il faut un minimum de gens pour faire la recherche. Une seule personne ne peut pas faire la recherche, toute seule. Nous avons regroupé cela en quatre piliers qui sont là, c’est-à-dire des infrastructures, parce que la recherche ne se fait pas sous le baobab.Derrière cela, les compétences techniques, parce qu’il faut former des jeunes, former des gens, c’est la question de l’éducation, leur donner le sens de l’innovation et de l’entreprenariat, nous reviendrons sur ces questions lorsque nous parlerons de la question de l’emploi et, bien sûr, il faut un environnement propice. Ce n’est pas quand on croit nécessairement que tous les problèmes doivent être réglés par la sorcellerie ou bien parce qu’on est maudit, parce qu’on est comme cela, on ne peut pas avoir ce caractère-là. Donc il faut un environnement propice! Il faut que les parlementaires, que vous êtes, mais au-delà des parlementaires, il faut que toute la société croie réellement à cet esprit scientifique.Derrière cela, nous avons une architecture de gouvernance, ce qui est à gauche, c’est comment on procède pour adopter cette stratégie en passant, bien sûr, tout le long le COREP jusqu’à la décision des Chefs d’États.De l’autre côté, nous avons la mise en œuvre, comme vous savez que l’Union africaine, ce sont les États membres et donc les terrains sur lesquels nous avons appliqué ces stratégies, c’est dans les pays membres. C’est dans les pays membres qu’il faut avoir les budgets, c’est dans les pays membres qu’il faut faire ce travail et c’est pour cela que le plaidoyer d’aujourd’hui, nous sommes contents de le faire vis-à-vis de vous parce qu’au-delà du Parlement africain, vous êtes tous parlementaires de l’ensemble des pays africains. Donc c’est à vous qu’il faut s’adresser et en ce moment-là, la part des pays, ici, qui est là vous revient, parce que vous êtes ce qui, demain, va non seulement apporter les budgets qu’il faut pour la recherche mais aussi comprenez les gouvernements pour leur demander estce que réellement les budgets que nous avons mis en place ont été suivis d’effets sur le terrain.Voilà, en ce qui concerne l’Union africaine, nous avons tiré de cette stratégie trois grandes structures et un certain nombre de structures: l’Université panafricaine, en tant qu’un réseau d’excellence d’universités et de centres de recherches. Nous avons le Conseil africain de la recherche scientifique et de l’innovation dont l’ambition est de donner la parole à la communauté scientifique africaine. Oui, il faut donner la parole aux chercheurs, aux ingénieurs, à tous ces scientifiques pour qu’ils puissent transformer les décisions politiques que nous pouvons prendre sur le terrain.Nous avons un Observateur africain de la science et de la technologie! Nous avons également l’OPAPI qui a fait l’objet d’une décision, c’est l’Organisation panafricaine de la propriété intellectuelle, parce qu’on ne peut pas inventer nécessairement si on n’est pas sûr que ce qu’on va apporter sur le marché vous donne la protection de ce que vous avez inventé. Et puis il y a, pour exposer tout cela, la possibilité aussi d’un Salon international sur l’invention et l’innovation en Afrique.Nous avons tout ce tableau pour vous donner parce que si vous pouvez vous souvenir, il y a quelques années, c’était à Lagos lorsqu’on a pris le Plan d’actions de Lagos en 1980, l’ambition était de faire que chaque pays africain, s’il veut développer la science et la technologie, accorde 1 % de son PIB à la science et la technologie. Pour beaucoup, malheureusement, des années plus tard, il n’y a que deux pays africains qui ont atteint ce niveau et un troisième est sur le rail: et c’est l’Afrique du Sud, l’Égypte et, dans leurs pas, le Kenya.Nous avons présenté ici une idée, tout simplement pour dire, en prenant les statistiques de 2013, que 1 % du PIB africain représenterait 23 milliards de dollars. C’est une somme qu’on pourrait considérer spectaculaire, mais si l’Afrique pouvait consacrer, Mesdames, Messieurs les parlementaires, si vous pouvez vous battre aussi pour que demain, l’Afrique puisse consacrer, à travers les budgets que nous mettons en place par nous-mêmes, 23 milliards de dollars, croyez-moi ainsi que nous pourrions ainsi transformer notre continent.Voilà présenté, très rapidement, ce qui concernait la stratégie continentale de la science, de la technologie et de l’innovation.Je vais vous parler rapidement de la stratégie continentale de l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. Dans ce cadre-là aussi, nous nous sommes basés sur la même démarche en partant de la vision de l’Union africaine et nous avons fixé les missions de l’enseignement et de la formation technique et professionnelle, c’est-à-dire intégrer la possibilité, l’adaptabilité et l’apprentissage continu dans l’offre de formation technique et professionnelle afin d’apporter des aptitudes à répondre à la demande du marché du travail et encourager et soutenir la créativité.Une fois de plus, la créativité! La capacité d’innover, bien sûr qu’il faut innover et l’esprit d’entreprise afin de créer son propre emploi. Je voudrais, Mesdames et Messieurs les parlementaires, que vous reteniez que nous parlons de l’esprit d’entreprises afin de créer son propre emploi. Nous avons fait l’état des lieux de l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. La première chose que nous constatons, c’est le peu de prestige, le peu de prestige et d’attractivité de l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. Nous y reviendrons!L’inadéquation entre l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle et la demande des compétences du marché du travail! C’est là qu’on retrouve le problème de migration et tous les autres, la frustration des jeunes Africains de voir que les emplois qui sont créés dans notre continent sont occupés par des gens qui viennent des autres continents, parce qu’il y a cette inadéquation entre la formation et la demande de compétences. Bien sûr, nous l’avons dit, si déjà il y a peu de prestige, peu d’attractivité, Mesdames et Messieurs, nous faisons ce plaidoyer pour vous demander demain, devant les ministres en charge de ces questions, de leur demander et à vous-mêmes aussi, d’accroître les financements qu’il faudra pour l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle.Il y a un faible engagement bien sûr, c’est une conséquence de tout cela, sinon à l’origine même un faible engagement politique et législatif, parce que les conséquences de tout cela est l’inexistence de cadre juridique propre parce qu’on parle souvent, il y a très peu de pays; et je voudrais encore prendre l’exemple ici [...] L’Afrique du Sud est un des rares pays où l’enseignement technique et professionnelle est rattaché à l’enseignement supérieur. Généralement c’était très bas, c’est très peu considéré.Bien sûr, nous assistons à la fragmentation et au manque d’harmonisation! Généralement, lorsqu’on commence l’enseignement technique et professionnel, on ne peut pas passer d’une classe à une autre parce qu’on oublie que ceux-ci tiennent ensemble. Alors, une chose importante sur laquelle est basée la stratégie continentale de l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle, c’est le changement de paradigme. Nous voulons changer de paradigme, c’est-à-dire que nous voulons porter un regard nouveau et positif sur l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. Oui, il est tout à fait possible, c’est-à-dire que nous voulons préparer comme je l’ai dit tout à l’heure, lorsque quelqu’un va - et vous savez ce qui se passe d’ailleurs quand le compagnonnage est dans nos traditions - lorsque vous prenez un jeune pour aller le former chez un forgeron, ce jeune sait que lorsqu’il va chez le forgeron du village, quand il sortira de là, il sera lui-même maître forgeron.Il faut donc que nous ayons la possibilité de perpétuer cela dans l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. Que l’enfant qui va à l’école, qui va dans l’enseignement technique et professionnel sache qu’il va pour devenir lui-même le maître de son propre emploi; donc devenir créateur d’emploi, plus que demandeur d’emploi; changer de paradigme aussi, c’est dire que l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle, parce que c’est perçu comme cela par beaucoup de personnes. C’est quand on a échoué partout qu’on pense que maintenant on peut aller à l’enseignement et à la formation technique et professionnelle. Non! L’école générale, quand on prend l’éducation, si l’éducation ne nous amène pas à un emploi, à quoi ça sert?Vous êtes inscrit et vous ne pouvez pas être un employé demain; vous ne pouvez pas créer votre propre emploi. Et il y a aussi, que l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle doivent partir et ça; c’est un élément tout à fait nouveau dans ce que nous appelons le changement de paradigme et de jeter un regard nouveau sur l’enseignement. Cela doit partir du primaire à l’enseignement supérieur. Pourquoi?L’exemple est simple. Quand vous considérez un ingénieur, un avocat, un médecin et tous les autres, ce sont des professionnels, mais ces professionnels-là, on ne forme pas un avocat, on ne forme pas un médecin, on ne forme pas un magistrat à l’école primaire. Ils sont formés dans les enseignements professionnels et à l’enseignement supérieur. Et donc il n’y a pas de honte, exigez cela Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires, exigez cela aussi pour qu’on donne à l’enseignement et à la formation technique et professionnelle toute la place qu’ils méritent.Notre démarche a été simple: nous nous sommes interrogés de la manière suivante, parce qu’on a beaucoup parlé d’agriculture pour rébooster l’économie africaine. Alors nous avons situé la question en disant est-ce que nous pouvons imaginer le chemin que peut parcourir un petit légume, depuis le petit jardin de la maraîchère parce que c’est comme cela, jusqu’à la table du Président de la République? Est-ce qu’on peut imaginer le nombre d’emplois que ça peut représenter parce qu’il faut avoir le terrain, il faut avoir de l’eau, il faut être à mesure d’avoir un véhicule, un frigo, c’est toute cette question et c’est la démarche que nous avons posée. Il faut donc pour cela savoir quels sont les métiers que nous devons créer? Il faut retenir les métiers, il faut en faire une description pour qu’on puisse exprimer la demande. Vous ne pouvez pas demander une chose qui vous passe par l’esprit, une chose que vous ne connaissez pas.Donc commençons par dire quels sont ces métiers? Et en ce moment-là une fois que nous avons exprimé la demande, vient l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. En ce moment, on ne parlera plus d’inadéquation entre la formation et l’emploi puisque maintenant on sait quel est la demande, et en ce moment viendront les programmes qu’il faut pour que ce soit des programmes utiles, viendront les questions d’innovation et bien sûr une culture d’entreprise.À ces choses-là, il y a peu de conditions de succès, une fois de plus, il faut des infrastructures. On ne va pas nécessairement former tout ce monde-là sous le baobab, ce n’est pas possible, donc il faut des infrastructures. À côté des infrastructures, il faut des équipements. Vous voulez former des gens pour qu’ils puissent demain réparer les voitures modernes que nous avons, il faut donc des infrastructures. Il faut donc transformer les consommateurs, mais il faut former aussi des formateurs aussi, parce que ce sont des transmissions de métiers. Aujourd’hui, j’ai parlé tout à l’heure, en commençant, j’ai parlé de ces forgerons, ça signifie qu’il faut perpétuer le travail. Après nous avons la recherche et également la recherche pédagogique et le problème, bien sûr récurrent, il faut ajouter des financements à cela.Nous avons donc, une fois qu’on a dit ces choses-là, la responsabilité de l’État en tant que chef de fil. Mais dans l’État, il y a les parlementaires! Il n’y a pas que le gouvernement, parce que les parlementaires ont, non seulement, la capacité de ceux qui votent le budget et la puissance d’interpeler le gouvernement, de contrôler leurs actions et leur dire non, vous ne mettez pas assez d’argent dans l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle, donc vous ne pouvez pas créer les emplois nécessaires pour les jeunes, mais aussi il y a bien sûr les parents d’élèves, les parents eux-mêmes et le plan public et le secteur productif. Nous avons préféré parler de secteur productif et non pas seulement de privé, parce que dans nos États quand on regarde, nos États sont jeunes et généralement c’est le secteur public qui est le plus important. Nous parlons également du privé et de l’informel, parce qu’effectivement l’informel prend une place importante dans nos pays. Il y a l’apprenant lui-même parce qu’un enfant qui va dans un établissement d’enseignement et de formation technique et professionnelle qu’y a-t-il à y faire? Il dit: « Je rentre ici, quand je sortirai, j’aurais la main en poche, je pourrai crâner en me disant que je viens ici parce que demain je serai un patron ».C’est donc une façon différente de voir les choses. Et bien sûr, toutes les questions de genre pour que les jeunes filles, pour qu’on regarde, je ne voudrais pas revenir là-dessus, puisque l’intervenant qui m’a précédé a tellement parlé de ces questions de jeunes filles.Voilà Mesdames et Messieurs, très rapidement présenté ce que représente, ce qu’il faut retenir là de cette stratégie de l’enseignement et de la formation technique et professionnelle. C’est de dire que nous devons changer de paradigme, faire de sorte que l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle soient réellement le point pour créer des emplois.Alors, à côté de tout cela, vient l’éducation elle-même. Cette photo que nous avons présentée, montre des enfants sous le baobab, mais ce n’est pas cela la bonne école. C’est juste pour vous interpeler pour que nous sachions ce que nous allons faire demain. Alors, la même chose, construire une Afrique, gouvernée et dirigée par ses propres enfants, ses propres citoyens et représentant une force sur la scène internationale.Quelle est la vision de l’Union africaine? Mais pour faire cela, cela exige un système éducatif harmonisé et en ce moment la mission qui est donnée à la stratégie continentale de l’éducation 16/25, c’est-à-dire 20162025, nous voulons réorienter le système éducatif et de formation en Afrique afin d’améliorer la qualité de savoir et de savoir-faire, des compétences, de la capacité d’innover et de créativité nécessaire à entreprendre et à entretenir les valeurs de base de l’Afrique; bien sûr, les valeurs de base de l’Afrique et à promouvoir le développement durable aux plans continental, régional et national.La stratégie a également pris une démarche qui est simple, d’abord la motivation de cela, ces stratégies comme si on a montré pour la stratégie de la STISA, c’est les dix premières années de l’Agenda 2063; et donc une des premières motivations c’était de l’Agenda 2063 et aussi du programme consolidé que nous avons eu qui montre la place de l’éducation.Le contexte lui-même, c’est que nous avons travaillé avant, il y a eu des OMD, nous avons évalué les OMD, c’était à Kigali, après Kigali nous sommes allés à Incheon où on a eu la grande Conférence mondiale sur l’éducation et au sortir de là, il y a eu la grande Conférence mondiale qui a transformé les OMD pour en faire les Objectifs de Développement Durable. Et on a sorti les Objectifs de Développement Durable ici en ce [...] vous voyez tout le bas vers la flèche qui va vers le point bleu, c’est l’objectif n° 4 qui intéresse directement l’éducation.Mais ce n’est pas assez, parce que dans les 16 autres objectifs, on ne peut pas les aborder sans éducation. Et Madame la Ministre, tout à l’heure, l’a montré quand on veut parler de questions de genre, on commence par celle de l’éducation. Et bien sûr le reste, les méthodes que nous avons faites pour les élaborer et déjà lors du Sommet de janvier 2016, les Chefs d’États et de gouvernements ont adopté la stratégie continentale de l’éducation.Généralement, en ce qui concerne les ODD, c’est notre réponse à l’objectif 4 des Objectifs de Développement Durable. Dans ce cadre-là, le délai c’est 15 ans. Donc il parle de l’Agenda 2030, mais nous avons fait exprès de dire 2016-2025 parce que nous ne voulons pas tomber dans le piège des OMD; d’arriver à la fin et constater que nous n’avons pas fait grand-chose. Alors, nous voulons nous arrêter 10 ans plus tard, en 2025 comme cela nous aurons le temps d’évaluer ce que nous avons fait afin de réajuster, de sorte que l’Afrique soit tout à fait présente et que nous puissions répondre déjà aux éléments de notre objectif en disant que nous avons fait des progrès. Nous avons donc après 2025, cinq (5) ans pour rattraper le temps et de faire le point du bilan en 2036.La stratégie continentale contient, nous avons fixé des principes directeurs, je ne serai pas long là-dessus. Je vais prendre un qui va introduire le sujet suivant. C’est celui qui parle de mobilité. Si vous êtes tous ici, Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires, cela signifie que l’Afrique s’intègre. Cela signifie que les parlementaires peuvent aller d’un pays à un autre. Il y a donc des questions de mobilité. Alors, nous allons voir ces mobilités! Ce n’est pas seulement le matériel, non, c’est le mouvement des hommes et des biens. Mais quand un homme déménage, non seulement la première chose avec laquelle il déménage c’est son savoir et son savoir-faire. Donc il faut créer des conditions pour qu’il puisse déménager avec son savoir et son savoir-faire, et nous allons revenir sur la question très rapidement.Voilà ce que nous avons abordé dans ce que nous avons appelé: les principes-directeurs. À côté des principesdirecteurs, nous avons également posé le problème des piliers. Quand on veut bâtir une maison, on lui donne des piliers. La stratégie continentale, elle-même, est basée sur une douzaine d’objectifs stratégiques parmi lesquels il faut faire en sorte que dans un délai très court nous n’ayons pas des classes d’enfants où il y a 200 enfants pour un enseignant, 150 enfants pour un enseignant. Non! Il faut donc des infrastructures. Il faut aussi travailler de sorte que chaque fois qu’il y a un conflit dans nos pays, les premières victimes ce ne sont pas seulement les enfants, mais dans les infrastructures. Les premières victimes sont les infrastructures scolaires. On démolie tout, on casse les bâtiments, on casse les tables et après [...] mais on oublie après qu’il faut ramener les enfants après tout cela à l’école. Nous devons Mesdames et Messieurs regarder la possibilité de légiférer demain et cela de sorte qu’en matière de conflit, il faut éviter de détruire ce qu’on a trouvé comme infrastructures scolaires. Regardez, c’est simple, lorsque même les militaires se déplacent, ils se déplacent avec leurs médecins militaires, ils ne se déplacent pas avec leurs écoles, mais ils ont des enfants qui restent. Mais si on détruit les écoles, où est-ce qu’on mettra les enfants? Ça c’est un des points sur lesquels nous nous sommes appuyés sur les deux objectifs de la stratégie.Je peux parler également de l’environnement! À côté de tous les problèmes pédagogiques, je veux parler de l’environnement. Le 1er mars, nous nous sommes rendus à Niamey pour lancer, pour la première fois, pour que ce soit étendu dans tous les pays, la première journée de l’alimentation scolaire, parce qu’on s’est rendu compte, effectivement, que si nos enfants vont affamés à l’école; il est assis, il a mal au ventre, il n’a pas [...] comme on le dit: « ventre affamé n’a point d’oreilles ». Comment vous voulez demander à un enfant de 5, 6 ou 10 ans, qui est à l’école et qui n’a pas mangé, comment voulez-vous lui demander d’aller à l’école? Ce qu’on fait avec d’autres pays, c’est de montrer que l’alimentation scolaire est très importante pour améliorer non seulement la fréquence des enfants à l’école mais aussi de les y maintenir; et particulièrement les jeunes filles à l’école.Donc nous avons également abordé ces questions dans ces stratégies. C’est pour cela que dans l’ensemble de la mise en œuvre de cette stratégie, nous avons dit il y aura les problèmes pédagogiques, les problèmes de recherches mais aussi, comment améliorer l’environnement pour que les enfants puissent aller à l’école. Je ne sais pas si mon prédécesseur l’a dit, mais vous savez que les jeunes filles lorsqu’elles atteignent un certain âge, ne veulent plus aller à l’école tout simplement pas à cause des problèmes pédagogiques, de harcèlements, mais parce que l’école n’a pas résolu le problème de toilettes pour les jeunes filles. Cela n’a l’air de rien, mais vous voulez améliorer le nombre de jeunes filles qui restent à l’école, mais vous n’avez pas regardé qu’il faut des toilettes correctes pour que ces jeunes filles-là puissent aller, parce qu’à un certain âge, elles ont besoin d’aller de façon aisée dans les toilettes.Alors, la stratégie continentale de l’éducation pose également le problème de questions d’environnement, c’est pour cela nous mettons là des possibilités; et on ne peut pas demander cela à seulement au ministre de l’éducation. Non! Le ministre de la santé s’occupera de la santé des élèves; le ministre de la femme, s’occupera [...] chacun doit participer à faire en sorte que les problèmes de l’éducation soient les problèmes de la société parce que les problèmes de l’éducation sont réellement les problèmes de la société.Nous avons obtenu à partir de juin 2015, ici à Johannesburg, lors du Sommet qui a été mis en place pour accélérer le problème de l’éducation, on a mis en place un comité de dix chefs d’États, deux par région, pour que, eux ils se retrouvent pour regarder et faire le point de l’avancement de l’éducation et de rapporter cela au Sommet des chefs d’États.Voilà très rapidement présentée la stratégie continentale de l’éducation.Il me reste à vous exposer la question sur les initiatives de l’Union africaine sur l’harmonisation de l’enseignement supérieur et l’assurance qualité particulièrement, à l’interne simple: la Convention d’Addis-Abeba.Nous allons présenter là, très rapidement les textes que nous avons depuis deux ans fait adopter par l’Assemblée de l’Union africaine, depuis, la question qui concerne l’engagement à mettre un mécanisme d’harmonisation. d’harmonisation et non d’uniformisation. C’est pour cela que moi, je parle ici en français et il y en a qui m’écoutent en anglais, certains en portugais, en swahili, mais tout simplement parce que les interprètes permettent d’harmoniser cela. On n’a pas besoin de parler d’uniformisation. Il faut donc un mécanisme pour cela.Nous voulons avoir la mobilité, je vous l’ai dit au départ, quand on déménage, la première chose avec laquelle on déménage, c’est sa tête. C’est pour cela que nous parlons d’harmonisation. Il faut qu’un enfant qui a été formé en Égypte, lorsque l’Égypte va recevoir d’autres Africains pour les former, quand ils reviennent dans leurs pays, qu’on dise: « Oui, vous avez étéformés en Égypte, c’est bon, vous pouvez travailler en qualité d’ingénieur. Vous avez été formés à Malabo ou à Banjul, donc il faut harmoniser pour qu’on puisse bien sûr [...] sinon il n’y a pas de mobilité à l’intérieur de cela.Donc, l’initiative d’harmonisation de l’assurance qualité de l’Union africaine, nous parlons, d’abord ici, d’harmonisation de l’enseignement supérieur. Nous avons fait la même chose pour l’enseignement et la formation technique et professionnelle. À la base de tout cela donc, vous avez la Convention d’Addis-Abeba et avec sa ratification. La ratification, voici le terme que je suis venu, ici, prononcer de façon forte devant vous. La ratification de la Convention d’Addis-Abeba, parce que c’est le pilier. Il ne peut pas avoir d’harmonisation, s’il n’y a pas cette Convention d’Addis-Abeba parce que c’est la Convention de la reconnaissance des études, des certificats, des diplômes, des grades et des autres types de l’enseignement supérieur dans les États africains.Pour cela, il faut une assurance qualité. Il faut que je m’assure que l’Université qui est à Niamey, quand il délivre un diplôme, c’est sur une certaine qualité. Et il a la même qualité que le même diplôme de même niveau délivré à Nairobi, et le même qui est délivré à Alger. C’est la question de l’assurance qualité qui repose sur des questions simples que nous avons abordées ici, c’est-à-dire quels sont les mécanismes de notation de cela? C’est le point que vous avez à droite [...] et de l’autre côté le [...] qui sont eux des mécanismes d’accréditation. C’est ce qu’on appelle l’accréditation de l’enseignement supérieur pour des connaissances et des chercheurs. Avec cela, nous avons la mobilité académique, nous en avons parlée, c’est le déménagement qu’on fait. Et puis un Professeur d’Université, il faut qu’il puisse traduire ses cours ailleurs et vous savez aujourd’hui, avec l’informatique qu’on se fait, vous avez un enseignant qui parle ici, mais en même temps, son cours est diffusé dans le même moment sur l’ensemble du groupe et cela aussi c’est une forme de mobilité puisque la mobilité, ce n’est pas de se déplacer physiquement. Nous avons les capacités! C’est un travail que nous faisons avec l’Union européenne sur l’équilibre parce qu’il faut bien sûr décrire l’ensemble de ces choses.Je voudrais, compte tenu du temps qui n’est pas de notre côté, la leçon que nous voulons tirer de cela, c’est simplement de dire que nous voulons dire, il n’y a pas, il est impossible de parler de mobilité si nous n’avons pas d’assurance qualité réelle, qui puisse donner, bien sûr nous en tirons des avantages. Et la Convention d’Addis-Abeba est la clé de voûte de tout le système de ratification. Malheureusement, ce que nous constatons est là, la Convention d’Addis-Abeba qui est née de la Convention d’Arusha, qui a été révisée en décembre 2014 et le constat que nous mettons en bas; le constat est amère parce qu’aucun pays africain n’a ratifié la Convention d’Addis-Abeba et je me le permets. Aucun pays africain!Comment pouvons-nous parler de mobilité de cadres, de reconnaissance de diplômes si aucun n’a ratifié et c’est pour cela que nous avons arrêté un plaidoyer conjoint, la Commission de l’Union africaine, l’UNESCO et l’Union européenne et nous avons engagé bien sûr, nous nous adressons aux ministres des enseignements supérieurs. Mais Mesdames et Messieurs, je viens-là m’adresser à vous parce que vous êtes partie prenante des ratifications; j’ai suivi le débat que vous avez fait sur les problèmes de ratification.Mesdames et Messieurs,En repartant dans vos pays, à partir du Parlement panafricain, faites pression, accompagnez-nous dans la pression à faire en direction des dirigeants de nos États pour qu’on ratifie la Convention d’Addis-Abeba. C’est pourquoi, nous avons parlé ici de l’implication des parlementaires au plan régional et au plan national.Je dis que j’allais passer, pour m’arrêter à cela, pour que nous puissions retenir que rien ne pourra se faire en matière de mobilité, de reconnaissance de diplômes, sans la ratification de la Convention d’Addis-Abeba. C’est pour cela que Mesdames et Messieurs, au moment de terminer, je voudrais que vous reteniez ces choses-là, l’importance de l’éducation, les mécanismes qu’il faut pour l’éducation et parmi eux pour l’enseignement supérieur, nous avions demandé de regrouper les parlementaires par région, mais nous avons là une occasion formidable que nous n’avons pas voulu perdre. Une fois, pas de plus, nous voulons remercier la direction du Parlement panafricain de nous avoir donner l’opportunité de vous parler directement de ces questions de ratification, un certain nombre de pays que nous avons touchés en commençant par le pays hôte, c’est-à-dire l’Éthiopie qui nous a promis que dès leur session de juin, ils vont ratifier et après le gouvernement va engager la procédure de ratification.Nous voulons-là montrer très rapidement en ce qui concerne mon département, nous avons donc cette question de la Convention d’Addis-Abeba! Nous avons les statuts de l’Organisation panafricaine de la propriété intellectuelle qui ont également besoin d’être ratifiés, et bien sûr, la Charte africaine de la jeunesse dont nous allons célébrer à Banjul, bientôt, que nous appelons Banjul + 10, le dixième anniversaire, qui n’a pas encore été ratifiée par l’ensemble des États africains.Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires,Je voudrais m’arrêter-là en vous remerciant de votre aimable attention et de vous rappeler que c’est à vous qu’il appartient de ratifier les textes.Merci bien.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0405-153527FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Veuillez vous asseoir!La séance est reprise!Chers collègues,Nous avons suivi avec un grand intérêt les deux exposés. Nous allons en débattre.Nous commençons par l’exposé sur les droits de l’homme avec l’accent sur les droits de la femme.J’ai une liste d’intervenants devant moi, à peu près, de 30 personnes. Conformément à notre Règlement intérieur, chaque intervenant, s’il peut se limiter à deux minutes, cela nous aidera.Le premier inscrit sur ma liste est l’Honorable Jaynet KABILA de la République Démocratique du Congo.Honorable Députée, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0405-153622EHON. JAYNET KABILA [D.R. CONGO]:Thank you, Honourable President, for giving me the Floor.I want to congratulate Madam Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Gambia on her very interesting presentation. It is really not very often that we recognize a talk about the rights of women especially the women in the rural area. I, myself coming from a rural constituency, I usually spend a lot of time there, so, I have seen and I feel and I have lived the challenges that these women go through every day.As I was saying, as you indicated in your presentation, there are simple things that these women need - very simple things like pure water, better education for their children and of course health and definitely small loans to start their small businesses and as little as 20%. I know women who need $20 - only $20 to start their small businesses. I think the challenge for us is the few privileged, as you said while presenting in this Chamber, and people who are Ministers or who are Heads of other Entities. How are we hands on in helping these women and supporting them from the shackles of uncertainty? As we know, 60% of these women live in rural areas.I congratulate you and your country and all those other countries you mentioned in your report with the statistics and achievements in empowering the women. Definitely, you should not only focus on quantity, you should also focus on quality. Quality means having quality education, women having access to education.My country, the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken different measures to empower women and among some of them, I will just mention a few is that we are currently amending our Law - the Family Code to give women more power in decision making. For example, Mr. President, they are supposed to ask for permission from their husbands for example to work or to open bank accounts.Women have the right to own land in my country. All customs and traditions which are against the rights of women are prohibited in the Constitution and so is the traditional law which we have just amended. Any customs and laws against women’s rights is a crime. Our late President nominated a special representative who is in charge of sexual violence and all sorts and forms of violence against women and it is a department which is very active and we have seen so many changes.Thank you once again.THE PRESIDENT:Thank you, dear colleague.The second on my list is Honourable Joseph MBAH NDAM and he is from Cameroon.REFERENCE: 0405-154023EHON. JOSEPH MBAH-NDAM [CAMEROON]:Thank you, Mr President. I want to join my voice to congratulate the presenter for and exposé which stands difficult to challenge. The presenter has captured virtually every aspect concerning the rights of women and the girl child. My preoccupation though is on her introductory chapter where she emphasises the fact that the African Charter marks the 29th anniversary of the operationalisation of the African Commission and also marks the 10th anniversary of the operationalisation of the Court. I want to know how efficient the Commission is. Further, how effective is the Court so that we have to give it a long life?Secondly, we want to acknowledge the fact that most jurisdictions are increasingly giving the rights of ownership of property to the women, but I think that throughout the continent this is an issue which must be handled more promptly and should be a source of sensitisation. I would want to know how far we are faring throughout the continent.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0405-154258FHON. NOURENOU ATCHADÉ [BÉNIN]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais, moi aussi, féliciter Madame la Ministre pour sa présentation, une présentation très claire et c’est pour moi, une première fois, que par rapport à la question des droits de la femme, je n’ai pas entendu les gens pleurnicher; qu’il faut nous donner ceci, il faut nous donner cela.Je crois que c’est un bon exemple que Madame vient de donner aux femmes. Il faut partir des femmes qui ont réussi et pour montrer aux autres femmes qu’il faut se battre pour mériter ce que vous avez au lieu de pleurnicher pour dire qu’on veut ceci, qu’on veut cela. Rien ne se donne gratuitement aujourd’hui! Rien ne se donne, tout s’arrache! La femme doit se battre pour arracher ce qu’elle mérite. En politique surtout, c’est la jungle. Il faut se battre!Donc, je voudrais inviter nos sœurs, nos mamans à apprendre cela à nos petites filles, à nos enfants à la maison. Je crois que c’est là le véritable problème. Dans mon pays, depuis plus de dix ans, la scolarité des filles est gratuite. Aujourd’hui, elle est même gratuite jusqu’en classe de terminale. Malgré ceci, Monsieur le Président, lorsque vous montez dans le niveau supérieur, le nombre de filles dans les classes diminue, parce que quand vous allez dans les basses classes, vous voyez que les filles font plus de 50 %. Mais allez vers les classes de terminale, c’est à peine qu’elles font 20 %. Il y a des pesanteurs sociologiques qu’il ne faut pas négliger [Temps imparti épuisé].REFERENCE: 0405-154515EHON. CHARLES MAJAK ALEER [SOUTH SUDAN]:Mr President and hon. Members, I stand here as advocate for women welfare worldwide and particularly in Africa. I was impressed by the paper presented by Hon. Mama Fatima Singhateh, which is comprehensive and covers many areas.Mr President, I would say that my country is one of the countries which have advanced so much in giving women rights. In our last Government which preceded this new Government which was recently formed, a transition Government of national unity, we have ten women in the Executive, five full ministers and five deputy ministers. This is besides other constitutional appointments. This means that in a few years since we got independence, we have been able to recognise women’s rights. From our experience, during the wars that we fought, women supported men. So, we recognise that and in our constitution now we have reserved 35 per cent for the participation of women. This is highly honoured and nobody goes back on it. In some cases, the percentage of women seems to be more.Mr President, let me tell you about another new phenomenon. When we have women abuse in the so called UN protection camps,...REFERENCE: 0405-154748EHON. THANDI CECILIA MEMELA [SOUTH AFRICA]:Thank you very much, President, and thank you very much to the young woman Fatuma. We should be proud of you.I do not know how far you have gone in actually working around the issue of changing the mindset of men. We cannot close the door; they are part of us, but we have to educate them around the plight of women and children. Right now, in South Africa, there is a law against marriage of young girls to old men. Even on the abuse of young girls, everybody is aware. They are now actually sold as sex workers which kills us. This thorny road has to be worked through with our partners.At the same time, Mr President, the Judiciary has now been changed. They are actually very harsh when they pass their sentences for these abuses...REFERENCE: 0405-154956FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je commence par adresser mes vives félicitations à Madame la Ministre pour la qualité de son exposé, et surtout j’insiste que ces félicitations ne sont pas une simple formalité, mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle dans la mesure où, aujourd’hui, elle a fait son exposé en mettant en exergue les acquis obtenus par les femmes. Cela nous donne au moins de l’espoir. L’espoir est permis et nous commençons à avoir une plus grande visibilité sur notre avenir. Cela est très important.En Guinée également, il faut saluer les efforts qui ont été faits. Je commence par ces acquis et le dernier gouvernement, après les élections, compte 7 femmes. C’est le gouvernement le plus prolifique depuis notre indépendance et pas de moindre, les postes comme les ministères de l’Économie et des Finances sont également occupés par des femmes.Donc, nous félicitons et encourageons tous les autres pays en faire autant.Je crois que le temps est limité et je vais m’arrêter là pour le moment.Merci.REFERENCE: 0405-155120FHON. ROSINE DAGNIHO [BÉNIN]:MerciMonsieur le Président.Je félicite vivement Madame la Ministre à travers son exposé, surtout qu’elle a mis un accent particulier sur la gente féminine.Dans mon pays, le Bénin, il nous reste à faire. Je dis bien qu’il nous reste à faire parce que sur 83 députés, nous ne sommes que 7 femmes députées. Avec le nouveau départ, sur 21 ministres, il n’y a que 3 ministres nommées.Je peux dire que nous avons du pain sur la planche, mais nous sommes à pied d’œuvre pour que les prochaines fois les femmes soient bien positionnées pour que nous ayons assez de députées à l’Assemblée nationale.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 0405-155222PHON. ERNESTO JOAQUIM MULATO [ANGOLA]:Obrigado Senhor Presidente.De igual modo, também felicito a apresentadora do tema sobre os direitos humanos e com enfoque nas mulheres.Eu vou come^ar pelos direitos humanos, no sentido de que a questao sobre os direitos humanos, embora seja algo quase universal, é muito patente no nosso continente e que isso tem a ver também com a débil da nossa própria democracia.Logo, quando nós falamos dos direitos humanos, olhamos também para as nossas institutes e o nosso debate de manha até agora, está a indicar-nos que há grandes fragilidades na nossa democracia em África e com dificuldades que as cartas fundamentais que possam fazer avanzar África nao sao ratificadas. Voltando para o tema em questao, do enfoque das mulheres, nós verificamos que nos nossos países particulares, as senhoras sao muitas vezes movimentadas pelos seus prórios maridos. Logo, isso tem a ver com a violado dos direitos humanos.Temos o caso das raparigas da Nigéria que foram levadas, este é um facto muito visível porque há homens que nao gostam que as mulheres estudem. Na nossa sociedade, ainda temos grandemente esta falha de que proibimos as raparigas...REFERENCE: 0405-155432EFTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much Honourable Member and now I want to give the Floor to Honourable MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK from Ghana.HON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:Thank you Mr. President.Mr. President, I ordinarily would have been congratulating my sister Honourable FATIMA from Gambia if she was an ordinary Gambian. But she is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Colleagues, this is Africa. We need to begin to do things right. Please, if you look at the woman rights issue in Gambia, I wonder whether a Minister in the Gambian Government should be presenting to us issues of woman rights.Mr. President, I will not talk about human rights, I will not talk about amnesty international, but(Interruption by the President)THE PRESIDENT:Honourable Member, MAMA is here like a Professional of Law and not Minister of Justice. We have somebody who will try to give us the common view of the human rights. On Thursday, we are going to talk about Human Rights in A.U. member States. So, you will have the opportunity to bring this issue up.HON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:Mr. President, I disagree with you because when she was making her presentation she made reference to Gambia - she made reference to what Gambia is doing and it is important that even as we engage each other we be truthful. I will be happy if she responds to these issues.HON. MBAH NDAM JOSEPH (CAMEROON):Point of order.HON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:I am only quoting U.N. not any other Organisation, but the U.N.HON. MBAH NDAM JOSEPH (CAMEROON):Point of order, Hon. Member.HON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:A Special Report from U.N. indicates and I quote Mr. President that “the practice in Gambia of torture is the consistent practice by the authorities and avoiding arrest is a mostly preoccupation for the ordinary Gambian”. This is a U.N. report. Mr. President, the West African Justice Court in 2010 made a judgment for them to implement about two journalists - one was killed - the President of Gambian Press...HON. MBAH NDAM JOSEPH [CAMEROON]:Point of Order, Hon. Member.Mr President, thank you for giving me the Floor. Mr President. I think we as a Parliament owe a duty to speak with some decorum. I do not think that we can afford to attack the invitees - the experts we bring onto this floor. I think this Parliament has existed for quite some time. This characteristic way of addressing issues - this has occurred I think the second time that the very colleague is standing up to handle issues that do not look like the Pan-African Parliament and I want to advice that we should have some decorum. We should know that we are officials of a certain standing and that those we invite here should not leave from here and vow never to come back.Thank you very much.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Cher Collègue.D’ailleurs notre Article 44 Alinéa 2 est clair. J’ai bien expliqué. Peut-être que mon anglais n’est pas compréhensible. Nous avons invité Mama. Elle est d’abord Avocate. Donc, c’est une professionnelle de droit. C’était pour qu’elle vienne nous faire la situation de manière générale. Elle peut, par exemple, s’appuyer sur un exemple, mais j’ai dit nous aurons la situation des Droits de l’Homme à l’Union Africaine. Tous les experts peuvent venir ici nous faire un exposé. Quand nous allons commencer à faire les lois cadres, on va appeler les professionnelles de droit pour venir nous montrer comment est-ce qu’on constitue une loi. Je ne pense pas que ces professionnels se rendent dans des pays qui se.. Ce sera toujours des africains et on a toujours quelque chose à reprocher à notre Afrique. Mais également, Cher Collègue, essayez de passionner le débat! Posez votre question a une minute!Je vous remercie.L’Honorable MUNTAKA, vous avez la parole.HON. MUNTAKA MOHAMMED-MUBARAK [GHANA]:Mr. President, I want to beg all of us to know the meaning of Parliament. It means ‘Parlemour’, a centre where we talk freely. That is why every single one of us has immunity both in your home country and here because it is an avenue for you to be able to speak freely. You may disagree with me, but I must have that window of opportunity to air my view. That is what Parliament is about. If it is just about diplomacy, being nice to each other, then Africa will remain where it is. It is important that we confront Gambia with its human rights issues.I am happy; I am sure my sister is very capable. Let me raise the issues for her to have an opportunity to respond to them maybe by the time she leaves here. The issue that I am aware of, she may give answers that may convince me. Why are you running away from the facts? I am not quoting anything and I am not insulting here; I am not saying something personal, but I am raising issues that even the United Nations and all of us have raised concerns about. That is all I am doing. So, please, let me be - let me just mention - you should try to know - the former Minister of Information of Gambia was arrested and impeached for life and do you know his crime? For printing t-shirts with a logo which said: ‘Dictatorship must end now’. And he is now in prison for life.You are talking about the rights of persons with respect to women. A journalist that was killed - the President of Gambian Press Union, named DEDA HIDARA, maybe they have a daughter; maybe they have children of which are daughters; are you thinking about their futures? We need to know that when we meet we talk freely and we talk truly to each other. That is the only way we can improve Africa and get the Africa that all of us want instead of ‘stone washing’.Please, a Justice, Chief Justice of Gambia was dismissed. If the President could dismiss whoever he wants, including the judiciary, do you think there will be woman rights there? There were 50 Ghanaians who were murdered, initially they denied it - later they agreed and paid compensation without trial. Do you think that this is human rights? Let us talk about it; let us give ourselves the opportunity to talk to it. Maybe she may be able to provide better explanations.Thank you very much, Mr President.REFERENCE: 0405-160152EHON. BEATRICE BARUMBA [UGANDA]:Mr President, thank you very much for the opportunity.I would like to thank Hon. Mama Fatima Singhateh for enlightening us on the issues of human rights with particular focus on the rights of a woman.I want to share the experience of my country Uganda. It was not easy before because women were really behind. A woman would come back from somewhere only to find that the man had sold out the land and she would become landless with her children.Mr President, I want to thank the new Government of Uganda headed by President Museveni and Parliament for changing the law. Now, a man cannot sell land without the approval of the woman. I can report that now the attitude has changed because women were seen as second class citizens. Now girls are encouraged to keep themselves in school. Right now, the President has pledged to make sure that every girl in school gets free sanitary towels. It is seen as a cheap commodity, but it was not afforded by many homes.Regarding positions of significance in society, women now hold big positions such generals in the army and others in high ranks in the police.I want to share my experience with hon. Members because early marriages have also been a big problem in Uganda, but now nobody can marry off a young child. Otherwise, they will end up in prison.REFERENCE: 0405-160526FHON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Merci Monsieur le Président, de me donner la parole et j’aimerais bien m’associer à l’ensemble de mes collègues, pour remercier Son Excellence Madame Mama Fatima SINGHATEH, pour sa brillante présentation.Je dois avouer en tant qu’élue femme, la mise en exergue des droits féminins, m’interpelle de façon particulière. Si les droits de l’homme doivent être renforcés dans sa globalité, il paraît tout aussi nécessaire d’accentuer les droits spécifiques de la femme; l’enjeu étant de protéger, respecter, promouvoir le droit de la femme.Cependant, tous les pays membres de l’Union africaine n’ont pas atteint le même degré de développement et les traditions socioculturelles sont différentes d’un pays à un autre. De ce fait, j’aimerais savoir comment toutes ces particularités et les différences vont être prises en compte et être surmontées par l’Union africaine?Quel est le meilleur moyen pour impulser une stratégie commune et une approche d’ensemble de la problématique, tout en prenant le retard ou les avancées des uns et des autres?Par ailleurs, je voudrais accorder une attention particulière à l’ensemble des mesures juridiques promulguées par nos pays respectifs en direction du droit de la femme, mais qui n’ont certainement jamais vu le jour; elles n’ont jamais été mises en application.Aussi, j’aimerais savoir, Excellence, que compte faire l’Union africaine pour évaluer l’état d’avancement de la mise en application de ces mesures et quelles sont les contraintes pour pouvoir trouver des solutions adéquates?Et puis, existe-t-il une stratégie [Temps imparti épuisé].REFERENCE: 0405-160749EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr President. I want to thank my younger sister for her presentation. Mr Speaker and Honourable Members, I will just talk to an issue which is raised here; the question is whether women rights are violated and who is violating women rights. I think when we talk of rights we are really talking of opportunities and choices. If you ask me if women have been given the opportunities as the men either in the past or now, I would say, “in the past no”. I am sitting here today because my father gave me the choice to go to school and kept me in school the same way that he kept my brothers in school. My father did not remove me from the school and gave off me to marry a 90 year old man. He did not remove me from school because the family money was dwindling and he had to make a choice between me and my brother.So, when we talk of human rights, it is a matter of choice and opportunities. What women of Africa are asking is not to give them issues on a silver plate; just give us the same opportunities, just give me the same opportunity and choices that you give to the men and see whether we will not excel. We are as intelligent as the men, we are determined as the men and we have the same sense of belonging, the same sense of achievement as the men, but what has kept us from achieving is the issue of choices and opportunity. I think that is all that we are talking about. We are not saying give it to us on a silver plate.Even in this Parliament you can see that we women in this Parliament. Fewer as we are, we are holding our own and contributing to debates in this Parliament. We are contributing to making sure that Africa is moving in the right direction. So, I do not want those who are not with the women. Do not forget that women are the most valued by even constituents. So, when we come here, let us talk about the issues that will make those constituents who have put us here move forward. Let us talk for the women of Africa because if we do not talk for them, then we really are not likely to move because no country is going to develop where half of the human resources, that is women, are left behind.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0405-161312EHON. CHIEF FORTUNE CHARUMBIRA [ZIMBABWE]:Mr President, I was relaxing. I had been told that my name was called when I was outside.Let me thank the presenter.Mr President, it is true where we live in our societies across the globe that women have been shortchanged in many ways right from adolescence to old age. Most of the issues have already been discussed and it is not my intention to repeat what has already been said.I just want to point out to the presenter when she responds that there is one area which is a bit neglected. You have fought very well in all other areas. It is in the area of men who impregnate young girls. These men sometimes, even young boys, take responsibility over the pregnancy, but the young girl has to suffer pregnancy, bear a child, and cannot fend for herself. I do not see women fighting for other women who usually fall in this plight. Can we also fight for these women because some of them are orphans or they drop out of school due to pregnancy and they are not protected and nobody fights for them.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0405-161501FHON. IGNACE NDEBO AKANDA [RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO]:Honorable Président, je vous remercie pour la parole. Je suis toujours un peu émotionné quand je parle de la femme parce que la femme, c’est la plus belle chose que Dieu nous a donnée.(Applaudissements)Je suis même tenté de chanter pour la femme.Femme noire, femme africaine!Oh, toi ma mère, je pense à toi!Femme des champs, femme des rivières!Oh, toi ma mère, je pense à toi!(Rires dans la salle accompagnés de remerciementstonnés des voix féminines)Bref, Honorable Président, je suis d’accord, tout à fait d’accord avec mes prédécesseurs et je m’embarque avec eux pour les flux de félicitations sur le brillant exposé de notre présentatrice.Je suis parfaitement d’accord avec elle quand elle nous dit qu’il existe des moments comme ceci: [16:15:50] comme disent les juristes, en tant que femmes, nous devons nous arrêter pour réfléchir à l’utilisation que nous allons faire de tous les pouvoirs et des possibilités que nous avons si longtemps réclamés au fil des ans et elles se posent la question de savoir, avons-nous apporté notre juste part de développement national?Avons-nous été les porte-paroles de nos mères, sœurs et filles?Non privilégiées que nous sur le continent?Là, je ne suis pas d’accord, parce qu’elles auraient dû ajouter « les porte-paroles de nos pères, de nos frères et de nos fils » aussi, parce que c’est la mère qui nous donne la vie, à nous tous. Donc, il ne s’agit pas seulement d’une question de femme, Honorable Président. C’est une affaire de toute la nation, parce qu’elles parlent de pouvoir. Le pouvoir ne se plaint pas, Honorable Président. Le pouvoir agit. Donc, elles ont tous les attributs de ce pouvoir pour agir et agir positivement. Ça c’est le premier volet de mon intervention.Le second volet, qu’il peut y avoir des droits humains [MicrcpAone éteint].Excusez-moi, Honorable Président, excusez-moi.Vous allez me donner quand même 15 minutes, parce qu’il y a eu quatre absents, donc je dirais même 20 minutes parce 5 x 4, ça fait 20.(Rires dans la salle)Donc, il ne peut y avoir de droit sans justice. Cette justice doit être appliquée de façon équitable. Tant qu’il n’y a pas d’équité, il n’y a pas de justice, non plus. Qui est-ce qui violente les femmes qui procèdent aux mutilations? Je n’ai jamais entendu dire qu’un homme a procédé aux mutilations. Ce ne sont que les femmes contre les femmes. Et même, en ce qui concerne des postes d’éligibilité, les femmes ne votent pas les femmes. Ce sont les hommes, beaucoup d’hommes qui votent les femmes, parce qu’on les adore, parce qu’on les aime. Mais entre elles, c’est très rarement le cas.Donc, je serai tenté de dire, Honorable Président, que l’ennemi de la femme, c’est la femme elle-même. Je rejoins mon frère qui a dit, tout à l’heure, qu’elles arrêtent de se plaindre. Qu’elles arrêtent vraiment de se plaindre! Qu’elles nous laissent, à nous les hommes, la latitude de se plaindre, parce qu’elles nous ont toujours portés dans leurs bras et réciproquement.Je dis, Monsieur le Président, je vous remercie.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Honorable.Maintenant, je donne la parole à l’Honorable Maria Ivone Bernardo Soares de Mozambique.Maria Ivone!English: 16:18:30She is not in the Chambre!Now I vant to give the floor to Honorable Gloriose NIMENYA from Burundi.REFERENCE: 0405-162109EHON. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA [ZIMBABWE]Are you going to add a few minutes for me Mr President?MR PRESIDENT:No, it is only three minutes.HON. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA:Thank you Your Excellency.I was thinking that, as Members of Parliament from our various countries, we can help our Governments to maintain an undiscriminatory and gender sensitive legal framework by reviewing legislation and removing all discriminatory provisions and legislative gaps that leave women without an effective legal recourse against discrimination. We need to promote comprehensive human rights, educational programmes aimed at an improved knowledge and awareness of remedies available for violations of women and girl’s rights.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0405-163122AHON. SINIYA AHMED NAH [SAHARAWI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]:شكرأ السيد الرئيس،أريد أن أهنئ الوزيرة على العرض الجيد و على مكانتها في حكومتها، وأريد أن أنبه عنايتها للانتهاكات والمعاناة التي تعانيها الناشطات الحقوقيات في الصحراء الغربية، اللواتي يقبعن في سجون المملكة المغربية، فمنهم من قضى نحبه و منهم من ينتظر وهذا كله يجري في صمت مطبق وفي حصار إعلامي مطبق من طرف المملكة المغربيةالاستعمارية،النقطة الأخرى التي أردت إثارتها بمناسبة وضع المرأة و تشجيع المرأة على أخذ المكانة السياسية داخل المجتمع، و أريد أن أنبهكم هنا جميعا أنه هناك شبه قرارات أو توجيهات عمل اتخذها الاتحاد الأفريقي في تمكين المرأة بخصوص فرض أو الزام البلدان على بعث خمس برلمانيين من بينهم إمرأتان، وهذا لم يحترم إلى حد الآن، وأريد من البرلمان ومن إدارة البرلمان أن تحترم هذا التوجيه أو هذا القانون الأفريقي الذي يسعى إلى تمكين المرأة وفرض مشاركة المرأة في الهيئات السياسية القيادية للاتحادالأفريقي.شكرأ.REFERENCE: 0405-163314EHON. TEKLE TESEMA [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you Mr President.It is my first time to be here and to speak.Mr President, I feel that time is one of our major resources, but in relation to time management here in the House, I see some shortcomings.Having said that, the issue of women’s rights is the issue of democracy, development and continuation of being human. In this regard, it is critical to emphasise the issue of women’s rights. When we come to the case of Ethiopia, in our local and regional state councils, we have more than 15 per cent participation of women. At Parliament and at the national level, we now have 38 per cent participation of women. In the last senate we had 27 per cent, but now we have 38 per cent. In the coming elections, we are striving to reach 50 per cent women representation. I do not know why the presenter did not include the Ethiopian case in her presentation. It is better to include it. I wish to inform all African brothers and sisters that unless we include our human resource in development and in democracy, we will not achieve our goals.REFERENCE: 0405-163724AHON. MOHAMED EL-MUKHTAR HASSAN HUSEIN [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكرأ السيد الرئيس، و الشكر موصول إلى السيدة الوزيرة،اسمحوا لي السيد الرئيس أن أشارككم سجل حقوق المرأة في السودان،حضيت المرأة في السودان بمشاركة فعالة في البرلمان بنسبة 30 % من أعضاء البرلمان، وهذا يعني أن السودان قد بلغ النسبة العالمية المطلوبة ويأتي ترتيبه بعد رواندا و جمهورية أثيوبيا في ذلك، ولكن لم يرد ذكر ذلك في تقرير السيدة الوزيرة، كما ألفت انتباه السيدة الوزيرة أيضا أن السودان في الجهاز التنفيذي لديه 25% من النساء كلهن في وزارات سيادية مهمة وكذلك في إدارة الخدمة المدنية، إذ تتقلد النساء مناصب جد متقدمة و هامة، من بينها حتى وكيل وزارة المالية، ضف إلى ذلك وجودهن في سلك الشرطة والقوات المسلحة و في الأجهزة الأمنية و في مناصب رفيعة، و لهن الحقوق نفسها في الحصول على الأراضي مثلهن مثل الرجال، بل إن القانون لا يسمح للرجل أن يبيع منزل الأسرة إلا بموافقة الزوجة و هذا ليس في المدن الكبيرة فقط، فالسودان يولي اهتمام كبير للمرأة في الريف فهو يعطيها النصيب الأكبر في التمويل الأصغر أو التمويل الصغير في الريف، هذا الأخير الذي يكون معظمه للنساء، حتى الأحزاب السياسية سيدي الرئيس تدرك أهمية النساء و أولتهن عناية كبيرة وحتى في الحزب الحاكم والأحزاب الأخرى هنالك نسب لا تقل عن 25 % من النساء في المكاتب القيادية لهذه الأحزاب، و في الانتخابات الأخيرة قدرت نسبة مشاركة النساء السودانيات ب: 62 % من جملة الذين صوتوا، وهن الذين حسمنا الانتخابات في السودان، وفي آخر استفتاء في دارفور أيضا كان لهن نصيب كبير في ذلك،السيد الرئيس،تتعلق نقطتي األخيرة...REFERENCE: 0405-163946EHON. JAMES REAT GONY [SOUTH SUDAN]:Your Excellency, actually I would want to thank Fatima for her presentation and also the colleague from the Sudan. It is good to report also that South Sudan has about 34 to 35 per cent women MPs in our Parliament. So, the Sudan is behind in that sense. The second point is that, Honourable President, I need to congratulate you. This Parliament is now vibrant and proactive.Your Excellency, the challenge is just for women to grab their rights. Women grab your rights.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0405-164114FHON. ALIOU KEBÉ [SÉNÉGAL]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je ne pourrais pas ne pas citer ma consœur de la Gambie parce que la Gambie et le Sénégal sont un seul peuple. Ce n’est par parce que c’est le même peuple que je la félicite, mais je la félicite pour son courage, le courage de se poser certaines questions et de répondre elle-même à ces questions-là.Ma consœur, Madame la Ministre, félicitations!Maintenant, je voudrais revenir sur deuxproblématiques concernant l’excision des filles en Afrique Occidentale, particulièrement. L’année dernière ou il y a quelques mois, je m’étais réveillé et j’ai acheté des journaux au Sénégal. J’ai vu les gros titres et le Président Yahya JAMMEH a eu le courage de dire que« plus jamais d’excision en Gambie ». Et ça depuis, je pense que la Gambie en a assez sur cette question-là.Mon deuxième point c’est la parité. Si on parle de parité homme-femme, je pense que l’exemple du Sénégal est à citer. Aujourd’hui, il y a une loi qui est là, qu’on ne peut pas annuler. Ce n’est pas un Président qui va venir et qui va dire que cette loi ne marche pas, donc, on va prendre autant de femmes et autant d’hommes, mais il y a une loi qui dit que dans toutes les fonctions électives, on doit la respecter la parité, c'est-à-dire un homme/une femme. Donc, ça c’est un exemple à saluer pour mon pays.Alors, Madame, pour la pauvreté, pour l’analphabétisme et pour les filles, je pense que si on n’arrive pas à un moment à enrayer la pauvreté et à envoyer les filles comme les garçons dans les mêmes écoles, comme l’a dit la Quatrième Vice-présidente, on aura toujours la disparité entre l’homme et la femme.Le vrai problème, c’est la pauvreté et l’éducation des [Temps imparti épuisé].M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue.Je voudrais, maintenant, donner la parole à l’Honorable Salek ABDERRAHMAN MUSA du Sahara Occidentale.REFERENCE: 0405-164325AHON. SALEK ABDERRAHMAN MUSA [SAHARAWI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكراً السيد الرئيسأضم صوتي بدوري إلى صوت الزملاء و أشكر ماما فاطمة على هذا التقرير الجيد والإحاطة التي كانت غنية و متكاملة، لاسيما في ذكر الجوانب والتطور المعتبر و الإنجازات التي حققتها أفريقيا في مجال حقوق المرأة و مشاركتها في الحكم وفي مختلف المجالات، وحتى تكون الإحاطة أكثر شمولا السيد الرئيس، لابد من الاستئناس بتقارير المنظمات الدولية والقارية خاصة المنظمات المستقلة منها و تلك المتعلقة بمجال حقوق الإنسان، فما هو موثق مثلا و على سبيل المثال في هذه التقارير، ما تتعرض له المرأة في بعض المناطق من أفريقيا، و أعطي مثالا هنا عن ما تتعرض له المرأة الصحراوية في ظل احتلال الإدارة المغربية، فعندما نقرأ تقارير المنظمات الدولية والقارية مثل تقارير (هيومن رات وتسش) و المنظمات الأفريقية لحقوق الإنسان نجد أن المرأة الصحراوية تعاني اليوم الاضطهاد والتعذيب والاغتصاب والحرمان من أبسط حقوق التعبير، و ليست هي الحالة الوحيدة الموجودة في أفريقيا، و بالتالي من الأفضل و حتى يكون التقرير شاملا إضافة كل ذلك إليه.و شكرا.REFERENCE: 0405-164732PHON. MARIA CATARINA BEUA [ANGOLA]:Muito obrigada Senhor Presidente.Nós queremos juntar a nossa voz a das outras mulheres, os colegas que já falaram aqui, nao só as mulheres como também aos homens.E dizer que a senhora Mama Fatima, o seu trabalho é de uma investigazao profunda porque no seu trabalho faz referencia a todas as conquistas alcanzadas ao longo da caminhada sobre os direitos da mulher e nao só, e também faz referencia aos grandes desafios que ainda nos esperam pela frente porque os direitos humanos sobre a mulher nao terminam nesses aspectos aqui colocados. Tanto é que faz referencia a uma série de perguntas que cada uma de nós deve fazer-se a si própria todos os dias e nao pensar que a nossa luta termina por aqui.A nossa luta continua! Enquanto nós nao estivermos todas unidas e trabalharmos para defesa dos nossos próprios direitos, a nossa luta continua. Tal como diziam os homens, os grandes inimigos as vezes somos nós mesmos.Entao nós no nosso país também já alcanzamos muitas conquistas em relajo a mulher. A grande preocupado do Governo neste momento é a reduzao da pobreza que está no seio da mulher e o empoderamento dessas mulheres para que elas possam também participar de uma forma afincada no desenvolvimento sustentável da economia do país.Também temos as leis que protegem as raparigas e vamos continuar a trabalhar.E muito obrigada senhor Presidente por me ter dado a palavra.Nós queremos juntar a nossa voz...REFERENCE: 0405-165000EHON. SULAIMAN M. SISAY [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President, I thank you and I thank the presenter on human rights issues focused on women.The thesis advanced by her was well researched and documented. I congratulate her for it. If I were to grade her, I would give her an A for her presentation on the research work.ApplauseHON. SULAIMAN M. SISAY:Women and human rights issues are dear to all of us. I am pleased to note that a lot of gains have been made, but more needs to be done. Let me tell you a small example we encountered in Sierra Leone. Just recently we passed the Maputo Declaration on womens rights to own land. No sooner than we passsed the Bill piloted by the former rapporteuer of education here Hon. Isata Kabia now Minister of State Foreign Affairs and the Fourth Vice President Dr Bernadette Lahai, than hell broke loose in Sierra Loene. The muslims and christian organisations raised hell and protested, but thank God Dr Bernadette Lahai and Hon. Isata Kabia were able to educate the religious bodies that a woman‘s right is a human right and it is dear to all of us. I thank them for that.ApplauseHON. SULAIMAN M. SISAY:I am also pleased to note that Gambia, a muslim country, is on its way to ratify...REFERENCE: 0405-165418AHON. KITOUM ABDUL KARIM SULAIMAN ABDULLAH [SUDAN]:األخوة واألخوات واألعضاء بالبرلمان اإلفريقي،السيدة فاطمة سنقايي مقدمة التقرير،شكراً لكم لهذه الفرصة السانحة والشكر موصول لمقدمة التقرير أوضحت لنا فيه وضع حقوق الإنسان بقارتنا أفريقيا،سابدا من حيث انتهى أخي محمد المختار في توضيحه لوضع حقوق المرأة في السودان، إذ نجد أن حكومة السودان لها برامج داعمة للمراة وهي متمثلة في التموين الأصغر بواسطة البنوك،كما تقوم وزارة الرعاية الاجتماعية و ديوان الزكاة بتمكين وسند المرأة بمشاريع خاصة، موجهة للمرأة الفقيرة والأرملة وخاصة المرأة الريفية، وذلك بتدريبها على الصناعات الصغيرة وتمليكها وسائل الإنتاج لإعانتها على تربية أولادها وعلى ظروف الحياة،وأحيي من هذا المنبر الموقر المرأة األفريقية المناضلة التي تعمل في األدغال والتي مازالت تقف لكي تكسب كل حقوقها كاملة،ونحن كنساء في البرلمان األفريقي سوف نسعى بكل جهدنا لتلبية كل حقوق المرأة في القارة الموحدة.وشكرأ.REFERENCE: 0405-165620EHON. ABDULRAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Thank you, Mr President. Just to say that if I were also to grade this very paper, I will give Mama Fatima an A, but if I were to mark the same paper in Nigeria I will give her probably an E because of the fact that we are faced with a very strategic problem in Nigeria where young girls of the age of 18 to 21 or 22 were kidnapped by terrorists, 276 of them from a secondary school and no example was cited of that. It is very painful. I would love to say that some of these children that were kidnapped have been impregnated and their parents are under very serious threats.If you go to Nigeria, because of the activities of Boko Haram or terrorists all over Africa and the world, indeed, the girl child education is not just there. Children do not go to school any longer. Yet you read a paragraph here that tells you, “This decade has seen unprecedented increase in the number of girls getting access to quality education”. This decade has been too backward. We are moving one step forward, two steps backwards. We want a situation where we will have an example in a Pan-African way; in fact I will need solidarity of PAP to give us just one minute in honour of these children who are now nowhere to be found. It is a sad matter and these are rights that should be discussed.On the issue of getting positions, women say that what a man can do a woman can even do better. In that case, women have the freewill to do it. We will encourage them to get to our positions, but please when we are given an opportunity to discuss issues that will affect several African countries there is need for us to emphasise inequality, the rights that have been deprived, children who cannot go to school, who cannot even eat, who have...REFERENCE: 0405-170002PHON. FRANCISCA DOMINGOS TOMÁS [MOZAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigada Senhor Presidente.Agradecer, em primeiro lugar, a informado que tivemos através da Procuradora Geral que foi muito concisa, de forma a esclarecer, espelhando assim a real situado dos direitos da mulher em África.Em Mozambique, nós já ratificamos todos os instrumentos aqui referenciados relativos aos direitos da mulher, a Convengo das Na^oes Unidas sobre a Eliminazao de todas as Formas de Discriminazao Contra as Mulheres, também já aprovamos várias leis em relazao aos Direitos da Mulher.Neste momento, a nossa Constituizao preconiza o princípio da universalidade e de igualdade do género.Gostaríamos também de compartilhar com Vossa Excelencia em relajo aos desafios no meu país que é a revisao da Lei das Sucessoes e do Código Penal; a Lei das Sucessoes é em relazao aos herdeiros porque o que nós assistimos é que quando um homem perde a vida, a família de marido é que leva todos os seus bens, a mulher nao tem direito.Neste momento, em Mozambique estamos a rectificar para que esta mulher também tenha os seus direitos igual a dos homens.A promozao da participazao da mulher a nível rural nos Governos locais de Administrazao Pública é um dos desafios que nós temos porque contribuirá para assegurar a capacidade de resposta das instituizoes aos direitos, prioridades e necessidades das mulheres porque é lá onde reside a nossa maior atenzao.E gostaríamos de privilegiar o acesso aos serviços essenciais e infra-estruturas, também é um desafio, incluindo água e saneamento, protecçâo social, transportes, serviços financeiros, educaçao e cuidados de saúde, informaçao e tecnologia. E esta última parte é muito importante para que a mulher melhore o seu trabalho.A terminar, caros colegas, gostaria de recordar a todos os colegas aqui presentes que investir na mulher é investir na sociedade, pois ela é motor de todos nós.Nao nos esqueçamos, que nascemos dela, crescemos dela e evoluímos dela e é ela quem educa a nossa sociedade e educa a todos nós.Muito obrigada Senhor Presidente.REFERENCE: 0405-170246AHON. MAI MAHMOUD ERAHIM [EGYPT]:شكرأ سيادة الريئس على الكلمة،فهي أول كلمة لي كمصرية داخل البرلمان األفريقي،و الشكر موصول لماما فاطمة على العرض الممتاز الذي عرضته علينا، ولكن لي عتاب بسيط على التقرير الذي لم يتطرق إلى المرأة المصرية، فالمرأة المصرية هي من قامت بثورتين ضد الفساد الذي كان موجودا في مصر، و هي ذاتها من وقفت في الشوارع قبل الرجل لتنقذ أسرتها وتنقذ أولادها من مصير لم يكن معلوم على أيدى جماعات لم نكن نعرف عنها إلا انها جماعات تدعي العمل باسم الدين واتضح أنها جماعات إرهابية، كما أود أن أوضح أن تمثيل المرأة في البرلمان المصري تعدى نسبة 14 وهي نسبة لم تكن موجودة في البرلمانات المصرية السابقة، نحن الآن 89 إمرأة مصرية داخل البرلمانووفقا للدستور المصري، هناك مجالسمحليات و التي وضعت نسبة 25% وفقا للدستور للمرأة، و نسبة 25% أيضا للشباب ضف إلى ذلك أن الرئيس المصري عبد الفتاح السيسي دائما يتحدث عن دور المرأة المصرية وتمكينها داخل الكيانات والأماكن المختلفة، كما أنشات مصر مجلسا قوميا للمرأة و كذا مجلسا قوميالالمومة والطفولة، كما قضت على التمييز في التعيينات و ذلك من خاللتعيين إمرأة قاضية،ووضعت حد لمنح الجنسية المصرية، حيث كانت تمنح فقط لمن ولد من أب مصري، فأصبحت الآن تمنح أيضا لمن ولد من أم مصرية، أنشأنايضا محاكم لألسرة، صندوق لنظام التأمين...REFERENCE: 0405-170457EHON. SHITAYE MINALE (MRS) [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you Mr. President.I would like to thank the Arttorney-General from Gambia for her presentation. I am very happy this time that men and women are equally concerned in talking about decisions. So, this issue becomes the issue of both men and women so we can push it forward.Regarding the empowerment of women, I believe that and it is a general truth that women right is a human right. We cannot improve or we cannot be successful in bringing development or democracy without the equality of men and women. The same goes for education. I believe that education is the key for women. It brings us to independence and it brings us confidence to compete with men.The other thing, that is economic empowerment, is again the most important thing. Without economic empowerment we cannot be empowered in politics. It is the most important thing. If you take my country, Ethiopia, land is equally distributed between men and women by law under the Family Law and the Constitution. I would like to commend some of my colleagues who said that women are enemies of women.It can be true but women are growing in society, yet they are not recognised. We cannot be out of the society. If you take women, we are not confident as women because... (THE PRESIDENT INTERRUPTED).To conclude this issue (one minute only) We are growing in a society that is not giving recognition and confidence to women because we are part and parcel of society..Thank you.REFERENCE: 0405-171223ETHE HON. MAMA FATIMA SINGHATEH, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE OF THE GAMBIAThank you very much Honourable President. Before I respond to some of the issues raised by Honourable Members of Parliament I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the Members of this Parliament for their contributions and questions that I will attempt to answer. However, before I do that, Mr President, I would like to say a few words.When I was invited to come and address the Assembly I was a bit hesitant, but upon reflection I said to myself I should be in a position to come and address Parliament. Why? Because I have been given an opportunity to be educated and I have been given an opportunity to be in the position I am as a relative young woman, African, Muslim in Africa. So, I think I should be very proud of myself.ApplauseThank you. So it was not difficult to do this research because I wanted it to have a positive and upbeat approach. That is why I took the approach that I did. First, let me apologise to countries that I did not mention, it is not a report it is just a presentation based on the research I did and based on my views.With regard to the comments made by Ghana and Mauritius I hear what they are saying and whilst they were talking I took the opportunity to just Google Ghana and Mauritius. Trust me there are many human rights issues that affect their countries too, but in order to be able to see things in perspective we need to understand that no country has a perfect human rights record. I am not here to defend any country neither am here to accuse any country. It will be very irresponsible of me to be invited here to talk on women’s rights and then I start accusing countries for their violations.So, I will address the issues that are raised by Members of Parliament as they relate to what I presented. One of the issues that were raised was by the Honourable Member from Cameroon. He talked about how effective the Commission was and how effective the Court was, I believe. I think it is very important that we talk about the reason why we should be celebrating human rights and women’s rights in particular. It is the fact that we have come a long way as a continent and we have come a long as different institutions within the African Union itself.One of the institutions within the African Union is the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. Its headquarters is in Banjul in the Gambia and twice a year we host different members from the African Union who come together and talk about the human rights issues. This is a forum where we celebrate and also chide countries for their lack of or need for improvement in their human rights record. So I think the Commission is very relevant and it continues to be very relevant and useful because we know we do not have perfect systems, but we need an institution or forum where we can look at each others’ records and see where we have done well, where we need to improve and how we can do better.With regard to the African Court, it is very relevant. Unfortunately, it has not got much recognition. I am not here to defend any institution; I am just giving you my own perception. It has not got enough recognition, but if every country is to embrace the African Court I think it will be a source of good. I know some countries are actually advocating for it to have more visibility and more effectiveness so that we can do away with ICC and focus more on the African Court. That is a debate I am not ready to get into. Just to answer your question as to how relevant these institutions are, I think they are very relevant within our context and I think we need to give them more attention and more support to be more useful to us.I would also like to respond to the issue raised by the Honourable Member from South Africa on the platform for educating women on women’s rights. I think we do know the platform for raising awareness on women’s rights. Honourable Members talked about how women have been given so many rights and that they have everything, but are not making use of it. I think there are opportunities, but because of our physical and biological make-up we are naturally vulnerable. So that is why we need to not only raise awareness on our rights, but we need to educate and empower our women so that they can say no this cannot happen to me or I refuse for this to happen to me or when it happens to me these are the other means I turn to, to seek redress.I say this because our physical make-up makes us vulnerable to abuse; sexual abuse, vulnerable to physical and domestic violence, sexual violence, we are usually the most vulnerable victims in areas of conflicts. So, if we continue raising awareness on the rights of women and creating opportunities and avenues where they can protect their rights or could seek redress for the protection of their rights, I think it is a step in the right direction.This is a good forum to begin with. You are all Parliamentarians in your own rights. So, when we talk about legislation, we talk about not only ensuring that we provide for the rights of women, but also we have these institutions in place that women could go to for redress. So, that is very important. I agree with you that there has to be a platform for advocating for women’s rights. I think we need to continue talking about ensuring the empowerment of women and protecting their rights.I feel generally I have talked about all the issues or questions that were raised. This was not a report, but just a presentation. So, I apologise to those countries that were not mentioned like Sudan. I commend them, and we need to continue encouraging each country to promote the rights of women. I thank you all for giving me this opportunity to appear before you and address you the best way I know how.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0405-172120EHON. JOSEPH MBAH-NDAM [CAMEROON]:Mr President, thank you for giving me the Floor once more.I want to say that the topic is a very difficult one, but the presentation was so light and incessantly displayed in such a way that even those of us who are not of the ITC region, not of the android age have been able to understand that professionalism is the rule of the day.I want to thank the presenter for having brought this topic right down to earth and giving us all the strategies that we need, the orientation in terms of education which we need at the technical and scientific world. The scientific world has become the rule of the day and Africa too needs to emulate that. This is a time for us as people’s representatives to assimilate these notions in order to orient education in our various countries. I remember that yesterday the whole thing was grammar education. The world is going technological-wise and I think this is a topic we need to explore more and more. I go back from here with lots of lessons to expatiate in my own country as to the orientation of education, technical and technological-wise.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0405-172734EDR. BERNADETTE LAHAI [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr President. Let me thank His Excellency for his brilliant presentation. We wish we had enough time to really debate because education is key to everything. The human being at birth needs education to be what he or she would be in adult life. If you remembered yesterday when Mr Robert, the representative from Sierra Leone was giving his statement, he did stress education. Most importantly, he did stress TEVT education, which is technicalvocational education as the key for the liberation of Africa. I am not surprised that his Excellency also did dwell on TEVT. It is not going to be the PhDs and Masters, and even the fourth degree that is going to move Africa. It is the middle level manpower education. The HNDs, the ONDs are going to train people to provide basic social services in our communities. That is what is what is going to be the key.I am surprised that the Addis Ababa Convention has not been ratified by any African country. My question first of all, is can you give us the statistics on how many have signed? It is very important. Also what type of advocacies have you mounted since the adoption by the Heads of State of this important Convention? I want to confess that even in this Parliament, not everybody may have seen the Convention; not everybody may be aware of this Convention. If Members of Parliament are not aware of this Convention, how would they take it to their parliaments? How will they promulgate questions, say to Ministries of Education, to see...REFERENCE: 0405-173011AEF(Arabic)HON. MEMBER/PRESIDENT [POINT OF ORDER]:نقطة نظام،شكراً أخي الرئيس،لقد تقدمت بطلب للحديث منذ حوالي 21 دقيقية و رفض الطلب ولم أسمع بأنك منعت تقديم الطلبات ولذلك أود أن أفهم ؟5.30.38 (French)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Cher Collègue, vous pourrez bien vous exprimer. Vous avez demandé la parole à quel sujet?THE PRESIDENT:Yes you have the floor.5.30.53 (Arabic)طلبت عن طريق اإلستمارة فرصة للحديث ورفضت من قبل السكرتارية، ولم نسمع بأنك منعت أو أوقفت فرص الحديث لذلك أود أن أفهم.5.31.08 (French)HON. GEOFREY LUNGWANGWA (ZAMBIA):I thank you.Mr President, I would also like to join colleagues in thanking our presenter for a very comprehensive and clear presentation.Mr President, the presentation has raised a very fundamental question and that is the need for a paradigm shift in our thinking about education on the continent and the challenges of development. Clearly, issues of research, innovation, entrepreneurship, skill development, vocational training, and relevance of education will only be meaningful if we pay attention to the question: On what is our educational system anchored? That is very paramount. We have not adequately addressed this problem since our Independence in most of our countries. Most of our countries inherited a very narrow capitalistic economy whose educational system is highly selective, highly competitive and serving a small elite. With the emulsification of education after Independence there has been a big mismatch between education and a small capitalistic economic system which was predominantly based on primary commodities for export.Now, we need to relook at the match between education and the economy and the match would be to look at the resources that are at our disposal in our respective countries and to link educational development to the available resource base. That is when entrepreneurship in education, training for skills development in education, research and so on and so forth, will be more meaningful and education will be more realistic to our development. So, this requires a paradigm shift. This is at the core of the presentation that...M. LE PRÉSIDENT:On va vous donner la parole. Mais j’ai dit que les papiers que vous ajoutez, ça vous ajoutez en Volume III.La parole est à l’honorable Professeur Geoffrey Lungwangwa de la Zambie.REFERENCE: 0405-173702AFHON.FAYCAL TEBBINI [TUNISIA]:شكراً السيد رئيس برلمان أفريقيا، شكراً الزملاء أمامنا تقرير قيم لمعالي مارتين إكونجا حول البحث العلمي و التعليم العالي خصوصا التعليم العالى كاهم ما وقع التركيز عليه هو تحقيق الأمن الغذائي و القضاء علي المجاعة في أفريقيا وهذا يتوافق مع ما قاله أكبر باحث عالمي عندما قال لن تكون هناك حروب في العالم ما لم تبقي هنالك بطون خاوية، مقدم التقرير تحدث علي جعل الصحراء منتجة، نحن مع البحوث لكن هنالك شيئ أسرع و هو تثمين المنتوجات الإفريقية خضوضا في قطاع الفلاحة هنالك دول أفريقية تستورد من أوروبا ومن قارات أخرى، كنت أتمنى أن يقع الحديث في هذا التقرير على سوق أفريقية مشتركة لتثمين المنتوج الفلاحي والمنتوج في جميع القطاعات التي يقع إنتاجها في أفريقيا لأن ما ينقصنا اليوم كيفية التجارة الداخلية ما بين دول أفريقية، نرجع إتفاقية أديس أبابا التي لم يقع المصادقة عليها وهذا مؤسف.REFERENCE: 0405-174125FAM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup. Le débat général est clos. Je voudrais inviter, monsieur Martial Ikounga, à répondre aux questions. Monsieur le Commissaire, permettez-moi de bâcler une préoccupation. C’est celle de la ratification des instruments juridiques de l’Union Africaine.Aujourd’hui, j’y semblais être étonné, quand je vois dire que depuis l’Organisation de l’Unité Africaine à l’OUA, il y a près de cinquante-quatre (54) instruments juridiques qui ont été signés, que personne ne connait et qui ont de la peine à être ratifiés. Vous voyez donc, on n’est pas seul dans cette situation. Le Commissaire vous a amené un cas typique qui montre que quand nos chefs se réunissent, on a de la peine à faire ratifier.Commissaire, vous pouvez répondre à vos questions, tout en apportant des éléments de réponses pour ceux qui veulent d’autres. Mais moi, je suis convaincu qu’il s’agit tout simplement de procédure dans les Etats ou peut-être de la volonté politique.Je vous donne la parole, monsieur le Commissaire.شكراً السيد الرئيس على هذه الفرصة وعلى هذا التقدير وأكن لك كل الإحترام في ما يخص وضع الإستراتيجيات ، أنا أشكر المقدمة للورقة هي ورقة ممتازة وعلمية والقاعدة الإستراتيجية يعني تعلمنا أن هنالك سبع عناصر تمل عناصر قوة الدولة أو قوة الجماعة أو قوة الاتحاد وأذكرها وهي وردت في شكل مصطلح والمصطلح ورد باسم (سیمبیست) هذه تمثل عناصر القوة الإستراتيجية و هذه إذا لم تبنى بتواصل من كل الدول و توافق من كل الدول ويكون عندها مسار إستراتيجي لا يكون هناك فائدة في التخطيط الإستراتيجي لذلك نؤد أن نحمل دولنا بلادنا الإفريقية على بناء إستراتيجية ولو في أقل حالاتها حتي ولو في واحدة أو ثنان من عناصر هذه القوة حتي نكون نحن في دول أفريقيا أتممنا بناء إستراتيجية موحدة و إلا لن تكون هناك إستراتيجية لأي دولة لها فائدة للقارة دون...Arabe: 17:42:33–17:42:47السيد الرئيس بإحترامي لكم في تسيير الجسة ليس من المعقول هنالك من نعطيه فرصةFrench: 17:42:50–17:42:57M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Le débat général est clos.Monsieur le Commissaire, vous avez la parole.Arabe: 17:42:58–17:43:22سيدي الرئيس هذه ليست طريقة لتشجيع النواب على التدخالت ال يعقل أن يكون هناك من تعطيه فرصة ليكمل المعلومة وأخر ال يكمل المعلومة لوكان العمل بالمثل مع الجميع لقبلت...عادي جداFrench: 17:43:22M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Cher collègue, je vais vous donner la parole. Mais on a déjà clôturé le débat général. Demain, je vais vous donner la parole 2 à 3 fois. Mais pour ce sujet, on a clôturé le débat. Vraiment, je vous en prie, respectons notre Règlement. Je vais vous donner la parole demain 5 fois. Ne partez pas! Je vous en prie. Non!Arabe: 17:43:42 -17:43:57لست أريد الكالم من أجل الكالم أردت أن أكمل المعلومة التي بداتها، ليس الحديث في ما ال يعنيFrench: 17:43:58M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Monsieur le Commissaire, veuillez vous asseoir. Vous avez la parole.Arabe: 17:44:07أعتذر من الزمالء أعتذر من السيد المقدم التقرير أعتذر من الجميع أردت تبليغ المعلومة وأعتذر للسيد رئيس البرلمان اإلفريقي و السالم عليكم.REFERENCE: 0405-174408AFHON. MEMBER:أعتذر من الزمالء،أعتذر من السيد مقدم التقرير،أعتذر من الجميع،أردت تبليغ المعلومة فقط ال غير،أعتذر السيد رئيس البرلمان األفريقي،والسالم عليكم.17.44.08-17.44.22 (Arabic)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Monsieur le Commissaire, je m’excuse de vous avoir donné (Inaudible) de répondre.Cher Collègue, vous aurez la parole demain autant que vous avez à demander et ça donne des leçons aux autres de terminer leurs interventions parce que ça donne comme impression que le Président fait du favoritisme alors que ce n’est pas de cela qu’il s’agit. Vous aurez la parole demain autant que vous l’aurez, je vous le promets.REFERENCE: 0405-175654FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Honorables membres, conformément à l’article 60 du Règlement Intérieur, nous avons reçu l’avis de motion suivant:Motion pour remercier l’honorable Ashebir Woldegiorgis, ancien Deuxième Vice-président du PAP. La motion sera inscrite à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux à partir du lundi 09 mai. Le Secrétariat, prenez note.Chers collègues, nous sommes arrivés péniblement aux termes de nos travaux de ce jour. Je vous remercie pour les efforts que vous faites et le courage que vous manifester pour tenir jusqu’au bout. Donc, nous sommes venus ici pour travailler, il faut redoubler d’ardeur au travail. Je remercie le Commissaire, pour la peine qu’il s’est donné et madame la Ministre. Nous n’avons pas d’annonce. La séance est suspendue. On reprendra demain à 09 heures.(Coup de maillet)(La séance est suspendue à.)
Thursday, 5th May, 2016
[THE President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observed(Coup de maillet)(La séance est reprise à....)La séance est reprise.Excellence monsieur le Premier Vice-président,Excellence mesdames les Vice-présidentes,Messieurs et mesdames les Présidents des caucus régionaux,Madame la Présidente du caucus des femmes,Monsieur le Président du caucus de l’homme...,Mesdames et messieurs les députés,Je vous adresse mon salut fraternel et vous remercie d’avoir honoré notre rendez-vous de ce matin. Je voudrais saluer la présence parmi nous de deux interprètes, qui nous assistent pendant toute la durée de nos travaux. Je sais que nous travaillons dans des conditions assez stressantes, lorsqu’il m’arrive de vous revoir tous dans la chambre, je suis très heureux de vous savoir en bonne santé et de venir vaquer à votre tâche.Ceci étant, Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, je vous donne la parole, pour nous donner la suite de l’ordre du jour.THE CLERK:Good morning your Excellencies,This morning we have administration of oath by one Member and swearing-in of this new Member.LE PRESIDENT:L’ordre du jour appel la prestation de serment.THE CLERK:Our second item would be the invitation of the guest.In accordance with Rule 9, we are now calling upon Honourable KHADIJETOU MAMADOU DIALLO of Mauritania to come and be sworn-in.Arab 09:06:27 -09:08:11LE PRESIDENT:Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole pour les prestations de serment.THE CLERK:I now call on Honourable El Sied Ali Ammed FOLEFI of Egypt.I think he is not in the House at the moment.Do we have Honourable ABDOU HAM of Niger?Honourable Betty APIAFI from Nigeria?Honourable CAESAR BAYEH LAYOLALA from South Sudan and HonourableSteven Julus MASELE from Tanzania and finally, Honourable Benny RAH from Nigeria.It looks like the Members have not arrived yet.HON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN:Mr. President, may I address you on a point of order please!THE PRESIDENT:Yes Madam!HON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN:I would like to address you on a point of order and procedure.In procedure, it is normal for the Clerk of the Parliament to confirm before-hand, at least 15 minutes before the commencement of the session that those members who are about to be sworn-in had actually taken their seats up in the waiting bay.It is a poor reflection that their names are called out and then the Clerk of the Parliament stands there and wonders where they are. It is also insulting to those Members because their names are now in Hansard and it reflects as though they were not here on time.So, on a point of procedure, Mr. President. I submit that proper procedure needs to be followed.I thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci, Madame le deputé. Cette fois-ci, on a été signalé ce matin ici. On nous a bien signalé votre présence à l’hémicycle. Donc, s’ils sont en retard, le Secrétaire Général était informé, que ces personnes devaient être-là. Il faut parfois aussi un peu d’indulgence, madame. Ce n’est pas la faute du secrétariat. On nous a dit que ces gens sont-là.Secrétaire Général, un autre point inscrit à l’ordre du jour.Je vous remercie, Madame Ce n’est pas, par ignorance la procédure, mais quand on vous qu’elle est là et qu’il n’arrive pas, on fait quoi? Si on ne l’appelle pas, cela crée l’incident. On l’appelle, cela crée l’incident. Il faut que les gens soient là à l’heure.THE CLERK:Point noted!We have Dr. SAYED FOLEFA from Egypt.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Voilà, ce n’est pas de notre faute.Arab: 09:13:14 - 09:15:38M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole.THE CLERK:Honourable Members, we have a message of solidarity.I would now invite the President to invite the Member.His Royal Highness Honourable ABOUBAKARI ABDOULAYE, LAMIDO OF REY BOUBA, VicePresident of the Senate representing the President of the Senate of Cameroon to deliver his message.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues, conformément à notre Règlement Intérieur, j’invite son altesse royale, Lamido Rey Bouba, le Sénateur Abdoulaye Aboubakary, représentant personnel, du Président du Sénat du Cameroun, à faire son entrée dans la chambre et sa délégation.Excellence monsieur le Premier Vice-président, du Parlement Panafricain,Excellence mesdames les Vice-présidentes,Mesdames et messieurs les Présidents des caucus et régionaux,Mesdames et messieurs les Présidents, des commissions permanentes,Madame la Présidente du caucus des femmes,Monsieur le Président du caucus des jeunes,Mesdames et messieurs,Je voudrais au nom de tous les membres du Parlement Panafricain et à mon nom propre, souhaiter la bienvenue au représentant personnel du Président du Sénat du Cameroun, son Excellence le très honorable Abdoulaye Boubakary, Sénateur et Premier Viceprésident du Sénat, représentant personnel de son Excellence, Monsieur NIAT NJIFENJI invité à délivrer un message de solidarité à l’ouverture de notre session qui, pour des raisons d’État, n’a pas pu effectuer le déplacement.Avant d’être Sénateur, le Premier Vice-président est Administrateur Civil Principal. Diplômé de l’Ecole Nationale d’Administration du Cameroun et il a occupé de haute fonction dans l’administration camerounaise. A la présidence de la République et au ministère de l’agriculture, comme Secrétaire d’Etat, puis Ministre Délégué. Cependant, son Excellence Monsieur le Premier Vice-président est aussi Lamido du plus grand Lamida du Cameroun, le Lamida Rey Bouba, bien connu de ceux qui s’intéressent au Cameroun. Vous avez donc devant vous, le symbole de l’Afrique actuelle à la fois tournée vers la modernité et riche de ces traditions.Excellence, au moment où vous allez prendre la parole, nos honorables parlementaires ont plusieurs préoccupations dont la principale est la signature puis la ratification par votre pays du Protocole à l’Acte constitutif, adopté à Malabo le 25 juin 2014. Au regard de la grande crise économique qui sévit dans nos Etats et des maux qui les minent, à savoir le terroriste, la maladie, le changement climatique, la médiation de jeune pour ne citer que ceux-là. Le Parlement Panafricain pourra, si ce Protocole est ratifié, par un nombre suffisant de pays, dont le votre a adopté des lois qui auront pour effet, une fois adopté par les Parlements nationaux de servir les intérêts du continent africain.Excellence Monsieur le représentant personnel du Président du Sénat du Cameroun, je vous invite à prendre la parole pour délivrer votre message.Une fois de plus soyez les bienvenus.(Acclamations)REFERENCE: 0505-091957FSON ALTESSE ROYALE HON. ABOUBAKARI ABDOULAYE, LAMIDO DU REY BOUBA, VICE- PRÉSIDENT DU SÉNAT, REPRÉSENTANT DU PRÉSIDENT DU SÉNAT DU CAMEROUN:Monsieur le Président,Chers Parlementaires,Je voudrais, d’entrée de jeu, vous remercier pour votre accueil, remercier le Parlement panafricain pour l’encadrement qui nous est réservé depuis notre arrivée, hier.Je voudrais, en ma qualité de Premier Vice-président du Sénat du Cameroun, délivrer le message de solidarité qu’avait préparé le Président du Sénat, Son Excellence Monsieur NIAT NJIFENJI Marcel, qui, pour des raisons d’État, a été empêché et qui m’a demandé de venir humblement devant vous délivrer le speech qu’il avait préparé à votre endroit.Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Mesdames et Messieurs les Parlementaires,Mesdames et Messieurs,C’est pour moi à la fois un grand honneur et un bonheur de prendre la parole devant le parterre formé de Parlementaires issus de différentes Chambres parlementaires de notre continent.Ce Parlement qui œuvre avec ouverture, sagesse et modernité au service de l’intérêt général et de leur pays et de l’Afrique.Ce d’autant que c’est un fait exceptionnel et sans précédent de voir le Président du Sénat du Cameroun s’exprimer devant le Parlement panafricain, eu égard au jeune âge du Sénat et des relations fort anciennes entre votre auguste Chambre et le Parlement de mon pays.Je remercie donc très sincèrement le Président du Parlement panafricain pour l’honneur qui m’a été fait. Je suis heureux de constater que l’élection de notre compatriote à la tête du Parlement panafricain est intervenue au moment où votre Assemblée est entrée dans une phase de profonde mutation.En effet, vous le savez, le Protocole de Malabo laisse la voie ouverte à la mise en place d’un Parlement aux responsabilités plus accrues sur le plan continental. Le rôle législatif qu’il est appelé à jouer dans le cadre de l’application de ce Protocole est le signe du renforcement de la démocratie dans notre continent, et la volonté de nos États de gérer en commun les secteurs primordiaux touchant à la vie de nos populations.Dans cette perspective, les problèmes relatifs aux droits de l’homme, et notamment ceux relatifs aux droits de la femme et de l’enfant, constituent, sans nul doute, des préoccupations essentielles pour nos États.Le Cameroun, quant à lui, les a placés au cœur de sa préoccupation. Ces questions constituent l’élément principal de la politique et la règle démocratique. Les libertés d’expression, de religion, de manifestation et de libre choix des dirigeants qui sont reconnus par notre Constitution.À ce sujet, qu’il me soit permis de rappeler que dans mon pays existent plus d’une centaine de partis politiques, plusieurs médias d’obédiences diverses. De même, y coexistent en toute liberté et de toute façon pacifique, toutes les croyances religieuses et philosophiques.S’agissant des droits de la femme, je m’en presse de souligner ici d’emblée, qu’en plus de l’adhésion par le Cameroun aux grandes Conventions internationales en la matière, le Président Paul BIYA a fait de la promotion de la femme un des principaux axes de sa politique. Actuellement, les femmes occupent des postes de responsabilité dans les secteurs de la vie nationale. Elles sont colonels, elles sont recteurs d’universités, elles sont ministres, elles sont présidentes ou directrices générales de sociétés, elles sont préfets, et j’en passe. J’ajouterai - et ce n’était pas dans le discours - que même dans la tradition, elles sont chefs traditionnels.Au niveau du Parlement camerounais, les femmes occupent une place de choix. Elles détiennent 30 % des sièges à l’Assemblée nationale et 20 % au Sénat. Je souligne également que mon parti, le Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais - le parti du Président de la République - impose à toute élection la présence d’au moins 1/3 des femmes parmi les candidats, sinon la candidature est rejetée.La politique de promotion de la femme est mise en œuvre par un département ministériel dédié à la condition féminine. Les objectifs que poursuit ce ministère sont notamment une meilleure éducation de la jeune fille, la prise en compte des problèmes de la mère et de l’enfant et de ceux liés à la famille.Les mêmes démarches conventionnelles,institutionnelles et les mêmes préoccupations meublent les droits de l’enfant, notamment en matière d’éducation, d’encadrement de la jeunesse, de lutte contre la délinquance juvénile, de prise en charge des enfants handicapés ou encore de lutte contre la pédophilie.Mesdames et Messieurs,Je voudrais remercier d’emblée l’ensemble des Parlementaires panafricains pour leur contribution active et notoire à l’évolution de la démocratie dans notre continent, et pour leur contribution à la recherche des solutions aux problèmes qui concernent l’Afrique.Soyez-en rassurés. Le Cameroun continuera à soutenir, comme par le passé, votre auguste Chambre pour qu’elle puisse toujours répondre aux intérêts des peuples africains, car son existence correspond aux valeurs simples et claires auxquelles mon pays est attaché, à savoir la solidarité, la responsabilité et la coopération.Solidarité face au djihadisme et au terrorisme, son bras meurtrier et assassin. Mon pays en souffre. Mon pays, comme d’autres ici représentés, est confronté à ce fléau. Nous devons être conscients de ce que chaque attentat commis dans l’un de nos pays vise l’Afrique toute entière, dans son développement, dans sa sécurité et le bien-être de ses populations. Nous devons donc mutualiser les efforts de nos États et vaincre l’insécurité car, pour citer le Chef d’État du Cameroun, « À menace globale, il faut une riposte globale ».La responsabilité que nous devons aussi montrer face à ce fléau, en même temps que nos États font preuve de vigilance, nous, en tant que Parlementaires, devons doter nos pays d’instruments juridiques indispensables au travail des services dédiés à la lutte contre le terrorisme, dans le respect des libertés. Le Cameroun, quant à lui, a adopté deux lois dans ce sens, dans la foulée de l’esprit des Conventions de l’Union africaine.C’est pourquoi, la coopération entre nos pays est essentielle. Celle-ci permettra à notre continent de faire face aux drames et défis auxquels il est confronté et d’assurer à nos populations, la protection et le bien-être auxquels elles aspirent légitimement.Mesdames et Messieurs,Je voudrais terminer mon propos par cette interpellation qui nous concerne tous. En effet, en tant que les Parlementaires panafricains, nous sommes acquis à la cause de l’unité de notre continent et avons conscience d’appartenir à un même ensemble, d’être liés par des valeurs communes et d’avoir une histoire à partager et un avenir à engager, nous attendons donc de votre Parlement en tant qu’Institution panafricaine, qu’il encourage nos États à garder le cap sur le long terme et contribue à l’unification des projets et des intérêts communs à nos peuples, afin que l’Afrique tienne son rang dans le concept mondial.Le Cameroun, pour sa part, a fait le choix de l’Afrique avec la ferme volonté sur chaque question de sécurité et de développement, de rechercher autant que possible la solution qui respecte et renforce les intérêts et les valeurs de notre continent.Tel était le propos de Monsieur le Président NIAT NJIFENJI Marcel.Vive le Parlement panafricain,Vive l’Union africaine.Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0505-092944FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Son Altesse Royale pour ce message de solidarité. Il était attendu comme d’autres ont été délivrés.Nous vous prions de bien vouloir transmettre aux hautes autorités du Cameroun, mes sincères remerciements pour votre présence parmi nous.M. Le Secrétaire général, je vous donne la parole pour la suite de l’ordre du jour.EnglishTHE CLERK:The next item on the agenda is the presentation and debates on the report of the African Peer Review Mechanism APRM with emphasis on Benin, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa.FrenchM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Présentation et débats sur le mécanisme de révision par les pairs.Honorable Membres,Conformément à l’article 9 du Règlement intérieur, j’invite...EnglishTHE PRESIDENT:English translation. Which Channel? Is it okay? Not yet.FrenchM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Honorables Membres,Conformément aux dispositions de l’article 38 (1) (g) du Règlement intérieur, j’ai le plaisir d’inviter le Professeur Eddie Maloka, Directeur exécutif du Secrétariat du Mécanisme Africain d’Évaluation par les Pairs (MAEP), Honorable Brigitte Mabandla, membre du Panel du MAEP et Honorable Joseph Tsang Mang Kin, membre du Panel du MAEP à faire leur entrée dans la Chambre.EnglishTHE PRESIDENT:English translation. Is it okay? Not yet.HONOURABLE MEMBER:I think they are having a technical problem.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Professeur Eddie Maloka, Honorable Brigitte Mabandla, Honorable Joseph Tsang Mang Kin, je vous souhaite la bienvenue dans l’enceinte de notre Parlement.EnglishMR PRESIDENT:Translation please. Is it okay.HONOURABLE MEMBER:It is okay.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je vous souhaite la bienvenue au Parlement panafricain et je vous invite donc à prendre la parole pour présenter le rapport du Mécanisme Africain d’Évaluation par les Pairs, avec l’accent sur les pays suivants: Le Bénin, l’Éthiopie, l’Île Maurice, le Nigeria et l’Afrique du Sud.Professeur, vous avez la parole.REFERENCE: 0505-093358FEPR EDDIE MALOKA [DIRECTEUR EXÉCUTIF DU SECRÉTARIAT DU MÉCANISME AFRICAIN D’ÉVALUATION PAR LES PAIRS (MAEP)]:Son Excellence Honorable Roger NKODO, Président du Parlement panafricain, Messieurs les Députés membres éminents du Panel du MAEP qui sont avec notre délégation et qui se sont déjà présentés,Les points focaux qui sont ici avec nous des cinq pays dont le rapport sera soumis devant vous aujourd’hui,Excellences Mesdames et Messieurs,C’est en effet un privilège pour moi d’avoir l’occasion de prendre la parole à cette session du Parlement panafricain. Je tiens à vous transmettre, Mesdames et Messieurs, les salutations fraternelles les plus chaleureuses du Mécanisme Africain d’Évaluation par les Pairs (MAEP), et à exprimer nos sincères remerciements pour l’invitation que nous avons reçue de votre Président Roger NKODO DANG en vue de la présentation par le MAEP de son rapport d’évaluation des pays: du Bénin, de l’Éthiopie, de l’Île Maurice, du Nigeria et de l’Afrique du Sud devant cette honorable Chambre.Je voudrais saisir cette occasion pour vous remercier, encore une fois, pour l’occasion que vous avez accordée au MAEP, en octobre 2015, de présenter son rapport sur l’Algérie, le Burkina Faso, le Lesotho et l’Ouganda au Parlement panafricain.En effet, nous sommes très reconnaissants, Monsieur le Président, pour votre soutien constant pour le vif intérêt que vous affichez toujours au renforcement de l’engagement du Parlement panafricain avec le MAEP.Mr President, hon. Members ladies and gentlemen, as you are aware the APRM was established on 9th March, 2003 by the Heads of State and Government implementation Committee of the new partnership for Africa’s Development NEPAD as an instrument for monitoring performance in Governments in four important areas of governance, namely, democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance and social economic development.The primary purpose of APRM is to foster the adoption and implementation of policy, standards and practices that lead to political stability high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and regional integration. The uniqueness of this instrument is that it produces an all inclusive participatory self assessment process within African countries and provides opportunities to identify deficiencies and capacity gaps that need to be addressed. Being peer review process, the mechanism fosters the sharing of experiences on adaptation and reinforcement of bad practices among member states.Hon. President, ladies and gentlemen, since its inception, the APRM remains a clear manifestation of the will of people and leaders of Africa towards achieving our common goals to uphold the rule of law, respect of human rights, equality, accountability and transparency. Indeed, these same principles are at the heart of the mission and vision of the Pan-African Parliament and other related sub regional mechanisms.To date, we have twenty-five members of the African Union with significant progress in terms of the number of countries that have assented. The mechanism has opened up the political space for citizens’ participation in political debate, and fostered national dialogue. The review exercises have also been undertaken and deepened the review process. The APRM has demystified and clarified complicated issues of governance, increased advocacy for good governance and better service delivery and constituted a centre piece in the AU governance architecture. In some countries, its findings as you will know later, ward of impending crisis.Hon. Members, ladies and gentlemen, let me take this opportunity to inform hon. Members that since my appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the APRM secretariat, at the January, 2016 APRM summit held in Addis Ababa, I was assigned duties of revitalising the African Peer Review Mechanism. I have since embarked on a revitalisation turnaround strategy anchored on three pillars, namely, restoration, reinvigoration and renewal. The revitalisation turnaround strategy is expected to be endorsed by the APRM during the July 2016 summit which will take place in Kigali, Rwanda. The APRM has to redeem itself, advocate for its programmes and initiate a universal accession of none members to assent to the mechanism because its gains are enormous. This will indeed bring harmony across Africa in the implementation of AU programmes and initiatives. We request for your support in this revitalisation strategy turnaround of the APRM.I am glad to inform this hon. House that since the year 2016 began, various APRM missions of different categories have been launched and undertaken in Liberia by Hon Mabanda, to Chad which was led by Hon. Josef, Senegal led by the Chairperson of the panel and in Côte d'Ivoire which is in the process of taking place while other missions will be fielded in the second part of the year to Sudan, South Africa, probably Uganda and Kenya. The APRM is also expected to monitor and evaluate the AU Agenda 2063 and the STGs. We are expected to present other five country review reports of Mali, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania and Sierra Leone to the hon. Parliament in October 2016. Most importantly, most reviewed APRM countries are implementing the national plan of action. However, we need your support, hon. Members, in the implementation process as well as integrating the APRM national plans of actions into their national development plans.We are, therefore, requesting your support in passing budgets for APRM processes and mechanisms at country level and advocating for APRM proxies in your various countries. You may also consider a more substantive engagement with the APRM perhaps by establishing Parliamentary Mechanisms, a committee or whatever, that can engage with us and the countries on APRM related issues because the ARPM is not only the secretariat based in Midrand, but it is also the national mechanisms that exist in your countries, hon. Members.FrenchJe profite de cette occasion, Honorables members, pour remercier notre ami et frère le Président du PAP pour son soutien actif et vivant.En ce moment permettez-moi d’inviter les honorables personnalités du Panel du MAEP, Hon. Brigitte Mabandla et Joseph Tsang Mang Kin, à présenter les rapports du MAEP sur le Bénin, l’Éthiopie, l’Île Maurice, le Niger et l’Afrique du Sud.Je vous souhaite le visionnage [9:41:42 intraductible].Je vous remercie, merci beaucoup.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0505-094233FEHON. JOSEPH TSANG MANG KIN [MEMBRE DU PANEL DU MÉCANISME AFRICAIN D’ÉVALUATION PAR LES PAIRS (MAEP)]:Excellence Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Mesdames et Messieurs les Vice-présidents, également du Parlement panafricain,Mesdames et Messieurs Honorables membres du Parlement panafricain,Mesdames et Messieurs,D’abord, je dois remercier le Président de cette Institution d’avoir donné l’occasion au MAEP de faire connaître un peu mieux ses travaux.Comme vous le savez tous, aujourd’hui nous sommes en pleine renaissance et bien sûr, nous sommes extrêmement heureux du fait que nous recevons le soutien de cette Institution si importante dans le développement de l’Afrique.Le Parlement, bien sûr, est très important parce qu’à la fin nous avons les représentants de la majorité gouvernementale et ensuite les membres de l’opposition, ce qui fait que les informations que nous avons pu obtenir des différents pays, à travers nos missions d’évaluation, sont ainsi répercutées à l’ensemble de nos populations du continent.(Quelques difficultés au niveau du microphone del’intervenant)Oui, d’abord, pour le plan de la présentation, nous avons une introduction et questions transversales, des réalisations positives, du problème se posant au Bénin, ensuite des progrès accomplis dans la mise en œuvre des recommandations du MAEP.Comme introduction, je dirais que, passant du statut de protectorat en 1894 puis de colonie française du Dahomey, le Bénin a obtenu son indépendance sous le nom de République du Dahomey, le 1er août 1960. Le Bénin signait le Protocole d’Accord, le PDA, MAEP, le 31 mars 2004.Le Bénin a fait l’objet d’examen par les Pairs lors du sommet, du forum, des Chefs d’États et de gouvernements tenu à Addis Abeba en Éthiopie, le 30 janvier 2008.Maintenant, ce que j’étais en train de dire, dans la méthodologie, on essaie de voir les questions que nous appelons transversales qui touchent à différents secteurs et qui méritent un peu d’attention. Il y a la corruption, la décentralisation, le rôle des institutions traditionnelles, le problème du genre et de l’égalité des sexes, formation, évaluation et implication de la jeunesse, pauvreté, actions, ressources, secteur informel, réforme et modernisation de l’État, citoyenneté et insécurité juridique dans le cadre de l’État de droit.L’une des réalisations positives, l’implication personnelle du Président de la République dans la mise en œuvre du processus du MAEP, respect du calendrier électoral pour les élections présidentielles et législatives, le changement démocratique à la tête des affaires de l’État, la Cour constitutionnelle du Bénin, efficacité du service, démocratie, état de droit, libertés fondamentales.L’annuaire des prix de référence, l’intégration des femmes dans les forces armées béninoises. C’est là une autre façon de voir le développement, les microsfinances dans le programme présidentiel, le cadre de concertation interconfessionnel, l’association qui dit mieux, la promotion de l’emploi et la protection de l’environnement, le processus de consultation nationale dans le cadre du MAEP.Voilà, ces relations, Monsieur le Président.Mais quand même on est confronté à pas mal de problèmes. D’abord l’effectivité de l’application du droit et État du droit, garant de la protection juridique des citoyens et de leurs biens; dépolitisation, de la bureaucratie et la réforme et la modernisation de l’État, ainsi que l’administration publique du Bénin. La lutte contre la corruption, laquelle touche plusieurs actions à un niveau très élevé et préoccupant.Au niveau de la participation du budget des femmes en termes de prise de décisions et de représentation politique, la traite et l’exploitation des enfants, la promotion de l’entreprenariat et d’une culture d’entreprenariat afin de redynamiser le secteur privé.L’amélioration du climat des affaires, plus particulièrement la compétitivité des entreprises. Encore des problèmes, le problème de la modernisation des infrastructures surtout dans le secteur de l’éducation, de la santé et de communication et la garantie de la fourniture de services de qualité. Ce passage d’une structure économique coloniale à une structure économique intégrée pour impulser la croissance et le développement durable. La lutte contre le niveau croissant de la pauvreté pour la mise en œuvre efficace de la vision du Bénin comme une nation émergente.La transformation du secteur informel en une composante reconnue de l’économie, la diversification économique et en particulier dans le secteur agricole de sorte à minimiser la dépendance du secteur du coton et aussi la préservation de l’environnement et la réduction des déséquilibres régionaux. Ce sont là les grands problèmes.Par contre, il y a des progrès qui ont été accomplis dans la mise en œuvre des recommandations, parce qu’à la fin du rapport il y a des recommandations, il y a aussi un plan national d’actions que l’on essaie d’intégrer dans le budget national.Depuis son installation, la CNG-MAEP mène une série d’activités parmi lesquelles nous citons entre autres, au titre de l’année 2014 par exemple, vous le savez, le rapport date déjà de quelque temps, depuis près d’une dizaine d’année, il y a longtemps; néanmoins on a suivi le travail qui se fait au Tchad et au Bénin, et on a trouvé quand même qu’il y a des progrès intéressants et c’est pour cette raison que nous nous sommes permis d’ajouter une des nouvelles avancées qu’on a pu constater, par exemple, en 2014, il n’y a pas mal de choses.Il y a le renforcement des capacités de la CNG/MAEP et de ses démembrements, la poursuite de la mission itinérante de suivi post-formation en contrôle citoyen de l’action publique (CCAP) et de formation sur le fonds d’appui et développement des communes (FADEC).La formation de 317 formateurs sur le CCAP dans le cadre du projet de renforcement du processus du MAEP, dans 5 pays ouest-africains, initié par le fonds Hanns Seidel et financièrement soutenu par l’Union européenne.Ensuite, autres progrès remplis, il y a la formation des femmes des cellules départementales et communales de gouvernance CSG sur le leadership, et la communication pour le programme d’appui à la bonne gouvernance et à la consolidation des démocraties à travers la mise en œuvre du Mécanisme Africain d’Évaluation par les Pairs.Ensuite, il y a eu des échanges périodiques entre la CNG/MAEP Bénin et la commission pour la gouvernance en Afrique et participation aux réunions mandataires;Ensuite la participation des membres de la CNG/MAEP aux 20e et 21e fora du MAEP.Autres progrès accomplis, il y a à signaler bien sûr, parce que les citoyens ont des problèmes sur lesquels nous avions pointés du doigt, sur la promotion du genre, là il y a pas mal de progrès, il y a des initiatives qui ont été prises par certaines organisations de la société civile, spécialisées dans la thématique genre et développement pour encourager le bon positionnement des femmes sur les listes des candidats aux différentes élections et susciter une loi sur la parité.Cependant, malgré ces efforts, il y a quelques pesanteurs sociologiques ou culturelles qui persistent et qui expliquent la faible présence des femmes aux postes de responsabilité. C’est pourquoi l’État ainsi que les collectivités locales devraient poursuivre les efforts pour encourager davantage l’émancipation des femmes.Il y a des problèmes, il y a ici quelques progrès qui ont été accomplis dans la mise en œuvre des recommandations du MAEP, il y a la lutte contre la corruption. La corruption est très développée dans le pays. Un certain nombre d’activités ont été entreprises, ces actions entreprises concernent par exemple l’adoption par le gouvernement d’un décret, de mai 2014, portant règlement financier de l’ANLC, une dénonciation par l’ANLC des cas de corruption au Procureur de la République, troisièmement la validation du guide des usagers de sept ministères, la publication de la première édition du rapport d’analyse des dossiers relatifs à la mise en œuvre des sanctions disciplinaires dans l’administration publique béninoise.L’élaboration du point sur la déclaration du patrimoine effectuée par les membres du gouvernement, des institutions de la République et des hauts responsables de l’État; c’est une bonne chose. Dans les grandes lignes, on ne peut pas résumer, comme le savez bien en dix minutes, l’énorme travail accompli parce que c’est une mission d’évaluation qui sera dans le pays pendant trois semaines, il y a tellement de choses dans le rapport mais ce que je tenais à dire c’est que le rapport bien qu’un petit peu ancien, continue à servir de base pour des réformes et on peut dire avec plaisir que les recommandations du MAEP soient prises au sérieux et on voit déjà une continuation dans la volonté de mettre en œuvre les recommandations du MAEP. Ce qui fait que, finalement, le travail ne va pas être juste, mais ce qui nous réjouis surtout c’est que aujourd’hui nous avons un forum qui prête l’oreille et qui cherche à savoir vraiment ce qu’on est en train de faire et armé de toutes ces informations, chacun de son côté, peut pousser à mieux pour comprendre que le MAEP peut certainement pousser vers une meilleure gouvernance dans nos États et dans le continent.Merci, Mesdames et Messieurs.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 0505-095735EHON. BRIGITTE MABANDLA [APRM PANEL MEMBER]:Your Excellency President of the Parliament, Honourable Rodger Nkodo Dang, Your Deputies, Honourable Members, I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude for having a second opportunity to present country reports of the APRM to this House. I will be presenting Nigeria and I hope to be assisted. Once this is being done let me say that at the last sitting of the focal points on the sidelines of the AU focal point Heads of State whose countries have acceded to the APRM made a commitment to the strengthening of the mechanism. Indeed, it is at that sitting that our new CEO Professor Maloka was appointed. It is also at that sitting that the Heads of State, the focal points, made a declaration and a commitment to enabling the smooth integration of the APRM into the AU.Honourable Members, it is now my pleasure to present to you the Nigeria report. I would like to give an introduction of this report. Nigeria was amongst the first countries to accede to the APRM at the 6th Summit of the NEPAD meeting held in Abuja in 2003. Nigeria was peer reviewed and the crosscutting issue we identified was managing a diversity within a confederation and also the challenge of diversifying the economy. The critique here is the dependence on oil and gas. Then there is also the challenge of corruption, ineffective policy and programme implementation and of course poor service delivery. The informal sector is also mentioned and slow progress towards gender equality as it is the case in many African countries, the challenge of review of the land policy, the challenge of traditional rulers in government and the importance of management. We are dealing with a backlog here. Colleagues, you would recall that these reports have been accepted by the countries that have been reviewed.The Good and Best PracticesThe following was identified in this regard: Nigeria’s role in conflict resolution and peace building particularly in the West African Sub Region. The Council of the State is an innovative structure. It offers a forum to provide non-partisan advice to the Chief Executive of the Federation on sensitive and possibly divisive issues like conflicts, the distribution of national wealth and the state aspirations. The Federal CharacterPrinciple is the constitutional principle aimed at promoting national unity and ethnic equality.Because it is an old report it will refer to the late president and declaration and publication of assets as a signal of commitment to good governance, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons as well as a Technical Aid Call, the programme established in 1987. The Nigeria Tag is a foreign policy instrument designed to provide people power and power assistance in all fields of human development to underdeveloped and developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. There is, of course, an improvement here; we have bank consolidation and financial sector reforms. So, the import here is that in order to redress the weaknesses in the sub sector, the CBN embarked on a comprehensive bank consolidation programme. That is what it is all about. Then we have the efforts to improve public finance management by introducing due process and procurement. Here colleagues, Honourable Members, since the return to democratic rule in 1999 the government of Nigeria has introduced several reforms aimed at strengthening public expenditure management and of course the establishment of anti corruption instruments. In the area of gender empowerment which I think I would like to go to, efforts to promote affirmative action is also noted colleagues.We now move to challenges in Nigeria. We have seen that there have been a lot of efforts at improving fiscal policy. The paradox of poverty in the mist of plenty and then the great challenge facing Nigeria is how to channel wealth from the oil and gas industry so as to achieve sociodevelopment. Nigeria hosts the third largest concentration of poor people in the world and is amongst the top 20 countries in the world with the widest gap between the rich and poor. Corruption and money laundering have been seen as a challenge and of course as I said initially there is the dependency on oil and conflicts emanating from that. The ineffective implementation of policies and laws is a challenge because there is always a movement forward and efforts at making things better. Nigeria faces the challenge of reversing values and attitudes, that is an assumption largely of military history, but this colleagues is what is on the report.Now, there has been progress noted in implementing the recommendations. The country has presented two progress reports on the implementation of the National Programme of Action. Nigeria’s first report on the implementation on the NPA covers the period 2009/2010 and then the second period is also covered as a follow-up, that would be 2010 to around 2012. In the two progress reports the country reported that it had covered most of the APR panel recommendations, mainly on the domestication of the international standards and codes and speedy ratification and domestication of pending standards and codes as well as deepening and entrenching democratic and political processes in Nigeria.Further to the progress that has been made, the country has also staved off the effects of the global financial crisis and thus enhanced confidence. The efforts has also been made in the development of the oil rich Niger Delta under the Niger Delta Development Plan. It is within that, that efforts should now be directed to addressing the issues in the report as the country paves a way for its second review.Thank you colleagues.I am to present the next report which will be Mauritius. Mauritius is also one of the first countries to accede to the APRM. The brief history of Mauritius is that it adopted its constitution in 1968 when it gained independence from Britain. You know that Mauritius of course was under British rule from 1810 to 1968. They signed the memorandum of understanding with the APRM on the 9th of March 2003 and the country was peer reviewed at the 13th Summit of the Committee of the Heads of State and Government participating in the African Review Mechanism, that is the APR Forum, on the 24th July 2010 in Kampala Uganda.There are a number of cross cutting issues. One that is mentioned here, notable is the challenge of corruption. The note here says that, “despite the good image that Mauritius enjoys at the international level as one of the least corrupt countries in Africa, there is a broad consensus at national level that corruption still affects a number of key democratic institutions”. And here mentioned are the Police Force, the Revenue Authority and National Transport. There has been an effort at managing diversity and success in this case. The challenge of poverty is also noted in Mauritius.Now I have to mention here the good and best practices. The Public Service Excellent Award was given to the Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms in 2006. There is Ombudsperson for Children. The Ombudsman for Children Act was passed in 2003 and a position of course established by this Act. The Ombudsperson represents and defends all Mauritian children in Mauritius, Rodrigues and Adoleta. The Migrant Unit of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment has a powerful regulatory oversight function designed to protect the rights of workers. The unit inspects the workplaces of migrant workers to ascertain whether employers comply with the national laws. On the treatment of senior citizens in Mauritius, there is free transport for the elderly, the disabled and the students. This is the reform that happened after 2005. Senior citizens do not pay airport tax. In addition there are domicile visits for those who are over 90. In fact there is a very good social service system for the elderly in Mauritius. Mauritius is one of the few African countries that have succeeded since 2004, in making budget deficits financing the instrument that regulate the money market. The government now covers its funding needs through the money markets by issuing treasury bills and bonds and interest bearing instruments. With regard to public private partnership, it is a country with effective and efficient public private sector partnerships. The economic success of the country flows from these partnerships and is led by the private sector.On challenges, much of the food and energy that the country uses is imported, that is a challenge. The economy is concentrated in the hands of a few. There is no real competition in many business sectors. The Creel Community is underrepresented among the political and economic elites of Mauritius. The country has informally reported that it is carrying out the implementation of the national programme of action. However, no formal report on implementation has been given to the APRM. Thus the first progress on the implementation is being awaited. The country is encouraged to submit its first progress report.Let me conclude by saying that there are follow-ups. Every panel member of the APRM has been allocated countries and there are continuous follow-ups, especially for those that have had their first review. We would like to see more reports on progress with regard to the plans of action. We also would like to have follow-up reviews as we help them to continue improving in the area of governance.My boss here says I must also give you the report of Ethiopia and I am trying to be very fast. I am now presenting the Ethiopian report. In the outline we will pick on cross cutting issues and then talk to the best practices. I am not going to give the background of the country. But it is safe to say once more that Ethiopia is one of the first countries to accede to the APRM in 2003 same as Nigeria and Mauritius. The cross cutting issues are the conflict that happened in the 1998 to the year 2000 which ended with the signing of the Algiers Agreement. We note that as a challenge. That was the conflict between Ethiopia and Eriteria.HONOURABLE MEMBER:Point of order, Mr President. I have an idea for point of order. The Presenter presented all the good things about the rest of the countries but she is not presenting the background in this report. I know that it has a very good background. Thank you.HON. BRIGITTE MABANDLA [APRM PANEL MEMBER]:Excellency President, I apologise to the Honourable Member and concede that I made an error by not presenting the introduction and I do so now. Ethiopia is one of the world’s oldest countries and has had a long varied and troubled history unique among African countries. During its three millennia of existence, Ethiopia was never colonised with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941. We as Africans are truly very proud of this history, I must say, Honourable Member.Now, I will read what is in the report to which Ethiopia agreed. I will read as it is. However, for much of its history peace has eluded Ethiopia resulting in a lengthy period of socioeconomic and political stagnation. Ethiopia was one of the pioneer countries that ceded to the APRM in 2003 and was peer reviewed at the 14th Summit of the APRM Forum held in Addis Ababa 2011.Now I come to the cross cutting matters.Resolving the Ethiopian Eritrean ConflictAlthough the bloody border war between Ethiopia and Eretria, that is from 1998 to 2000, formally, ended with the signing of the Algiers Agreement the two nations of the Horn of Africa remain locked in an apparently intractable stalemate.Promoting inclusion and managing diversity of ethnicity and regional imbalancesThis is one of the cross cutting issues. Climate change, vulnerability and food insecurity may be a threat to the country. Aid dependence is one such cross-cutting issue, rapid economic population growth and socio economic implications and other associated issues, the land policy, ownership issues, especially regarding state versus private ownership is a matter that has been identified also as a cross cutting issue.The good and best practices of EthiopiaThe 66 year old Ethiopian Airline is the pioneer African airline and one of the most reliable and profitable airlines in developing countriesEthiopian Roads Development ProgrammeThe government of Ethiopia has been able to overhaul the road network. In all, more than 75 000 kilometers of roads, including rural access roads have been constructed or rehabilitated. With regard to microeconomic policy the microeconomic policy making is generally sound and supportive of broad based economic growth in the country. The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange hopes to create a safe and transparent agriculture market where quality delivery and payment are assured. Regarding Ethiopia’s ownership of its development planning process, Ethiopia’s assertiveness in self reliance and development planning is quite commendable. Of course one other good practice is Ethiopia’s pro poor expenditure pattern. On average over 90 percent of the government’s capital budget is allocated to enhancing pro poor growth and social sectors such as agriculture, rural development and food security, roads, irrigation, water supply and sanitation, education and health and of course dealing with the challenge of HIV/AIDS. On Ethiopia’s approach to finance and access to markets, Ethiopia has laid great emphasis on micro finance by ensuring that micro finance institutions are established with responsibilities covering all regions and being accessible to markets.On poverty, Ethiopia is still one of the poorest countries in the world at U$3.40 per capita gross domestic product. That is the average recorded for 2007 and 2009 period. Ethiopia’s per capita gross domestic product is much lower than the Sub Sahara African average. The other challenge of course is deepening political reforms and democratisation. Although the people of Ethiopia have demonstrated a penchant for political participation there are inherent contradictions and tensions between the ruling party and the opposition.Concerning human security, Ethiopia currently faces a multitude of security challenges, especially the domestic security problem in the form of the low level insurgency against two secessionists movements, the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the Oromo Liberation Front. Establishing a clear role for the private sector is one other challenge. Although the government has taken certain steps to economic reform through trade deregulation, privatisation and an agricultural development led industrialization, the private sector remains relatively small characterised by small companies, low labour productivity and a high degree of corruption.On monopoly of Telecommunications, while the Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation is the oldest telecommunications operator in Africa, it is still a monopoly and this has stifled innovation and retarded expansion.Now with regard to progress made in implementing the APRM recommendations, the country has informally reported that it is carrying out the implementation of the National Programme of Action. However, no formal progress report on implementation has been submitted to the APRM secretariat since it was reviewed in 2011, thus the first progress on implementation is being awaited. I must say we have discussed this and now that we have our CEO we are going to have a spirited follow-up in this regard. Thank you very much, Honourable Members.REFERENCE: 0505-103055EPROF. EDDIE MALOKA [EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM) SECRETARIAT]:Mr President, I am presenting to you a report on South Africa.I have noted that I do not have much time and that I have to be fast in my presentation.This kind of presentation as you know is almost the same as what the others have presented. You have an introduction, cross cutting issues, the strength of South Africa, the positive practices and their challenges and the progressive implementation of the APRM report.We say that South Africa was one of the first countries to accede to the APRM and valuation was done in 2007 that is almost ten years ago, which means that the renewed information we have here dates back sometime. What we are most interested in here is what has been done so far and also what has been the progress and the greatest challenge to the country.As we all know there was institutionalised apartheid, but the country is independent and since then there have been lots of profound political transition which has been done, but nonetheless we picked up some cross cutting issues that are still quite relevant today. We have unemployment, capacity constraints and poor service delivery, poverty, inequality, violence against women, violence against citizens, HIV/AIDS pandemic, corruption, crime, racism, xenophobia and managing diversity. Here in a nutshell, I think you have all the problems. What is interesting to note here is the effort being made by the Government in curbing volatile situations to try to improve the situation.The South African Constitution guarantees both civil and socioeconomic rights. The political environment is conducive for political debate, dialogue and contestation. Significant progress has been made in signing, ratifying and implementing international standards and codes. The country enjoys first world economic and physical infrastructure. It has the largest sophisticated economy in Africa, sound transparent and predictable economic policies. There is a strong public financial management system. It is well positioned technologically to be able to compete in the global market. This is all I can see.The other strength is it is ranked amongst best performers in corporate governance in emerging markets. It has a robust legal system. It ensures lawful protection of property, rights and intellectual property rights. It has a adequate regulatory framework for economic activity. It has credible institutions as well as public investment corporation, Industrial Development Corporation, multinational institutions and world-class universities. It is self sufficient in development financing because almost 99 per cent of the money comes from the country itself. It has a strong representation of women in the public sector.With regard to positive democratic Government, there is corporate governance which encourages participatory governance, Parliament which promotes grassroots governance and promotes meeting its people, meaning people first. Then there are community centres designed to provide information on a wide range of services to communities in an integrated and coordinated way. So, we have a practice. We have a practice also in management. There are so many things. I do not think I should be reading all this, but what we know is that there is budget discipline.The South African Revenue Service (SARS) which, over time, has been able to implement fundamental tax policy reforms that have improved the culture of tax compliance and contributed to SAR’s success is consistently exceeding its revenue target. Consequently, South Africa has an impressive tax revenue of GDP ratio of over 26 per cent.We have a new service which has been able to implement full monetary tax policy reforms and ensure that there is a new revenue to DPG ratio of over 26 per cent.Now, a number of the country’s SOEs are very competitive and receive no fiscal transfers from the Government. On the contrary, they pay taxes and offer dividends; The JSE and triple bottom line reporting, a Socially Responsible Investment Index inspired by the Dow Jones Sustainable Group Index and the FTSE4Good Index in the UK, launched by the JSE in 2004; The Mzansi Account for the un-banked, which represents the first major initiative to cater for the under-banked and un-banked populations of South Africa. Mzansi customer care also sets up debit orders and does third-party payments on cell phones which is great progress indeed.Then there is the Financial Sector Charter, the response of the financial sector to the imperatives of BEE. Under the Charter, financial institutions have committed themselves to actively promoting a transformed, vibrant and globally competitive financial sector that reflects the demographics of South Africa and contributes to the establishment of an equitable society by effectively providing accessible financial services to black people and directing investment to targeted sectors of the economy.There are also King I and II Reports, which are home grown to South Africa and have been accepted by many countries in Africa and worldwide as being very comprehensive; and Regulation of the auditing profession.We now get to the last sector which is the socioeconomic development. As regards self-reliance in funding development programmes, South Africa’s selffunding amounts to 99.6 per cent of its development expenditures. South Africa has made tremendous progress in supplying electricity to a large segment of the population who previously had no access. The government has far exceeded its target of providing 2.5 million homes with electricity by 2000, reaching over 4 million households. This is something that we take note of.The Constitution of South Africa seeks to protect socioeconomic rights. This constitutional guarantee means that the country has a progressive social agenda that is being realised through rights-based provisions. Since 2005, women have been appointed in many positions in Government and also in the private sector. There are challenges, but there are good things which one can highlight. For example, women are predominantly more sensitive, that is one thing.At the university there are drop outs at an unacceptable rate. So, the level of violence and crime is noted. There was this question of xenophobic tendencies, especially against foreigners from other African countries. This is one of the problems we have. Then South Africa has the second highest HIV rate in the world. So, these are challenges. Of course, we ask Government to try to address this. In fact, looking back from that Peer vantage today, we can see that there is a desire to resolve all these problems and there is a steady determination to try to pursue and try to solve these problems.Now, in conclusion we can say that, in fact, South Africa has the duty of presenting reports. Once you have received your evaluation report, you are given one year to tell your peers, this is the forum of heads of state, that progress has been achieved within the year. So this report is backed that way. The idea of this report is to enable the Government realise that there are things in there that have to be looked into carefully.South Africa has been submitting these reports. There is also determination to enforce training of Government officials in the area of financial management which is quite positive. It has also taken steps to ensure transformation of the business sector in the economy through some corporate governance legislation and various measures. These are things which are sort off underlining the efforts that are being done. There are significant improvements that have been made.There we are.I just have to thank you very much for your attention.REFERENCE: 0505-104150FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Chers collègues,Nous venons de suivre les différents rapports pays.Je voudrais, avant d’ouvrir le débat général, donner la parole Onyango KAKOBA, qui est le point focal MAEP du Parlement panafricain, pour qu’il nous donne quelques remarques.REFERENCE: 0505-104221EHON. ONYANGO KAKOBA [UGANDA]:Thank you Mr. President and I want to thank the presenters for the presentations. I have already been introduced and, of course, the APRM people have done their work.Probably, what I just have to do is shed more light on the background because we have been working together.As you are aware, Honourable Members, it was already pointed out last October when we had these presentations. Before that, these presentations came about as a parliamentary resolution because in 2014, when we were celebrating the 10th anniversary of PanAfrican Parliament, there was a resolution that was passed to establish a network of APRM in Pan-African Parliament. As a result of that, the Committee that I chaired - the Committee on Justice and Human Rights was given that responsibility and we established that network to which I was appointed as a Chairperson and it is that network that searched together with the APRM and supported by the South African Institute of International Affairs and we worked out this programme on having this report presented.So, I must thank the APRM Secretariat for making sure that they have not let us down. You have done your work.As you will realise, reports have been overtaken by events but of course we agreed in that meeting that representatives from each country should be invited to give us updates and I think it is for that reason that Nigeria is here.Probably, as Members of Parliament, one thing I want to point out is that this mechanism is very important and it can take Africa out of its governance problem. And I do appeal to you that you support this process.The network now has 35 members, but with others that come and go like Senegal, and Chad and Djibouti that are very soon coming to join, we should really encourage our countries to embrace this mechanism.Also as Members of Parliament, we should make sure that we follow the implementation because once this has been done, it is very important that the national plans of action are implemented. It is only then that we may realise what we need in Africa because definitely, we need good-governance and this can only be done through such a mechanism.Permit me to digress a bit. I would like to say that we have been involved in this process as it is, but now that I have this opportunity, let me use it to say farewell to you because, as a Member of Parliament, I never participated in the general elections in our country and my mandate is ending on the 15 of this month. So, this decision ends my life at the Pan-African Parliament. I have enjoyed working with you very much as Members of the Pan-African Parliament and I also did work well with the members of my Committee.I thank you very much for the work that you have done because when you went there, the membership was around 13, but now we have oversubscribed - 32. I encourage you to continue with the work that we are doing, but as the saying goes: the ending of something is a new beginning. I believe that my ending in PAP is a new beginning on something and we could meet in that new somethingI thank you.REFERENCE: 0505-104619EA PRESENTER:Thank you, Mr President, the Vice President and Honourable Members. I understand I am the only focal person here on behalf of the other countries that are having their reviews today. Let me also thank you for giving me this opportunity. Like the last speaker said the PAP also has a very important role to play because very few other countries have acceded to the process. I think if the others who have not acceded find that there is value added by this Parliament to their process I am sure in no time they will also come on board.The most important thing about the process is that as Africa we are assessing ourselves and see how we can better govern our people and make sure that some of the challenges that we face as a continent are overcome in no small time. The whole process is our own and the review done by Africans and for Africans. So I think the whole process is something that should be strengthened. I think the Parliament should make sure that it contributes to this one and is committed to ensure that the process is strengthened for the development of Africa as a whole.As you have heard before, let me just update you on what the new Nigerian Government has done. As you know Mr President we had elections last year and for the first time in Nigeria an opposition party won. Since 1999, it was last year that we had a new party in government.We have heard that the review of the Nigerian nation was about four items. The review, let me say, was very balanced. Some of the challenges that were mentioned were such challenges that we as Nigerians we also recognise that we are facing. Government has put in place some measures to address the challenges that we are facing as a country. But some of the challenges that I want to address today are some of the challenges that were mentioned as still outstanding. One is the issue of corruption.Let me try and inform this august body, the Parliament, that the present administration came into power because of its zero tolerance to corruption. In Nigeria today there is no missing money again because the government has put in place what they call the Treasury Singular Account (TSA). All revenue generating agencies, ministries and departments do not have the power now to take anything from the revenue generated. Anything has to be remitted to government and of course they now have to apply to government for their own appropriation. So, today in Nigeria there is no what is called “missing money” again we have the vision of zero tolerance to corruption and of course the Treasury Single Account.Of course the issue of poverty is also very persuasive but the government has also in addition to what the previous government put in place, some poverty reduction strategies and certain safety nets. The Nigerian budget is yet to be passed because of what I would call budget discipline that this new government has put in place. If you have been following events in Nigeria you will know that there has been some accusation of purging. You know, there are some infrastructural development programme that were put in place but which were removed by Parliament and replaced by what we call Constituency Projects which the Federal Government funded. So, we now have what we call social safety nets for vulnerable people. The population will now be given about 5000 Naira per month to spend. There is a huge investment now on the allocation to the infrastructure to boost the economy.Regarding value of instrumentation I think that is one of the problems or the challenges that Nigeria is facing. Today in Nigeria there is instrumentation signed and there is now equality before the law. Before if you had big money in Nigeria, big man in coats, you were likely to be above the law. But if you have been following the events in Nigeria you will see that number 3 man in Nigeria the Senate President is hauled in court for not disclosing his assets when he was in government. So, today there is equality before the law. If you do the crime you do the time.Also there was this problem of overdependence on oil. Today in Nigeria the need to diversify the economy is very acute. I think most of the countries are blessed with mineral resources and Nigeria has the Ministry of Mineral Resources, solid minerals really, to mine solid minerals around the country. Large premium is also placed on agriculture as a means of food security and as a means to address youth unemployment in Nigeria. So, these are some of the things that the new government, I think this month they will be one year in the saddle of the government, has been able to do, which I think I should bring to the attention of this Parliament.I should have introduced myself before making my intervention. My name is Oleku Bonsu the Parliamentary Secretary Political Affairs Office of the Secretary to Development of Nigeria. The Secretary to Development of Nigeria is a focal point and I am representing him. Maybe, I also need to say that on the programme of action certainly the Nigerian government takes this matter seriously. It has been embedded into our national development plans and it percolates, it cascades down. At the national level we have what we call the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy. Then, of course at the state and at local levels we have the State Economic and Empowerment and Development Strategy. So, these are challenges that we are facing in Nigeria and then the solutions to these challenges are not only done at the national level, but at the national level, at the state level and of course at the local level. Thank you very much Mr President and Honourable Speakers. It has been an honour for me to be here and address this August Parliament.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0505-105345FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La discussion générale est ouverte.Le premier nom inscrit sur ma liste est l’Honorable Nourenou ATCHADÉ du Bénin.HON. NOURENOU ATCHADÉ [BÉNIN]:Merci bien Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais féliciter les orateurs et apprécier le travail abattu. Malgré le fait que le rapport sur le Bénin date de près de dix ans, je pense que ce rapport est d’actualité et les points faibles notés par rapport à ce rapport demeurent et je voudrais dire que ces points demeurent parce que ce sont des difficultés difficiles à éradiquer, des difficultés comme la corruption, la pauvreté, l’inefficacité de la justice et la prédominance du secteur informel.Je voudrais demander à notre Assemblée d’être beaucoup plus proactive parce qu’un rapport de 10 ans, si ce n’est pas lié à ces difficultés que je viens d’annoncer, on aurait pu dire que ce sont des rapports déjà dépassés. Je voudrais donc demander d’être proactif et d’être informé - puisque nous sommes les représentants du peuple - au fur et à mesure pour qu’on sache ce qu’il faut faire dans nos pays respectifs. Les problèmes évoqués ici sont des problèmes essentiels et quand vous les lisez, c’est comme si les mêmes problèmes et comme si les pays se ressemblent et le présentateur a dit que ce sont des problèmes transversaux. C’est vrai! C’est comme si une thérapie dans un pays donné est valable pour un autre pays.Donc, je voudrais poser quelques questions.La première: quelle est l’influence des Chefs d’États sur les rapports que vous venez de nous présenter parce que vous évaluez un Chef d’État qui est en exercice et j’ai constaté que dans tous les rapports, le point fort du rapport c’est la prédisposition des Chefs d’États à régler les problèmes. On ne constate que dix ans après, ces problèmes-là subsistent.Alors quelles sont les recommandations que vous faites puisque vous avez constaté une prédisposition des Chefs d’États? Dix ans après les problèmes existent. Quel est, aujourd’hui, après dix ans, par rapport aux recommandations, qu’il y a deux ans, qu’est-ce que nous sommes en train de faire aujourd’hui?Je pense, à mon avis, que ce qui est plus propice pour moi, c’est le suivi, le contrôle citoyen. Le contrôle citoyen de chaque pays, nous devons le renforcer, sinon cette évaluation, vous êtes reçus par les Chefs d’État, vous faites un rapport, et après c’est fini. Il n’y a pas de finition; il n’y a rien. Je crois qu’il vaut mieux renforcer le contrôle citoyen.Voilà ce que je voudrais dire, Monsieur le Président.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue.La parole à l’Honorable Fayçal TEBBINI de la Tunisie.Honorable Fayçal de la Tunisie!(Silence dans la salle)La parole est à l’Honorable David Ernest SILINDE de la Tanzanie.REFERENCE: 0505-105757KSMHE. DAVID ERNEST SILINDE [TANZANIA]Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais. Kwanza, niwapongeze sana watu wa African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) kwa kuleta taarifa zao ndani ya Bunge letu la Afrika. Lakini pamoja na taarifa hizi naungana na mzungumzaji wa kwanza aliyesema kwamba taarifa hizi ni za muda mrefu sana, yaani taarifa inachukuwa miaka saba, nane, tisa, wakati leo ndiyo tunazijadili. Kujadili kitu ambacho kilifanyika miaka tisa iliyopita, si sahihi!Ni kweli kabisa taarifa hizi zimejadili mambo ambayo mpaka hivi sasa yapo, lakini tunachokijadili kinaonyesha kwamba Waafrika na nchi zinazohusika tumekuwa mabingwa wa kuelezea matatizo yetu, kwamba hakuna kitu kipya, kila siku tunazungumzia mambo yale yale!Matatizo ya Afrika yapo, yamekuwepo tangu tunapigania uhuru mpaka leo. Hii ndio kusema kwamba tunakosa kitu kinachoitwa dhamira (commitment). Hiki ndicho kitu kikubwa sana ambacho uongozi wa Afrika na nchi zinazohusika tunashindwa kukifanyia kazi.Kwa hiyo, Mheshimiwa Rais na watu wa APRM, napendekeza kwamba, taarifa hizi ziwe zinatufikia mapema iwezekanavyo. Zinapokuwa zinaletwa, angalau ziwe za kipindi ambacho hakizidi miaka mitano iliyopita ili tuwe na ripoti za karibuni ambazo tunaweza kuzijadili kwa mustakabali wa nchi zetu. Kwa mfano, taarifa ya APRM imezungumzia masuala yanayohusu Naijeria yaliyotokea katika kipindi kilichopita lakini haijajadili mambo yaliyotokea sasa hivi. Kuna mambo mengi tu! Mathalani, mambo ambayo tumekuwa tukiyasikia katika taarifa za habari, masuala ya Boko Haram, n.k. Nashukuru mjumbe mmoja hapa ananikumbusha kuhusu suala la uchaguzi wa Naijeria ulivyokuwa. Ameongezea, lakini anachoongelea ni mambo yaliyofanyika mwaka uliopita, yaliyotokea ndani ya miaka mitano ya nyuma. Kwa kufanya hivyo, kama nilivyoshauri, tunaweza kupata mwelekeo sahihi kwa ajili ya maslahi ya Afrika kwa ujumla wake.Mheshimiwa Rais na watu wa APRM, jambo jingine mlilolizungumzia ni kuhusu matatizo ya Afrika.Pamoja na kwamba mmejadili kuhusu umaskini, lakini ukiangalia ripoti zote zilizowasilishwa katika Bunge hili hakuna mahali ambapo suala la rushwa limeachwa kuzungumziwa. Rushwa! Rushwa! Rushwa! Licha ya kwamba limekuwa likiongelewa, kila siku tumekuwa tukilifumbia macho.Sasa ili mambo haya yaweze kushughulikiwa ipasavyo; na mimi naamini hiyo ndiyo ingekuwa ajenda yetu kubwa; ni kuhakikisha kuwa Afrika inakuwa moja. Bila kuwa na Afrika moja yenye nguvu, hatutaweza kamwe kuyaondoa mambo haya, kwa sababu kila nchi itakuwa na utaratibu wake wa kuyashughulikia. Lakini tunapopata chombo kimoja chenye nguvu maana yake tunakuwa na uwezo wa kuyashughulikia haya matatizo kwa lugha moja inayofanana. Huu ndiyo ukweli, na ninyi wenyewe mnajua, kwa watu wale wenye imani za kimungu, kungekuwa na miungu wawili huko juu, naamini dunia isingekuwa sehemu salama kwa watu.Lakini kwa sababu kuna Mungu mmoja ndiyo maana sisi binadamu wote pamoja na tofauti tulizonazo katika dini zetu, tunaamini kabisa kuwa kuna Mungu mmoja na tunaweza kufanya mambo yetu kama yalivyo. Kwa hiyo, Mheshimiwa Rais, ningependa watu wa APRM wanapokuja na taarifa zao, safari nyingine watuonyeshe ni jinsi gani kila nchi imechukua hatua kukabiliana na matatizo yaliyoelezwa katika Ripoti zao. Kwa mfano, safari hii wametuletea Ripoti ya Mwaka 2007 ya Afrika Kusini, lakini tusije tukashangaa kuona kuwa miaka kumi ijayo watakuja tena na Ripoti ya namna hiyo hiyo itakayoeleza matatizo yale yale. Kwa hiyo, wanapokuja na taarifa zao zieleze na jinsi nchi zinazohusika zilivyoamua kukabiliana na matatizo yaliyoelezwa katika Ripoti zilizopita.Mheshimiwa Rais, nakushukuru kwa kunipatia fursa hii ya kuchangia. Ahsante!REFERENCE: 0505-110204AHON. HATEM MUSTAFA BASHAT [EGYPT]:شكراً السيد الرئيس على إتاحة الفرصة لي للحديث،أيها السيدات والسادة أعضاء البرلمان األفريقي،أتحدث لكم كوني رئيسا للجنة الشؤون الأفريقية بالبرلمان المصري، لأول مرة في تاريخ البرلمان المصري بعد عودة مصر، و بعد غياب ثلاث سنوات أحب أن أذكر حضرتكم أن مصر لها جذور تاريخية في أعماق التاريخ العالمي وخاصة على المستوى الأفريقي لها دوائر انتماء متعددة سواء كانت على الدائرة العربية أو الدائرة الأفريقية وحتى على الدائرة المسيحية، هذا الأمر يجعل مصر أكثر قدرة على التفاعل والتعامل معالدائرة الأفريقية بشكل إيجابيكانت مصر و ما تزال تاريخيا بوابة أفريقيا على العالم و نافذة العالم على أفريقيا، ليس على المستوى الاقتصادي و التجاري فقط ولكن علىالمستوى الثقافي و العلمي،السادة الكرام أعضاء البرلمان المحترم،علينا أن لا نتغافل على الدور المصري في الخمسينات والستينات سواء الثقافي أو السياسي لجميع حركات التحرر الأفريقية، واستنادا لذلك فإن مصر تتطلع إلى دور أكثر نشاطا وفعالية هذا الدور قائم على أساس الشراكة في مختلف المجالات، والتعامل في كافة محاور الاهتمام، و هو قائم على مبادئ أهمها: الوضوح في الأهداف و المبادى و الغايات و المصداقية في التكامل والتعامل بجدية وأكرر التعامل بجدية وعدم التدخل في شؤون الغير الداخلية،مصر اليوم بحكم موقعها الاستراتجي و بحكم إمكانياتها الواعدة وبحكم حركة التنمية التي تدور رحاها بسرعة متزايدة، لديها الكثير الذي يمكن أن تقدمه لأشقائها في أفريقيا، وعلى سبيل المثال، طاقة بشرية كبيرة يمكن توظيفها لدعم جهود التنمية، لدينا الآن شبكة طرق غير مسبوقة في تاريخ مصر وهذه الشبكة مطلوبة محليا أولا ولكن بكل تأكيد سيكون لها تأثير على القارة الأفريقية، إذ وضعنا في الاعتبار أن تكاليف النقل البري لا تقارن بتكاليف النقل الأخرى وهذا يدفعنا إلى تجديد الأمل لطريق الأسكندرية كيب تاون مصر لديها الكليات والمعاهد ومختلف المنابر الثقافية التي كانت ومازالت تأهلها أن تدعم أشقائها الأفارقة علميا وثقافيا وهو بالفعل ما تقوم به مصر حاليا،عانت مصر أيضا ومازالت تعاني من الإرهاب ولذلك سيكون لها دور في مكافحته بما لديها من خبرة واسعة إلى أشقائها الأفارقة، أعتقد أن صمام الأمان لعلاقة مصر بأشقائها الأفارقة سواء على المستوى الثنائي أو متعدد الأطراف قائم على محورين رئيسيين، يتعلق الأول بالمؤسسية، أما الثاني بالعلاقات الشعبية، متأثرة بذلك بما يدفع الناس وبما يؤثر على وجدانهم،فاهم الموضوعات التي تنفع الناس هي الاقتصادية و التجارية، أما ما يؤثر على وجدان الشعوب فأبرزها أهمية الثقافة والإعلام و التعليم و الزيارات المتبادلة و الانفتاح وحرية الحركة، فنحن نحبكم وسنظل نحبكمدوما، وفي النهاية مصر عادت هنا متواجدة.REFERENCE: 0505-110558KSMHE. DKT. FAUSTIN ENGELRBERT NDUNGULILE [TANZANIA]:Nakushukuru sana Mheshimiwa Rais, kwa kunipa nafasi hii kuchangia katika mada hii ya Mpango wa Nchi za Afrika wa Kujitathmini zenyewe katika Utawala Bora (African Peer Review Mechanism) (APRM). Kwanza, nianze kwa kutoa pongezi kwa wawasilishaji mada. Vilevile nitoe pongezi kwa Umoja wa Afrika kwa kuona umuhimu wa kuja na hili jambo la utaratibu wa nchi za Afrika kujitathmini zenyewe (African Mechanism for Africa by Africans).Baada ya kusema hayo, nimepitia mada zilizowasilishwa na nimewasikiliza kwa makini wawasilishaji wa mada hizo na nimegundua kuwa jambo hili ni la hiari na ushiriki wake ni wa hiari. Lakini pamoja na hayo, vilevile napenda niipongeze APRM kwa hatua ambazo zimefikiwa mpaka sasa.Pamoja na pongezi hizo, napenda nishauri kuwa kuna umuhimu sasa wa kulishirikisha Bunge la Afrika na Mabunge ya nchi katika kusimamia utekelezaji wa haya Maazimio na mambo ambayo yamebainika katika taarifa za mapitio (Review Reports) ya Ripoti ambazo zimefanyika.Mheshimiwa Rais, changamoto za Afrika zilizo nyingi zinafanana. Kuna matatizo ya rushwa, masuala ya utawala bora, na uchumi tegemezi, licha ya Bara la Afrika kuwa tajiri sana. Pamoja na kwamba kuna utaratibu wa kuwa na rekodi za kitakwimu za kupima (scorecard) mafanikio ya utekelezaji wa maazimio yaliyomo katika Ripoti za Mapitio (Review Reports), ningependa kushauri kuwa kuwe na utaratibu wa kutoa zawadi na adhabu kwa ajili ya kuleta mabadiliko katika mfumo wa utekelezaji (stick and carrot approach). Kwamba kuwepo na motisha (incentives) kwa zile nchi ambazo zimetekeleza majukumu yake na utaratibu wa kuziadhibu nchi ambazo hazijatekeleza.Jambo jingine ambalo ningependa kushauri, ni kuhusu namna Sekretarieti ya APRM ilivyowekwa katika mifumo ya uendeshaji katika nchi mbalimbali, na Sekretarieti ya APRM ni Kitengo na kipo chini ya Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa. Pamoja na kuwa chini ya Wizara hiyo pia kuna Wizara inayohusika na Utawala Bora.Mheshimiwa Rais, utaratibu huu mimi nauona ni changamoto. Nadhani ingekuwa vyema tukawa na utaratibu wa kimfumo unaofanana katika Bara la Afrika kuona ni wapi Sekretarieti hii inatakiwa iwepo ili iwe na nguvu na mamlaka ya kuweza kusimamia utekelezaji wa maazimio haya.Mwisho, ambalo ningependa kuchangia ni kama alivyosema msemaji aliyepita, kwamba Ripoti hizi ni za zamani sana, mambo mengi yamebadilika na Serikali zimebadilika. Kwa hiyo, kuna umuhimu sasa tuwe tunakubaliana^REFERENCE: 0505-110909FHON. ELHADJ DIAO KANTÉ [GUINÉE-CONAKRY]:Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais commencer par vous féliciter, pour avoir pensé à inscrire ce sujet à l’ordre du jour de notre session; féliciter les différents intervenants pour la clarté de leur exposé.Je ne voudrais poser que des questions de généralité.La première question que je pose, Monsieur le Président, est de savoir comment la procédure de soumission à cette évaluation se déroule-t-elle? Cela émane-t-elle des pays qui sont soumis à l’évaluation du MAEP ou de qui? Comment est-ce que cela va se passer?Deuxièmement, en comparaison des situations dans des pays ayant fait l’objet d’évaluation et celles des États qui ne l’ont pas encore fait, quel avantage dégage-t-on de cette évaluation pour encourager ceux qui ne l’ont pas encore faire?Troisièmement, la mise en place des représentants de MAEP dans des différents Parlements, nous en tant que Parlement guinéen, je suis responsable de cette section. Nous avons créé la résolution du Parlement en 2014, un Réseau du MAEP. Malheureusement, n’ayant pas de contact avec le représentant du MAEP en Guinée, il se trouve qu’on n’a pas tellement mesuré les intérêts et la procédure restée; nous n’avons pas meublé encore ce Réseau.Il y a également une quatrième question, c’est que nous avons constaté que l’évaluation demande des coûts. Les coûts sont de quel ordre, par exemple, pour les différents pays qui ont été évalués, de quel ordre à peu près et qui supporte ces frais-là?Après l’évaluation, approbation par le pays évalué, quel est le mécanisme de suivi? Quel est le département qui doit assumer le suivi? Est-ce que c’est le MAEP? Estce que c’est le Ministère des Affaires étrangères?Bien sûr, lequel des deux départements doit assurer le suivi de cette évaluation?Voilà, les quelques préoccupations parce que j’ai l’intention de faire, pour mettre le Guinée en évaluation, et nous avons besoin de connaître ces éléments.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci cher collègue.La parole est a 1’Honorable Thandi Cecilia MEMELA de l’Afrique du Sud.REFERENCE: 0505-111152EHON. TEKLE TESEMA BARAMO [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you, Mr President. I would also like to thank the presenters as well as the individuals who were involved in this very important report. Regarding Ethiopia, in the case of background, as you all know Ethiopia is one of the most important countries that defeated the European aggression in the 19 Century for the first time in the history of black people. This is one of the most important things that happened then in the colonial period.As my predecessor said, the APRM report is very important but it is very late now. We know it is valid, but there is so much progress that has happened after the report. Regarding the current progress of Ethiopia in relation to the close cutting issues, as we all know, due to the climate change, Ethiopia has set Climate Resilient Green Economic Strategy and with this we are fighting the climate shocks and we are also designing so many climate resilient economic structures. As a result, we have made progress from 3 percent forest growth to 11 percent now. This is one of the outcomes of the Ethiopian endeavor at the moment.Regarding food insecurity, in the previous regime, Ethiopia had 42 million people who were depending on aid, but currently more than 90 percent of the people are dependent on food produced locally. Even though there is foreign aid, currently we are showing progress in the country.In relation to poverty, in the case of Ethiopia the Ethiopian Government says that the first enemy is poverty. In this regard, we are fighting poverty. From 2004 and 2005 it was at 68 percent, but we have decreased it now to 22 percent.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0505-111506EHON. SHITAYE MINALE TIZAZU [ETHIOPIA]:Mr President, I thank all who debated before me for their excellent presentations.I will continue from where my colleague has left off. First of all, it was a commitment by my Government to develop APRM for this is a commitment that Africans have to be evaluated by Africans. I would like to say we are perfect in all areas, but I agree with what was said by the presenter that there are some challenges and shortcomings. For a long time we have had a problem of war in my country which is the same in Eritrea, Somalia and other places thus our economy is not doing fine. All the resources and human power are used for war. It is only in the last twenty-five years that my country has been stable and concentrating on building the nation.It is not mentioned in the presentation but I note in the document that Ethiopia is one of the fast growing nonoil dependent African countries. So, we have to value success and challenges because we are Africans and have to find solutions to our problems by ourselves.APRM has to examine the details with the specific criteria each country has to take. I believe that each country has its own peculiarities. So, the criteria cannot be the same. I need some clarification. My country, Ethiopia, has identified areas of attention in development. More than 90 per cent of the country’s budget is assigned for pro poor activities. Similarly, more than 60 per cent of the budget is assigned for capital projects like production, construction of roads, schools, health centres et cetera. So, it is for this reason that we are growing. In addition, national development has identified a very sensitive area of corruption which has attacked developmental chains and administration. It is the first main activity for the Government to be practical in fighting corruption in a way of bringing good governance and accountability.I want to ask some questions. Do you prescribe the criteria for the evaluation of countries because^REFERENCE: 0505-111850EHON. FIDEL RWIGAMBA [RWANDA]:Thank you Mr. President.Most of my concerns have been raised by those who spoke before me. I just have one point or two to make.There are countries, maybe ten or more, which have not acceded to this process. Could the presenters tell us the reason for their lack of action? I know that it is voluntary, but maybe there are other reasons. How many are they? When are they likely to accede to this process?Another point is that when you look at the whole process, it has been the preserve of the Executive. Most of the issues do not address Parliaments. Is it possible for Parliaments alone to do their own APRM so that, as you know, they will check each other on their role of oversight legislation and so on?Thank you Mr. President.REFERENCE: 0505-112011FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.À mon tour, je voudrais féliciter les présentateurs pour leurs brillants exposés et aussi féliciter le MAEP pour son œuvre noble dans l’assistance de certains États africains dans la bonne gouvernance, condition sine qua non d’un développement socio-économique et inexorable.On nous a présenté les rapports sur le Bénin, l’Île Maurice, le Nigéria, l’Éthiopie et l’Afrique du Sud et je pense vraiment que ce sont des pays qui ont suivi les recommandations du MAEP. C’est pourquoi, aujourd’hui, ils sont parmi les économies les plus prospères du continent parce que les États, il faut vraiment le dire, qui suivent les recommandations de MAEP ont des progrès qui se font sentir.Cependant, j’ai quelques questions à poser surtout au Pr Eddie MALOKA, le Directeur Exécutif du Secrétariat du MAEP.Concernant le rapport du Bénin, je crois que dans un passé plus ou moins récent, il y avait eu polémique autour du rapport du MAEP. La mission était confiée à Madame Angélique SAVANÉ, si j’ai un bon mémoire, il y a eu un problème: est-ce que c’est le même rapport ou bien il a été refait et présenté?Deuxièmement, je voudrais savoir ses sentiments sur des recommandations des partenaires techniques et financiers très à la mode en ce moment, notamment sur la réalisation des dividendes démographiques pour l’accélération de la croissance économique des pays et les budgets sexospécifiques.Les recommandations concernant le budget sexospécifique qui génèrent plus d’équité, d’égalité, d’efficacité et d’efficience.Ensuite, les recommandations aux pays pétroliers, exportateurs de pétrole dont le budget dépend beaucoup des revenus du pétrole alors que par moment il y a fluctuation des prix et des problèmes.Merci.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La parole est à l’Honorable Saloun CISSÉ de la Guinée Conakry.REFERENCE: 0505-112444EHON. JOSEPH MBAH-NDAM [CAMEROON]:Thank you Mr, President. I have listened keenly to the presenters. I have also listened to the debates that followed this exercise. To my mind the crosscutting issues are the conduct of elections, the organs in charge of elections, transparency in the conduct of the elections and the possibility of being at the helm of our various countries. These are critical issues which ought to be addressed across the continent. I do not have these issues coming up. These are the sources of underdevelopment or the skirmishes that we have from time to time in our countries.I am therefore only here to make or discern a difference between the countries that acceded to this mechanism and those that have not. Ms Bernadette, those that have not say it is because they do not see a reason for doing it. I believe that unless we introduce a mechanism or devise some measure of sanctions, even if it is just a shame sanction, this will have no meaningful impact on the various countries and our governments. We have continued to do this and some countries are doing it for the second time. What then will happen? We can discern that some countries have not signed for the second time and they have not changed. They have not become model countries for Africa. If we do not handle this mechanism carefully and create the impetus by making the countries know that the issues that arise out of the review will certainly be redressed, we are wasting our time.Thank you very much, Mr President.REFERENCE: 0505-112720EHON. ABDULRAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Mr President, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity.I actually read the report and I admit that some of the challenges in Nigeria are true, but I am also happy to say that I thank my man the representative of the SSG for giving us the current situation.I really just want to add one more thing that in Nigeria it is not just a fight against corruption but a lot of ministers, former ministers and governors have even willingly returned money to the coffers of the Government to ensure that there is some good governance. We have in our budget about five hundred billion Naira, which is meant for social services to give people that do not have incomes. In the same budget about 500 thousand teachers have been employed to ensure that students get well trained teachers.We are diversifying our economy because we realise that relying only on oil will give us problems. I personally sponsored a Motion in the national assembly about the idea of pursuing non-oil revenues. If we block the leakages particularly for generating revenues and VAT taxes on Custom duties, we are going to use that money to even fund our national budget. That has actually been done because today, the national budget is more about diversification to areas such as agriculture and solid mineral minerals.Finally I want to put it on record that actually he tackled purging budgets, but purging budgets is not about legislators. The President has personally fired people in the bureaucracy particularly in the Budget Office who were identified to have tempered with that budget. All this was done in the spirit of transparency. I just thought that I should add that point.I thank you so much for giving me the attention.REFERENCE: 0505-112930EHON. MALINI SEWOCKSINGH (MRS) [MAURITIUS]:Thank you Mr. President.Mr. President, I had no intention to intervene, but I could not afford not to after hearing the speaker - Honourable MAYOTOU.Mr. President, after hearing the report on Mauritius, I am sure all brothers and sisters of this Assembly understand why, very often, when we have the Floor, we are quite optimistic.I said it yesterday in one of my speeches that we have moved many miles. Many things have changed, but this could not have been possible without the contribution of each and every one of us.Politically, we are stable; we have an educated population. Geographically, we are very well positioned.We know, Mr. President, that we have some challenges. We have some improvement to be made still - some kind of training, but where there is a will, there is a way.On another note, Mr. President, I would like to greet specially our fellow brother who is a panel member today - Mr. SAMAKIN who is here.In this report, it is said, Mauritius is a small island with few natural resources. It, therefore, relies heavily on its human resources. Therefore, when we rely on people like Mr. SAMANKIN, definitely we are moving very much forward.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0505-113119FHON. ROUAMBA WORKYA [BURKINA-FASO]:Merci Monsieur le Président.J’ai bien écouté avec attention les différents exposés des orateurs sur le MAEP.Beaucoup d’acquis, des insuffisances certes, mais j’aurais bien aussi aimé entendre l’expérience, les mesures qu’ils ont dû améliorer pour pouvoir atteindre, voire même booster ce développement dans leurs pays.Merci.REFERENCE: 0505-113213FEPR EDDIE MALOKA [DIRECTEUR EXÉCUTIF DU SECRÉTARIAT DU MÉCANISME AFRICAIN D’ÉVALUATION PAR LES PAIRS (MAEP)]:Merci beaucoup Monsieur le Président.Nous allons essayer de vous répondre, mais pas comme un Panel, parce que je suis ici avec des personnalités éminentes élues par les Chefs d’État qui, elles-mêmes, mènent des missions du MAEP dans les pays.Nous, le Secrétariat, notre rôle, c’est de leur donner le soutien pour les aider dans le travail qu’ils font.Mais je vais vous dire quelque chose! En fait, je vais parler en anglais.I think the questions cover five areas and we thank Honourable Members, Members of this august body of the African Union for very pertinent questions and also questions that are very enlightening. I think the questions fall into five categories. There is a set of questions on the APRM process, there are questions about APRM structures, and then there are questions about what happens to the recommendations. There are also questions around the universal accession, why we have this number and not others, and then of course your role on the continent or the role of the Executive versus the Legislature in the APRM process.We also take this opportunity to thank our brothers and sisters who took the Floor from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt and Mauritius for very impressive and honest and frank updates on how their countries have continued to play their role and to implement where APRM process has taken place already, but also to work for the kind of continent that all of us want to see.I will quickly go through the questions that were addressed to me. On the APRM structures, just to say quickly President that, we will have a meeting at the end of this month here to deal exactly with the issues of harmonisation of APRM structures and methods of work because you will find that at the country level we have the Secretariat, we have National Governing Council and then we have the focal point so we need to harmonise all these works. You will find that the focal point in some countries is in this department, others in a different department. We need to develop, harmonise and find the way that is consistent. So it is a matter that is ongoing. Then the panel members will talk about the APRM process and the recommendations as well. Madam Mabanda did indicate that the panel is taking a lot of interest in that.On the issue of universal accession, the Chair of the Forum, President Kenyatta of Kenya, feels very strongly that this is something that has to be taken up. Currently, we have 35 countries and we need to increase our membership, but the feeling which is still there is that APRM was formed for a particular purpose or with a particular mission. We should retain the voluntary nature of the membership, so it should not be automatic that once you ratify the Constitutive Act of the African Union you are a member of the APRM because those countries that go an extra mile and become a member of the APRM commit themselves to opening their doors, like when we go to countries, countries say to us, “look we are here, the doors are open, members will tell you what they do”, and so on. So, we need countries that are ready to go and take that step. That is why it is voluntary. You can see the reports that came in here. For some countries like our brother from Nigeria who was here, he was very frank. It may be that maybe some other countries are not ready to deal with these issues in the same way that others are ready to do so, but the political will across the continent is the same. So, we need to work and drive this campaign for universal accession but that should not be at the expense of the best APRM principle of voluntariness. So, it must be a country that is ready to take this extra step.On the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, the panel members will also address it, but just to say that in the Country Review Mission, the Legislature plays a very important role. I am happy that there is this network that is ably led by our brother and Honourable Member from Uganda of APRM entities and I think that, Mr President, we like from the secretariat to have a much active engagement with the Pan-African Parliament and to probably think of how we can have a consistent and continuous engagement with this August House which should not be only when we come and report. It should be on a continuous basis. I will leave it there and the Honourable Members from the panel will then deal with the issues. Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0505-113733FHON. JOSEPH TSANG MANG KIN [MEMBER OF THE APRM PANEL]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Oui, il y a beaucoup de questions qui ont té posées. Je voudrais aussi dire merci à tous les intervenants qui, par leurs questions, nous interpellent et nous mettent dans une pression vraiment de nous interroger de même sur le sens de notre action et sur la validité du processus que nous sommes en train d’appliquer en ce moment.En tout premier lieu, je voudrais peut-être reprendre la toute première question avant d’arriver sur le processus. La toute première question qui m’a bien, comment dire, interpellé dans le sens qu’on se demande quel est le rôle du Chef de l’État dans l’implémentation.Comme on le sait, rien ne peut se faire, à moins que le pays soit un membre du MAEP. Et c’est souvent le Chef de l’État qui donne la première impulsion et ensuite qui met en place des structures et tout. Je vais revenir là-dessus.Mais le rôle d’un Chef d’État, il faut le dire que dans le développement d’aujourd’hui, le développement ne se fait pas par un seul homme; c’est une équipe, une idée, il y a un conseil des Ministres, plein de Ministres pour conseiller, pour agir, et ensuite il y a le Parlement. Donc, ce qui veut dire que, ici, là je voudrais peut-être m’appesantir sur un point capital dans le travail que nous sommes en train de faire. C’est que, comme point de départ, pour analyser ce que nous faisons, si nous réussissons ou nous ne réussissons pas, il faudrait avoir un point de référence. La référence pour nous, c’est les nobles écoles, c’est-à-dire que toutes les conventions internationales auxquelles on nous aurait souscrit, ça veut dire que nous sommes engagés par exemple auprès des Nations Unies, il y a les droits de l’homme; auprès de l’OUA, droits de l’homme, droits de la femme, droits des enfants. On a signé toutes ces conventions. Et lorsque nous tournons dans la plus part de nos pays, on voit que beaucoup de conventions ont été signées. Mais lorsqu’on regarde l’application, il y a là un problème parce que... et c’est là qu’on se rend compte que beaucoup de pays, beaucoup de conventions n’ont pas été traduites, incorporées dans l’arsenal juridique national. Ce qui fait que, on dit « on a signé », mais il n’y a pas les décrets d’application, ce qui fait qu’il y a un manque quelque part là. Et cela, permettez-moi, auguste instance, de dire que, justement, il revient par exemple chez les parlementaires, par exemple dans leur pays voir qu’il n’y a suffisamment pas d’application. C’est là que le Parlementaire peut intervenir, il peut suivre, voir quels sont les codes, les normes qui ont été appliqués ou pas appliqués, qui ont été signés ou pas signés, ensuite faire pression pour, justement, que tout cet ensemble de lois internationales auxquelles on aurait souscrit soit transféré à intégrer dans l’arsenal juridique national. Ça, je crois, c’est capital, parce que je viens de terminer deux évaluations dans deux pays. Et ensuite, en regardant en arrière, tout ce qui a été fait un peu partout, je me rends compte que, justement, ça c’est un des points faibles. Et là, permettez-moi d’insister, pour demander à nos amis qui nous ont bien reçus aujourd’hui de veillez à cela. Ça c’est un point extrêmement capital.Et, deuxièmement, tout de suite, sur ce plan-là, je dois ajouter ceci: souvent, quand nous parlons de développement, tout le temps/pourtant on parle de financement, de l’économie, du commerce et tout; mais seulement, il y a une chose sur laquelle je voudrais m’appesantir du fait d’avoir tourné un peu partout en Afrique, je me rends compte qu’il y a quand même une des choses fondamentales: pour réussir le développement, il faudrait que toutes nos actions soient basées sur un socle éthique, parce que s’il n’y a pas cela, quelles que soient les compétences des gars toutes des pressions on peut faire, s’il n’y a pas ce socle éthique au départ, rien ne peut se faire. On peut dire, on a bien développé le pays, le pays a fait des progrès dans l’économie, la finance, le commerce, etc., mais il peut être, sur le plan éthique, très questionnable. Alors donc, ce qui fait que souvent, dans certains pays, on peut voir, disons, de grands développements, on peut avoir de grandes ressources, le pétrole et tout ça; et finalement, on se rend compte que, peut-être, il y a divorce entre la population et ceux qui ont la responsabilité de mener à bien le développement du pays. Alors, c’est pour cette raison que nous pensons que le socle éthique est important. Donc, pour dire que le Présidents il n’est pas seul, il a une équipe.Maintenant, il y a la question qui est posée sur le processus. Par exemple, je me rends compte que beaucoup de nos parlementaires découvrent peut-être un peu mieux aujourd’hui le travail que nous faisons. Et d’ailleurs, nous nous réjouissons du fait de l’initiative de notre frère KIDEANOU qui a justement travaillé pour que nous puissions apporter nos rapports ici.Alors, donc, il y as — je ne vais pas trop tarder, je vais quand même dire quelques points essentiels —, il y a d’abord la volonté du pays d’accéder au MAEP. Et deuxièmement, là une fois qu’on a accédé, là le pays demande des on va demander, c’est pour faire l’évaluation. Mais l’évaluation ne se fait pas du jour au lendemain comme cela. Une fois que le pays a adhéré, on envoie une mission avancée dans ce pays pour mettre en place les différentes structures. Alors, parmi les structures que dois souligners il y a ce qu’on appelle la commission nationale de gouvernance qui comprend parfois entre 50 et 100 personnes qui viennent de tous les secteurs de la vie du pays: vous avez des gars de la société civile, des membres du gouvernement, de l’opposition, des représentants de femmes, des étudiants, des universités, du secteur des affaires, de l’entreprenariat. On a toutes ces personneslà qui sont dans la commission nationale de gouvernance.Pourquoi est-ce qu’elle est là? Parce que, au secrétariat, au fil des années, nous avons eus acquis une grande expérience de ce qui se fait, et nous avons un questionnaire d’une centaine de pages. Et là, nous avons les gars au secrétariat qui travaillent. Donc, on met à jour le questionnaire, tout le temps, il faut le mettre à jour et on l’envoie dans le pays pour leur demander de faire leur évaluation. On appelle ça le premier exercice, c’est l’exerce de l’autoévaluation.Qu’est-ce qui se passe ici? Les pays vont répondre à ce questionnaire. Et qui va répondre à ce questionnaire? C’est justement cette commission nationale de gouvernance. Et c’est à partir de là que la Commission nationale de gouvernance, avec toutes ces personnes vont se mettre ensemble pour répondre aux questions. Et là, avec l’aide, naturellement des ITR (Instituts de Recherches) qui sont avec des gars hautement qualifiés — des professeurs soit de droit, de l’économie, des affaires et tout —, ils vont guider dans cet exercice de répondre à ce questionnaire. Alors, le questionnaire nous donne le rapport national d’évaluation. Le rapport est envoyé au secrétariat, le secrétariat le scrute et l’examine, et on voit: il y a des réponses qui ne sont pas satisfaisantes ou bien il y a des questions qui n’ont pas eu de réponse? Alors, on s’interroge et là on se prépare pour aller surplace pour avoir les réponses aux questions qui n’ont pas reçu de réponse. Et c’est là qu’on a la mission d’évaluation. Nous allons là-bas avec une équipe, il ya dans les différents secteurs. les quatre secteurs, nous avons quatre ou huit personnes, avec deux experts envoyés par les organisations internationales qui veulent bien nous aider, des organisations africaines chez nous-mêmes.Et là, ce qui est très important, c’est que nous allons rencontrer les gens du gouvernement, rencontrer le Président, les Ministres, les Premiers Ministres et tous les hauts fonctionnaires; et là ils sont soumis à pas mal de questions justement sur les réponses qu’on a reçues et dont nous ne sommes pas tout à fait satisfaits.Mais, il n’y a pas que les officiels que nous interrogeons, il y a la tournée dans toues les régions. Et dans les régions, qui nous allons voir? Nous allons voir les populations, on va voir ceux-là qui nous intéressent le plus: les pauvres, les laboureurs — comment dire —, les femmes, les handicapés, les étudiants, les élèves, les jeunes qui n’ont pas de travail, les malades. Et là, on s’interroge sur l’état sanitaire du pays.Là, je peux vous assurer, Monsieur le Président, que les gens viennent et parlent. Et quand ils parlent, parfois ça vous fait très mal, parce que vous sentez très souvent que. parfois, ils disent qu’ils se sont abandonnés ou bien qu’ils ne sont pas compris, qu’ils sont négligés. Là, vous entendez les cœurs qui s’ouvrent. Et parfois, quand vous entendez certains témoignages, les larmes vous viennent aux yeux, parce que. il n’est pas dit là que l’État ne s’occupe pas d’eux, mais il y a ici les problèmes de ressources. Il y a beaucoup de problèmes d’ordre structurel, il y a problème de personnalité. Mais souvent l’on peut vous dire finalement, à l’écoute de ces catégories de personnes — les plus pauvres, les laboureurs, les pasteurs et tout —, c’est là qu’on rentre dans la réalité des pays. Et puis, je peux vous dire qu’à ce moment-là, donc, on a une masse d’information. Et c’est avec cette masse d’information qu’on se réunit encore une fois en conclave avec les grands spécialistes et on rédige le rapport.Le rapport rédigé, on l’envoie au pays. Parfois dans le pays, on n’aime pas certaines choses. Il y a déjà les menues discutions, etc. Et entre temps aussi, parfois le gouvernement, parce qu’il y a certaines choses qui sont tellement criardes — j’ai des cas en tête — où tout de suite,.... pas pris des dispositions pour parer aux difficultés et aux problèmes. Donc, déjà, il y a un début d’amélioration. Et puis après ce va et vient, le rapport est finalisé et traduit dans l’autre langue. Et là, nous l’amenons, ce rapport, au forum, ça veut dire la réunion des Chefs d’État membres du MAEP. Et là, le texte est présenté, les Ministres jugent leurs pairs, parce que ce n’est pas nous. Nous, on est que des instruments pour apporter les informations. Et là, le président du pays là, il doit répondre aux questions de ses pairs.Maintenant, il y a une question — là je vais finir —, rapidement pour dire qu’une fois le rapport adopté,. du devoir de ramener le rapport dans le pays. Et à ce moment-là, ce rapport doit être distribué à toute la population à travers la commission nationale de gouvernance, justement pour ramener les populations à s’approprier ce rapport. Et une fois qu’ils savent ce qu’il y a dans ce rapport, ils peuvent faire pression. Si on est Parlementaire, si on est Ministre, si on est représentant pour dire qu’est-ce qui se passe. Il y a ça. Premier point.Et puis, il est du devoir du pays de faire des rapports chaque année, pour dire voilà, nous avons eu ce rapport et voilà ce que nous avons fait. L’année suivante, il y a le rapport, c’est-à-dire qu’on ne dort pas. Il ne faut pas penser^ comme si c’est terminé, non. Le rapport est présenté chaque année, et c’est là que le Chef d’État rend compte^ il y a des comptes à rendre à ses pairs pour dire, voilà nous avons pu faire ça, nous n’avons pas pu faire ça, etc. Voilà dans les grandes lignes.Alors donc, je crois que je vais m’arrêter ici, je crois qu’on a une idée un peu plus claire, plus commun, mais je peux vous dire une chose: ce n’est pas un travail facile, et les gars qui sont choisis là ne sont pas des complaisants. Et c’est dur, parfois, il y a des choses assez pénibles à dire, et puis qui ne font pas plaisir. Mais je crois que ce mécanisme, c’est un produit, une création africaine dont nous sommes très fiers. D’ailleurs, on a eu des séances de travail avec les gars de l’OCD qui voulaient voir un peu nos questionnaires, pour améliorer leurs questionnaires. Mais c’est pour dire que c’est un mécanisme qui rend service, comme a dit une sœur tout à l’heure, c’est que, à partir du moment qu’on se rend compte des choses à faire, il y a aussi ceci que, dans certains rapports, dans le passé, on avait prévenu certains États que s’ils ne prenaient pas des dispositions, il devait aller y avoir des problèmes d’ordre social, des explosions, etc. Et d’ailleurs,^ après et d’ailleurs c’est pour ça que le rapport du MAEP est un rapport des plus fidèles, des plus rigoureux, des plus sincères. Donc, c’est un instrument qui permet justement à nos États de corriger leurs erreurs. Et aussi, ce n’est seulement pas les erreurs, nous identifions aussi les bonnes pratiques, parce qu’on voit que dans certains pays, il y a certaines pratiques qui ne sont pas appliquées ailleurs. Donc, nous sommes très heureux, nous prenons ces bonnes pratiques et nous les proposons à d’autres États, et ainsi on échange des expériences, des connaissances. Tt tout ça pour le bien des pays de nos États, mais surtout^ de voir ce qu’advient nos populations qui vivent dans la misère.Merci, Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 0505-115136FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup!Merci.(Applaudissements)Chers collègues,Nous venons de suivre le rapport et les réponses aux questions.Je soumets donc cette présentation à votre appréciation.(Applaudissements)Le Parlement panafricain prend acte de ce rapport et vous invite à une proche collaboration, tant que cela est possible avec celui-ci.Nous vous remercions.Madame la Secrétaire générale, y a-t-il des annonces?MME LA SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRALE:Oui, nous avons une communication.Le Président du Parlement panafricain invite les Présidents des Caucus régionaux et des Commissions permanentes à une réunion au salon présidentiel, juste à la suspension des travaux de cette matinée.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci.Chers collègues,Nous sommes arrivés au terme de nos travaux de ce matin. La séance est par conséquent, suspendue. Elle reprendra à 14 h 30.[La séance est suspendue à onze heures cinquante-deuxminutes cinquante-cinq secondes. Elle reprendral’après-midi à quatorze heures trente minutes.]ADJOURNMENT [11:51:36]REFERENCE: 0505-143650FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Monsieur le Secrétaire général, je vous donne la parole pour l’ordre du jour.M. LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:L’ordre du jour appelle la présentation et les débats sur le rapport sur le programme relatif à la sécurité alimentaire et à la nutrition.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Conformément à notrerèglement intérieur, chers collègues, j’invite:Monsieur David Phiri, Coordinateur sousrégional de l’Organisation des Nations-Unies pour l’Alimentation et l’Agriculture (FAO) pour l’Afrique Australe;Ms Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Coordinatrice spéciale pour l’Alliance parlementaire au siège de la FAO;et Monsieur Maaouni Sabat, Conseiller technique du Bureau régional de la FAO pour l’Afrique, à faire leur entrée dans la Chambre.Madame et Messieurs,Le Parlement panafricain est heureux de vous recevoir à son sein, aujourd’hui, pour discuter d’un problème d’importance capitale pour notre continent, à savoir la sécurité alimentaire.J’invite donc les personnalités suivantes à faire leur présentation.Monsieur David Phiri, Coordinateur sous-régional de la FAO pour l’Afrique Australe.Vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0505-143918EMR. DAVID PHIRI [SUB-REGIONAL COORDINATOR OF THE FAO FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA]:Your Excellencies, President and Vice Presidents, hon. Members of Parliament and distinguished personalities. I am very honoured to make these remarks on behalf of the Director General of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Mr Hose Graciano DeSilva who regrets that he is unable to be here today.At the outset I wish to register FAOs appreciation to the pan-African Parliament first, for allowing us to make this presentation and secondly for its commitment to advance food security and nutrition in Africa.We live in a world where 793 fellow citizens of the world still go to sleep hungry. This is a reduction from one billion people just a few years ago. So, the world has made progress, but we have not made sufficient progress. We still have 500 million people that are obese and 1.5 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted each year. The health budgets of governments continue to increase as the Governments battle the many diseases brought about by bad diets. It was, therefore, not surprising when the UN General Assembly approved the seventeen sustainable development goals. That foremost among them was the eradication of poverty and hunger.So, it is not a coincidence that these were respectively sustainable development goals one and two. Furthermore, on 1st April, 2016 the General Assembly of the UN declared a decade of action on nutrition. That will run from this year 2016 to 2025. FAO has welcomed these decisions. They represent major steps towards mobilising action around reducing hunger and improving nutrition around the world. The UN resolution recognises the need to eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition in our life time. It provides umbrella for mutual accountability on our commitment as outlined in the declaration and framework for action of the second international conference on nutrition that was held in Rome in 2014.Africa today suffers from a multiple burden of malnutrition. Several forms of malnutrition co-exist on continent, an estimated one child out of every three children, is stunted, meaning that he is too short for his age. This is coupled with high levels of deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals as well as rising levels of overweight and obesity linked to poor dietary habits and life style. There is also an increase in the incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. When all segments of our populations should be healthy and actively contributing to economic development, our Governments are spending huge sums of money on health. Malnutrition alone accounts for over 45 per cent of deaths in children under five and increasingly accounts for high proportion of deaths in middle age and later life.I should note, Africa has made some progress in reducing the proportion of hungry people, but unfortunately, nutritional outcomes have not improved a lot. In fact, the actual numbers of hungry people have increased.FAO and its partners are more than ever committed to raising the levels of nutrition as stipulated in the FAO Constitution. We are working with Governments in Africa to transform our food systems to be more nutritional sensitive and towards achieving sustainable development goal number two.Your Excellencies and hon. Members, I am sure you all agree that anchoring the issue of food and nutritional security in legislation would ensure as far as possible adequate resource allocation in national budgets to ensure implementation of priority food and nutrition programmes. Adequate and appropriate relevant sectoral laws provide an enabling legislative environment to improve food and nutrition outcomes. For example, there is probably need to increase taxes on unhealthy food that are high in sugar, salt or ultra processed fats that alone could cause cancer and at the same time provide tax incentives for healthier diversified foods such as fruits, vegetables, pastas, legumes and other nutrient dense foods.The good news is that a high level of commitment has been demonstrated by Africa. For example, most African countries have ratified the main international treaties relevant to the right to food and optimal food security and nutrition, including the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, the convention on the rights of a child and the international Covenant on civil and political rights. Countries in the region, which is in Africa, have also endorsed the main regional legal instruments that directly or indirectly refer to the right to food. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa 2003 are just examples.Under the Malabo Declaration and implementation strategy and roadmap, African Governments have committed to reducing stunting to below 10 per cent and underweight to below 5 per cent by 2025. FAO is proud to be providing support to the African Union and NEPAD as these continental institutions work towards a hunger free Africa by 2025.Excellencies, hon. Members, it is a foregone conclusion that eradicating poverty and hunger requires the efforts of all, that is Governments, parliamentarians, civil society and the private sector. FAOs experience in collaborating with Parliamentarians on food and nutritional security, especially in the Latin American Caribbean region, has been very positive and we continue to strengthen and deepen these engagements. We recognise that Parliamentarians are fundamental custodians of political commitments on food security and nutrition. Therefore, FAO seeks closer collaboration with Parliamentarians across Africa as we work towards meeting our mission commitments to guarantee the realisation of the right to food and optimal nutrition in Africa.Excellencies and hon. Members, we, Africans, have set ambitious and yet achievable targets for our continent. A Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for food and nutritional security can only serve to advance this process. Together we can make hunger and malnutrition history in Africa.I thank you all for your attention.REFERENCE: 0505-145024FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup!Je voudrais savoir s’il y a bien trois présentations?Monsieur Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.Monsieur David, veuillez reprendre votre place. Merci!Monsieur Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett est Coordonnateur Spécial pour l’Alliance Parlementaire de Siège de la FAO.Monsieur,Vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0505-145101FEM. CAROLYN RODRIGUES-BIRKETT [COORDONATEUR SPÉCIAL POURALLIANCES PARLEMENTAIRES DE SIÈGE DE LA FAO]:Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Président.C’est la même présentation, mais nous sommes en train de présenter cela en plusieurs partis.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:D’accord!M. CAROLYN RODRIGUES-BIRKETT [COORDONATEUR SPÉCIAL POUR ALLIANCES PARLEMENTAIRES DE SIÈGE DE LA FAO]:Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Président.Excellence Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Madam Bernedette Lahai, I am here to reecho some of the points that were made earlier by His Excellency Mr David Phiri who is also the Sub Regional Coordinator for the Southern African Countries, 16 countries including the IOC countries, and also Your Excellency Dr Tobias Takavarasha who is the FAO representative here in Southern African and also my colleague from Head Quarters Madam Caroline Roderick.I will begin this presentation by highlighting some of the issues that were earlier raised by His Excellency David King. We are contending with an issue in Africa that we are all aware of and we may be preaching to the already converted because in our various countries we have been living with the serious issue of hunger and malnutrition. So, FAO as an institution has been engaging countries to reprioritise this agenda. Over the past decade statistics have not moved significantly. Globally as you can see 793 million people still go hungry. 500 million people are obese. Specifically on our continent we realise that we still have very high levels of undernourishment and all 54 African countries still have issues with obesity and non-communicable diseases as was highlighted by His Excellency.Over 163.6 million females of reproductive age are anaemic and actually anaemia is serving as a proxy for deficiencies in other essential micro nutrients. And globally we have 2 billion people that are deficient in essential micro nutrients. Anaemia weakens your systems. If you are anaemic you are not able to produce in terms of work capacity; you are not able to be productive to your full potential. Deficiencies in iodine contribute to cretinism and issues around sub normal abnormalities in the mental faculty. So, children that are deficient in iodine for example go to school and they are not able to perform to their optimum level and they grow up to become unproductive adults because they cannot produce to their full capacity.A few years ago we started on embarking on universal salt iodization and today you will not see women with goitre because that solution has somehow contributed to addressing iron deficiency. We are saying that in Africa we cannot develop our continent with hungry people and malnourished people. Our constituents cannot develop our constituencies when they are malnourished. They have to be in optimal help. We are not talking about good nutrition; we are talking about optimal nutrition. Countries that are now in transition; South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria you name them, the trends we are observing now is increasing levels of noncommunicable diseases that are linked to our lifestyles, that are linked to overweight or obesity. This population group, that is going through that stage of their lives are supposed to be contributing to development, but we spend huge sums of money on their health and they are not able to contribute fully.So, what we are saying is that we need to find solutions, we need to diversify our supply systems, we need to diversify our food systems, we need to provide capacity for women to be able to produce healthy babies because a woman that is stunted grows into an adult deficient in several micro nutrients and is more prone to produce a baby that is already starting life disadvantaged. That baby is in an environment that does not guarantee their full health and their full nutritional potential. That child starts school already deficient in so many micro nutrients. The little monotonous diets that we consume at home, be it; maize, be it rice, be it whatever, sorghum, millets the environmental conditions and care practices, poor water supply and poor hygiene contributes to increasing micro deficiencies because the little nutrients those children have, they lose through diarrhoea or through some other sicknesses.So, we have a huge issue to contend with and that is why we are seeking to reinforce collaboration with the lawmakers. You are the lawmakers, you hold accountable Cabinet in your governments, we can reserves this trend, we can ensure that over 163 million females that are anaemic, we ensure that we create a condition for them to address their full development potential to produce healthy children for those children to grow up into healthy adults, and optimal nutrition to contribute to our development.As you can see from this chart this is a chart of global nutrition targets and in Africa most countries are in the red and in the orange. David said we have made some progress, but the progress has been very slow. That is why in 2014 FAO organised the Second International Conference on Nutrition because for the past two decades in fact stunting has stagnated. We have done progress in addressing undernourishment and you can see the statistics.The one that I want to highlight is adult obesity and adult diabetes. Maybe some of us we know people who are contending with diabetes, with cancers, with hypertension, with serious cost implications when it comes to health. But for every dollar that we invest in nutrition the returns are as much as 16 to 32 dollars in terms of economic return. Take food fortification, for example, we engage the private sector to fortify whether it is cooking oil with vitamin A, wheat flour with iron folic acid, salt with iodine, the cost in doing that is small, but they reach significant proportions of the population with some recommended dietary allowances for the social micro nutrients that contribute to their overall wellbeing.So we can see from this graph that we are not making significant progress when it comes to African countries in terms of the World Health Assembly global nutrition targets. Only Kenya for now is on track for all five targets that we have indicators and Ghana is on course for only one. So, there is a high economic cost when it comes to nutrition.I will stop here and my other colleague from our headquarters will continue with why we are going to seek stronger collaboration and create this Pan-African Parliamentary forum for malnutrition, for nutrition and food security. Thank you for your attention Excellency and I want to extend special appreciation to Honourable Lahai for her passion in this area.Thank you.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Thank you very much!Madame,Vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0505-145948EA PRESENTER:Thank you very much Mr. President, Vice Presidents, hon. Members and honourable personalities. Thank you very much. If you look at the statistics, it could appear a bit daunting. I used to be a parliamentarian myself for about forty years. So, I know the burdens you have on your shoulder and how we can work together to change this situation. Africa is not short of commitment in terms of food and nutrition security. Some of it is listed here in the Marabo Declaration, the second international conference in nutrition. Africa played a very important role in ensuring that we have a framework for action. You have the African Regional Nutrition Strategy. You have the Scaling-Up Nutrition Movement where thirty six out of the fifty four African countries are part of that. This Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament, made a request to FAO for a technical cooperation program so that we can work together on food and nutrition issues. So, I am very optimistic about what we can do together.But why does FAO want to deepen and strengthen this relationship with parliamentarians? It is very simple. Evidence has shown that once we have food and nutrition security issues anchored in legislation, the statistics on food and nutrition security change for the better. This is why Parliamentarians are also important because you are the ones who make the laws. I know this institution, the Pan-African Parliament, is not a law-making body, but I know you are working to getting there. However, at the national and sub-regional levels, these things can happen.Why do I say we have evidence? We have been working in other parts of the world. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we have seen some very encouraging and interesting results. Early in 2005, the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean came together and they formed an initiative called the Hunger Free Latin American and Caribbean Initiative. However, very soon after they launched that initiative, Parliamentarians came together and said “We want to be partners in this and not just the Executive.” They formed the Latin American Caribbean Parliamentary Front in 2009. Since 2009, seventeen countries have formed national parliamentary fronts. You know what? Twenty laws have been passed in these countries on food and nutrition security. When other organisations saw what was happening, they came on board to form partnerships with the Latin American Alliance. So, they have ten alliances with international and civil society organisations. Also, the four sub-regional parliaments came together too and they are now part of the Latin American Caribbean Parliamentary Front. Latin America and the Caribbean lead the world now in terms of the reduction in poverty and hunger. They have the highest rate of reduction. They have achieved what the Millennium Development Goals have in the percentage of hungry people and the World Food Summit Goal.So, we have seen what Parliamentarians can do and we know that if they work with what they have been doing, they will have played an important part in the results the countries have had. So, together with the Executive, they have had very positive results. Malnutrition is not something for the developing world. Just last week, the European Parliament had a group of parliamentarians that had their first meeting to launch a similar alliance on hunger and malnutrition because Europe is second only to the Americas in terms of obesity. They have serious issues with non communicable diseases. The Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries has also asked FAO to work with them as we move forward with forming an alliance. What was interesting in Latin America is they invited African Parliamentarians to be part of their deliberations for a few years. LastNovember, seven parliamentarians from Africa were present there. They made presentations and asked FAO to work with them to form an alliance in Africa. This is partly why we are here today.What can Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security do? You know this better than me. It offers a dedicated space for dialogue on these issues. You elevate the issue of food and nutrition security in the Legislature. The Executive also has a very important role there, but at the legislative level, it is very important. It provides an avenue here in the Pan-African Parliament for the Legislature to have a single African voice as well on food and nutrition issues. Of course, the national and sub-regional parliaments are also very important.I want to point out one example in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Parlatino, which is a parliament similar to this but does not have legislation-making ability, came up with framework laws to guide governments. Those laws have been customised to suit the situation in each country for parliaments to put in place at the national level. I am certain that FAO will be willing to work with you as well if this is something you see as important. On the need to enhance south to south cooperation, this is also another very important part and engaging with the civil society in the creation of national alliances.What can we do as FAO? If you agree to establish an alliance, we want this to be a partnership. We want to facilitate the sharing of information such as good practices on legal framework. Also, you may have some good practices here already that we can share with other countries in other parts of the world. We are willing to provide you with the technical materials. You might want studies on some particular issue in some particular region or country. We are willing to work with youthere as well. We are willing to provide linkages with various parliamentary bodies that we are working with in other parts of the world. I know that as a Member of Parliament, I used to go through education exercises on different topics so that when I go out to my constituency, I am better educated on the topic. FAO is also willing to provide capacity development support to Parliamentarians so that as we go out there to advocate on food and security issues, we will be informed fully ourselves.Excellencies and hon. Members, I know that that there are many audit issues. Micro economic stability, leadership and a number of other issues are relevant if we want to make food and nutrition security work and if we want to improve the situation. I also know that once Parliamentarians are involved, we can actually move mountains and together, we can make hunger and malnutrition history in Africa. Thank you.[Applause]Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0505-150748FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Thank you very much.Chers collègues,Vous venez de suivre le rapport.Je voudrais vous prier de vous passer de commentaires et de poser des questions, parce qu’à 16 heures, nous devrons libérer la salle pour les réunions des Commissions, d’après l’information du Secrétariat.Pour couper court à toute suspicion, je voudrais donner la liste des intervenants que j’ai devant moi. Et, si quelqu’un n’a pas entendu son nom et qu’il veut intervenir, il peut toujours s’inscrire. Mais, nous ne devons pas changer les règles du jeu à chaque match. On sait que les gens s’inscrivent à l’avance.Voici la liste des inscrits:1.Hon. Victor BURIKUKIYE du Burundi;2.Hon. El Hadj Diao KANTÉ;3.Hon. Gloriose NIMENYA;4.Hon. Djantou TRAORÉ;5.Hon. Souleymane CISSÉ;6.Hon. Safia Elmi DJIBRIL;7.Hon. Hassane dit Koubou MAROU;8.Hon. Mohamed El-Mukhtar HASSAN HUSEIN;9.Hon. Mustafa Abdelaziz EL GENDY de l’Égypte;10.Hon. Mai ABDOULAYE de l’Égypte;11.Hon. Yao Martin BOHUÉ de Côte d’Ivoire;12.Hon. Patrick MAYOMBE de la République Démocratique du Congo;13.Hon. Mohamed Elamin Ibrahim MOHAMED du Soudan;14.Hon. Amoussouvi KPADENOU du Togo;15.Hon. Sogoyou BÉKÉYI du Togo;16.Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée Conakry;17.Hon. Saloun CISSÉ de Guinée Conakry;18.Hon. Amizade Fara MENDES de Guinée-Bissau;19.Hon. Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi;20.Hon. MBAH-NDAM du Cameroun;21.Hon. Dr Bernadette LAHAI de Sierra-Léone.Il y a une liste additive encore.1.Hon. Hunadi MATEME d’Afrique du Sud;2.Hon. Aminata NIANG de Mauritanie;3.Hon. Bintanding JARJU de la Gambie;4.Hon. Bachir AWADALLA ALI du Sudan.Voilà la liste qu’on m’a remise et les noms qui sont inscrits.Je commence donc à donner la parole au premier inscrit sur cette liste. BURIKUKIYE Victor du Burundi, vous avez la parole.H. BURIKUKIYE VICTOR [BURUNDI]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Moi, je passe!REFERENCE: 0505-151107FHON. ELHADJ DIAO KANTÉ [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,Encore une fois, vous prononcez un peu mal mon nom, c’est Elhadj Diao KANTÉ.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Elhadj DIAO KANTÉ!HON. ELHADJ DIAO KANTÉ [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Voilà!DIO signifierait jeune fille.(Rires du Président)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Diao KANTÉ.HON. ELHADJ DIAO KANTÉ [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président. Vous tiendrez compte que j’ai pris donc deux minutes.Je voudrais, d’abord, féliciter les exposants pour la clarté de ce que nous avons suivi, de l’importance du thème que nous avons à débattre.Monsieur le Président,Depuis le jeune âge, j’ai toujours entendu parler des droits à l’alimentation, de l’obligation à l’alimentation, de la responsabilité morale pour l’alimentation, mais souvent, je n’entends pas parler du devoir à assurer la sécurité alimentaire.On parle de devoirs, chacun a des devoirs; chacun a le droit, mais qui en a le devoir? On n’en parle pas souvent.Monsieur le Président,Je ne sous-estime pas les efforts que nous avons enregistrés depuis que nous étions jeunes, des efforts de la FAO, du PAM, quand nous avons des cris sur le continent. Mais, Monsieur le Président, si ce droit alimentaire n’était pas assuré, à qui incomberait la responsabilité? À quoi s’expose-t-il, celui qui doit assurer ce devoir alimentaire? Malheureusement, on n’en parle pas souvent.Monsieur le Président,Je crois que sur d’autres continents, il y a beaucoup plus d’armements que d’équipements pour l’agriculture. Nous avons les terres les plus fertiles, nous avons les rivières, il pleut abondamment, mais nous sommes les plus affamés et les plus pauvres en matière agricole.Est-ce qu’on ne demanderait pas qu’on reconvertisse l’assistance en Afrique, au point de vue de l’armement par des équipements agricoles, pour que nous puissions, nous-mêmes, affronter nos brousses et utiliser nos eaux pour cultiver suffisamment, pour que nous puissions nous nourrir?On dit chez nous, qu’il est mieux d’apprendre à pêcher, que de donner du poisson à celui qui est affamé.Apprenez-nous à pêcher et nous mangerons notre poisson.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Honorable.Maintenant, je donne la parole à l’Honorable Gloriose NIMENYA du Burundi.REFERENCE: 0505-151608FHON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Mes remerciements vont également en direction de nos présentateurs, pour leur brillante présentation.Je voudrais rappeler ici, Monsieur le Président, que dans notre continent, le taux mortalité maternelle et infantile se calcule à deux chiffres. Et l’une des premières causes de mortalité, est due à la malnutrition, surtout chez les femmes enceintes et chez les enfants, par les différents types de malnutrition, à savoir: le kwashiorkor et le marasme.Et malheureusement, force est de constater que des budgets alloués aux différents départements concernés, ne figure pas dans ces budgets une ligne budgétaire, pour améliorer le niveau de nutrition de nos concitoyens.Aussi, il me paraît opportun de rappeler à l’ensemble des représentants des peuples que nous sommes, d’accorder une attention particulière pour militer afin que les budgets nationaux intègrent une ligne budgétaire, pour la nutrition et d’exiger également au niveau des départements responsables, de la santé et de l’agriculture, à ce qu’il ait une stratégie permanente, intégrant l’ensemble des besoins pour remédier à cette problématique.Si nous arrivons à avoir un budget conséquent et une stratégie spécifique et adéquate dans nos propres pays, je suis convaincue que le coût de la santé va diminuer, car nous allons agir directement sur les vraies causes des maladies ou de mortalité car nous allons pouvoir éviter les maladies évitables.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Hassane dit Koubou MAROU du Niger.REFERENCE: 0505-151747FHON. HASSANE DIT KOUBOU MAROU [NIGER]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Pour notre part, nous remercions les orateurs pour la clarté de leurs interventions.Quant à la FAO, en ce qui concerne notre pays, le Niger, la FAO fait partie des grands partenaires. Mais nous constatons qu’au fur et à mesure, les interventions de la FAO ne font que reculer.Je prends, par exemple, le Projet qui finance les boutiques d’intrants qui sont financées par la FAO pendant des années et qui ont commencé à faire vivre beaucoup de producteurs, parce que c’est un projet qui consiste à apporter les intrants à côté des paysans, ce Projet, aujourd’hui, a fermé et les producteurs ne savent plus à quel saint se vouer.Aujourd’hui, au Niger, nous avons un programme « les 3N » initié par le gouvernement: « Les Nigériensnourrissent les Nigériens ». Ce programme intervient aussi bien en hivernage qu’en contre-saison. Vous savez qu’au Niger, la campagne hivernale est très courte et les cultures irriguées ont commencé à être adoptées par les producteurs.Donc, ce sont de tels projets que la FAO doit appuyer dans les pays en développement pour que la malnutrition et la faim puissent plier leurs bagages dans les pays, surtout des pays comme le Sahel où nous avons de l’eau sous terre, en grande quantité, et nous ne demandons seulement que des moyens pour faire sortir ces grandes quantités d’eau qui sont sous terre pour pouvoir [Temps de parole épuisé].M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue.La parole à l’Honorable Mohamed El-Mukhtar Hassan Hussein du Soudan.REFERENCE: 0505-151955EAHON. MOHAMED EL-MUKHTAR HASSAN HUSEIN [SUDAN]:Mr President, before I start my debate I would like to draw your attention to two issues.One, I was promised to receive the documents early enough before the debate but until this morning we are receiving the documents at the entrance of the assembly chamber. We were promised that we will receive the documents through our emails but that did not happen.Secondly, Arabic is an official language of this esteemed Parliament, but we rarely receive documents in Arabic. This morning all documents were only in English and French. This is why I am going to continue speaking in Arabic.سيدي الرئيس شكراً جزيلاً،كنت أتوقع اليوم بخصوص الموضوع المطروح أمامنا أن يتم تزويدنا بالتقرير الذي عرض أمامنا، لكننا لم نستلم إال الجزء األخير المتعلق بدور البرلمانيين في توفير الغذاء ألفريقيا، ونحن نتفق مع هذا الجزء، ولكن وددنا دراسة التقريرين األول و الثاني بصورة كاملة و كل ما استلمناه هو مطبوعات من األنترنت لمنظمة الفاو، لكن لم نستلم التقرير المطلوب، سيدي الرئيس،أصبحت بعض الدول تستعمل موضوع الغذاء في أفريقيا كسالح ضد بعض الدول األخرى، و هنا البد لنا أن نتوحد في أفريقيا كأن يكون لنا سوق أفريقية مشتركة، نحاول من خاللها تبادل الغذاء و قبل ذلك علينا االستفادة من كل الموارد المتاحة في الدول األفريقية من أراض زراعية ومياه وغيرها، في أن نحدث جبهة موحدة نستطيع من خاللها توفير الغذاء، فبلد مثل السودان، الذي أتيت منه به مئتي مليون من األراضي الصالحة للزراعة، و مياه عذبة متأتية من مياه األنهار و األمطار........ هي في التمويل وفي التقنيات الزراعية، فلماذا التتحد أفريقيا في أن نجعل هناك جبهة موحدة نحاول من خاللها توفير الغذاء لكل الدول األفريقية، ننتج في أفريقيا ونوزع في أفريقيا من خالل سوق أفريقية مشتركة، وال ننتظر أن يبعث إلينا الغذاء من خارج الحدود.شكراً جزيلاً.REFERENCE: 0505-152229AFEHON. MUSTAFA HATEM BASHAT [ÉGYPTE]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم.Monsieur le Président,Je viens d’une famille où le père faisait trop d’histoires et quand j’étais petit, il y avait un ami qui est rentré de l’Ouganda, et il nous a apporté de l’ananas.HONOURABLE MEMBER:No translation...!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Mais, vous changez de canal!Yes! Go ahead! Honourable you have the Floor!HON. MUSTAFA HATEM BASHAT [ÉGYPTE]:Donc, un ami de mon père est arrivé avec de l’ananas. Je n’en avais jamais vue, j’étais un petit gamin. Je lui ai demandé pourquoi l’Égypte n’a pas de l’ananas; on a que de l’orange? Là, il m’a expliqué que le temps est différent, la température est différente. Il m’a dessiné l’Afrique. Il a pris les tropiques et m’a expliqué que là il y a de l’orange; ici, il y a de l’ananas; il y a du thé et ça dépend! Cela va de haut en bas jusqu’aux tropiques et ça recommence pour se terminer au bout de l’Afrique avec encore une fois de l’orange. Et là, j’ai compris que le Bon Dieu est tout juste. Ce n’est pas lui qui a fait les frontières. Le Bon Dieu a fait pour qu’on vive tous ensemble. Pour que toi tu m’amènes ce qui me manque et que moi je te donne ce qui te manque.Le Bon Dieu est juste! Il y a de l’eau pour tout le monde. Le problème, c’est les frontières. Et, qui a fait les frontières? Les coloniaux! Mais quand ils ont colonisé l’Afrique, là, on voit qu’ils l’ont prise en longueur: les Anglais à droite, les Français à gauche. Et comme cela, ils avaient tout. Ils avaient le coton, l’orange, le thé, le tabac, l’eau; ils avaient tout.Si vraiment, on a besoin et on veut vraiment résoudre notre problème, personne d’entre nous ne va pouvoir le faire tout seul. Il va falloir qu’on travaille en disant en exemple, Nord-est de l’Afrique, jusqu’aux tropiques, Sud-est, Nord-Ouest, Nord-est et là, on aura en longueur tout ce dont on a besoin.On a besoin de personne parce que les coloniaux avant qu’ils ne partent, ils ont fait le chemin de fer en Égypte, large au Soudan moyen et encore une fois large en Ouganda parce qu’ils ne veulent pas que le train passe, que le transport passe entre nous. Ils ont compris quand ils le prennent, ils le prennent en longueur et quand ils nous laissent, ils nous coupent avec des frontières.On a besoin l’un de l’autre!Travaillons ensemble!Personne n’a tout!Personne n’a tout [Temps de parole épuisé].English: 15:25:23 - 15:25:27THE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much, Honorable Member!(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Maintenant, je donne la parole à l’Honorable NAE Abdoulaye d’Égypte.HON. ABDOULAYE NAE [ÉGYPTE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je vais rentrer parce que je suis un peu malade.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:D’accord merci!Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Yao Martin BOHUÉ.HON. YAO MARTIN BOYU [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Je passe!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Patrick MAYOMBE de la DRC.Il est en réunion!Je donne la parole à Hashim Osman HASHIM du Sudan.(Silence dans la salle)Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Amoussouvi KPADENOU, du Togo.REFERENCE: 0505-152818AHON. HASHIM OSMAN HASHIM [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم و الصالة والسالم على نبيه الكريم،شكراً أخي الرئيس على هذه الفرصة،سأتطرق إلى المادة الثالثة من البرتوكول الفقرة ج، و التي تتحدث عنتكامل القارة السياسي والاجتماعي والاقتصادي، وما يهمنا هنا هوالتكامل الاقتصادي، ومعلوم أن أرض أفريقيا أرض خصبة و منسوبها من الأمطار عال جدا، وفيها كل العناصر لأن تكون ملجا للعالم من الناحية الغذائية، ولكن يا أخي الرئيس، كيف يتحقق ذلك؟ و هناك دول بعد ما استعمرت الأراضي الأفريقية وخرجت لا تزال تحارب الزراعة و التكنولوجيا فيها، فكيف يكون لنا ذلك؟ و لهذا كله، نحن نطالب هذا المجلس الموقر بالنظر في شأن هذه الدول التي تحاربنا في زراعتنا في أوطاننا و بلداننا، و بناءا على الشعار الذي جاء به بلدي السودان و الذي مفاده نأكل مما نزرع و نلبس مما نصنع تم على الفور زراعة مساحات شاسعة ولكن بقدوم المحاربة الاقتصادية حرق محصول مليون ميل مربع تقريبا من الأراضي التي زرعت و لذلك نحن نعلم أن أفريقيا واعدة، ولكن كيف نواجه هذه الحملات؟...REFERENCE: 0505-153027FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je commence, d’abord, par féliciter les présentateurs qui nous ont vraiment édifiés sur la situation qui prévaut à travers l’Afrique pour le problème de la malnutrition et aussi de mauvaises habitudes alimentaires.Quand je prends l’exemple de la Guinée, nous, en tant que parlementaires, chaque année nous exhortons le gouvernement à accroître le budget alloué à l’agriculture pour être en conformité avec les recommandations de l’Union africaine sur 10 % du budget.Pour cela, il faut un effort parce que le gouvernement importe les intrants agricoles et pour aider les agriculteurs, il met cela à leur disposition à des moindres coûts. Mais souvent les terres ne sont pas aménagées et donc les agricultures s’exposent à des intempéries. On a ce problème.Je voudrais également demander aux présentateurs, quelle stratégie ils conseillent de mettre en place pour lutter contre les mauvaises habitudes alimentaires qui engendrent aujourd’hui des maladies non transmissibles comme l’hypertension, le diabète, etc. qui sont devenues de véritables fléaux de santé publique à travers le monde.Merci.REFERENCE: 0505-153259FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Docteur.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Saloun CISSÉ de Guinée-Conakry.HON. SALOUN CISSÉ [GUINÉE - CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.La sécurité alimentaire et la malnutrition reposent sur un certain nombre d’option politique et de stratégie. L’information et les bonnes pratiques reposent sur la connaissance des conditions d’Afrique.Le rendement à l’unité de surface, actuellement, en Afrique est faible par endroit. Ces défis sont à enrayer pour atteindre l’autosuffisance alimentaire. Ce qui manque à l’Afrique, ce sont les clefs de mise en valeur de nos terres.Il faut que la pratique soit étayée par la recherche fondamentale. Tant que ces deux là ne sont pas liés, tenez-vous bien, le manque à gagner sera toujours notoire.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.La parole est l’Honorable Amizade Fara MENDES de Guinée-Bissau.(Silence dans la salle)La parole est à l’Honorable Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi.REFERENCE: 0505-153445EHON. JOSEPH MBAH-NDAM [CAMEROON]:Thank you, Mr. President, for recognising me. Mr. President, I prefer to look at this issue from a different angle. We have areas of Africa that produce a lot of food and we also have areas that are dying of hunger. We have areas that are capable of processing the foodstuffs we produce, but they do not have the capacity to process. We have a problem of equitable distribution of the foods we have and we lack the available means of transportation from the highly productive areas to the needy ones. To me, this raises an issue of political strategy.Africa is not integrated and not interlinked by land though train ways and by air for the transportation of foods from where they are produced to where there is a need. We are simply talking about statistics and doing nothing concerning our continent. This whole thing depends on political will. What programme are we making to integrate Africa? I remember many years back, the major debate here was a united Africa so that we have to device programs that will lead to connectivity of the whole of Africa. Today, we are nowhere. We are not able to move across Africa easily. Thank you very much, Mr. President.MR. PRESIDENT:Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0505-153705EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS.) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President, my submission will actually centre on what happens after today’s presentation. Are we seeing ourselves forming a PanAfrica Parliamentarians alliance for food security, nutrition and right to food? What would be the next step?For me, I would say we started this discussion a few months ago and it is this discussion and correspondences between FAO and Pan-African Parliament informed by what is happening in other continents that have culminated in this presentation today. The Caribbean-Latin America Parliamentarian front, the European Parliamentarian front, the Portuguese speaking parliamentarian front and food security and alliances are already doing something about it. Today, we have the statistics as to how these fronts have actually moved the debate forward.So, I think after here, if the Pan-African Parliament could seize an opportunity for us to form this front then I see us moving into the development of a technical cooperation which will be developed between two institutions of FAO and PAP. We will sign the technical cooperation and start the implementation. The technical cooperation will start using the Pan-African platform as a spring board to reach our regional Parliaments and then our national parliaments.In our national Parliaments, it is not necessarily the Committee on Agriculture or Health or Women, who are going to be champions. It will be women and men committed to ensuring that they take the issue forward by intensifying the interrogation and making sure that the issue of food security nutrition and malnutrition is put on our parliamentary questions that we ask our ministers, our budget interrogations, our oversight, and our alliances with members both in our grassroots areas and the civil society. I think it is important that this alliance is formed but it must be left with us after the debate for us to see whether in fact the alliance is in place and then we can also benefit from sharing information with other parliamentary fronts that are already far ahead of us. This is my submission.REFERENCE: 0505-153958EHON. DR. HUNADI MATEME [SOUTH AFRICA]:Mr President, Honourable Vice President and Members of this august House, thank you for this opportunity. It is my birth day today.ApplauseHON. DR. HUNADI MATEME:Thank you very much. Mr President, my colleagues here have covered the important parts of our debate. I would like to share with this august House a picture which used to be circulated in the US in the 80s. I was studying there at the time. It was a picture of a malnourished child with a vulture nearby waiting to feed on this child when this child passed on.Mr President, a lot has been said with regard to what our limitations are, what possible solutions are. A colleague over there said that 10 percent of the budget must be dedicated to agriculture, and the idea that we must also be able to transport and to share. A colleague from Egypt I think says, we are giving natural resources.Mr President, my contribution to the debate is; our planet is finite, our continent is finite and land in general is finite, they do not grow; they are just this big and therefore I suggest that the land care programmes should be supported through budget and through training. Also, on beneficiation Mr President we must make the tomato jams and the marmalade jams in our own continent.As regards the storage, the preparation and the food produced, Mr President, this will be topics for some other time. However, on malnutrition, obesity and other ills with regard to lifestyle, I think we need a special session to debate these issues.Mr President, when you develop a woman, you develop a nation. If women of Africa are developed, we will develop our continent.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0505-154502AFHON. AMINATA NIANG [MAURITANIE]:Arabe: 15:43:03 -15:43:09بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم والحمد هلل والصالة والسالم على رسول هللا.Merci Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,Je remercie, d’abord, nos intervenants pour la pertinence de leur intervention.L’Afrique, nous savons tous que l’Afrique est un continent très riche en ressources naturelles qui représentent un potentiel important pour le développement économique du contient. Mais, nous savons également d’un autre côté, que l’Afrique souffre d’une grave dégradation de l’environnement et d’un épuisement croissant des ressources naturelles. Ce qui aggrave la pauvreté et compromet des perspectives de croissance économique et de développement durable.Partant de cela, les programmes et mesures destinés à lutter contre la pauvreté, à éradiquer l’insécurité alimentaire et à promouvoir le développement économique, doivent impérativement tenir compte des questions environnementales.Monsieur le Président,Les États africains doivent, et de manière urgente, adopter et mettre en œuvre un ensemble d’actions aussi bien au niveau individuel que collectif, pour assurer l’utilisation durable des ressources naturelles tout en conservant l’intégrité de l’environnement. Ce combat contre la pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire qui frappe et de manière chronique notre continent, nécessite une réponse aussi bien adéquate que concrète des dirigeants africains, pour faire face aux défis environnementaux auxquels est confronté le continent et en vue de promouvoir le développement durable et d’éradiquer la pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire.Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.La parole est à Madame Honorable Bintanding de la Gambie.REFERENCE: 0505-154505EHON. BINTANDING JARJU (MRS.) [GAMBIA]:Mr President, thank you very much for allowing me to add my voice to this all important debate. I also thank the presenters for their wonderful presentation.You know that food is indispensable and there is need for it to be made available to all.Mr President, the important points about food security and malnutrition have already been highlighted by the previous speakers, but the biggest problem that Africa has is lack of unification. If Africa is not united, we will always be lagging behind in all spheres of development because individually, like the previous speaker said, I can have enough food to eat. Even if my neighbour does not have, I do not care because I want to protect my sovereignty and what happens next door is not my concern. This is what is disturbing us in Africa.Otherwise, we have the human resource and numerous resources that we can tap to develop Africa and to even have enough food left. The inter country trade is not forth coming. Other countries have enough food; they can eat even three meals a day while other countries do not have. If we encourage intra country trade it will help other countries to have enough food to eat. So, we have to push this agenda forward so that Africa is united as soon as possible. Why are we not willing to unite when other parts of the world are willing and are uniting, and after uniting they are pushing their agenda to...REFERENCE: 0505-154720AAN HONORABLE MEMBER:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم ، السالم عليكم ورحمة هللا تعالي وبركاته،شكراً سيدي الرئيس على هذه الفرصة،التحية لك ولنوابك ولجميع أعضاء البرلمان الموقرين، والشكر موصول لمقدمي الأوراق و التقارير، بما أني آخر متحدث سيدي الرئيس، ولأول مرة أقف أمام هذا البرلمان الموقر ، أرجوا إعطائي زمن إضافي لوتكرمتم،لا شك أن موضوع الأمن الغذائي هو من أهم الموضوعات التي يجب أن تجد اهتمام برلمان أفريقيا خاصة وأننا نؤمن جميعا أن الصعوبات والمشاكل التي تواجه الاقتصاد في معظم دول أفريقيا مرتبطة بالإنتاج عموما وإنتاج الغذاء على وجه الخصوص، والذي هو من أهم أسباب مشاكل الفقر والبطالة والهجرة والجوع، كما أن الغذاء يرتبط بقرارنا السياسي، وهناك مقولة نؤمن و نعمل بها دوما نحن في السودان مفادها أن من لا يملك قوته لا يملك قراره لهذا قام السودان بوضع خطة و برنامج لزيادة إنتاج الغذاء لتحقيق الاكتفاء الذاتي و دعم كل الإقليم بما يحتاجه من الغذاء خلال ثلاث سنوات و هذا كله لما يتمتع به السودان من موارد طبيعية ضخمة تمكنه من تحقيق ذلك،سيدي الرئيس،األخوة األعضاء،إن الحصار المفروض على السودان دون وجه حق من بعض الدولالكبرى خاصة أمريكا يؤثر سلبا على تنفيذ هذا البرنامج و لهذا نطلبسيدي الرئيس، من برلمانكم الموقر، برلمان عموم أفريقيا، أنيتعاونمعالسودان لكسر طوق الحصار الجائر عليهخاصة وأن السودان له قدرة على....REFERENCE: 0505-154938EHON. P.C. BAI KURR KANAGBARO [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to make my contribution. This is an interesting topic that needs months to debate, but people have said it. First of all, we must unite. We come here and we talk. After we leave here, we are divided. We talk of the FAO. What about the nature of health and sanitation? What about the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration? Seventy per cent of the drugs sent to Africa from outside the world are not worth taking. If you go to our supermarkets, the food coming is Spanish and Portuguese. We do not know what it is. We just buy. We talk of malnutrition. Africa, cry the beloved continent! This is terrible and horrible. We say things but we do nothing. We talk of climate change.The climate change, degradation and deforestation are terrible. All our wood and timber is being taken away to overseas. We are now fighting for water resources. The desert is increasing every day. Land degradation is going on every day. Where are we? We talk of malnutrition when we have no place to sleep. People are sleeping in shanty places and towns. (off-record) Where are we? We talk of food. What about health? We talk about health. What about accommodation. We talk about accommodation. What about clothing? We talk about clothing. What about education? We are what we know. We who are knowledgeable are talking about malnutrition. Those who do not know do not even worry about malnutrition. They eat anything. So, Mr. President, Africa is dying.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0505-155212FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La discussion générale est close!Je donne, maintenant, la parole aux intervenants, s’ils pouvaient faire un peu d’économie en ramassant toutes les questions pour nous permettre d’avancer.Le problème est réel! L’Afrique souffre et nous souffrons de la malnutrition, que ce soit à l’Est à l’Ouest, la réalité est que nous cultivons ce que nous ne consommons pas et nous consommons ce que nous ne cultivons pas; et c’est ce paradoxe que les collègues essayent de soulever ici.En l’absence d’un marché africain commun, nous allons continuer à mourir de famine.Donnez-nous les axes pour arriver à arrêter le phénomène de la famine.Je vous donne la parole.REFERENCE: 0505-155307EMR. DAVID PHIRI [SUB-REGIONAL COORDINATOR OF THE FAO FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA]:Thank you very much President, Vice President and Honourable Members. I would like to thank you once again for this debate. The richness of the debate shows exactly what my colleague said earlier; that we seem to be preaching to the converted, we are all talking the same language, so it is not new to you Honourable Members.I should just mention because there is an issue concerning integration of Africa, and I think we cannot emphasise enough, that I think the question of integration of African, economic integration, is extremely important to Africa.With respect to agriculture, the Heads of State in 2003 agreed to develop the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme as a singular programme in Africa. So, there is an integrated framework for agriculture which then in 2014 was reemphasised in the Malabo Declaration. So, with respect to agriculture there is already a programme in place that can integrate agriculture on the continent. What is lacking is the political will in some cases. As you probably know there was an agreement to allocate 10 percent of the budget in each country to agriculture but to date it is only 7 African countries that have reached 10 percent.So, I think you as Parliamentarians have a lot of work to do. I was very happy to hear from one honourable Member who said that in their Parliament they are trying their best to increase the revenue or the budget that goes to agriculture. I think this is the way to go because with that we can also have more trade between African countries. Right now, only two percent of agriculture trade is in Africa. How can the continent influence trade globally if we do not trade amongst ourselves? So, it is a question for you Parliamentarians to really look into.The other issue that we noted and that we agree with is that agriculture must take into consideration the environment and of course the importance of women so that all efforts and programmes that we have are vetted in terms of their impact on women. So, we are moving in that direction.To Madam the Vice President, Dr Lahai, I would like to say that FAO is very ready to provide technical cooperation through our TCP programme so that we move this cooperation ahead. I would like my colleagues now to answer specific questions.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0505-155641EPRESENTER:Mr President, Madam Vice President, before I hear questions I think there were very important issues raised which I need to address.I heard issues of trade, health, unity and unification, political will and what FAO can do to address some of these issues. What I can say from our experience working with Parliamentarians in other places, is that, it was very clear that it started first with political will and commitment, followed by a resolve to move that political will and commitment to action. We saw in some of the countries that we have been working with in Latin America and the Caribbean the need for unity and solidarity amongst Members of Parliament within the country from different political parties. The national alliances were with Members of Parliament from different political parties and so it was non-partisan. I think that worked very well.There is also need for solidarity between and amongst countries as well, learning from each other not having to re-invent the wheel. Earlier, someone mentioned, one Member of Parliament, I think from Sierra Leone, about the issue of having to buy products that are written in Portuguese and Spanish, and these are English speaking people. They do not know what is on those products.Some of those countries put in place laws on labeling and we were able to work with them.I think as we move forward, what we would be interested to know is whether the Pan-African Parliament would be establishing an alliance on food and nutrition security. If you are going to be doing that and you need our help, we are there to help; we are there to do this. We will work together with the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) but not only that, we can also provide the linkages with the other Parliamentarians in the Latin American Caribbean. We can certainly arrange for them to come here and speak with you, Parliamentarians to Parliamentarians about what they have been able to do.If you are interested in doing that, we can work with you to set up the mechanisms as we move forward, and hopefully this Parliament, which could be the largest one in terms of working with FAO can launch an initiative like this. I think it would send a very clear signal, not only to Africa, but to the world on where Africa is heading with food and nutrition security.From what I have heard from all of you, you have said that it is time for more action. I say more action because I know that some action is already taking place.So, thank you very much hon. Members, Mr President, and Madam Vice-President for all the questions that you have raised.On the issue of the report, maybe there was a little bit of a mix-up there. We were not coming to present a report really, but to actually present to you a proposal on whether we can work together for an alliance on food and nutrition security. What we did is that we brought some relevant information with us and we will be providing all of that electronically.To the hon. Member from Sudan, if there is any additional information that you would like to have we will leave our contact numbers and email addresses as well. We will be there to provide to you whatever we have in our rapporteur of information.So, thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0505-160347FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Mesdames, Messieurs,Voilà la conclusion à laquelle nous arrivons.L’Afrique est mal nourrie! L’Afrique est assise sur une mine d’or alimentaire!Si vous prenez seulement l’exemple de l’Afrique forestière, ce que cette Afrique peut produire en toute saison, il peut couvrir le besoin de l’Afrique de l’Est.Si on va en Afrique de l’Est, ce que l’Afrique de l’Est produit, l’Afrique du Sud, il peut couvrir le besoin alimentaire de l’Afrique Centrale, de même que ce que l’Afrique du Nord produit.Il y a la production dans tous les continents africains. Mais comment la centraliser? Je vous prie de préparer un exposé pour notre prochaine session, pour nous dire, comment effectivement, on sait déjà que mon collègue égyptien a soulevé un problème, le problème des échanges continentaux qui ne progressent pas; mais comment peut-on échanger et puis nous amener à cultiver ce que nous consommons?En Afrique forestière, les gens cultivent le caoutchouc, à des tonnes et des tonnes. Qui mange le caoutchouc? Personne! Nous produisons du café en Afrique Centrale! Qui boit le café? Personne! Le cacao, quand le café revient, c’est 30 grammes à 1.000 francs; 15 dollars, 20 dollars, alors qu’on nous le prend à 200 ou à moins d’un dollar même le kilogramme.Donc, nous vous remercions pour cet échange.Je soumets donc le rapport sur le programme relatif à la sécurité alimentaire et la malnutrition à l’approbation de la Chambre.Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque!Je prends note.(Coup de maillet)Chers collègues,Nous arrivons aux termes de nos délibérations. Je voudrais donner la parole au Secrétaire général pour faire des annonces.Madame la Secrétaire générale, vous avez la parole!M. LA SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRALE:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je vous donne la suite du programme de cet après-midi.Les Commissions permanentes suivantes se réuniront comme suit:La Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes handicapées et la Commission Permanente de la Santé, du Travail et des Affaires sociales en salle n° 2;La Commission Permanente de la Coopération, des relations internationales et de Règlement des conflits en salle n° 3;La Commission Permanente des Affaires juridiques et des Droits de l’Homme en salle n° 4;La Commission Permanente du Commerce, des Douanes et de l’Immigration en salle n° 5.C’est tout, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci chers collègues.Après ces annonces du Secrétaire général, je suspends les travaux de notre plénière de cet après-midi. Ces travaux reprennent demain à 9 heures.(Coup de maillet)La séance est suspendue.La séance est suspendue à seize heures six minutesquarante-six secondes. Elle reprendra le vendredi 6 mai2016 à neuf heures
Friday, 6th May, 2016
[THE President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observedLa séance est reprise.Chers collègues, je vous adresse un salut fraternel. Je salue la présence parmi nous de nos interprètes et des médias.Je voudrais inviter le Secrétaire Général à donner lecture du premier point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux. Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole.THE CLERK:We have a new Member, Honourable Steven Julus Masele of Tanzania.LE PRESIDENTPrestation de serment de nouveau membre, l’honorable Steven Julus Masele, de Tanzanie, vous avez la parole pour votre serment.The following Hon. Member took the oath of Allegiance:HON. Steven Julus MASELE - TANZANIAApplauseLE PRESIDENT:Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole, pour la suite de l’ordre du jour.THE CLERK:The next item on the agenda is a presentation and debate on the Report of the Factfinding Mission of the Pan-African Parliament to Burundi undertaken from 23rd to 27th November, 2015, and the presenter is Honourable Hlatshwayo Phesheya Victor, Rapporteur of the Permanent Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution and member of the delegation to Burundi.LE PRESIDENT:Merci beaucoup. J’invite l’honorable Hlatshwayo Phesheya Victor, rapporteur de la commission permanente de la coopération des relations internationales et du règlement du conflit et membre de la délégation, à faire sa présentation.REFERENCE: 0605-090848EFHON. VICTOR PHESHEYA HLATSHWAYO [SWAZILAND]:His Excellency the President of PAP, the Bureau members of the PAP, hon. Members, distinguished and invited guests, the Clerk of the PAP, secretarial and support staff, ladies and gentlemen.In all the languages, good morning.I am so sorry to disturb the speaker on the podium.Mr President, good morning.There are no documents available for either this presentation or the next one.It is firstly difficult to follow because as the presenter speaks we often make notes and secondly, you cannot put your name on the speakers’ list if you do not know what the content is. So, it is most unfortunate that the documents are yet to be distributed to the Members.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Secrétariat, où sont les documents?THE CLERK:The documents are on the tables. Is there anyone who does not have them on their tables?Okay, I think the documents are by the entrance. We will go and make sure that they are distributed right away.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Documents.THE CLERK:They are distributing. They just came late.Sorry about that.HON. MEMBER:Mr President, first of all, thank you very much for the birthday present you gave me yesterday.Mr President, it should not appear like efficiency, and respect for Members of Parliament and our hon. President is a South African matter.Mr President, we will not like you to preside over a House that is not running smoothly. We are appealing that let this inefficiency be for the very last time. Next time when we come here, let us be shown the respect as Members of Parliament; let us have the entire documentation ready here. If there are shortcomings in the whole room of documentation, may we appeal to the Bureau to address them?Thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Une fois encore joyeux anniversaire Madame.Je voudrais être clair. Quand vous soulevez le problème de fonds, il faut que nous tous nous tirons des conclusions des conséquences. S’il y a un manquement de la part de l’administration, moi je sais que ce rapport est un rapport de 5 ou 6 mois et ce rapport est là. S’il n’est pas disponible aujourd’hui, si le Bureau demande l’extension, c’est encore vous parce que tout est politisé ici dans cette Maison. On ne laisse pas le Bureau faire le travail administratif pour sanctionner. Tout le monde ici dit le Président est contre le staff et vous-même vous constatez les manquements. Le Président ne va pas être celui-là qui décidait le rapport. Il y a une administration et nous constatons qu’aujourd’hui l’administration a été défaillante. Est-ce que vous m’autorisez donc à sanctionner et si je sanctionne quelle serait votre réaction?Donc, il ne faut pas seulement qu’il apprécie au Président, qu’il apprécie au Bureau. Nous, ici, on doit faire notre travail. Laissez-nous la possibilité de gérer aussi l’administration sans.. extérieur.Je vous remercie pour cette remarque. On verra d’où la défaillance est venue.Si quelqu’un veut la parole, il demande, on va la lui donner.HON. VICTOR PHESHEYA HLATSHWAYO:Mr President, most of this report was finalised yesterday in the evening when the Permanent Committees met and it takes time to translate them into other languages. I submit that we have a break for about fifteen minutes; maybe the report will be ready by then.MR PRESIDENT:Yes, Honourable Fantamadi.HONORABLE SEKOU FANTAMADI TRAORE [MALI]:Merci M. le Président.Nous sommes des humains et ça on trouvera. Je pense que depuis que nous sommes là jusqu’à ce matin, il n’y a pas eu de grande défaillance. Donc, un petit couac ne doit pas être la fin du monde. Nous étions là il y a trois ans. On n’a jamais obtenu les documents à temps. On a exposé ici sans qu’alors vraiment les documents le soient. Donc, je prie vraiment l’auguste Assemblée d’un peu de patience et de tolérance. C’est là aussi humain.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Les mots ‘tolérance’ et ‘patience’ ne nous viennent pas très souvent. Je suggère à.. de suspendre les travaux pour trente minutes, le temps de vous laisser lire le rapport et qu’il soit distribué mais vraiment nous sommes des humains. Nous travaillons aussi dans des conditions de pression. Acceptez qu’il y ait eu une erreur, un petit couac, comme le Collègue du Mali vient de le dire. On va se rattraper et on verra toujours que ça soit prêt.S’il n’y a pas d’objection, la séance est suspendue pour trente minutes.REFERENCE: 0605-095504FAEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:La séance est reprise.Chers collègues, j’espère que tout le monde a eu le rapport et l’a parcouru. J’ai également reçu...UN INTERVENANT:Information, monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Oui!UN INTERVENANT:Monsieur le Président, nous n’avons reçu en version française que le projet de recommandation, nous n’avons pas reçu le rapport proprement dit. Merci.Je voudrais parler du deuxième exposé, pendant qu’on y est, il faudrait qu’on règle ces problèmes en même temps.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Le Bureau a décidé de différer l’étude du deuxième rapport pour une date ultérieure qui vous sera communiquée. Nous étudions le rapport du Burundi, nous allons suspendre nos travaux pour nous assurer de ce qui s’est passé réellement et puis nous allons reprogrammer le deuxième rapport. Nous continuions d’implorer votre indulgence et nous saurons ce qui s’est passé et on vous le dira le moment venu.Laissez le bureau faire ce travail vous aurez des réponses.سيدي الرئيس،السلام عليكم، و شكراً جزيلاً،أنا أعتقد أن األعباء الملقاة على الهيئة اإلدارية، وحسب ما ورد في تقريركم أنه هناك نقص في الهيكل أي أنه غير كامل، و هذا أمر طبيعي، و وارد أن تحصل مثل هذه الفجوات، ولذلك أقترح أن تضاف نصف ساعة لتجويد العمل و اآلداء معا، و أن نعطي الفرصة الكاملة لدإدارة ألخذ الوقت الكافي.وشكراً جزيلاً.لم أقصد ذلك، أقصد في أعمال المجلس كلها، فالمسؤولية الملقاة على كاهل اإلدارة كبيرة جدا و كذا العمل المنوط بها، وهناك العديد من المشاكل في الترجمة و توزيع األوراق، لذلك ال بد من إضافة نصف ساعة على األقل، فبدل التاسعة مثال تصبح التاسعة والنصف حتى تتمكن هيئة اإلدارة من آداء المهام المنوطة بها على أكمل وجه.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues, j’ai dit que le deuxième rapport ne sera pas étudié cette fois-ci. On va leur donner beaucoup plus de temps pour qu’il mette ce rapport à jour et qu’on le discute la prochaine fois. C’est ce que j’ai dit. Mais le rapport sur le Burundi, tout le monde l’a eu?(Des députés répondent par la négation)ARABIC 09:58:10-09:58:40M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Il faudra réviser notre Règlement intérieur. Le Règlement intérieur prévoit que nous commençons nos travaux à 09 heures et nous le finissons à 18 heures avec deux heures de pause. Nous allons examiner, nous allons plutôt même tard dans la soirée pour nous rassurer que tous les documents du jour sont prêts. On va trouver des solutions pour que ceci ne se répète plus. Donnez-nous un peu de temps et accordez nous votre indulgence.Oui TOURE! TRAORE.HON SEKOU FANTAMADI TRAORE:Merci, Président, comme l’a dit le dernier intervenant, présentement c’est le rapport de l’atelier sur la gouvernance électronique, défi des parlementaires en Afrique, études de cas, expériences pratiques. C’est ce document que nous avons reçu en français. Mais ce qui devrait être exposé en premier lieu, en tout cas ce document nous ne l’avons pas. Je ne sais pas si c’est le cas pour les anglophones, les lusophones et les arabes. Merci.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Le secrétariat, le rapport du Burundi en français, il a été distribué? Il est où?UN INTERVENANT:Le rapport est en cours de distribution. Moi, j’ai reçu ma copie.THE CLERK:I asked earlier while I was on the podium if everybody had the documents and nobody raised their hands. I did ask. I am so sorry about that.UN INTERVENANT:Monsieur le Président, comme je venais de la dire tout à l’heure, le rapport sur le Burundi, il y a deux parties. Il y a le rapport proprement dit et il y a le projet de recommandations. Nous avons reçu le projet de recommandations, mais il nous manque le rapport lui-même.UN INTERVENANT:Nous n’avons rien reçu, monsieur l’honorable. On ne l’a pas.UN INTERVENANT:Merci monsieur le Président. Je confirme ce que l’honorable KONE vient de dire, nous avons reçu le projet de recommandation mais je voudrais proposer que si le rapport proprement dit n’est pas prêt, qu’on intervertisse, si vous le permettez l’ordre de présentation. C’est-à-dire qu’on commence par le rapport de l’atelier sur la gouvernance électronique et le temps pour le Secrétariat de préparer le rapport proprement dit qu’ils vont distribuer et après on va suivre la présentation du rapport sur le Burundi. Merci.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Est-ce que vous avez reçu le rapport sur le E-gouvernance? Vous l’avez reçu? Mais finalement, qui l’a reçu et qui ne l’a pas reçu?HON. MEMBER:Mr President, I do have the report some of my colleagues also have and it says, “recommendations attached”. We do not have the recommendations to the report. Here is my copy with no recommendations. I made the secretariat aware but this copy does not have recommendations.UN INTERVENANT:Il y en a qui ont reçu deux fois.UN INTERVENANT:Président, moi je dis, je n’ai ni les recommandations ni le rapport. Ma voisine est là aussi, elle ne l’a pas reçu et je pense que beaucoup dans la version française, beaucoup parmi nous ici n’ont pas et le rapport et la recommandation.HON MEMBER:Mr President, you have already taken note of the administrative shortcomings and apologised for them. The Burundi Report which some of us have is only twelve pages. Could I propose that the report be read line by line by the presenter so that we all get the essence in detail of the Burundi Report so that we make progress.That is my proposal.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, voilà une proposition, on donne la parole, suivez s’il vous plaît, on donne la parole au rapporteur pour qu’il donne lecteur du rapport et nous allons suivre et puis on posera des questions naturellement.Pas d’objection? Accepté!Monsieur le rapporteur vous avez la parole.REFERENCE: 0605-100534EHON. HLATSHWAYO PHESHEYA VICTOR [SWAZILAND]:Your Excellency the President of PAP, hon. Members, distinguished and invited guests, the Clerk of the PAP secretariat and the support staff, ladies and gentlemen, in all our languages I greet you all this morning. It is on behalf of Professor El-Amin from Sudan, the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution and the people of Africa, especially the Burundians, that I present this fact-finding mission report.As it is proposed in this House that we read today’s report line by line, let me start by saying, following the Report presented by the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution to the Plenary at the First Ordinary Session of the First PanAfrican Parliament, the Plenary resolved to send the fact-finding mission to understand the political, peace, security and humanitarian situation in Burundi to see for itself what was going on in the country and make a Report to this Parliament. This is in line with the provision of Article 26 (4) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament and the Permanent Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution which is charged with the responsibility of assisting Parliament in its conflict prevention efforts.Mr. President, the Report seeks to present first hand and independent information from the Burundi Government and key stakeholders on the current level of security in Burundi as well as ascertain whether the reports on the international media are reflective of the actual situation on the ground. More importantly as the representative of the people and from the parliamentary perspective, this Report seeks to establish and express the will of the Burundi people.Mr. President, on 13th May 2015, there was an attempted coup-de-tat that took place in Bujumbura, Burundi, the same day when an extra-Ordinary Summit of the East African Community was being held in Dares-Salam, Tanzania. The Head of State condemned the attempted coup-de-tat and called for the postponement of elections in Burundi for a period not exceeding the constitutional mandate of the current authorities and the cessation of violence in order to create an environment conducive to the organisation of free, fair and credible elections. The Summit stressed that the region would not allow Burundi to descend into anarchy.The African Union Peace and Security Council, on its part, expressed deep concern on the volatile situation in Burundi, stressing that those developments could seriously undermine peace and security in the country and erode the significant gains made following the signing of the August 2000 Arusha Agreement and the comprehensive ceasefire agreement of 2003. It further looked at lessening the humanitarian situation and the affected stability in the region. Recalling the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the Council endorsed the communiqué from the EAC Extra Ordinary Summit. Several deliberations were held with key stakeholders to allow for dialogue with political parties, civil society, humanitarian organisations and the media. This allowed for in-depth exchange of views on creation of an environment conducive to participation of elections, particularly steps to secure the electoral process, the disarmament of civilians, the protection of political personalities and the return of refugees. However, parties could not agree to calls to suspension of demonstrations and the withdrawal of President Pierre Nkurunzinza candidacy to the forthcoming presidential election.Mr. President, the elections in Burundi were postponed and eventually held on 26th August for President of the Republic, the 9th of August for Parliament and 8th July for municipal councils. The elections were not observed by international organisations, including the African Union. However, the AU sent a preliminary observation team to Burundi.Mr. President, the objective of the meeting was, in essence, to get first hand information of the current social-political situation in the country and understand the peace and security situation in the Republic of Burundi in order to establish the humanitarian situation on the ground, especially on the issue of nationals migrating to neighbouring countries. It also sought to understand the socioeconomic situation in Burundi. The mission was composed of the following members:1.Professor El-Amin Dafar from Sudan, who was the head of delegation;2.Myself, Hon. Hlatshwayo Phesheya Victor from Swaziland;3.Hon. Charles Majak Aleer from South Sudan;4.Hon. Cecilia Chazama from Malawi;5.Hon. Samba Jalo from Gambia; and6.The Committee Clerk, Ms. Hellen Sabwa.In preparation for the fact finding mission, the President of PAP sent a request to His Excellency Pascal Nyambenda, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Burundi and His Excellency Reverien Ndikuriyo, Speaker of the Senate, informing them of the intended mission of PAP and the institutions and personalities the mission intended to meet with. The speakers of the two Houses responded positively to the initiative and welcomed the preparation to undertake the mission.Mr. President, you will remember that the period preceding the elections in Burundi was plagued with various acts of civil unrest. The country was reported by international media to be at the brink of degenerating into anarchy. Remember, while attending the EAC meeting in Dar-es-Salam, an attempted coup against the government of His Exellency Pierre Nkurunzinza took place, but it was thwarted by forces loyal to him. The mission, while in Burundi, met the following:1.The Speaker of the National Assembly of Burundi;2.The Speaker of the Senate in Burundi;3.The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Burundi;4.The National Commission in charge of human rights;5.The Special Representative of African Union to the Great Lakes Region;6.The Minister of Public Security;7.The Minister of Internal Affairs;8.The Truth and Reconciliation Commission;9.Leaders of the opposition;10.Civil society organisations;11.Minister of Justice;12.The National Commissioner for Inter-Burundian Dialogue;13.Humanitarian organisations;14.The media;15.AU military observers;16.AU human rights observers;17.The citizenry; and18.His Excellency Mr. Pierre Nkurunzinza, the President of the Republic of Burundi.During our meeting with the national Speaker of Burundi, the Speaker gave a comprehensive brief on the status of Burundi, which included that the Burundi people have held presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections and the government had been formed with His Excellency Pierre Nkurunzinza as the President of the Republic. He also told us that there are two distinct groups that were present in Burundi - those that participated in the country’s elections by exercising their vote through casting their voting and those that boycotted the elections and now want to be included in government through the negotiation process. The Burundi elections began way back in 2013 when preparations began. He pointed out that not all political parties participated in the elections citing contentious clauses in the Burundi constitution, especially Article 96 that prescribes the term of the President and the Arusha Agreement.Following the nomination of His Excellency Pierre Nkurunzinza to the president candidature for the CMDDFD party, unrest in Burundi began with those opposed to his candidature. The Speaker pointed out that the Constitutional Court of Burundi in its ruling and the East African Court ruling on the same article in the Burundi constitution ruled that this was the second term for His Exellency Nkurunzinza as in his first term he was elected by Parliament to serve as president and not elected through universal suffrage. This resulted in demonstrations that were largely concentrated in Bunjumbura. The Speaker advised, following the July elections, the government to form a coalition with FNL independence party under the leadership of Rwasa Agathon which has thirty Members of Parliament and another political party called UPRONA which has two members. Mr. Agathon is the first vice president of the parliament.The government has realised that there is an underlying issue among the Burundi people that is holding them aback. This is largely based on the country’s historical past which was plagued by coups and assassination of its leaders. The Arusha Agreement has put in place certain key structures that would need to be sorted out to enable the Burundi people heal as a nation and move forward in their development process. Consequently, the Government of Burundi has put in place key structures that will help the Burundi people identify and address the underlying problems of the Burundians. The Government set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Commission of the Inter-Burundian Dialogue. These two key institutions will help heal the Burundi people. The Government is, however, firm on the perpetrators of violence and the instigators of the attempted coup of May 2015. The government’s position is that they must face the full force of the law for their actions.The Speaker urged the PAP members to discuss with the African Union and help them to understand and support the actions put in place for the country to move forward.Mr. President, through your indulgence, we had the same discussion with the Senate president of Burundi. The discussions were almost similar to those we held with the national speaker.We then met the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Minister received the PAP delegation in his office before taking time to visit Burundi. He commended us for taking a bold step to visit the country while many others were running away based on what he ascertained as false reports being circulated in the international media. He further noted that the best way of understanding any situation is by witnessing first hand and the PAP mission was laudable. The Minister took offence in the manner the AU had held the Burundi situation, noting that based on a security report from the Council, several decisions have been taken, including sending a report to the UN Security Council on the Burundi crisis.The Report has caused adverse reactions from various quarters including UN Resolution 2248 of 2015 that has led to the country facing uncalled for sanctions. He noted the country’s historical relations with Belgium and their unfortunate hand in the current situation thatBurundi finds itself in. The minister emphasized that Burundi was an independent state with equal standing like any member country in the UN hence deserved an opportunity to be listened to before imposing uncalled for sanctions on her.We were privileged to meet the National Commission in charge of human rights. This is an independent commission charged with assessing the human rights situation in the country. The head of the Commission explained to us that over the period preceding the election and after, they had noted an increased human rights violation and attributed this to the political situation in the country. Over the same period, the country had experienced an attempted coup resulting in increased clashes between the police and demonstrators. In certain areas, children under the age of eighteen had been detained but were working together with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the underage children were released from prisons and rehabilitated back into the community. He also noted that there was the case of twenty eight people who were suspected to be involved in the attempted coup and were being detained in Bitenga. Their role was to ensure that the families of these people have access to them and are also accorded legal representation.With regard to the situations of Burundians who had fled the country to Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, the Chairperson explained that the UMHCF figures had estimated the number of those refugees at 200,000. They, however, had not been able to establish the exact figure, noting that in their estimation, the figure was about 100,000 and 20,000 of those people have returned in Burundi.According to him, another contributing factor to the tension in the country was as a result of increased civil society organisation activity, which, he said, was not clearly defined in the country. If unchecked, that provided an opportunity for the CSOs to behave like politicians. He also told us that five radio stations had been closed following the coup attempt based on the fact that some of the programmes were deemed to have created an element of mistrust between the various sectors. Some of the owners of the closed radio stations were also involved in the coup attempt through using their stations to air hate speech. He, however, noted that each case was being dealt with individually and the media houses had started to open once each of them is cleared.Mr. President, we were also privileged to meet the special representative of the African Union Commission. To better understand the African position in Burundi, the team met His Excellency Professor Ibrahim Faal, who explained his role in Burundi, which is twofold. He told us that Burundi is part of the ICGLR and the member of the former agreement which has included South Africa in the agreement in dealing with the peace agreement. This is meant to guarantee the implementation of the Arusha agreement as secretaries of the agreement and members of the Great Lakes Region.The Special Representative explained to the team that the situation in Burundi was volatile. This was resultant from the debate around the term limit of the president and the distribution of offices among Burundians and the human rights issues. These he added were all key tenets in the Arusha Agreement. The volatile situation informed by key tenets in the Arusha agreement had cretaed undue tension in the country, especially where elections have been held without participation of the opposition. The AU was concerned that Burundi may once again erupt into violence. The AU had, therefore, ruled on various actions that need to be taken to avert any adverse situation in Burundi. The AU, therefore, decided that it was necessary to send military and humanitarian experts into the country who would keep them informed on the daily occurrences in Burundi. The military experts were to help the government in its disarmament programme while the human rights team was to record any violations citizens were facing.The envoy further explained the AU’s support to the EAC in the peace process in Burundi noting that they had supported the need for inclusive dialogue amongst all stakeholders. His Excellency Yoweri Museveni had been tasked to facilitate a process that would include all those in and out of the Government. The AU’s position in the post election period was critical to the stability of the country, hence it did not advocate for violence, especially as demonstrated by certain opposition factions, hence the negotiation process where all players involved will be beneficial to the country’s peace, security and stability.He further reported that the government of Burundi was against the reconciliation process, hence has gone ahead and created an internal structure for dialogue - the CMDI. This, he said, was an exclusive process at it did not cater for those political parties that had boycotted the elections and whose leaders were not in the country. The leaders had fled the country citing fear for their lives. The AU position is that there are two distinct varying parties who need to take part to bring them together. This can only be achieved through dialogue and therefore was in support of the EAC support to the Museveni-led negotiations.Mr. President, our meeting with the Minister of Public Security and that of Internal Affairs was almost similar to that of the speakers of the Houses. Through your indulgence, Mr. President, I can proceed to where we met the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.The Commission is comprised of eleven members drawn from various places of the Burundi community. Its main mandate is to review the history of the country and bring the population together. This Commission noted that from the independence period leading to the Arusha agreement, various historical injustices had not been addressed and the government, in its wisdom, had felt it was necessary to address these aspects so that the country can reconcile and move forward.The Commission is one of the key pillars of the Arusha Agreement and the direct wing of the people of Burundi. It was set up in May 2014 and has been going through various benchmarking processes to enable it to carry out its mandate professionally. Their mandate is to reconcile the populace.Mr. President, we were privileged to meet a number of opposition leaders. However, all the opposition leaders that the team met except one had participated in the election process. They insisted that although there have been countrywide calls by the opposition to boycott the elections, they had still participated. However, they were not able to inform the team of their partial representation in government, insisting that those who had been elected into parliament were not representing their views because they had formed coalition with the government, hence they were no longer considered to be part of the opposition.We also met the civil organisations. Most of CSOs were categorical that no one in Burundi would like to see the country descend into anarchy. They noted that Burundians had been happy. They consisted of three communities, which are the Hutu, the Tutsi and the Twaa, and there were no differences amongst them that would warrant a genocide mission. However, they confirmed that, the unclear definition of the involving role of the CSOs was often confused by some leaders of the CSOs who seemed to advocate for issues that would be best proposed and advocated for by politicians. Various CSOs expressed their concern over the sanctions that were being placed on Burundi and had also noted that their partners, who were mainly from Europe, had either cut off or reduced their funding for their activities.They noted that this would cause a serious challenge for most of them who are help women and children in their activities. They noted that the bulk of the affected were the youth and children who had been denied education during the strife period in certain areas. In certain instances, they were forced to engage in anarchy by anti-government protestors. Denied or reduced funding would definitely lead to inability to provide social services and children would more likely take up arms as a means of livelihood.We also met the Minister of Justice. He informed us that her role was to ensure that the law of the country is upheld and that justice is served and seen to be served as defined in the Burundi constitution. She noted that with the political history of Burundi, no citizen believes in the principle of use of force to achieve the desired result. Her role as a minister, therefore, is twofold in application - to enforce the law and also to change the mindset of the people that law, when applied, was an alternative way of resolving issues. The latter is not just a task, but the government was committed to achieving it.Another important body which is enshrined in the Arusha agreement that we met was the National Commission for inter-Burundian dialogue. In our report, we have noted that this is the last phase of the Arusha agreement which required that the countries have a structure to deal with historical issues unique to Burundi. The Arusha agreement envisaged an opportunity where all Burundians who are within the country and those who left the country for one reason or the other will be encouraged to dialogue among themselves and resolve their problems. This will allow the country to heal and move forward.The Commission, which is made of various disciplines, is, however, not a court of law and will only insist on people talking to each other to find out how they can co-exist. The law that formed the CMDI, however, does not allow them to include in discussion those who are wanted in the country for treasonous offences. The Government, they said, was clear in this category of citizens and that they should face the full force of the law before being allowed into dialogue.We were privileged to meet the humanitarian organisation. The team met with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Burundi. He briefed the team on the humanitarian situation in the country, noting that following the unrest in Burundi, they had received reports of increased refugees in Tanzania and Rwanda. He also noted that the ICRC was not to interfere with the political situation in any country, but to provide assistance to the afflicted. He noted that their funding for assistance was constrained, hence limiting the amount of assistance they were providing.However, he also noted that their reduced funding was not necessarily a direct and deliberate action of ICRC to cut funding in Burundi. Rather, he attributed this to the increased global need for humanitarian assistance that was putting the strain on the overall budget.Mr. President, we were privileged to meet the media. Throughout our conversation, it was clear that the National Council of Communication that governs the media in Burundi has been liberalised and has over 26 media houses that operate in the country. The liberalisation of the media by government or regulatory bodies is, however, not very advanced. Therefore, the rules that govern their operations are not very well defined. The media houses present lamented that the international media which was covering events were mainly not based in Burundi. Most reporting was done remotely from satellite positions not within the country. Their reports were largely unbalance and did not reflect the real situation in Burundi, mainly in the Bujumbura. They urged the international media to visit Burundi to ascertain the real position of the country.We were once again privileged to meet the AU military observers. The AU military observers were deployed in Burundi in September 2015 with two specific mandates. The first mandate was to monitor, verify and report about the disarmament process in the country. They were to work with the National Burundian Commission on the disarmament. They, however, hit a bottleneck in this process as the MoU between Burundi and the AU was not in force. This has hampered any progress.The second aspect is to monitor the security environment in the country by way of patrol duties. The Burundian Government has supported them in this process. During our deliberations with them, it was clear that in the security situation, they have noticed that the police have made efforts to disarm the civilians, but they have no sufficient training and technical knowledge to carry out their duties professionally. The modalities in which these activities were carried out have either resulted in innocent lives being lost or the police themselves losing their lives. From the AU perspective, very few arms have been recovered in the process of disarming them. The attacks that have been with witnessed indicate that they were coordinated attacks ongoing in various parts of the city. They had also recommended that the police unit be deployed in the country to work with the local police to enable them to hasten the disarmament process as well as share experiences.The team also advocated for its own operation with the military as the military is respected and better trained in Burundi. However, the team assured the members that from their assessment, the situation did not warrant being classified as genocide but more of violence orchestrated by the opposition. It is of the opinion that it is the beginning of anti-government activities and the government needs to take control to avoid the issue becoming fluid.We further met the AU human rights observers. During our deliberations, we learnt that this team arrived in Bujumbura in September 2015. They pointed out that they recorded several incidences where human rights of the citizens were being violated in terms of freedom of speech, movement and organisation. They said that since they arrived, they had reported several killings taking place within the capital. In their opinion, they could not differentiate between who was doing the killing as both the police and the civilians have been found dead.However, they have also met a high level of indiscipline from the police and associated the killings with an errant police force that opted to kill citizens as opposed to following the due process of justice.As a team, we were privileged to be driven to three distinct places in Bujumbura for a distance of over 200 kilometres on the ground. We interacted with a number of citizens, including the children, the women and the elderly people, especially the traditional leaders of the area. We were so privileged to partake in a community project in a place called Karusha province where I participated in the building of a school.In concluding our mission, we met His Excellency, the Right Honourable President of the Burundian people, Mr. Pierre Nkurunzinza. While appreciating the people of Burundi for their hospitality, the Chairman briefed His Excellency on the work the mission had undertaken and also assured the President that as the representative not just of the people but of the people of Africa, the team will report factually what has been witnessed in Burundi. He assured the President that Pan-African Parliament supports the President of Burundi and wished him well as he steered the people of Burundi.On his part, the President shared insights on the history of Burundi and where it was coming from. He explained that Burundi, since independence, had always witnessed a certain measure of violence linked to the election period. Even after the signing of the Arusha peace agreement and the ceasefire accord, the president explained that the window of sporadic violence was always witnessed. The election of 2015 was no exception. He further reinstated the efforts of Burundians to ensure lasting peace in the country with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Commission for Inter-Dialogue.Having looked at the interaction we have had with all the stakeholders as articulated in the report, the Committee made the following analysis.We noted, as a Committee, that the period of five days is not enough to sufficiently gather all the required information. This analysis definitely limits itself to the period of the fact finding mission and the information gathered therein. The team is conscious that the various reports had been circulated by African, United Nations and the international media. It is on this basis that the mission’s questions and interactions with various authorities informed the analysis of the mission. The information gathered from various pro and antigovernment factions provided a great insight into Burundi’s situation. Primarily on one hand, you have the government that had been elected by the people through the ballot process as prescribed in the Burundi constitution and on the other claims by the opposition that the government of the day is not legitimate as it believes that the current tenure of the President is not in conformity with this Constitution.While it is true that the country was experiencing a certain degree of violence during the period preceding and immediately after the election - the fact that there exists a period of repeated violence and this violence is concentrated in certain pockets of Bujumbura only - the government is making every effort to ensure that such incidents are eliminated completely. The human rights situation in the country needs to be addressed. This is, however, a two way process. The media and the civil society have a big role to play in terms of educating the people.However, the government needs to provide an enabling environment for this to take place. Most of the personalities of the alternative roles have fled the country and are not ready to return to the country. From the discussions with the AU military expert, it is evident that there are plenty of arms in the hands of civilians. It is of paramount importance and urgency that they are disarmed. The Burundi Police Force is currently charged with the responsibility of disarming the citizens, but has low technical experience and numbers and professional capacity to undertake the exercise sufficiently.The team was ordered to establish from the International Red Cross that there are people who have fled into neighbouring countries, mainly Tanzania and Congo DR. The Governments need to find a way to bring these people back home and assure them of their safety. The humanitarian situation in the capital is highly linked to the Government efforts to disarm people. The team was informed by AU humanitarian experts that this exercise is being conducted without any set methodology hence sporadic killings of civilians. The team also observed that several enforcers had also lost their lives while undertaking the exercise. Disarming of civilians could potentially have serious repercussions on Burundi as civil strife and anarchy may continue.Mr. President, the current situation in Burundi is not similar to that of the Rwanda Genocide. However, a good number of citizens may lose their lives as they engage in activities that are deemed by the state as a threat to citizens’ peace.In conclusion, we had the following recommendations as a Committee. These recommendations must be referred to the Committee on rules for their appraisal. We believe the House, having heard the recommendations and having referred these recommendations to the Rules Committee, possibly they will be adopted in due course because that was the resolution of this Plenary, if I am not mistaken, in the last session.Mr. President, here are the recommendations by the Committee on Cooperation:We request the international community, in particular AU and the UN, to promote actions towards a reapproachment by all stakeholders of the conflict in order to create an atmosphere for dialogue and peace, with a view to ending the conflict.The Committee calls upon all African Heads of State to respect the values and principles of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. We further call upon the Head of State and all parties to the Burundian Conflict to respect the African Charter on Human Rights with a view to guarantee the atmosphere of security to each and every one.We further call upon the Burundi Government and the AU to urgently finalise the Memorandum of Understanding with the Burundi Government on areas of support that the AU can offer, especially in the process of disarming the civilians.We further call upon the Burundi Head of State to subscribe to inclusive national consultations in order to immediately stop any violence and consequently enhance the return of refugees.We call upon the AU and the international community to support the key structures that the Burundi Government has put in place to address the historical injustices.As a Committee, we extend our appreciation to the Parliament of Burundi for facilitating the existence of this mission. We are thankful to all organisations that availed themselves at short notice to receive us and discuss the matters as articulated above. I end by giving my special thanks to the Members of the Burundi Parliament who are members of the PAP present here for giving us such a warm welcome when we were in Burundi. They worked with us on a number of issues. As you know, in Africa, we talk about one Africa, one Voice. I thank those Members very much for the cooperation they showed while we were in Burundi.Thank you, Mr. President.ApplauseREFERENCE: 0605-104708FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Nous venons de suivre le rapport sur le Burundi, bien que le temps ce soit écoulé, ce rapport reste d’actualité. Et nous pouvons ouvrir les débats.J’ai une liste de 27 intervenants dans l’ordre:Honorable Ignatienne du RwandaHonorable Charles MAJAK du Soudan du SudHonorable BISSIRI du Burkina FasoHonorable Mohamed EL MUHTAR HASSAN du SoudanHonorable Halidou SANFO du Burkina FasoHonorable Mohamed TAYEB LASKRI d’AlgérieHonorable NASSOU ATOUADJOU KATOU du TogoHonorable Abdelaziz ABDULAI MOHAMED de la SomalieHonorable SEKOU FANTAMADI TRAORE du MaliHonorable Bachir Ali MOHAMED EL BATANI du SoudanHonorable Noé MBANIGABA du BurundiHonorable BONGANI MDLULI de SwazilandHonorable Eugène KPARKAR du LibériaHonorable Gloriose NIMENYA du BurundiHonorable Habdallah BARKAT IBRAHIM de DjiboutiHonorable Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée ConakryHonorable Paramon^ BAIKO de la Sierra LeoneHonorable Aïssatou SOW DIAWARA du SénégalHonorable Ahamat TAHIR du TchadHonorable Martin NITERETSE du BurundiHonorable Thandi Cecillia MEMELA de l’Afrique du SudHonorable Mustafa ELGENDI de l’ÉgypteHonorable Billow KERRON du KenyaHonorable Docteur Bernadette LAHAI de Sierra LeoneHonorable Abdulrazak SA’AD NAMDAS du NigeriaREFERENCE: 0605-105205ECHARLES MAJAK ALEER [SOUTH SUDAN]:Thank you Mr. President.I am one of those who went to Burundi and I would like to have some emphases on some points as analysis.When you come to the issue of the third-term conflict for the incumbent President for elections, I will say that the period of parliamentary governance was different from presidential terms because there is no law which is retroactive. So, the claim of third-term in my analysis is not in place.Second, the issues that are affecting Burundi are complex.They include: the issue of resources, speaking, the silver which is being mined for the interest of some powers for which this confusion is also added.Come to the historical aspect we claimed were found, most of the Burundians were contacted. There is a need to have a comprehensive dialogue so that all Burundian citizens are included to have a settlement that will be finalThank you Mr. President.REFERENCE: 0605-105701EAHON. MOHAMED EL MUKHTAR HASAN [SUDAN]شكراً سيدي الرئيس،بادئ ذي بدء، نبدي كامل تعاطفنا وتأييدنا لشعب بوروندي، وأشكر لجنة تقصي الحقائق التي عملت بصورة مهنية ومحايدة، والتقت بكل أصحاب المصلحة في بوروندي بما في ذلك قادة المعارضة ومنظمات المجتمع المدني،سيدي الرئيس،إذا كانت المشكلة هي أحقية الرئيس القائم في ذلك الوقت للترشح لعهدة ثالثة لمنصب الرئاسة، فإن علينا احترام حكم المحكمة الدستورية في بوروندي و محكمة شرق أفريقيا في تفسيرها للمادة 82 في أحقية الرئيس للترشح باعتبارها العهدة الثانية له، كما أن اللجوء للعنف في العمل السياسي، سيدي الرئيس، ال يحل المشاكل بل يفاقمها ويزيد من تعقيدها، والذين يسقطون جراء العنف هم دائما المواطنون األبرياء وليسوا من النخب السياسية التي تروج للعنف، يجب علينا سيدي الرئيس، أن نشجع الحوار الشامل بين القوى السياسية ومكونات المجتمع المدني المختلفة، و الحوار هو قيمة أفريقية حقيقية راسخة ويجب أن يكون هو وسيلتنا األولى للوصول إلى الحلول دون تدخالت خارجية، سيدي الرئيس،رغم أني أبدي كامل تأييدي لتوصيات اللجنة، إال أنني أؤيد و بشدة التوصيتين الخامسة والسادسة، واللتين تتعلقان بإعادة االستقرار في بوروندي من خالل حوار داخلي شامل ووقف العنف وعودة الالجيئن إلى وطنهم، وأيضا مساعدة االتحاد األفريقي للمؤسسات التي أنشأتها الحكومة البوروندية، وبتخصيص مفوضية للحوار الداخلي ومفوضية الحقيقة والمصالحة،شكراً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 0605-110917EHON. ABDULAZIZ ABDULAHI MOHAMED [SOMALIA]:Mr President, I would like to thank you for giving me the Floor to be part of this important debate.Mr President, I would also like to thank the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution and the delegation that went to Burundi.Mr President, I would like to sympathise with the people of Burundi and Burundi itself. I would like to thank Burundi for sending their troops for peace keeping purposes to Somalia. I can assure this House that Burundian troops did a very good job in Somalia.Mr President, when the Burundi conflict started with the constitutional crisis, the African Union and other relevant organisations did not play their role properly to prevent the conflict from escalating. However, what has now been stated in this report is an alarming situation that has to be dealt with urgently.Mr President, I would like to go back to the report. In its recommendations in paragraph 4, it states the following: “... after having listened to all thestakeholders in the conflict”. I would like to ask the mission: Who are the real stakeholders in this conflict? Can we really identify them? If we cannot, we cannot say, “... after having listened to all the stakeholders” because we know that there are so many agents. There are so many hidden agenda. Sometimes, conflicts in Africa are beyond our control. There are external influences that cause conflicts in Africa. I believe that the mission never met the real stakeholders.Mr President, I have a question. A lot of time has passed since the mission was sent to Burundi by the PAP. What is the current situation in Burundi? Has the situation improved or is it worse as we speak?Mr President, I would like to thank you very much for giving me the Floor.REFERENCE: 0605-111250EHON. BONGANI MDLULI [SWAZILAND]:Thank you very much, Mr. President. I also want to add my voice to the issue at hand. To begin with, let me appreciate the effort by the delegation that was sent to Burundi in carrying out the assignment. In my understanding, the very fact that we had a delegation that went to Burundi on a fact-finding mission also shows that the PAP Assembly is concerned about what is going on in as far as the human rights and the security of citizens in Burundi are concerned. Fact-finding missions are not only about collecting information, but they are also a signal that we sympathise and that is important.I would like to take a different angle as I debate this issue. I believe the exercise was done in an objective and transparent manner, which had neutrality, because these are some of the prerequisites of a fact-finding mission. Without them, a report cannot reflect the facts that we need because, in essence, and in its eventuality, we need facts in a fact finding mission.I may pose the question if really the delegation had, amongst itself, support staff or members who have recognised competence and special knowledge in international humanitarian law and gender issues, stretching to as far as criminal law because, in this report, they made analyses and analyses really need a backup of what I have just mentioned in terms of experience and qualification. Having said that, I am not trying to punch holes in the report, but I am making a contribution.To conclude, let me state my concern because the Committee has made their recommendations after having done good work. I just want to say that if these recommendations are not followed up, the exercise will have been done in futility and for no good reason. It would be good to have it stated in black and white and in specific days in terms of taking it forward. When is the Committee or the PAP going to make sure that these recommendations are...THE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much, Hon. Member. I now want to give the Floor to Hon.REFERENCE: 0605-112204EHON. P.C BAI KURR KANAKBARO [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you, Mr. President. I also thank you for the good idea of sending people to Burundi. The issue of Burundi is very complicated to some of us. We listen to different arguments and we do not know the truth. We guess by what we hear from the press. We are coming back to the same thing of the African concept. Somebody mentioned stakeholders. What are the interests of the stakeholders? Are we talking about the interest of the public or the interest of the people of Burundi or their personal interest? We have to consider the development and progress of the African people. Is it the truth? Is it good for all of us in Africa, and particularly Burundi?We need peace, unity, stability, progress and development. If the people in Burundi are really concerned about the welfare of the nation, they should have looked at this and some of them would have cooled down and tried to bring peace and stability. An example is the elections between Bush and the Republican nominations. The people who voted for him were more than five million. However, he did not go to war. He said: “For the peace, stability and progress of the United States of America, I withdraw.” Is this happening in Africa?We have selfish ends. All that is happening there is selfishness and nothing else. They look at personal interests and politics as the biggest employer where they can make quick money. That is all most of us, politicians in Africa, are doing. For that matter, we create wars and bring in rebels to come and dominate. Is there anything we can do to ensure peace and stability? I am sure the Americans are not interested in Burundi. If they had been interested, they would have gone there. Because they were interested in Libya’s oil, they went there. However, in Africa, you can kill yourselves. It is your own problem.So, let us try to always think positively for the sake of the African people and for the welfare of the nation. So, we should look at it in that way and urge the government and all these people to look at the positive image of Burundi and the political setup.I thank you, Mr. President.THE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much, Paramount Chief. I now give the Floor to HON. THANDI CECILIA THANDI MEMELA from SOUTH AFRICAREFERENCE: 0605-112535EHON. THANDI CECILIA THANDI MEMELA [SOUTH AFRICA]:Mr President, I would like to thank the Chair of the Committee who was part of the very testing trip to Burundi.The first question I would like to ask every Parliamentarian who is here is: Are we actually saying one Africa, one country? Or are we divided in saying I do not want anybody talking about my country?Burundi has been in trouble for a couple of years now and different political groupings have gone there on fact finding missions. In 2013, I was there with ASECA and the only thing we were crying out for is the welfare of the women and children. There are so many orphans running around the streets and women who are now widowed. Was the Arusha Agreement ever studied properly?Hon. Members, as we are seated here we cannot compare the upheavals that are happening in our countries because we do not have the yard stick to measure. Let us deal with the plight of the people in Burundi and not compare them with the sufferings in other countries. Situations vary. Who is stirring the pot in Burundi?2016 is a year for women. What is our voice when we deal with these atrocities? We asked the dear President of Burundi, when we were there, if land can be made available to build a village for the children who are orphaned and the widows.Hon. President, a follow-up trip is necessary and we can come and talk the truth. We are human beings here. We are mothers and fathers. Please, let us see what our consciences are saying to us.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0605-112922EHON. EUGENE KPARKAR [LIBERIA]:Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to compliment the factfinding mission for the insightful Report that they have compiled. I do not have to read a report to know that there is a problem facing Burundi and other African countries. The problem is simple. The inordinate quest for power is the problem that we are grappling with. We, Parliamentarians, are used as scapegoats. Parliament is used as an epicentre or as a conduit for the perpetuation of power. How? Most of these laws are passed by Parliament. So, if they amend the Constitution, Parliament has a role to play. I usually say this.I bear no grudge against any African leader. No matter how good you can be, a leader will not be remembered on how long he/she stayed in power, but how well he/she served. So, if you are a good leader and your term is over, leave or groom another person who will follow your policies. That is not happening in Africa. We, Parliamentarians have a role to play. This is not about talking the talk, but walking the walk. Let us stop playing blame games.More often than not, we blame other countries - the colonial leaders - for our own problems. We are the problem. We have to call a spade a spade. Colonial times are over. Yes, there is that concept of neocolonialism, but it is for us to accept or not. I think that the issue of term limit should be discussed by African leaders at the ECOWAS Summit in Accra. This issue was brought at the front banner, but because of the objection of two countries, the issue went into oblivion. Africa, it is high time we looked in the face of our leaders. Whether you have left a good legacy or not, that should not be used as an alibi for you to continue. You have to leave a good legacy. A leader should leave a good legacy so that we can continue where he stopped. No leader is an angel. We are human beings.Are you saying in Liberia, Rwanda and other countries, there are no other people who are good enough to be leaders? Leadership should not be confined to a few people. This is a problem affecting Africa. The sooner we realise our problem, the better it will be for the African continent. Sometimes, we talk and talk, but most of our talk is not being effected because this Parliament is a toothless bulldog. Sorry to say. We only advise. Your pieces of advice are not taken into consideration. What do we do? We come here year in and out to make recitations and recite memory verses but, at the end of the day, nothing is done. We think that if PAP is not ready, let go of it instead of coming here to waste our time. We are wasting our time. If we cannot get legislative powers, a tooth to bite, we might just come here to waste our time.In conclusion, I know the people of Burundi are suffering. There are other countries that are suffering, but the solution to our problem is simple. If you go for two terms, just leave. Whether you are good or excellent, there must be another leader that could be better than you. So, we, as African leaders, must call a spade a spade. We must be frank with each other.ApplauseREFERENCE: 0605-113430EHON. BILLOW KERROW [KENYA]:Thank you, Mr. President. First, I thank the members of the factfinding mission. Our continent, Africa, is characterised by conflicts. However, I reiterate the point that was raised by other colleagues earlier regarding the role of the Members of Parliament in what is going on in some of the African countries. Members of Parliament have a great influence in governance decisions because we support the Executive when we are in the ruling party. We oppose the Executive when we are in the opposition only. So, what happens is that our actions always complement the Executive when we are in government. That is the reason the Executive can undermine the constitution. That is why the Executive subverts the will of the people and ultimately plunge our countries into chaos.Mr. President, I think the other problem is the failure to respect our institutions. Most of our institutions are no longer independent in many of our countries. Parliaments have often been used to interfere with these institutions and therefore make them subservient to the interests of the Executive. Then there is the lack of inclusiveness which, again, undermines democracy that we always talk about. In all our countries, we know there are different ethnic communities and societies and inclusiveness is a critical element in any democracy. That is lacking in many of our communities.Coming to this report, I find the recommendations by this committee a bit hollow, particularly Recommendation No. 2 on supporting the key structures. The main report states that the special representative for the AU Commission said that AU opposes this internal structure by the Burundi Government because it is not inclusive and it does not cater for political parties which are not in government. Most of those political party leaders are outside the country. If that is the case, we need to emphasise in our recommendations that the AU and the UN should support that internal process which is not inclusive and does not bring on board all the political parties or the opposition who are out of the country.THE PRESIDENT:I thank you, dear colleague. I now give the Floor to HON. Dr. BERNADETTE LAHAI from SIERRA LEONEREFERENCE: 0605-113742EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President, hon. Members, let me thank our colleagues who went on the observer mission.In the report, the President himself, who was one of the stakeholders was visited and interviewed and he did state clearly the problem of the people of Burundi. He said, since independence the problem has been that of elections and the violence takes place mostly during election period. So, I think where you are able to lay your hands very firmly and solidly on the cause or causes of a conflict, then you have half the solution to the conflict.My question is, and I am sure most of the people that were interviewed would attest to the cause of the conflict in Burundi: Are they saying that they know the problem, but they have no determination and the backbone to solve it? This is the issue. I am not interested so much in whether a President has two, three, four terms or an open ended term.What should be the issue is to stick to what is in your Constitution. If your Constitution says two terms, it is two terms. If it says three terms, it is three terms but stick to what is in the Constitution. The problem we have is that we are not sticking to the Constitution. We are not respecting that sacred institution. After all, Constitutions are not just made over night. They are made through participation of the people through a referendum. So, once that has happened we should stick to it.I think our problem in Africa is the Constitution and the elections. What are we doing with the African Charter on Elections Democracy and Good Governance (ACEDG)? The ACEDG is such a beautiful instrument and we are signatories to it, and it has come into force. Our Heads of State know it. They debate it when they meet, but they are not sticking to it.I agree with those that have spoken before me. We are not being honest with ourselves. This does not only apply to our Heads of State. Even we, in Parliament, are affected. When you are in Government, you want to stay in Government and so you will agree to everything your Government says. When you are in the Opposition, you are problematic. It is the same thing when the Opposition forms Government. They will agree to the things that they did not agree to because it suits their business at the time.So, what we are saying is that what is wrong when you are in Government should be wrong when you in the Opposition. Similarly, when you are in the Opposition, criticise what is wrong. When you are in Government, you should stick to what is right. That is how you gain credibility. Institutions are made through consistency, continuity, honesty and commitment.I think that is the problem of Africa, we are not consistent. We like shifting the goal post when it suits us or when it does not. This is why we have all these problems.I thank you hon. President, let African Presidents remain consistent.REFERENCE: 0605-114130EHON. ABDULARAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this debate. I also thank the Committee for the fact-finding mission they have done. I want to say that my late president Buhari in Nigeria gave a formal speech to the OAU in the late 70s, where he said that Africa has come of age. It is that formal speech that made him stay in office, even though he was a dictator then. I am shocked to say that 40 years after the speech, it appears that Africa has not come of age because we still have issues with tenure. The problem in Burundi is about tenure. Although the President was appointed by Parliament or whatever the case may be, we have an issue of tenure in Africa. Like my colleagues have said, there is need for us to be very specific about the issue of tenure. This Parliament should not wait until we have issues before we send delegations.As I speak, there are so many potential crises all over Africa about people who want to perpetuate themselves in power. So many people are about to die because we know that there are potential crises. However, we do not intervene until the crisis erupts. We send delegations and fact-finding missions because we want to intervene. What are we doing when we are really having issues all over the place? We should act fast. We should not wait until these issues are there.We had the president in my country, Nigeria. When Buhari died, his deputy took over. He became the Head of State in a military era, but when he became the civilian Head of State, he wanted to perpetuate himself in power. Thank God, in Nigeria, the National Parliament ensured that that did not happen. That is why parliaments all over Africa should not allow people to perpetuate themselves in power. A young man in USA, an African-American, Obama, is the president. As good as he is, he has served two terms. Why does he not remain in power for longer? We should look at and ensure that these things do not happen. I also want to say that in Burundi, it is clear, according to the report, that the police are handicapped. They are not professionals. They are also being killed. What are we doing? There is need for Burundian police to be trained.They are the civil authority. According to the Report, the military is very good.Mr. PRESIDENT: Thank you, Hon. Member. Let me give the Floor to HON. GLORIOSE NIMENYA (MRS) from BURUNDI.REFERENCE: 0605-114950AHON. ALI AWADALLA ALI [SUDAN]:شكراً سيدي الرئيس،معكم علي عوض هللا من السودان،أوال/ أشكركم السيد الرئيس على إعطائنا الفرصة،ثانيا/ نشكر اللجنة الموقرة و الفريق الذي زار بوروندي على هذا التقرير الذي تم بمهنية كاملة.ثالثا/ كامل تعاطفنا مع الشعب البوروندي،سيدي الرئيس،نحن جد قلقون أوال، حيال وضع حقوق اإلنسان في بوروندي خصوصا بالنسبة إلى المرأة والطفل، بعد أن ذكر التقرير في تصريح مفوضية حقوق اإلنسان البوروندية أن هناك أطفال في عمر 06 سنة تم إيقافهم،و ثانيا، نحن قلقون حيال وضع الالجيئن الذين قدروا بمئتي ألف أو ربما مئة ألف أو ربما ثالثين ألف في الدول المجاورة، و نحن مع اقتراحات اللجنة الموقرة واقتراحات البعثة بأن يتم دعوة الرئيس البوروندي لالشتراك في مشاورات وطنية شاملة وحوار شامل، يشمل كل القوى السياسية الموجودة سواء كانت معارضة أو حكومة، و تعزيز عودة الالجئين من الدول المجاورة، و كذا تجريد المدنيين من األسلحة، وذلك بأن توفر الخبرة الكاملة لقوات الشرطة البوروندية خصوصا بعد أن ذكر تقرير اللجنة الموقرة أن الشرطة البوروندية تفتقر إلى الخبرة الفنية و المعدات و العدد والقدرات المهنية للقيام بذلك،أعد هذا التقرير في نوفمبر الماضي واآلن نحن في شهر مايو، لذلك فأنا أتساءل عن الخطوات التي تمت منذ ذلك الوقت، وأدعوكم للتضامن، وأقترح أن تذهب اللجنة مرة أخرى للوقوف على األوضاع هناك خالل هذه الفترة.وشكراً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 0605-115158EHON. PROF GEOFFREY LUNGWANGWA [ZAMBIA]:Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, I also would like to congratulate you on having taken the courage to put together a team that went to Burundi under the circumstances we are debating. This Report is very informative and well presented. It pinpoints the challenge of democracy in Africa. It represents what most of our countries are facing, mainly the challenge of fragile democracy, especially at the time of elections when we see a characteristic of mistrust, violence, instability and, to a large extent, criminal activities, in particular, the radicalisation of the youth. This is typical of most of our countries when election time comes. Clearly, what we see in the Report is that Burundi has identified the problem and would like to heal. That is positive. We should acknowledge that. It has institutions to that effect to realise healing.There are institutions that they have established like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Commission for Inter-Burundian Dialogue. As PAP, we should monitor the process of dialogue that Burundi would like to see established and contribute to that healing process so that that country comes out of the challenge of violence that characteriss most of our countries and establishes peace for the good of every citizen in Burundi. That is very important. I hope that as PAP, we shall contribute towards monitoring that process.Thank you. Mr. PresidentTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much. I now give the Floor to HON. MARTIN NITERETSE [BURUNDI]REFERENCE: 0605-115934FEFrench: 11:59:34 -12:03:31M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci Cher collègue.La discussion générale est close.Chers collègues, permettez-moi, avant de donner la parole au Rapporteur, de relever ce que j’ai retenu.Le Parlement panafricain est très préoccupé par la situation au Burundi. Nous sommes des élus du peuple. Quand une seule personne meurt, cela doit nous affecter parce que ce sont ces gens-là qui nous élisent.Deuxième chose: la modification des Constitutions. Nous ne devons pas tolérer cette modification des Constitutions parce que la plupart des conflits en Afrique aujourd’hui sont les conflits postes-électoraux dus à la modification des Constitutions.Troisième chose: il faut une déclaration forte, mais je voulais vous assurer que jusqu’à ce moment les pourparlers pour un dialogue inclusif au Burundi n’ont pas encore commencés et on ne sait pas si cela aura lieu, mais ce que je dois reconnaitre c’est qu’aujourd’hui beaucoup de Burundais sont morts. Je ne sais pas dû à quoi mais on dit que c’est dû aux conflits. Il faut qu’on en tienne compte de cela.Enfin, je suis surpris. Lorsque nous venons ici, nous dépendons des causes générales. Même si, moi, Président, je suis visé, il faut qu’on soit un peu sérieux, il faut qu’on dise la vérité. Il y a effectivement eu, au Burundi, une tentative de modification à l’Assemblée Nationale en 2013 et si cette modification s’était déroulée bien, le problème n’allait pas se poser. Mais c’est parce que cela avait échoué qu’il y a eu ce passage en force et on a tenu des élections.Comme l’Honorable du Bénin disait, nous faisons face pour ratifier nos protocoles a beaucoup de résistance et je ne viendrais pas ici dire voilà ce que tel pays a pensé, mais pouvez-vous rendre compte qu’à travers certaines situations, vous comprenez qu’on a des difficultés.Donc, je souhaiterai, lorsque nous allons déférer les recommandations à la Commission du Règlement, qu’ils nous sortent une déclaration forte qui sera rendue publique. La situation est encore, comme nous l’avons, le rapport a fait cinq mois, mais il n’y a pas eu une évolution substantielle dans le sens de croire qu’on est en train de régler ce problème. Les deux partis se regardent encore en chiens de faïence.Donc, Monsieur le Rapporteur, je vous donne cinq minutes pour répondre à vos questions. Vous avez la parole.HON. HLATSHWAYO PHESHEYA VICTOR [SWAZILAND]:Mr. President, through you and other Members of Parliament, having heard all the discussions and the debates, we propose an amendment or resolution to this Parliament that the AU and UN, together with the international Community, work together to negotiate between the Government and all opposition party leaders in and outside of Burundi in an inclusive process to establish a Government of national unity in Burundi.This is our proposal.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Nous allons envoyer tout cela à la Commission du Règlement qui va étudier.Monsieur Le Rapporteur, vous avez la parole.THE PRESIDENT:The rapporteur has the Floor to respond within five minutes.REFERENCE: 0605-120332EHON. HLATSHWAYO PHESHEYA VICTOR [SWAZILAND]:Thank you so much, Mr President.I would like to thank the hon. Members for the intervention in relation to the report on the fact finding mission to Burundi.Mr President, I think as a committee we are very cognisant of the fact that one of the fundamental goals is to ensure that there is peace in Africa. It is in the same vein that I would urge each one of us in the Plenary to look at these issues of conflict in a very objective manner. If there are elements of positivity in every effort that the Governments are doing, I think it is very important for us a Parliament to support such initiatives.Mr President, during the debate, I have not heard anybody talking strongly about the current structures which are the truth and reconciliation commission, and the inter-embongeni dialogue concept which is put in place by the Burundian people. I urge members to critically look at that. It is very important because it is a positive aspect. Such an initiative is one of the basic fundamentals that are entrenched in the Arusha Agreement which was signed in 2003 in an effort to make Burundi a country where peace and harmony prevail.Mr President, I do not want to comment much on the issue of third term, but I want to draw the attention of this Plenary to the issue of a ruling which was made outside the perimeters of Burundi by the East African community. I want members to be cognisant of that because we had the very same Plenary that supports the rule of law and initiatives in own communities. If there is an independent ruling I think that members should go and look for it and if possible as a committee we would provide that to the hon. Members so that everyone is cognisant of this fact. It is very important for Africans to support the initiatives and the rulings which are lawful more especially by international communities.Mr President, on the talk about stakeholders, I want to say the very same Plenary sent this fact finding mission to Burundi. In the report we have categorically stated that there are those Opposition leaders who are outside the country. I am surprised that members want us to talk to those leaders yet they know very well that our mission was confined in Burundi. We have mentioned in the report, unfortunately, we did not categorically state it; in Burundi we met over thirty Opposition leaders. Of interest in that conversation is that all of them pinpointed one, who was amongst them, to say, if in Burundi the leaders who boycotted the elections are persecuted and killed, why is this particular Opposition leader amongst us? So, that is an area which we have to interrogate as we go about this debate.The concept I am trying to draw in is that it is true that most of the Opposition leaders are outside the country.It is a fact and we agree on that. Information that we get on the ground, however, is that there are a number of Opposition leaders who are on the ground in Burundi. In the report we have stated categorically clear that some of these Opposition leaders, though they are being discarded by those in Opposition, have formed coalitions with the Government. There are over thirtytwo Opposition members who are there.Mr President, of interest, though it is not in the report, six of the Opposition leaders are in Cabinet as ministers. In as much as we agree that the situation is not conducive, it is a situation that is very appealing which is calling on every African to make an effort so that stability and peace prevail in Burundi. At the same time, we have to recognise the efforts which the Government of Burundi is making in an endeavour to bring the situation to peace.One other issue that I want to comment on is that for the first time in my political life, I have never seen the civil society and the media agreeing on one thing. In this particular report, we have made it clear that even the media itself - media as you know, at most the media personnel are independent - they strive and take pride in reporting on what is basically happening in their countries but for the first time in Burundi, all of them were saying we wish the international community would know we want peace in Burundi. That is what is distinct in this particular issue.I am appealing to you, that in as much as we agree that there are some issues which need to be critically addressed in Burundi, we should be seen upholding and trying to promote those initiatives which are basically bringing peace as we speak in Burundi because at the end of it all I do not believe that peace can be achieved through total criticism. Yes, we have to criticise each other, but at the same time we need to try and encourage each other to make sure that Africa moves forward as a continent.Mr President, I would like to conclude by saying that the biggest plea which we got in Burundi from the media, civil society, truth commissions, Opposition parties and almost all the stakeholders, was the issue of sanctions. I beg for your indulgency, Mr President, for the members of the Plenary here to find a systematic way to plead with the international community. The issue of sanctions is very important in that country. Personally, the biggest war I observed in Burundi, I am sorry to say that, the biggest challenge I saw in Burundi was the issue of poverty. If you bring sanctions in a country with poverty of that magnitude then you are creating and perpetrating the situation to be worse.Mr President, of interest, I was so privileged, I mentioned it when I made my report that I was privileged to partake in a school construction project in Burundi, and you will be surprised that in that gathering we had over ten thousand people who were gathered in one place. I was carrying my stones over a distance of hundred metres in an endeavour to contribute to the project. There was everybody in that community, different tribes, the Tutsi, Hutu and Twaa, that is where I got to know and try to make a difference between the tribes. Everybody was speaking one language. In Burundi we are praying for peace and they were praying that the sanctions should not be imposed on Burundi because it will worsen the situation that prevails.Mr President, I want to thank the hon. Members who participated in the debate.Mr President, one again, I want to bring to the attention of the House that indeed the period that is accorded to the mission is very limited. That is why maybe some areas of these missions cannot bring substantive reports, but it is very important for this Plenary to look at the number of days, particularly in this one, we had about five days in Burundi.Mr President, another issue that this Plenary needs to address is the issue of the preliminary statement whilst in that country. You cannot go to a country and leave the people without hope. It is very important and all of us, even you, your Excellency have alluded to the fact that this report is over five months old now. Then the question is what basically did we contribute to the people? What has been happening during the reporting period? It is of paramount importance that we should look at the committee meetings. I think some of these reports on fact funding missions should be discussed during the committee meetings because the lapse of time renders this report useless and unworthy.It is for that reason, Mr President, that I beg the Plenary to look at this issue and see how we can harmonise and quickly make our voice known to those countries because at the end of it all, if we take a position as a Pan-African Parliament in our findings, it will at some point in time encourage people to seek harmony and achieve what we want in Africa which is peace and stability.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0605-121232FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Le rapport n’est pas vieux, il est d’actualité. Donc, nous avons pris note de vos revendications. Je voudrais maintenant, soumettre le rapport aux voix.Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque.(Coup de maillet)Le Parlement prend note de votre rapport et envoie ces conclusions à la Commission Permanente des Règlements, des Privilèges et de la Discipline avec laquelle vous allez travailler pour sortir une déclaration dite « Déclaration du Parlement panafricain », suite à la situation du Burundi.Chers collègues,Permettez-moi, conformément à l’article 38(h) de notre Règlement intérieur, de reconnaître ici, dans la Chambre, la présence parmi nous de Son Excellence Honorable Michael Gahler, qui est le point focal du Parlement panafricain au Parlement européen, Chef de la délégation. Il est accompagné de l’Honorable Franck Angel, qui est un député au Parlement européen et de l’Honorable Georlgi Rolvi, député également.Chers collègues,Vous pouvez entrer à l’hémicycle.Et Chris El Grain, qui est le Secrétaire de leur délégation.Ils sont venus ici, dans le cadre des conclusions de la rencontre que nous avons eue à Bruxelles, avec le Président du Parlement européen, pour venir poser les bases des futures négociations entre le Parlement panafricain et le Parlement européen. Ils ont effectivement travaillé deux jours durant et nous allons signer au Bureau le communiqué final de leur réunion, en présence de la délégation du Parlement panafricain.Le communiqué final sera signé tout de suite, dès la suspension des travaux.Monsieur le Secrétaire Général,Donnez nous la suite de l’ordre du jour!THE CLERK:Honourable Members, I have A few announcements! The Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and the Committee on Gender, Family and Youth and People with Disability will be meeting in Room 1 from 2.30 to 6.00. The Caucus of Youth will be meeting in Committee Room 2 from 2.00 to 3.30 p.m., andelections will be held on Tuesday 10th May, 2016, after the election of the Vice-President for the Eastern Region in the Plenary. The Women Caucus will meet in Committee Room 3 from 3.30 to 6.00.The Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA) will be meeting in Committee Room 4 from 2.30 to 6.00 p.m. Honourable Members that are members of the Joint Africa-Euro Strategy are invited to attend the ceremony of the signing of the Declaration of Technical Support by the European Parliament to the Pan African Parliament at the Presidential boardroom at the end of this Sitting. The Announcement about the issuance of passports for the MPs, please note that the AU has sent a delegation to deal with it from the 8th May, 2016 at 3.00 p.m. Members are required to report at the pay unit to complete their passport application forms and they must take two passport size photos with them and their national passports.The passport officer from the AU will be here on Wednesday 11th May, 2016 to produce the passports and then return to South Africa on Friday to deliver the passports to the MPs. Finally, Honourable Sophia and her colleague from Djibouti cordially invite the Bureau of East-West-North-South and Central Caucuses and Bureau of Women and Youth to a dinner at Adega Restaurant on Saturday, 7th May, 2016 at 7.00 hours in the evening. Transport will be available at your respective hotels to take you there from 6.30.Thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci à Monsieur le Clerk.Chers collègues,Compte tenu du retard que nous avons accusé, nous allons différer l’étude du deuxième point inscrit à l’ordre du jour initialement, à une date qui vous sera communiquée.Je voudrais inviter à la suite, lorsque la plénière sera suspendue, nous allons tout de suite nous réunir avec le personnel pour harmoniser le plan de travail.L’ordre du jour étant épuisé, la séance est suspendue.Elle reprendra le lundi 9 mai 2016 à 9 heures.(Coup de mailletLa séance est suspendue à douze heures dix-huit minutes dix secondes. Elle reprendra le lundi 9 mai 2016 à neuf heures.
Monday, 9th May, 2016
[THE President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observedLa séance est ouverte!Excellence Monsieur le Vice-président,Excellences Madame et Messieurs les Vice-présidents,Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Commissions permanentes,Madame la Présidente du Caucus des Femmes,Monsieur le Président du Caucus des Jeunes,Je voudrais vous adresser un salut fraternel et souhaiter que le week-end se soit passé dans de bonnes conditions et que vous avez pu récupérer durant le week-end.Nous entrons dans la dernière ligne de notre session. La dernière semaine sera aussi intense que la première. Je vous invite à redoubler d’ardeur et de présence ici, pour que nous puissions terminer notre session dans de bonnes conditions.Je voudrais saluer la présence parmi nous des interprètes, des membres de la presse et des représentations des corps diplomatiques.Ceci étant, je donne la parole au Secrétaire général pour nous donner le programme de nos travaux.Monsieur le Secrétaire général,Vous avez la parole!THE CLERK:Good morning Honourable Members and Your Excellency. We have one Member to be sworn in today; the Honourable Ceasar Bayeh Layolala of South Sudan. He is replacing Honourable Justin Joseph Marona.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Honorable membre,Vous avez le podium pour votre serment!OATH OF ALLIGENCEThe following Member took the Oath of Allegiance:Hon. Ceasar Bayeh Layolala - South SudanM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Invitation des hôtes à entrer dans la Chambre.Honorables membres,Conformément aux dispositions de l’article 38(1), alinéa (g) du Règlement intérieur, j’ai le plaisir d’inviter Dr KHABELE MATLOSA, Directeur du Département des Affaires politiques, représentant la Commissaire des Affaires politiques de la commission de l’Union africaine, à faire son entrée dans la salle.J’invite le Secrétaire général à donner lecture du premier point inscrit à l’ordre du jour.Monsieur le Secrétaire général,Vous avez la parole!THE CLERK:Good morning, once again. We have a Draft Motion on the Condemnation of Corruption in Africa and Requesting the African Union (AU) to set up an Anti-Corruption Desk at the AU Secretariat.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite l’honorable BIGGIE BUTALE à présenter sa motion.REFERENCE: 0905-090920EHON. BIGGIE GANDA BUTALE [BOTSWANA]:Thank you, Mr. President. I wish to present a motion which calls upon this Honourable Parliament to condemn corruption in Africa and to request the African Union to set up an Anti-Corruption Desk at the AU Secretariat for the reason that we all know that corruption is one of the major causes of our underdevelopment, and that if we are to catch up with the rest of the developing world, we have to deal with this monster. It is for that reason I also ask that we declare Africa a corruption free zone from now till our vision 2063. I think the motion is straight forward.Mr. President, I thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-091030FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Qui appuie cette motion?Honorable Docteur Biggie BUTALE!(Silence dans la salle)Il n’est pas dans la Chambre?REFERENCE: 0905-091133EHON. DOMAI GATPAN [SOUTH SUDAN]:Thank you, Mr. President. Honourable Members...THE PRESIDENT:Could you introduce yourself, please?HON. DOMAI GATPAN [SOUTH SUDAN]:My name is Honourable DOMAI GATPAN from South Sudan. Thank you Mr. President.In the light of the abovementioned points, I duly second.REFERENCE: 0905-091212FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Conformément à l’article 66, alinéa 1 du Règlement intérieur, le débat sur une motion ne peut excéder plus d’une heure. À ce titre, je donnerai deux minutes par orateur.J’ai devant moi une liste d’intervenants.Le premier sur la liste est l’Honorable Martin NITERETSE du Burundi.Vous avez la parole!(Silence dans la salle)L’Honorable NITERETSE du Burundi, n’est pas dans la Chambre.Le deuxième sur la liste est l’Honorable Kaltoum Abdelkarim Suleiman du Soudan.(Silence dans la salle)Le troisième sur la liste est l’Honorable Zalikatou Diallo de Guinée Conakry.REFERENCE: 0905-091314FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Nous savons tous que la corruption est un fléau qui gangrène les économies de la plus part des pays de notre continent et constitue un frein au réel développement ambitionné par nos populations. Sur ce, aucune stratégie, aucune initiative n’est de trop pour mettre un frein à ce fléau qui freine et qui fait stagner le développement socioéconomique réel de la plus part des pays africains.Sur ce, les initiatives sont à encourager et je soutiens la motion.Merci Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Sékou Fantamadi TRAORÉ du Mali.REFERENCE: 0905-091410FHON. SÉKOU FANTAMADI TRAORÉ [MALI]:Merci Monsieur le Président.À l’entente de mes propos, je tiens à féliciter notre camarade, initiateur de cette motion, qui est aujourd’hui la bienvenue. Si nous savions qu’aujourd’hui notre continent a pour maux la corruption et cette corruption, c’est au sommet même de l’État, si j’ose parler ainsi, et c’est ce qui fait qu’il y a des instabilités, il y a toujours des conflits parce que les ressources ne sont pas bien réparties entre les communautés.Donc, si nous parvenons à mettre fin à la corruption, nous pensons que nous avons vraiment gagné 50 % du développement du continent africain.Je vous remercie et je soutiens la motion.REFERENCE: 0905-091535FHON. AHAMAT TAHIR AHAMAT [TCHAD]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Moi, je soutiens également, à mon tour, la motion. Par contre, j’ai quelques amendements de forme quant au texte en français.Il faudrait faire ressortir au niveau du deuxième « Considérant »:« Nous Parlement panafricain... ».Merci.REFERENCE: 0905-091645FHON. AKÉ CAMILLE ÉPOUSE AKOUN [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,La corruption, de mon point de vue, est un mal qui ronge et freine le développement de notre continent.Face à sa puissance, la question qui me vient à l’esprit est de savoir s’il est possible de faire reculer la corruption en Afrique.Vu que certains Africains voient malheureusement la corruption comme étant un pouvoir avec lequel l’on peut renverser toutes les situations. Pire, les sanctions prévues par la loi contre la corruption ne sont appliquées dans nos pays, si ce ne sont pas les pouvoirs judiciaires qui sont classés parmi les premiers corrompus dans nos pays.Monsieur le Président,Pour ma part, combattre la corruption en Afrique est un rêve que nous devons tous faire et ensemble faire en sorte qu’il devienne une réalité.Pour paraphraser mes pensées, je partagerais avec vous une citation de l’écrivain français Jacques Audiberti qui disait, je cite: « La vie est faite d’illusions. Parmi ces illusions certaines réussissent, ce sont elles qui constituent la réalité ». Fin, de citation.Je dirais en un mot, qu’il faut y croire.Monsieur le Président,C’est sur ces mots que je voudrais clore mes propos tout en exprimant mon soutien total à cette motion sur la condamnation de la corruption en Afrique et la mise en place d’un bureau de lutte au sein du Secrétariat de l’Union africaine.Merci Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je vous remercie, chère collègue.Je donne la parole à l’honorable SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN de l’Afrique du Sud.REFERENCE: 0905-091828EHON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN (MRS) [SOUTH AFRICA]:Thank you, Mr President.Good morning colleagues. I trust you had a wonderful weekend.Mr President, we speak of poverty as one of the main factors affecting the growth of Africa. The SDGs talk greatly about ways and means to eradicate poverty, but we will never get there if we allow funds to leave Africa, as the report presented by former PresidentMbeki with regard to illicit flow of funds out of Africa indicates, and general corruption especially in respect of awarding tenders and self-enrichment programmes is not eradicated.The motion is very noble and I have no hesitation in supporting it. However, I think a lesson needs to be drawn from those countries that do have anti-corruption units, to guide and see if that model can be replicated at the AU so that collectively, as a continent, we would be able to, not perhaps eradicate corruption, but, at least, slow it down and maybe in twenty to fifty years time eradicate it completely. I think there is need to have stricter penalties as well. If Heads of State know that there are people who are committing corruption, especially in their states, they should be put up for criminal charges.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-092040EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr. President. While I agree that the Motion is an important one, I want to draw the attention of this House, especially to when it comes to the establishment of an anti-corruption table or desk in the African Union (AU). One of the ten organs of the AU is the AU Advisory Board on Corruption. We already have the AU Advisory Board on Corruption.So, my suggestion will be, as one of the ten organs, maybe in the next session, let us call this AU Advisory Board to come and tell us exactly what their work is and what mechanisms have been put in place to curb corruption within the AU institutions and organs and also in the member states. They should come and tell us what shared value documents exist in the operationalisation of their work. Having had this presentation, we can be more informed for us to take this Motion further because the AU Advisory Board on Corruption exists. If it does not exist, we will have a body that is looking after corruption in the AU. Let us invite them here to make a presentation to us. Let them present to us all the documents and everything. They are in a better position to move a Motion.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0905-092222FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Chers collègues,Je voudrais, à la suite de la quatrième Vice-présidente, réaffirmer et confirmer que l’Union africaine a une Commission anti-corruption qui est dirigée par un autre frère du Ghana. Cette Commission fait des rapports annuels lors des Sommets des Chefs d’États.Ce n’est pas de trop, si nous disons qu’il faut l’appuyer, peut-être, je crois que, comme la collègue l’a dit, nous pouvons appeler cette unité ici. Elle nous fait un exposé et notre motion serait plutôt d’encourager cette Commission dans ses travaux parce qu’on ne peut plus créer étant entendu que la Commission existe déjà. Mais, nous devons plutôt appuyer cette Commission pour qu’elle puisse amener à bien ses missions, car le problème de la corruption, nous sommes tous unanimes, que si le continent africain n’avance pas, c’est à cause de la corruption. Corruption à tous les niveaux, que ce soit à l’école, que ce soit dans les marchés publics, que ce soit dans tout, en politique, il y a la corruption.Donc, je pense que cette motion serait la bienvenue, si elle venait appuyer les initiatives déjà prises par l’Union africaine.La discussion générale est close.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable BIGGIE pour répondre à ces interrogations et quelques questions.REFERENCE: 0905-092400EHON. BIGGIE GANDA BUTALE [BOTSWANA]:Thank you, Mr President. I thank my colleagues for supporting this motion which I believe is straightforward. On the last intervention that the African Union has a Committee already, that is commendable, but the function of a Committee and the function of a Desk are two entirely different things. In my mind a Desk would be sort of a secretariat that would be set up for the sole purpose of fighting corruption in Africa, encouraging good governance and setting up of similar anti-corruption bodies in the various African States.Whilst an ad hoc Committee is commendable, it does not go far enough. I think you could have this Committee functioning and the Desk as well. It really would not do any harm at all, but a Desk is far-reaching in that it is a permanent setup that will have yearly plans and targets, that will have something tangible to report on. The mere fact that we have an ad hoc Committee, like I said, is commendable, but an ad hoc Committee does not go far enough, Mr President. I therefore still support the stance that we pass a motion that the AU should set up such a Desk and I hope the matter will be put up to a vote.I thank you Mr President.REFERENCE: 092551EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr. President, this body is not an ad hoc committee. It was created after the Constitutive Act of the African Union. It is a permanent committee just like the Pan African Parliament ECOSOC and NEPAD were created. So, we are not talking about an ad hoc committee that has its responsibilities starting from one point and ending at another. This is one of the institutionalised organs of the African Union. I agreed to your Motion, but since we are part of the African Union, please advise the board on corruption.My proposal is that we call them in this Parliament to make a presentation to us so that we know, since their inception, what they have done, what modalities they have put in place and what documents exist. I think, with that presentation, we will now move in a more informed way regarding whether a desk is necessary or the board does not even exist now.I know that most countries have an Anti-Corruption Commission, Anti Corruption Law, ECOWAS Protocol on corruption and everything.Your motion is laudable, but what I am saying is that, within the African Union, we have an organ created just like PAP. Why not call this organ so that they will present to us their work, principles, modalities and everything else? Then we shall move a Motion if a desk does not exist to fit a desk at the member state level and in the organs of the African Union to ensure that our...REFERENCE: 0905-092727EAN HONOURABLE MEMBER:We have an organ created just like PAP. We should call this organ so that they present to us their work, principles, modalities and everything and then we shall move a Motion. If the desk does not exist, we will put a desk at the member state level and the organs of the AU to ensure that our...AN HONORABLE MEMBER:Point of way forward, Mr President!THE PRESIDENT:Yes!AN HONORABLE MEMBER:I have to thank the mover of the Motion and the Fourth Vice-President for suggesting to us such a body within the AU. I propose that we defer the Motion until those people who are responsible for that body of corruption come and present a paper to us. After that, we can revisit the Motion. Can we agree on that? I do not know what other Honourable Members think.REFERENCE: 0905-092858AHON. FAYSAL TEBBINI [TUNISIE]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم ،أولاً أشكر صاحب اللائحة،نحن نتحدث على التعاون ضد الفساد، ونعلم أيضا بوجود مكتب أو لجنة بالاتحاد الأفريقي - مع احترامي للاتحاد الأفريقي فهو يمثل حكومات، و المقترح هو تكوين لجنة داخل هذا البرلمان لأن المتضرر رقم واحد من الفساد هي الشعوب و الشعوب لا تمثلها الحكومات بل تمثلها البرلمانات لذلك اقترحت تكوين لجنة برلمانية داخل هذا البرلمان لتقوم بالتحقيق بنفسها و متابعة ملف الفساد هذا الأخير، ليس منحصرا في الأمور المالية فقط، بل امتد إلى القوانين والتشريعات والاتفاقيات خصوصا الدولية منها نحن مثلا في تونس لدينا محكمة مالية، و هيئة لمحاربةالفساد، و لدينا لجنة بالبرلمان لمكافحة الفساد، لكن كلما تم بعث لجنةللتحقيق تقوم بحجب الحقيقية، و هذا هو الغاية منها، لذلك أتمنى أن تكونهناك لجنة في البرلمان مهمتها كشف الحقيقة.و السالم عليكم.REFERENCE: 0905-093038FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:S’il vous plaît, le Premier Viceprésident a la parole!REFERENCE: 0905-093048PHON. EDUARDO JOAQUIM MULÉMBWÈ [MOÇAMBIQUE]:Bom dia a todos os meus distintos colegas e muito particularmente a si, Senhor Presidente do Parlamento Pan-AfricanoPedi a palavra para questâo de procedimentos. A Moçâo foi apresentada, abriu-se o debate e foi dada a palavra ao proponente. Parecia-me que estavam reunidas as condiçoes para decisâo desta Casa.Agora o que está acontecer, na minha opiniâo, é reabrir o debate. Nao me parece que seja, em termos de procedimentos, uma atitude correcta. Mas se quer a minha opiniao Senhor Presidente, meus caros colegas, parece-me que para todos nós seria o caminho mais prudente, de procedermos primeiro ao debate da questao sobre a situaçao da corrupçao no continente, chamando, como disse a distinta Quarta VicePresidente, as pessoas responsáveis que foram indicadas e que sao pagas para isso. Só depois disso é que nós devíamos avaliar se efectivamente vamos sugerir a criaçao de outras instituiçoes dentro do contexto da Uniao Africana.Portanto, senhor Presidente, eu acho que a Moçao é pertinente e eu falo com conhecimento de causa, fui Procurador-Geral da República no meu país, sou quanto contra a corrupçao ao povo e a eficiência ou a ineficiência do combate que travamos com as instituiçoes que temos.Sugiro que adiemos a decisâo final, depois de recebermos a informaçâo da Uniâo Africana.Muito obrigado Senhor Presidente.REFERENCE: 0905-093240FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je crois que je n’ai pas rouvert le débat. Il s’est agi des gens qui veulent s’exprimer par motion, et la motion est contenue dans notre Règlement intérieur. À moins, je ne peux pas présumer de ce que l’auteur de la motion va dire, est un débat. C’est pour cela que je lui donne la parole.Je ne voudrais pas me constituer comme celui-là - à tord comme on me considère - comme celui qui décide seul. S’il y a des motions, on va prendre toutes les motions et on va examiner la pertinence de ces motions.Mais je voudrais dire que le débat général est clos, les gens ne peuvent s’exprimer que par motion. Et je voudrais attirer l’attention de l’auguste Chambre pour dire que la Convention africaine de la corruption a déjà été signée par trente-sept (37) pays. C’est un organe, ce n’est pas un comité, c’est un organe de l’Union africaine qui a un Président et un Secrétariat exécutif. Donc, il siège effectivement pour les causes de la corruption.Donc, entendez-vous bien sur ce que vous voulez. Pour ma part, je crois que c’aurait été bien, à moins que je donne d’abord la parole à l’auteur pour intervenir sur les motions et puis je vais donner [...].UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Il y a un additif, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Non, le débat général est clos, cher collègue.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:C’est une motion, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Vous voyez donc?Oui, vous avez la parole!UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Monsieur le Président, j’ai la parole?Est-ce que j’ai la parole?M. LE PRÉSIDENT:YesHON. BIGGIE GANDA BUTALE [BOTSWANA]:Point of procedure, Mr President!MR PRESIDENT:Yes!REFERENCE: 0905-093418EHON. BIGGIE GANDA BUTALE [BOTSWANA]:You are right, Mr President, that when somebody tables a Motion, it is for a particular purpose such as to highlight something, but I think we are out of procedure here. I have presented a Motion and it has been debated. I think it should now go for a vote whether the House adopts this Motion or rejects it. If there is a Motion that says no, let us not pass this Motion, but invite the AU to come and tell us about corruption, it has to be a counter Motion to the Motion that I have presented. The fact that we do not even know what the committee does and how far they have gone just shows that we are in need of this desk.May I propose that we follow the correct procedure so that either the Executive, being yourself, the VicePresident and former Vice-President, should present a counter Motion which states that the Executive counters this Motion or we debate the counter Motion and if it passes, well and good. However, let us finish the whole process. We cannot just truncate this Motion without asking the House to vote on it without a counter Motion. I am not afraid of a counter Motion from the Executive, but we cannot just end this Motion without deciding on whether we adopt it or not.Let us follow the right procedure and put the matter to a vote, or has the Executive come up with a counter Motion?REFERENCE: 0905-093606FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La motion sera mise aux voix.Le dernier intervenant et on va mettre la motion aux voix.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je crois qu’il y a un problème de précision à faire. Le débat sur la corruption peut être un débat pertinent, en notre sein ici, mais l’adoption d’une motion de lutte contre la corruption, me semble-t-il, n’est pas opportune.Le débat sur la question est pertinent, mais l’adoption d’une motion ici n’est pas opportune. Pourquoi? Pour la simple raison que Madame la quatrième Viceprésidente vient de nous dire de façon claire et nette qu’au sein de l’Union africaine, il existe déjà une commission de lutte contre la corruption. Donc, ce que nous pouvons faire ici, c’est à la suite d’un débat d’adopter, peut-être, une motion de renforcement de cette lutte, ou alors comme elle l’a si bien dit, d’inviter un émissaire de l’Union africaine à venir nous parler de la corruption, à la suite de quoi on peut avancer dans telle ou telle position.Mais adopter, ici, une motion de lutte contre la corruption, sachant pertinemment qu’une commission existe déjà au sein de l’Union africaine, risque de nous faire passer en ridicule. Cela voudrait dire que nous ne connaissons pas nos textes; et cela n’est pas bon pour nous.Donc, je crois que la proposition faite par la quatrième Vice-présidente, qui consiste à faire venir ici un émissaire de l’Union africaine, cette proposition est la bonne et je pense que c’est [Temps de parole épuisé].M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci cher collègue.Nous sommes arrivés au terme des débats.Au regard des différents intervenants et vu que l’Union africaine a déjà un organe, je réfère l’adoption de cette motion jusqu’à consultation des autres organes.Pas d’observation, pas de remarque?Il en est ainsi!Monsieur le Secrétaire général,Vous avez la parole pour le deuxième point inscrit à l’ordre du jour.THE CLERK:Second item - presentation and debate on the draft motion encouraging all African States to beneficiate all their mineral and natural resources.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite l’Honorable BIGGIE BUTALE, à présenter sa motion.Honorable, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0905-093915EHON. BIGGIE GANDA BUTALE [BOTSWANA]:Mr. President, I withdraw this Motion so that we can go and find out if there is a beneficiation body somewhere in the AU.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-093930FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Monsieur le Secrétaire Général,Vous avez la parole![Anglais: 09:39:42-09:39:50]CLERK:............M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Présentation et débat sur l’aperçu général du cadre de l’Architecture de Gouvernance Africaine (AGA) et le rapport relatif au rôle du Parlement panafricain de la Plate forme de l’Architecture de Gouvernance Africaine.J’invite le Docteur KHABELE MATLOSA, Directeur du Département des Affaires politiques de la Commission de l’Union africaine, à faire sa présentation.Docteur, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0905-094050EDR. KHABELE MATLOSA [DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS REPRESENTING THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSIONER FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS]:Your Excellency, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Excellencies VicePresidents, hon. Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. All protocols observed.It is my pleasure to stand here before you this morning to share our ideas from the African Human Rights Commission with respect to democracy and governance on our continent and highlight specifically the role of the African Governance Architecture.Mr President, it is always my pleasure to stand before this august House and I am always excited to talk to hon. Members of Parliament, especially this House because I am an aspiring parliamentarian. I am looking forward to some point joining this House in future. So, you help me achieve that vision.LaughterMr President, on a serious note, it is my pleasure and honour to address this Second Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament which began sitting on 29th April, 2016 and is due to conclude on 13th May, 2016.My conversation with this august House this morning will focus mainly on democracy and governance on the continent in the context of the African Agenda 2063 that we all know, but lay special emphasis on the role of the African Governance Architecture and its platform.Mr President, let me begin by extending to you the best wishes of the Commissioner for Political Affairs Her Excellency Dr Ashalalaba Adbudulahm who would have loved to be with you today herself, but she has had to attend to other equally compelling continental obligations that is why she is not here this morning. It is therefore on her behalf that I shall submit this presentation to this august House this morning.I would like to begin by extending my profound gratitude to the Pan-African Parliament for its active participation in our efforts towards full operationisation of the African Governance Architecture on its platform.Let me also congratulate you Mr President on your election as the Chairperson of the inaugural bureau of the African Governance Architecture and its Platform on behalf of the Pan-African Parliament, the task that you will share with the Executive Secretary of COMESA, Mr Sibiso Ngwenya, as the ViceChairperson of the Bureau to be supported by the African Union Commission, and my department, the department of foreign affairs, as the secretariat of the Bureau.Mr President, let me start off this conversation with some discussion on the “Agenda 2063 the Africa we want”. Our continental organisation celebrated its golden jubilee in 2013 following the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 which was transformed into the African Union in 2000.Inspired by the ideology of Pan-Africanism and African renaissance, the African leaders reflected over the past fifty years and assessed progress made towards continental unity and integration. The celebrations also compelled the leaders to project a futuristic roadmap of how to deal with challenges that remained and deepen progress made towards deeper continental unity and integration over the next fifty years.The new re-visioning of that African integration led to the adoption of the “Agenda 2063 the Africa we want”. Agenda 2063 is a fifty year development blue print of the African Union that builds on the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action and a further Act of Lagos, the 1990 treaty establishing the African Economic Community, the Abuja Treaty and the 2000 New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).One of the major factors that will determine or influence the extent of its success is the entrenchment of the democratic and participatory governance in all its fifty-four member states. Thus the state of democracy and governance in each one of the AU member states will act as an enabler or disabler for the success or failure of Agenda 2063. It is thus not surprising that of the seven popular aspirations expressed by African citizens during the Agenda 2063 consultation across the continent, one of the seven aspirations is, “an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights and justice and the rule of law.”Mr President, this aspiration resonates with the ideals of 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal number 16. The SDG number 16 focuses on peace, justice and strong institutions. The aim of SDG number 16 is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and truthful institutions and so on and so forth.Thus the centrality of democratic and participative governance is explicitly recognised within “Agenda 2063 the Africa we want”. This was not the case with previous development plans under the OAU. The centrality of democratic and participatory governance is also well articulated within the 2030 Agenda on sustainable development. This was not the case also with previous Millennium Development Goals which came to an end in 2015.The fiftieth anniversary solemn declaration adopted by African leaders in 2013 reinforced the centrality of governance over the next fifty years as they declared determination to anchor our societies, governments and institutions on the respect for the rule of law, human rights and dignity, popular participation, the management of diversity as well as inclusion and democracy.It is not surprising therefore that democracy and the principle of governance features permanently in the first ten year implementation plan of Agenda 2063 that is spurning between 2014 and 2023. It is bound to feature strongly in the subsequent ten year implementation plan after this first plan.Mr President, a brief overview of the AU mandate on democracy and governance is in order. You will recall, Your Excellencies, that upon independence in the 1950s and 1960s, Africa’s democratisation record was rather uncertain. During the period 1960s to the 1980s few African countries embraced the culture of multi-party democracy marked by regular elections. A significant majority of our countries adopted less democratic methods of governance through military regimes or one party rule et cetera.Thus there were more military coups than multi-party elections on our continent then. Given the OAU doctrine of non-interference in the internal affairs of its member states, human rights abuses within member states were shielded behind sovereignty. The OAU’s main preoccupation was the total decolonisation of our continent, a mission which was achieved with the demise of apartheid in South Africa, Africa’s last colony in 1994, where we are today. This agenda is still yet to be accomplished as we talk of independence of Western Sahara which is still subjected to illegal occupation by Morocco.Today, following the transformation of the OAU into the African Union in 1999, the situation has changed dramatically for the better in respect of Africa’s governance landscape. Since the late 80s major strides have been made by African states to democratise their societies. Africa has experienced democratic transition following the collapse of the cold war and the demise of apartheid in Southern African. Cold war induced interstate conflict have disappeared in Africa today. Apartheid destabilisation of Southern African region is today a thing of the past.However, while interstate conflicts have declined considerably, the continent is still prone to protracted intra-states conflicts with adverse effects for peace, democracy and development.Whereas the OAU focussed on decolonisation, the AU today focuses on social economic development, peace and security, democracy and governance. Given the current focus of the AU on democracy, governance and human rights, the OAU policy of non-interference in internal affairs of member states has been replaced by the new AU doctrine of non-indifference to human rights abuses within member states. This new doctrine is firmly embodied within the 2000 Constitutive Act of the African Union, especially article 4H, the 2003 protocol establishing the African Peace and the Security Council and 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.The AU has undertaken complete steps to ensure the realisation of its doctrine of non-indifference by inter alia, establishing the Pan-African Parliament. The mandate of the Pan-African Parliament, in respect of promoting democracy, governance and human rights is very clear. The PAP protocol, as amended by the Malabo Summit of 2014 is very explicit noting the following as some of the objectives of PAP which resonate with the AU shared values. These include:(i)giving voice of the African in the diaspora, this is demanded of the PAP;(ii)facilitating the effective implementation of policies and objectives of the AU;(iii)promoting the principles of human and people’s rights and democracy in Africa;(iv)encouraging good governance, respect for rule of law, transparency and accountability of member states;(v)promoting peace, security and stability; and(vi)encouraging national and regional parliaments to ratify and integrate treaties adopted by the AU into their legal systems.While the establishment and operationalisation of PAP is one of the major commitments of the AU to bring in democratic and participatory governance, the other is the establishment of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) by African Heads of State and Government in 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria. This is another global governance initiative aimed at responding to structural causes focused on peace and stability in Africa.Thus far, about thirty-three African countries have assented to the APRM. Out of this number, about seventeen have undergone self assessment and peer review on the state of their governance arrangements. One of the culminations of the APRM reviews is the development of national programmes of action which are supposed to be implemented in order to improve governance at national level.The self-assessment and peer review addresses a bold move of governance landscape covering four demand areas, namely:(i)democracy and present governance;(ii)economic governance and management,(iii)corporate governance; and(iv)socioeconomic development.Besides its value as a tool for deepening democratic and participatory governance, APRM is also an important early warning tool that is supposed to ensure early response and early recovery from crisis situations.Your Excellencies, it will be recalled that it was the APRM Report that predicated the election related political crisis in Kenya in 2007. It can also be recalled that the APRM Report predicated xenophobic upsurge in South Africa in 2008. It was also the APRM that predicated violent extremism in Mali which erupted in 2013.The PAP has a major role to play in ensuring that APRM is institutionalised in advocating for all fiftyfour member states to accept the APRM and undergo governance reviews, in ensuring that reviewed countries implement their national programmes of action effectively.In this regard, it is encouraging that the new management under Prof. Eddy Maroka has started the process of bringing back the PAP in the mainstream of the APRM. The presentation and debate on the APRM reports of five countries, namely: Benin, Mauritius, Nigeria and South Africa in this Second Session of the Fourth Parliament on Tuesday 5th May, 2016, is a step in the right direction.Mr President, on the strategic position and role of the African Governance Architecture (AGA), in order to complement the efforts of PAP and APRM, the AU policy organs have now established the African Governance Architecture on its platform. AGA is inspired by the Constitutive Act of our union which unequivocally expresses the AU determination to promote and protect human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture and ensure good governance and rule of law. It is also inspired by various shared instruments particularly the African Charter on democracy, elections and governance.The historical evolution of AGA is traceable to 2009/2012 strategic plan of the African Union Commission which introduced, as one of its pillars and agenda for continental unity and integration, the notion of shared values. Through its shared values pillar, the AUC committed itself to achieve good governance, democracy human rights and development, including socioeconomic, cultural and environmental rights.In this regard, and based on existing institutions and organs, the AUC committed to promote and facilitate the establishment of an appropriate architecture for the promotion of good governance. It was in January 2010 in the Sixteenth Ordinary Session of the General Council where the leaders adopted the decision, at that level of ministers, on the theme of January/February summit which was developed to be shared values in Africa, in particular, the putting in place of the PanAfrican Architecture on governance.In January/February 2010, the Fourteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly also endorsed this decision of the great council through its own decision which uplift the theme of the 2011 summit devoted to shared values in Africa, in particular the putting in place of the PanAfrican Architecture on Governance.In January 2011, the Eighteenth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council adopted a decision in which it endorsed the strengthening of the African Governance Architecture through the launch of the governance platform as a mechanism to foster exchange of information, facilitate elaboration of common positions on governance and strengthen the capacity of Africa to speak with one voice.The same Executive Council decision also called for the AUC to ensure greater synergy or coherence between the African Governance Architecture and African Peace and Security Architecture.The AU Assembly of 2011 adopted the declaration on the theme of the summit, “towards greater unity and integration through shared values”, which commended the work of the AUC for strengthening the work of the AUC on strengthening the African Governance Architecture and affirmed the importance of establishing the African Governance Platform as a basis for facilitating harmonisation in coordination of initiatives in governance and democracy.The African Union Commission, through the department of political affairs, launched the African Governance Platform in June 2012. Significantly, this launch happened in the year declared by AU policy organs as a year of shared values. That was 2012.Mr President, to date, the AGA in this platform is now fully operational. The AGA has four main components, the vision, aims and standards, that is, the shared values pillar, the AU organs, the institutional pillar, the AGA platform, the dialogue pillar, and the African Governance facility, the resource mobilisation pillar. These are the four main pillars of the AGA.Mr President, the AGA in addition has five clusters, namely:(i)the governance cluster;(ii)democracy cluster;(iii)human rights and transitional justice cluster;(iv)constitutionalism and rule of law cluster; and(v)humanitarian assistance cluster.All these clusters are operational as we speak. Besides the five clusters as outlined above, there is a functioning AGA secretariat which coordinates the work of the clusters and supports the bureau of the AGA and its platform.Mr President, the strategic value of the AGA is its main mandate of structural prevention of conflict in Africa with a focus on strengthening and effective and accountable and responsive state together with its key organs such as the Parliament at national, regional as well as continental levels. In order for the AGA to be effective, it needs to work in complementarity with African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA,) especially in conflict prevention and management. Thus the PAP is key and central to the effective functioning of AGA, its platform, as well as ensuring the synergy and complementarity between AGA and APSA.Let me conclude on this aspect of AGA and APSA synergy and complementarity. It is now becoming abundantly evident, Mr President, that the major challenges for continental unity and integration in Africa are traceable to governance deficit, political instability and development failure.Thus AGA will not be successful in driving the AU democracy and governance agenda on its own. It has to build synergies and complementarities with other AU architecture in order to have meaningful impact on the continent.Firstly, AGA has to develop strong synergies with the African Peace and Security Architecture with its five pillars that we all know. These are:(I)the continental early warning system;(II)the peace and security council;(III)the panel of the wise;(IV)the African standby force; and(V)the peace fund.Opportunities for AGA/APSA synergies are greater in two main areas as a starting point. First, structure and direct prevention of conflict is one important area where the synergy between AGA and APSA can be deepened.Second, the post conflict reconstruction and development is another important area where the synergy between the two architectures can be strengthened and the PAP can play a very important mediating role in terms of ensuring the practical synergies between these architectures on those two areas, that is structural and direct prevention of conflict as well as post conflict construction and development.Mr President, the synergy between AGA and APSA is only part of the story. The other part relates to the complementarity between and with the AU Development Architecture, especially the NEPAD. AGA does not have to complement NEPAD in all its programmes. In like manner, NEPAD does not have to complement AGA in all its five clusters that we outlined earlier. The most appropriate platform for the single synergy between AGA and NEPAD is the APRM.In this regard the AGA and APRM are brought together by the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The natural meeting points between AGA and APRM include APRM Country Review Reports and other study reporting by states parties to the charter that have to go through the African governance platform. So, the two natural meeting points, the APRM Reports and study reporting on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.In conclusion, in pursuit of the African Agenda 2063, the synergy and complementarity between AGA, NEPAD and APSA is critical. This is so because continental unity and integration requires the simultaneous pursuit of democracy which is what the AGA does, peace, which is what APSA does and development, which is what NEPAD and APRM do.Mr President, durable peace in Africa requires a sustainable democratic setting and vice-versa. Both democracy and peace are the critical enablers for social economic development. In like manner, socioeconomic development is key to sustainable development and durable peace.The PAP, Mr President, as the chair of the bureau of the AGA and its platform, can play a strategic role in ensuring synergies between and among NEPAD, APRM and APSA.With those few remarks, Your Excellencies, I would like to stop here because we are going to have more discussions on the actual role of the PAP after her Excellency the Vice-President, on that aspect.I would like to thank you, Mr President.REFERENCE: 0905-100513FM. PRÉSIDENT:Maintenant, je voudrais donner la parole à l’Honorable Bernadette LAHAI, Quatrième Vice-présidente du Bureau du Parlement panafricain, à faire sa présentation.Honorable, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0905-100535EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr. President, thank you very much. Colleagues and hon. Members, my presentation will be on the actual role of PAP on the African Governance Architecture (AGA).Hon. Members, PAP currently is the Chair of the African Governance Platform (AFP) and also the Chair of one of the clusters on constitutionalism and the rule of law. Already, Dr. Khabele Matlosa has extensively presented to us the historical evolution of the AGA, the platform and the five clusters. In that historical evolution, he has also presented to us the functions of AGA in the platforms and also their way within the constitutive Acts of the AU and the synergies that they are supposed to build within the cluster and platform members. I will limit my presentation to the actual participation of the PAP in AGA and the cluster activities since their establishment dating back to 2009 to 2012 strategic plan of the AU.Hon. Members, at the fourth high level meeting of the AU under the theme: “Democracy, Human Rights and Governance: Trends, Challenges and Prospects,” under the theme: “Women’s Equal Participation in Leadership and Political Parties in Africa” held between the 9th and 10th December in Kigali, Rwanda, on the sidelines of this high level dialogue, the AGA platform members met. The High Level Dialogue is an annual convening of the AU Commission designated to provide a frank, open and inclusive space for AGA platform members, member states and non-state actors to reflect and account on the impact of their work towards consolidating democracy and strengthening good governance in Africa.The objective of the 2015 dialogue sought to achieve three broad goals:i.renewed commitment of member states to ratify, domesticate and implement the African Shared Value Instruments that promote gender equality, particularly the Maputo Protocol;ii.enhance synergy, cooperation and collaboration among AGA Platform members in promoting gender equality and leadership of women in political parties; andiii.last but not least, critically study and understand Rwanda’s success story on women empowerment and participation with the aim of replicating the lessons in other AU member states with regard to the participation of women in political parties.I, the fourth Vice President and the Deputy Clerk there, was in attendance. Created as one of the AU organs to lead and drive the Union’s democracy, human rights and governance agenda, it was not surprising that the PAP was elected to chair the platform. By doing so, it is the hope of platform members that PAP will be strategically positioned to influence the strategic direction, vision, mission and objectives of AGA and the platform.During the inaugural platform meeting of the platform, the status of operationalisation of AGA and its clusters were reviewed, so were AGA based and framework documents, draft rules of procedure and state reporting guidelines as approved by the special technical committee on justice and legal affairs. The outcomes of the Arusha PRC retreat and status of implementation of the recommendations were reviewed. Flagship initiatives of 2016 projects on the year of human rights with special focus on women were considered and adopted while the election of the bureau of the platform was conducted.Mr. President and hon. Members, some of the key outcomes and actionable points included, but not limited to the following: designation of AGA focal persons to improve coordination and information flow, carry out a comprehensive needs assessment and seek legal opinion on the status of judiciary organs in the Platform. This was very important because the African Court of Human Rights sits on that platform. Should the AU organs have any legal issue, that is the platform I urge you to utilise. So, it was discussed whether it was prudent for the African Court to sit on the platform and take part in the deliberations. If there are legal challenges, you cannot be the player and the referee. So, this is under serious consideration.Other outcomes were to improve coordination among AU organs and Regional Economic Communities, facilitate information flow among platform members, expedite approval of TOR for PRC sub-committee on democracy, elections and governance, regularly engage and enhance linkages with the Panel of the Wise, one of the clusters of the NEPAD, implement decisions concerning enhancing AGAAPSA synergies, engage and participate in activities of Project 2016, ensure participation of all Platform members in the high level dialogue that is to take place in 2016 in Rwanda, rules of procedures and annexes to be harmonised, ensure clear delineation between the work of the Department of Political Affairs and clusters of AGA, ensure the study of constitutionalism highlighting good practices, promote active participation of women and youth, establish PRC sub-committee on democracy, human rights and transitional justice, governance, constitutionalism and rule of law, convene a meeting of AGP to review the implementation of Project 2016, review the AGA Platform strategy and Action Plan of 2016-2017, AGA communication strategy and AGA youth engagement strategy, to name a few of the outcomes and the actionable points that emanated from that meetingI think tomorrow a meeting of AGP to review the implementation of Project 2016, will be convened here within the precincts of PAP in the morning hours.Constitutionalism and Rule of LawPAP was elected as Chairperson for Constitutionalism and Rule of Law, which is one of the five clusters of AGA, in a meeting on African Governance Platform from 2nd to 5th August, 2015, in Algiers, Algeria.Constitutionalism and Rule of Law has as objectives the promotion and enhancement of adherence to the principles of the rule of law and enhance constitutional order in Africa. Chapter 4 of our African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance (ACDEGG) deals with the rule of law under Articles 4 to 10. You will find constitutionalism in Chapter VIII and Articles 23 to 26. The cluster also seeks to support AU Member States constitutional and institutional reforms and rebuilding, especially those emerging from conflict. We know that most times when countries emerge from conflict, there is a dire need for constitutional reform, especially when the conflict is as a result of the non-adherence to the constitution.As a result of the election of PAP as the chairman for constitutionalism and rule of law, a regional meeting with the representatives of the Judiciary to strengthen the rule of law and justice reform in South Africa was held from 30th November to 2nd December 2015 at the precincts of PAP. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Judiciary as a key stakeholder in the promotion of constitutionalism and rule of law. It was organised within the framework of the AGA as the overall political and institutional framework aimed at connecting, empowering and building capacities and appropriate responses to the challenges of governance in Africa, for African Union Organs and Institutions.Adherence to the rule of law is essential to a thriving democracy where governments and citizens are equal and accountable under the law. This meeting was organised by the AGA cluster on constitutionalism and rule of law as part of its mandate to promote constitutionalism and rule of law in Africa.The first regional meeting, as one of the outcomes of this meeting, will be held in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, which is made up of 15 countries. The SADC aims to further regional economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among the 15 Southern African states. It aims to do this through building institutions to promote economic development where human rights, democracy and the rule of law are observed. This objective is in line with Article 2 (2) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance which encourages the promotion and adherence to the principles of rule of law premised upon the respect for, and the supremacy of, the Constitution and constitutional order.African Governance Platform Technical MeetingPAP participated in the African Governance Platform Technical Meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 15th February 2016. Prof. Morad Mokhtari, Clerk of PAP, led the PAP delegation to participate in the planning workshop aimed at developing a steering structure and a strategy to guide the implementation of the next phase of GIZ support to the AGA process. Towards this overall objective, the workshop aimed to provide a space for reflection, exchange and sharing along individual and collective potentials within the ongoing AGA process. The outcomes of the technical meeting among others are that all platform members should engage in the AGA Flagship programmes for the effective operationalisation of the AGA and its platforms and organise a roundtable meeting for partners on funding for AGA platform initiatives. African Governance Platform Members should submit periodic reports to the AGA secretariat as well as annual work plans to the AGA secretariat to inform annual planning and budgeting for the Platform.As a result, the reports on the initiatives for the Platform and RECs should have a central role in the Project 2016 initiatives, including the planning and convening of the High Level Dialogue on the theme of the year, which is “Human Rights With Special Focus on Women” to be held in Kigali sometime this year.Advocacy on the signing, ratification and deposition of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and GovernanceYour Excellencies, hon. Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, the PAP is opportune to have effectively utilised its strategic position and representation in over 50 members states to promote the ratification, domestication, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the AU shared values instruments, including the African Charter on Democracy and Governance, the Maputo Protocol and more especially the PAP revised protocol which will endow its legislative powers to make model laws that will influence the well being of African citizens.Furthermore, the PAP is strategically positioned to connect AU Organs, regional economic communities and relevant stakeholders, including civil society, in order to deepen popular participation and citizen engagement in the attainment of democracy, good governance and respect for human and peoples’ rights.Debate on the APRM Assessment ReportsHon. Members, in the last 2 years, we have received and debated extensively the African Peer Review Mechanism country reports of Burkina Faso, Algeria, Benin, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda and Ethiopia in this House. It is time we moved a step further to promote the implementation of the recommendations in our various member States and play our oversight role effectively.The PAP should further leverage on this rare opportunity of being the Chairperson of the AGA Platform and the clusters to put in place the mechanism and procedures for effective operations of the AGA Platform and ensure the operationalisation and visibility of some of the clusters. With the experience that we have, we are an invaluable resource that will drive this platform in the right direction.Ratification of the PAP Revised ProtocolIt is envisaged that with the ratification of the PAP revised Protocol that will endow us with legislative powers, the PAP will have the capacity to develop model laws in relation to almost all the five clusters of AGA, including constitutionalism and rule of law, humanitarian affairs, human rights and governance and democracy clusters.Implementation of Project 2016To demonstrate PAP’s commitment, leadership and capacity to deliver on the implementation of Project 2016, PAP has dedicated Thursday, 12 May 2016 to “Pan African Day on Human Rights, with special Focus on the Rights of Women”, the theme of AU for 2016. No less personalities than the Director for Gender Programme, NEPAD, Director Women, Gender and Development of the African UNEP Commission, Regional Adviser on Gender, UNFPA Southern and Eastern African Region Bureau, representative of human rights in Saharawi, chairpersons of Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Chairperson of the Women Caucus of PAP, to name a few, will be making presentations on various human rights pertaining to women.Mr. President and Hon. Members, ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, we need to deepen our involvement in election observation before, during and after the elections and explore participation in human rights observation missions. We should therefore buy into this agenda and as the Chair of the AGA platform, play our rightful role in ensuring that the voices of the citizens of Africa are heard.Thank you for your kind attention.REFERENCE: 0905-102315FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.Le débat général est ouvert!J’ai devant moi une liste de 22 intervenants. En tête se trouve:Hon. Faycal TEBBINI de la Tunisie;Hon. Martin NITERETSE du Burundi;Hon. Ignatienne NYIRARUKUNDO de la Rwana;Hon. Ignace NDEBO AKANDA de la République Démocratique du Congo;Hon. Shitaye MINALE de l’Éthiopie;Hon. Halidou SANFO du Burkina Faso;Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée-Conakry;Hon. Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI du Soudan;Hon. David Ernest SILINDE de la Tanzanie;Hon. Tekle TESEMA de l’Éthiopie;Hon. Djantou TRAORE de Guinée-Conakry;Hon. Sulaiman M. SISAY de Sierra Leone;Hon. Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi;Hon. Sekou Fantamadi TRAORÉ du Mali;Hon. Kaltoum Abdelkarim SULEIMAN du Soudan;Hon. Eugene KPARKAR du Libéria;Hon. MAI ABDULLAH de l’Égypte;Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad NAMDAS du Nigeria;Hon. Claude D. M. KAMANDA du Sierra Leone;Hon. Suilma Hay Emhamed ELKAID de Sahraoui;Hon. Hashim OSMAN HASHIM du Soudan;Hon. Bashir Ali Mohamed.Je donne la parole au premier intervenant.L’Honorable Faycal TEBBINI de la Tunisie.Honorable Membre, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 0905-102510AFHON. FAYSAL TEBBINI [TUNISIE]:Arabicالمعذرة السيد الرئيس، نحن ال نعلم الزمن المحدد لكل مداخلة بالدقيقة،M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Trois minutes!HON. FAYSAL TEBBINI [TUNISIE]:Trois minutes.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Trois minutes!بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمنحن أمام تقرير مهم بالنسبة إلى الشعب األفريقي بصفة عامة، و هو تقرير حول المنظومة األفريقية للحكم، و لضيق الوقت سأقتصر على الفصل التاسع، أعضاء المنبر األفريقي للحكم، يشير إليه كل عضو من أعضاء المنبر ذو الطابع المحوري لحقوق اإلنسان و الحكم الديمقراطي ومشاركة المواطنين في التنمية التحويلية و التكامل في أفريقيا، فكلها شعارات تمنينا لو تكون واقعية، ألن المواطن األفريقي ليس له دور إال في بعض البلدان، سأتطرق لألمور االقتصادية اإلقليمية، كنا ننتظر من االتحاد األفريقي أن يعلن على سوق أفريقية مشتركة تقوم بلعب دور التجارة البينية ما بين الدول األفريقية، كما اعتقدنا أنه سيتم اإلعالن على عملة موحدة بين أفريقيا مثل ما وقع في أوروبا أو غيرها ولكن لم نسمع بهذا، أهم ما في التقرير هو دور البرلمان األفريقي، قد نصفق لوجوده على أساس أنه المسؤول عن حكم الدستور وحماية القانون، لكن نريد لهذا البرلمان الذي يعتبر السلطة األصلية في أفريقيا بحكم أن أي برلمان هو الممثل الشرعي لكل شعب، أن يكون له دور تشريعي، و بالمناسبة نتساءل: لماذا ال تقع المصادقة على اتفاقية مالبو حتى يكون لهذا البرلمان دور تشريعي لحماية الشعوب األفريقية من كل الجرائم االقتصادية واالجتماعية و التنموية واإلنسانية، منها التي ترتكبها شعوبها في بعض البلدان؟سأنتقل إلى موضوع آخر في غاية من األهمية، و يتعلق األمر بمجلس االتحاد األفريقي االستشارى لمكافحة الفساد وهو من أهم األمور حاليا، فمن هي السبعة عشر دولة التي لم تصادق؟ بحكم أن سبعة وثالثين دولة فقط من صادقت، لذلك نحن نصر على معرفة الدول التي لم تصادق، ألننا اليوم في حاجة إلى الوضوح و الشفافية،لقد دمر الفساد في أفريقيا بنيتها التحتية و دمر شعوبها وه ًجرهم، فأصبح األفارقة فقراء فوق األرض لكنهم أغنياء تحتها، فدور مكافحة الفساد هو األساس إلنقاذ هذه الشعوب ألنه آفة تنخر جسد األفارقة كلهم، كما أتساءل أيضا بخصوص وكالة تخطيط وتنسيق النيباد، هل تتابع ما تصدره من قرارات وقوانين، إذ تنص على 02 % من الميزانية مخصصة لقطاع الفالحة؟ و الفالحة هنا تعني األمن الغذائي واألمن الغذائي له عالقة باألمن القومي، لذلك أعتقد أن وكالة النيباد غير مواكبةوغير متابعة لتطبيق الدول األفريقية.REFERENCE: 0905-102912FHON. IGNATIENNE NYIRARUKUNDO [RWANDA]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Merci pour l’exposé sur l’Architecture de gouvernance africaine.Monsieur le Président,L’Architecture de gouvernance africaine (AGA) a vu le jour en 2011. Le premier objectif était d’accélérer la ratification des instruments de valeurs partagées africaines. Sur 49 instruments dont dispose l’Union africaine, seul l’Acte constitutif de l’Union africaine de 2000 a été ratifié par tous les pays membres.La Charte africaine des droits de l’homme a été aussi ratifiée par les 53 pays. Quand l’AGA a été mis en place, le problème de non ratification était là, il y a cinq ans, aujourd’hui, le problème existe encore.Merci au Mali, qui a ratifié plus d’instruments, 38 instruments sur 49, le Congo et le Niger qui ont ratifié 34, le Rwanda, le Gabon et l’Éthiopie 31, mais on sait bien que ce n’est pas assez.Comment peut-on évaluer, je m’adresse aux orateurs, l’apport de l’AGA et son efficacité si le problème persiste encore?Quelles sont stratégies mises en place pour que ces instruments qui ont été acceptés volontairement par les Chefs d’État soient des instruments effectifs?Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 0905-103110FHON. IGNACE NDEBO AKANDA [RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO]:Honorable Président, je vous remercie de m’avoir donné la parole. Mais s’il vous plaît, qu’on ne me coupe pas le micro parce que mon intervention va faire une minute cinquante-six secondes.(Rires du Président)Honorable Président,La présentation de ce jour sur le cadre de l’Architecture africaine de gouvernance est brillante parce que les objectifs et les principes directeurs y annoncés sont tout à fait nobles.Cependant, Honorable Président, estimés collègues, partout au monde, au Nord, au Sud, à l’Ouest et à l’Est de notre planète, la gouvernance moderne est régie par trois piliers: le pouvoir législatif, le pouvoir exécutif et le pouvoir judiciaire, qui se complètent mais qui sont indépendants dans leur fonctionnement.Cependant, le terme de la bonne gouvernance ne peut s’obtenir, de mon point de vue, sans un pouvoir législatif fort et un pouvoir judiciaire efficace et réellement autonome. Si j’ai entendu le rôle du pouvoir législatif au travers du Parlement panafricain, je n’ai vraisemblablement pas entendu - sauf distraction de ma part - ce qui est très peu évident, Honorable Président, le rôle du pouvoir judiciaire. La bonne gouvernance ne peut s’obtenir de mon point de vue, encore une fois, qu’avec un pouvoir judiciaire fort. Mais, je n’ai pas du tout entendu sur les deux brillantes interventions, du reste, la place que prendrait le pouvoir judiciaire. Je n’ai pas entendu non plus qu’il y ait une possibilité de renforcement des capacités de ceux qui exercent les pouvoirs judiciaires dans nos États. Si réellement le pouvoir judiciaire est fort, si réellement le pouvoir judiciaire est puissant, avec l’étroite collaboration du pouvoir législatif, je pense que ceux qui ont le pouvoir exécutif rentreront, passeront par la bonne gouvernance.Et donc, je m’inscris à ce que nous puissions, dans nos différents États, avoir une institution judiciaire forte plutôt que des hommes forts.Je vous remercie Honorable Président de l’attention.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Shitaye MINALE TIZAZU de l’Éthiopie.REFERENCE: 0905-103407EHON. SHITAYE MINALE TIZAZU (MRS) [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you, Mr President. I would like to thank you very much for your presentation which was very clear and precise.After saying this, I want to congratulate you regarding three issues:1.Ratification and domestication of this AGPA - I heard that there are very few countries that have ratified it. We passed it more than four years ago, but it is still lagging behind. So, we have to work on it to make all of the African countries which are represented here ratify and domesticate it. It is a priority and it has to go for implementation.2.The next one which I would like to say something about is implementation. Implementation needs very strong institutions in all the respective countries and even the AU. Strong institutions which are efficient and effective have to be developed.3.The other one is participation of the people. I think that the people have a great role to play on this issue, to bring good governance and to minimise corruption.4.Regarding commitment within the government and the institutions, it is very important that we commit our serves to moving Africa forward and to use Africa’s resources properly in order to bring development to our respective countries as a way of developing Africa.5.The last issue is that, as PAP is the Chairperson of the AGPA, this is a good opportunity for us to play a meaningful role of oversight. A very serious follow-up is needed. Since we are chairing it, we have to use this opportunity. As Parliamentarians, our role in the provision of oversight should not simply be talking about it here and leaving it as it is. We have to follow up the progress, know what is going on, what changes are coming and how our people are benefiting from this thing.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0905-103715FHON. HALIDOU SANFO [BURKINA FASO]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je remercie les deux orateurs qui nous ont donnés des informations utiles.Je voulais d’abord, avant d’intervenir, faire une observation. Je ne sais pas si ceux qui ont reçu la version française par rapport à l’exposé de Madame la quatrième Vice-présidente, j’ai remarqué que la traduction qui nous a été donnée, il y a beaucoup d’informations qu’elle a livrées et qu’on ne retrouve pas au niveau du français.Ensuite, revenons maintenant à l’exposé, on s’aperçoit clairement que les objectifs et les principes édictés par l’Union africaine concernant l’Architecture Africaine pour la Gouvernance, comme certains l’ont dit, c’est noble et c’est aussi profitable à tous les pays africains. Il faut aussi souligner que les instruments comme la Charte africaine de la démocratie et des élections, la Cour africaine et le Conseil de paix sont des instruments très pertinents.Maintenant, moi, mon soucis et ma préoccupation, c’est surtout de savoir si le système d’alerte, c’es-à-dire les instruments d’anticipation, est-ce que cela est de mise de façon efficace?Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher Collègue.La parole est à l’Honorable ZALIKATOU DIALLO de Guinée Conakry.REFERENCE: 0905-103900FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE- CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.À mon tour, je voudrais bien féliciter les présentateurs Dr Khabele MATLOSA et l’Honorable Dr Bernadette LAHAI pour leur brillante présentation sur des sujets aussi importants pour l’avenir de l’Afrique.La vision noble de l’Architecture africaine de la gouvernance qui n’est autre que, je cite: « Une Afrique intégrée en paix, gouvernée de manière démocratique et à l’écoute de ses citoyens » mérite d’être saluée vivement. Tout de même, dans cette perspective, en dépit de l’engagement de l’Union africaine et de tous les acteurs de la plateforme de l’Architecture de la gouvernance africaine, j’ai quelques préoccupations. C’est pourquoi je vais axer mon intervention sur la gouvernance politique.Le premier orateur a fait part d’une doctrine de non indifférence de l’Union africaine qui a porté fruit dans la mesure où après les Déclarations d’Alger et de Lomé, les changements de gouvernements anticonstitutionnels ont périclité considérablement pour le bien de la démocratie en Afrique. Mais on est en train de constater que malgré tout les conflits intra-États persistent suite aux manipulations des Constitutions.Il y a eu une déclaration du NEPAD qui a exhorté les responsables, dirigeants africains à élaborer des Constitutions qui reflètent la gouvernance et l’éthique démocratique. Cette déclaration est tombée dans de très bonnes oreilles. Les Constitutions sont élaborées par les dirigeants avec la limitation des mandats. Les dirigeants sont certes élus, mais à un certain moment, ils cèdent à la tentation de faire sauter les verrous de la limitation des mandats qui provoquent beaucoup de conflits.À ce sujet, j’exhorterais vraiment l’Architecture de gouvernance africaine à trouver des mécanismes qui dissuadent ces dirigeants de manipuler les Constitutions avec des Déclarations similaires à celles d’Alger et de Lomé qui ont fait florès, ensuite rendre hommage à ces dirigeants qui respectent leurs Constitutions et au terme de leur mandat qui quittent volontairement, qui font violence sur eux-mêmes pour quitter leurs pouvoirs. Il s’agit des pays comme le Bénin [Temps de parole épuisé].Je m’excuse, ajoutez une minute pour que j’aille au bout de mes idées, Monsieur le Président. Soyez un peu indulgent.Donc, des pays comme le Bénin, le Burkina Faso, le Nigeria, la Tanzanie, l’Afrique du Sud, les Seychelles, l’Île Maurice, le Cap-Vert et ainsi de suite qui ont vraiment œuvré pour que les institutions de leur pays soient des institutions fortes et surtout le passage pacifique du pouvoir est devenu une tradition. C’est à saluer.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 0905-104249KSMHE. DAVID ERNEST SILINDE [TANZANIA]:Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais kwa kunipatia fursa hii na mimi nizungumze kuhusu mada mbili zilizotolewa hapa kwetu.Mheshimiwa Rais, jukumu la Bunge la Afrika kwenye muundo wa utawala linahitaji mambo mengi na ambayo tumeyashuhudia na kuyaona. Tunahitaji utawala wa kidemokrasia, haki za binadamu, chaguzi huru pamoja na utawala bora. Lakini sisi kama Bunge, ukizingatia kwa mfano, hivi sasa tumepewa mamlaka ya kuwa Mwenyekiti wa AGP katika Umoja wa Afrika kama moja ya asasi zake, kitu unachokuja kugundua ni kwamba bado Bunge la Afrika ni mshauri tu!Mheshimiwa Rais, kwenye Ripoti ya Makamu wa Nne wa Rais, ambayo yeye alikuwa ameiandika, anaonesha kwamba kufikia sasa Wabunge tunatakiwa tuhakikishe kuwa Bunge la Afrika linakuwa na mamlaka kamili ya kutunga sheria ambayo likiwa katika Umoja wa Afrika, italiwezesha kuwa na mamlaka ya kusema. Kutokana na mamlaka hayo, kile kitakachokuwa kimeamuliwa na Bunge la Afrika kitakuwa kinachukuliwa na nchi wanachama kama kilivyopitishwa. Lakini kama tutaendelea kuwa Bunge lenye ushauri, maana yake ni kwamba yote tunayoyajadili yanatufanya tuwe watu wa kusema tu bila utekelezaji. Kwamba tunadai tunataka chaguzi huru lakini bado tumekuwa tukishuhudia ndani ya Afrika chaguzi huru hazitendeki.Kwa hiyo, sasa tunaonekana kwamba hatuna kipaumbele. Kipaumbele kimoja ni nini? Maana yake tunahitaji kuwa na kipaumbele. Mimi nafikiri ili tuwe na sauti huko tulikopewa uwenyekiti hivi sasa, sisi kama Bunge la Afrika tunahitaji kuhakikisha kuwa Bunge letu linatambulika kwanza kwenye Katiba za kila nchi. Nchi wanachama zitambue kwamba kuna Bunge la Afrika ambalo litakuwa linazisemea katika masuala yote yanayohusu Bara la Afrika na wala siyo chombo cha kisheria. Hivyo, ili kutengeneza muundo sahihi, kwanza, tunahitaji muda wa kutosha na kuonana na watu wote wakiwemo mawaziri wanaohusika kutoka kwenye nchi wanachama na marais ambao wanatoka katika nchi wanachama. Wote wanahitaji kuwa na sauti moja. Kwa kufanya hivyo, naamini kwamba hili jambo litawezekana na litapita kama inavyotakiwa.Mheshimiwa Rais, pamoja na lengo zuri lakini tunahitaji kuwa na mikakati sahihi ya kuhakikisha kuwa hili jambo linafanikiwa. Lakini jambo la pili, tusiwe wasemaji zaidi, lazima tufike mahali tujitoe; tuwe na dhamira ya kweli (commitment) katika kuhakikisha kuwa huu muundo unakwenda kufanikiwa kwa kufanya kazi kama inavyotakiwa. Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais!REFERENCE: 0905-104544EHON. TEKELE TESSEMA [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you Mr. Chairman.I would also like to thank the presenters for their presentation regarding the governance of Africa. While we have been talking about corruption, social issues, political governance, economic governance and so on, the most important thing is implementation. We need strong institutions.In this regard, when the USA President Barack Obama visited Ghana in his first tenure, he said that “... Africa needs not strong leaders, but strong institutions”. I want to bring up the issue of institutional capacity in the case of the AU as well as PAP.My predecessor said that it is very important that PAP has to have legislative powers. We have a mandate to provide oversight on African countries. In this regard, I share the sentiment of the legislative mandate. First of all, I think it is very important to have standards of what we are talking about, and we also have to have action plans about implementing here. Also, there must be targets on how we want to achieve these plans and so on. Unless we set the standards, the measures and the action plans for the problems that we are facing, we cannot achieve the targets.In this regard, it is important to have our action plan for the ratification of our protocol. At the moment, we do not have action plans to counter the problems that we are facing as PAP as well as in the AU and so on.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-104842FHON. DJANTOUN TRAORE (MRS.) [GUINEA- CONAKRY]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, de m’avoir donné la parole.Je félicite vivement les présentateurs pour la qualité de leur exposé qui nous a tous édifié. Nous saluons le travail qui est en train d’être accompli par les acteurs de l’architecture de la gouvernance africaine, dans la mesure où, il est très important de promouvoir la bonne gouvernance, l’instauration de l’Etat de droit, le respect des droits humains et une justice équitable. C’est l’une des conditions idéales pour un développement socioéconomique harmonieux dans tous les Etats du continent.Pour ce faire, les dirigeants de nos pays doivent en avoir la conviction et une réelle volonté politique. En tant que parlementaire, nous devons tous exhorter nos dirigeants à en faire leur cheval de bataille pour réussir la mission qui leur ait confié.Ensuite, ma question est la suivante, ne pensez-vous pas que le rôle joué par la mission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples et la commission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples ne sont pas similaires pour la plupart. Ceci étant, pourquoi ne pas en faire une seule entité au lieu de deux?Souvent, au niveau de l’UA, du PAP et de bien d’autres, on se plaint d’allocation budgétaire insuffisante pour le fonctionnement des institutions et l’atteinte des objectifs fixés. Alors, à mon humble avis, il serait souhaitable d’être plus efficient pour que l’UA, le PAP et bien d’autres institutions aient les moyens de leur politique.Je vous remercie.LE PREISDENTMerci beaucoup, cher collègue.La parole est à Sulaiman M. Sisay, de la Sierra Léone.REFERENCE: 0905-105114EHON. SULAIMAN M. SISAY [SIERRA LEONE:Mr President, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute. I thank the presenters for having presented a short and brilliant report. The colonial masters gave us independence in the 50s and 60s. The question I ask is this: Was independence given to us in reality or was it a fuss? To me, it is the same old talk and nothing is being done. I place this problem squarely in the hands of our colonial masters and western powers who gave us this independence in the 50s and 60s, but did not really leave. The policy of divide and rule is real. Even as we speak, it is real today in Africa.The AU, Africa Governance Architecture (AGA) and PAP are all the same; they are trying to divide us. They told us that we have independence, but they turned around and told our military that they have the right to overthrow legitimate governments. They did it. The first one was in Togo. Sylvanus Olympio was overthrown at the behest of France, the colonial master. They never left. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, once said: “Political independence without economic independence is meaningless because we depend on western powers for all our funding. So, independence will be meaningless to us.” It is the same talk.Mr. President, I suggest that we create a mechanism that can finance PAP. This way, we can be independent from all external influence. If we do not do that, then we will have a problem. Ratifying a protocol is the key to this African Parliament. Talking about the AGA and PAP is meaningless to me if we do not ratify the protocol. The protocol is the key to all this debate.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-105900AHON. KALTOUM ABDELKARIM SULEIMAN (MRS.) [SUDAN]:بسم هللا والحمد هلل و الصالة والسالم على رسول هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم،شكرا على إتاحتكم لي هذه الفرصة، والشكر موصول ً سيدي الرئيس للمتحدثين السابقين،إذا أردت الحديث عن الفساد فقد شمل معظم أنحاء حياتنا، فيجب علينا أن نكون جادين كبرلمانيين في البرلمان األفريقي، ونضع حدأ لهذا الفساد، وأنا من هذا المنبر أقول البد أن يكون هذا البرلمان برلمانا تشريعيا حتى يمكنه التشريع و مراقبة المنفذين ويحاسب المقصرين، أما عن المنظومة األفريقية للحكم الراشد، سيدي الرئيس، ففي رأيي ال بد من وجود ديقراطية واضحة حقيقية في دولنا، كما ال بد على حكوماتنا أن تكون على وعي كامل بخصوص مشاركة جميع األحزاب الموالية لها و المعارضة، حيث يكون الحكم في شكل هرم، وهذا حتى يكون فيدراليا، يعلوه المركز ثم الواليات ثم المحليات لكي يجد الشعب األفريقي غايته من التنمية و الخدمات التي هي قاصرة، وجعلته يترك أفريقيا هاربا عبر المحيطات و البحار لدول أوروبا وأمريكا، وبذلك يشارك مشاركة فاعلة في الحكم ويبدي رأيه، وال بد من الشورى ألنها تصحح المسار وتصل بالشعب إلى ما يريده، كما يجب على الجميع أن يعرف أنه البد من حرية اإلعالم، ألن حرية الرأي تصحح المسار أيضا، مسار الحكم وعلى الدول األفريقية مراجعة وتطبيق ما يليها من الوثائق و المعاهدات التي تخص حقوق األنسان لكي يعيش الشعب األفريقي في رفاهية وحرية.شكراً لك سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 0905-110213EHON. EUGENE FALLAH KPARKAR [LIBERIA]:I would want to say a big thank you to the presenters for having chronicled a very good report that I believe is in the interest of all of us, especially those of us who are representing Africa.I believe the achievement of good-governance in Africa is a laudable initiative. All those good plans, policies and blueprints are good. But we Africans are good at organising; we Africans are good at putting blueprints;we Africans are good at putting policies together. If I should grade African Governments for putting policies together, I will give us ‘A’. But when it comes to implementation, that is the crux of the matter - I am sorry to say I give us ‘F’.When it comes to implementation, we continue to put policies, policies, policies together. As good as they may; but when it comes to implementation, we stumble. That is our problem.To achieve governance, we should avoid ‘cronyism’; we should avoid tribalism; we should avoid religious sentiments. If a man is qualified, do not judge him because he is a Muslim or he is a Christian or he is an atheist. For us to achieve, we need to put people in the right places irrespective of their religious background. Let me say ‘kudos’ to the people of Great Britain, London. They just elected a Mayor, who I believe was not elected on the basis of his background or because he is a Muslim, but they elected him because they feel that he can have the job done.Let me also say thanks to the PAP. Now that they have given the PAP the opportunity to chair this particular Committee, it is good, but we need to do some soul searching. It is often said that ‘charity begins at home’. At the PAP, are we hiring - are we recruiting on the basis of competence or because I am a Liberian, so I hire people from Liberia even if they are qualified or not? Or because I am from South Africa so I hire people from South Africa whether or not they are qualified?I think that is the inherent problem that Africa has. Any of those countries - because I belong to this tribe and I am placed in a position of trust, I hire people from my tribe whether or not they are qualified. That is the problem we are having in all these countries.For governance to work in Africa, let us put people in the right places irrespective of where they come from or their religion, colour and associations they may be part of. I think if we do that, then governance will work in Africa.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0905-110606AHON. MAI MAHMOULD EBRAHIM: [EGYPT]:شكراً سيادة الرئيس على إتاحة هذه الفرصة،الشكر موصول للسادة العارضين على ما قدموه من عرض قيم، كما أتفق تماما مع ما سبق وأن قدمه زميلي النائب عن اليبيريا في أنه البد و أن نحتكم إلى مبدأين هامين حتى تتمكن القارة األفريقية من بلوغ مستوى متقدم من الحوكمة:أوال/ً مبدأ الشفافية،ثانيا/ مبدأ المشاركة،إذ يجب أن تتوفر اإلرادة السياسية واالجتماعية لدى كل دول القارة األفريقية من إدراج مبدأي الشفافية و المشاركة بالدساتير الخاصة بكل الدول، و هذا ما يجب أن نعمل جميعا على تطبيقه في دولنا، و لبلوغ مستوى متقدم من الحوكمة البد أن نحقق مجموعة من الشروط ونضمن تحقيقها في دولنا، يتعلق األول فيها، بفرض قيود على المسؤولين للحيلولة بينهم وبين إساءة استخدام السلطة لتحقيق مكاسب شخصية،و يتعلق الثاني بوضع نظام قانوني وقضائي فعال من خالل صياغة قواعد و قوانين تضمن تحقيق مبادئ الحوكمة، كذلك يجب أن نضمن وجود نظام شرطي كفء ونزيه وقادر على تنفيذ هذه القواعد واألحكام،أخيراً، لابد و أن توفر المرافق العامة التي تزود المجتمع بالبنية الأساسية و السلع العامة التي تمثل الحد الأدني اللازم من التعليم و الصحة والاتصالات، إذا توافرت هذه الشروط يجب وقتها أن نتحدث عن ضمانحوكمة سليمة لدى كل الدول الأفريقية ، يجب جميعا أن نعمل على تطبيق هذه الشروط لدى دولنا أولاً قبل أن نتحدث عن شيء آخر.شكرا. ً سيادة الرئيسREFERENCE: 0905-110837EHON. CLAUDE D. M. KAMANDA [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you, Mr. President.I join other MPs to thank the two presenters for the well researched presentation. Mr. President and Hon. Members, having read the document and listened attentively to the presenters, I now understand Africa Governance Architecture (AGA) on the following three fronts:1.AGA expresses the AU determination to promote and protect human and people’s rights, consolidate democratic institutions and culture and ensure good governance and the rule of law.2.The ideals of AGA have already been enforced by the norms, announcements, decisions and instruments of particularly the African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG).3.The AGA was established to stand as a platform for dialogue within the various stakeholders who are mandated to promote good governance and strengthen democracy in Africa.Mr. President and Hon. Members, I have two concerns. Firstly, the very ideal on which AGA was established is yet to get the force of law and that is the African Charter on Democracy, Election and Good Governance. As we speak, only twenty-four nations have ratified it, and worst of it all, the Maputo Protocol is yet to get the force of law.Secondly, Mr. President and Hon. Members, one of the main stakeholders, that is PAP, whose vision was to have legislative power on promoting democracy, governance and human rights is yet to get the force of law even as we act as the chairperson of AGA. As we speak, only three countries have ratified the protocol and my country, Sierra Leone, is one of them. My question is, Mr. President and Hon. Members, how serious are we in championing the agenda of Africans?Thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-111045SPHON. SUILMA HAY EMHAMED ELKAID (MRS.) [SAHARAWI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]:Gracias Sr. Presidente; me uno a mis compañeros para agradecer y felicitar a los ponentes por sus brillantes ponencias. Verdaderamente mucho de lo que quería decir se ha dicho, entonces, quiero evitar repetir lo que se ha dicho, pero por lo menos voy a intentar un poco en expresarme en cuanto a este tema tan importante, y de suma importancia para los africanos. Para lograr una buena gobernanza y para ponerla en práctica necesitamos alentar a los gobernantes para respetar a las constituciones, porque de nada sirve que se haga todo un esfuerzo en elegir un presidente, en hacer unas elecciones justas y con transparencias y que después los gobernantes o el gobernante haga de todo lo que le interés para perpetuarse en el poder, cambiar cada vez que necesita o quiere cambiar la constitución, entonces, lo que tenemos que hacer es alentar a evitar estos cambios continuos en la constitución. También, creo que nos pertenece o tenemos el deber de luchar todos juntos para darle y conseguir que el Parlamento tenga este poder legislativo para poder influir, controlar y hacer seguimiento a todos estos instrumentos en nuestros respectivos países, para que también se haga su cumplimiento, exhorta cada vez más a los gobernantes a respetar el estado de derecho, y también es muy importante que aquellos que no cumplan el estado de derecho, que aquellos que cambian las constituciones, y que aquellos que violan todos estos derechos humanos en sus respectivos países que no tengan amparo en otros países, que no tengan amparo en otros países africanos, porque si seguimos así no podemos salir de esta situación, si un país no cumple esto, si un país viola todos estos instrumentos, si un país cambia la constitución cuando quiere, y es amparado por otros países y por otros gobiernos de África de nada nos sirve seguir haciendo estos esfuerzos; y comparto totalmente... Interrupción..De sierra Leona, Sulimán, que mientras haya influencia exterior, que mientras países externos a África influyan y se meten en nuestros asuntos internos no podemos ser libres, y ni podemos ser independientes totalmente. Muchísima Gracias.REFERENCE: 0905-111423AAN HONORABLE MEMBER [SUDAN] REPUBLIC]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم،شكراً أخي الرئيس، نظرا لضيق الوقت أحيي مقدمي الورقتين، هاتين الأخيرتين اللتين اشتركتا في الحكم الراشد، أقول منذ قيام معاهدة المؤسسة للجماعة الاقتصادية الأفريقية ومنذ الإعلان في الدورة الاستثنائية في سرت الجماهرية العربية 99 تم إنشاء اتحاد أفريقي، و طبقاً للأهداف النهائية لميثاق هذه المعاهدة المؤسسة للجماعة الاقتصادية الأفريقية، تم إنشاء أيضا البرلمان الأفريقي و الوحدات الأخرى تحت مظلة الاتحاد الأفريقين والسؤال المطروح هنا سيدي الرئيس، في خلال هذه الفترة الطويلة ماهي النتائج التي تم تحقيقها؟ و هذا يلقي الضوء على ما أسقطته الورقتان من مبادئ وأهداف وقيم إذ نجد أن النتائج قليلة و متواضعة مقارنة بالجهد المبذول، ولذلك أرجو أن يكرس كل من البرلمان والاتحاد الأفريقي جهودهما في مراجعة كل الأهداف و كل المطالب لكي نكون فعلا في موقف التنفيذ المؤثر في دولنا أولا والمؤثر في هذه القارة وإلا سوف يضيع الزمن، أما عن مسألة الحكم الراشد و الذي يعتبر مصطلح غير محدد أخي الرئيس يستخدم في أدبيات التنمية والعدالة والمراجعة والمحاسبة، فمفهومه كثيرا ما يبرز كنموذج لمقارنة الاقتصاديات والتنمية والعدالة غير الفعالة، وهذه القيم هي التي تحكم المصالح وتضبط الموازين، فكل من العدالة والوفاء تقوم على مبادئ سيادة القانون و السلطة حق للجميع، وهنا نسوق مثالا عن سيادة المفهوم الفرنسي و الذي يعني السلطة العليا المطلقة التي تحكم وتقيد كل السلطات الأخرى وتقيدREFERENCE: 0905-11175AHON. JAMILA KSIKSI DEBBECHN (MRS) [TUNISIA]:شكراً السيد الرئيس،تحية ألعضاء البرلمان الموقرين،شكراً للمتدخلين على المحاضرات القيمة التي قدموها،أود التطرق بادئ ذي بدء، إلى خمس نقاط رئيسية، طبعا هذا الكالميتكرر ولكن أنا أرى أن فيه فائدة كبيرة، فالديمقراطية ضرورة إلرساءالحكم الرشيد و الحكم الرشيد ضرورة لتحقيق التنمية والتقدم، وهذا اليتحقق إلا بحوكمة الفضاء السياسي أولاً الذي يقتضي تحقيق التعددية وحرية المشاركة السياسية للجميع و دسترة التداول السلمي على السلطة واحترام معايير حقوق الإنسان وإجراء انتخابات حرة ونزيهة تحقق منافسة بين السياسيين، أعتقد أن هذه هي أعمدة الحكم الرشيد التي لابدمن إرسائها أولاً،يتعلق العماد اآلخر بتحرير الشعوب األفريقية من االستعمار الجديد ووضع اليد على ثرواته الطبيعية والتي أصبحت لألسف الشديد نقمة على الشعوب األفريقية ولم تعد مصدر خير، وكما قال العديد من الزمالء، أفريقيا غنية في الباطن وفقيرة فوق األرض، وتمنيت لو مرر معالي النائب مقترحه حول رفع اليد عن الثروات الطبيعية في أفريقيا، أريد أن أطرح تساؤال على السادة المحاضرين حول عالقة منظومة الحكم الرشيد بالمنظمة التي تعنى بمكافحة الفساد صلب االتحاد األفريقي، وأريد أن أوضح عدة معاني منها: الوقاية من الفساد الذي يتطلب حكما رشيدا و مؤسسات تقوم على ذلك وتشريعات ونشر قيم المساواة و الشفافية و المساءلة و الرقابة، وهناك محور آخر يتعلق بمكافحة الفساد الذي يتطلب إرادة سياسية طبعا و يتطلب كذلك قضاء منصف وعادل، وقد أشار أحد الزمالء إلى هذه النقطة، فلماذا اليتم التطرق إلى السلطة القضائية في عالقتها بهذا الملف؟ أريد أن أتساءل أيضا عن الجهود الدولية المبذولة في مكافحة الفساد، ألنه لم يتم التطرق إلى ذلك، ونحن جميعا نعرف أن جريمة الفساد هي جريمة عابرة للدول،ريد أن أتحدث عن تونس كنموذج على مستوى السلطة التشريعية، لدينا لجنة دائمة وحزمة من التشريعات التي تدعم مقاومة الفساد وتدعم الحكم الرشيد و على مستوى السلطة التنفيذية......... دقيقة أرجوك، وعلى مستوى السلطة القضائية تم تعزيزها بالقانون وإحداث مجلس أعلى للقضاء، وعلى مستوى المجتمع المدني كذلك تم إحداث لجنة دستورية لمكافحة الفساد هذا المسار الجديد الذي تمضي فيه تونس، سوف يحقق إن شاء هللا مقومات الحكم الرشيد،لدي سؤال أخير موجه إلى معالي النائبة الرابعة، كيف يتم اختيار التجارب الناجحة فيما يتعلق بمشاركة المرأة؟ وأعتقد أن تجربة تونس في تعزيز المنظومة الحقوقية للمرأة حرية بالعرض و النظر،معالي الرئيس،أوجه لكم سؤال مباشر، لماذا ال تكون هناك دورة تكوينية مدتها على األقل أربع أو ست ساعات موجهة لألعضاء الجدد لتعريفهم باالتحاد األفريقي و الهياكل التابعة له و بالبرلمان األفريقي، لتأهيلهم حتى تكون المشاركة أكثر نجاعة وأكثر فاعلية.وشكرا.REFERENCE: 0905-112445EDR. KHABELE MATLOSA [DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION]:Thank you very much, Mr President. Let me also thank the Honourable Members of Parliament for engaging in the debate. It was really exciting to have such a rich exchange of ideas. I would like to respond, Mr President, with your permission, to all of the issues that have been raised. Some of them are comments that I think, by and large, I agree with. For now, though let me do justice to the issues as tabled before us.Mr President, the first issue was Tunisia which appreciated the importance or reinforced the importance of democratic governance in Africa in particular participation of citizens in the democratic process. I think we are all agreed on that. Tunisia raised a concern that we did not highlight the role of regional economic communities in promoting intra-Africa trade towards the establishment of a single currency on the continent.Let me just highlight to the Honourable Member from Tunisia that in fact we made reference to flagship projects of Agenda 2063. We did not discuss them in detail. But one of those flagship projects of Agenda 2063 speaks to the commitment by African leaders towards establishment of a continental free trade area in pursuance of the 1991 Abuja Treaty towards establishing the African Economic Community. The continental free trade agenda also includes the possibility of introducing the common currency. So, let us hope when we reach that milestone we would have addressed your concern.The continental free trade also speaks to our mission to ensure that we have free movement not only of goods and services in Africa, but also free movement of people, African people themselves being able to move across the borders in their own continent because presently we still face serious restrictions in moving across our continent because of visa controls and visa restrictions across our borders which inhibit our people from doing business within our continent. However, when you look at the extent to which foreign investors are able to move within our continent, there is a contrast. European investors are able to move easily within our continent, but Africans themselves are not able to move freely. So, that is an issue that PAP can take up. The AU is already tabling that issue presently as we speak.The issue about the role of PAP, I think, I will also leave to the Vice-President to tackle. But broadly I agree with all Honourable Members of Parliament that until and unless PAP is given full legislative powers, we will not be effective. Let us deal with that issue once and for all. If PAP is not given full legislative powers PAP will remain a toothless bulldog. That is a fact. PAP will remain ineffective. We all support the PAP in that direction and towards the universal ratification of the Amended Protocol establishing PAP as per the Malabo Decision. We all support that initiative and we are happy to work with PAP to ensure that the protocol is ratified by all members of the union and implemented effectively.Mr President, the issue by Rwanda on the acceleration of ratification of shared values instruments I agree to the input by the Honourable Member from Rwanda on that. In response to the question on how many member states of the AU have ratified the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, so far I think we are at 25 out of a total membership of 54 AU member states and yet the Charter was adopted in 2007 and the Charter came into force in 2012. This is really an indictment and I think we can commit here all of us to ensure that we are pushing for universal ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. We call upon PAP to join forces with us, to ensure that we have a larger number of member states ratifying the Charter, not only ratifying, but also domesticating and implementing the Charter. We would like to make this clarion call to the PAP in particular this year being the Africa Year of Human Rights with special focus on the rights of Women Mr President.The DRC, Mr President, I think I agree 100 percent with the analysis of the Honourable Member of Parliament from DRC in articulating the three pillars of our governance systems in Africa, namely: the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary and I also agree 100 percent with him that for us to go forward and advance the democracy and governance agenda of our union effectively, we have to put more emphasis on strengthening the Judiciary and strengthening parliaments and in that regard containing the dominance of the Executive. The Executive power has to be contained, restrained or cut down to size so that you give enough power to the Legislature and the Judiciary. That is what would then result into the separation of powers and checks and balances that are required in the governance system. So I agree 100 percent with that sentiment from the Honourable Member from DRC.Honourable Member from Ethiopia, on the intervention on strong institutions, in fact the two interventions from Ethiopia actually speak to each other, the first one and the second. In terms of emphasis, maybe I can put them together in terms of emphasising the importance of institutions. Without strong, resilient and efficient institutions, there is no way we can have democracy thriving on our continent. We therefore need strong, resilient and effective institutions in all our countries, but let us also not forget that we also need visionary and transformative leaders. While Mr Obama said we need to put more emphasis on institutions and less on personalities, we also need strong, visionary and transformative leaders, much as we also need an active and vibrant civil society or an active and vibrant citizen engagement. So, three things are important Mr President; strong, resilient and effective institutions, visionary and transformative leaders and citizen engagement through organised civil society. So, those three are important in terms of driving the democracy and governance agenda.Regarding the PAP playing its rightful role as the Chair of the AGA Platform, I agree, but Ethiopia goes further to say that we need to translate our commitment into complete action. Definitely we look up to the PanAfrican Parliament as the Chair of the AGA to drive the AGA process forward and make sure that we realise some palatable results across the continent, but we agree with most of the Members that PAP can also do this more effectively if PAP is granted full legislative powers. I will leave that to Her Excellency the Vice-President.Honourable Member from Burkina Faso, I agree with you and your question on whether the early warning system in Africa is working and how effective it is, is an important one. Excellencies will recall that we have the African Peace and Security Architecture with the five main pillars. One of those pillars is the Continental Early Warning System. I must admit, before you Mr President, that the Continental Early Warning System is doing its best to ensure that we are able to get early warning, early signs of crisis and we ensure early response for early recovery, but we still need to do much more because prevention is better than cure. So, we are trying to assist the Continental Early Warning System to make sure that we also have early analysis of possible crisis situations and use the analysis to advise the AU Policy organs on how to respond early enough.Let me give you a complete example where I think we can say there was relative success in terms of early warning, early response and early recovery. I am glad that we have Honourable Members from Burkina Faso here. The crisis in Burkina Faso amounted to an unconstitutional change of government and that was followed by a military coup. The AU working together with the ECOWAS and the UN were able to intervene early enough to ensure that that crisis did not get out of hand and did not escalate into an outright war. Mr President fortunately Burkina Faso is back on track through a very peaceful and democratic election that was held there very recently. I just wanted to highlight that Mr President. In fact the question come from Burkina Faso itself so my response actually makes that example of Burkina Faso as a case in point that can be emulated across our continent in terms of early response.Guinea raised very important. A number of other Honourable Members raised them. This relates to the challenge of entrenching constitutionalism and the rule of law on our continent. That we still face the problem of constitutions being amended arbitrarily without consulting people in most instances for prolongation of tenure of the sitting Presidents is a fact and a problem. Guinea makes the point that this problem is also generating conflicts on our continent and it is a fact and because of those conflicts we are not able to have peace, democracy and to spur socioeconomic development.In the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, Excellencies, Article 10 specifies clearly how the constitution can be amended constitutionally, how a constitution can be amended democratically without trampling on the rights of the people. It is very clear. But Article 23 also stipulates how amendment of a constitution can be considered as tantamount to unconstitutional change. So, the Charter provides what to do to amend the constitution constitutionally and what not to do not to fall into the trap of unconstitutional change. Some countries follow the Charter in amending their constitution but others have contravened the Charter in a number of ways and this is the problem.I think PAP also needs to come to the party so that we address this problem together. Presently we are trying to develop, and we would like to invite PAP to be with us in this to develop guidelines. The previous Security Council instructed us as African Union Commission to develop guidelines of how best to amend constitutions constitutionally without falling into the trap of unconstitutional change. So, we invite the PAP to be with us in that journey through the AGA to develop that framework for our AU member states.I think Tanzania raised the same issue that I would also like the Vice-President to handle. The issue was PAP promoting the African Agenda without full legislative powers. I would love to justify that for the VicePresident to tackle. Parliament without full powers simply becomes a talking shop. Therefore, as PAP chairs the African Governance Architecture platform, it would be in a position again to promote the idea or even advocate for the full ratification of the new PAP Protocol and we would be in support of that as African Union. It will be historic actually if we could have simultaneous and universal ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the new PAP Protocol. That would be very historic. That in fact would be a milestone and achievement by the African Governments Platform under PAP’s Chairmanship.I think I have tackled the second intervention by Ethiopia to some extent on the institutions and leadership. The only issue remaining there is the idea that now that the PAP is the chair of the AGA and its platform, we need to take advantage of the PAP’s political clout and political leverage to ensure that we push for universal ratification of some of these key AU’s shared values instruments, but to do that we need an action plan, that is what Ethiopia is saying and I agree. We need to have clear standards for doing that, action plans and clear targets and monitoring evaluation of how we are to achieve the plans. I think that can be done under the PAP’s leadership.Guinea says PAP needs to play its rightful role to hold leaders to account. That is what PAP is about. I agree with Guinea. PAP needs to ensure that it has the effective power to hold leaders to account. Guinea then goes forward to pose the question about the relationship between the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. If I am correct, you meant the African Court and People’s Rights. The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights is based in Banjul, the African Court and People’s Rights is based in Arusha. Now, the two play complementary roles and not really duplicative roles in that the Banjul Commission deals with the complaints and also assesses the state of rights on our continent, but the court in Arusha deals with legal cases that are brought before it by member states as well as citizens of countries that have ratified the protocol establishing the court. So it may not be useful to think of merging them. There is no case I think for duplication here. There is no case for resource being misused. I think it is better if they are two like this, but let us emphasise cooperation between the two institutions.Sierra Leone, again, I think on the issue of colonialism and independence, raised very good issues and reminded us of Nkrumah of “Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else shall be added unto you”. A very powerful statement that we have to attain political independence, but that is not enough other things have to come with political independence. Let us accept the reality. I think Sierra Leone has a point here. Most of our countries have managed to achieve the political kingdom, but all else has not yet come.For example, we do not as yet have economic independence as African countries in most instances. Much as we have political independence our economies are still dominated by international corporations that siphon resources out of the continent to enrich the West while Africa remains underdeveloped. These are the issues that in fact the Mbeki Panel raises poignantly. The Mbeki Panel deals with illicit financial outflows out of the continent. That report by President Mbeki tells us that every year the continent bleeds profusely resources out of the continent to Europe to the magnitude of US$50 to US$60 billion. Just image!Now, besides the illicit financial outflows, you have now learnt in the past month or so of the Panama Papers where corporations also siphon resources out of the continent to tax havens in Panama and other places. This is how the continent is losing its resources and remains undeveloped.It then takes us to the paradox that one of the Honourable Members raised on why this continent is rich in resources yet it is the poorest on the earth. Only last week we had the retreat of the Executive Council, Honourable Members and Mr President, in Nairobi and this was the issue that was tabled. The issue discussed by foreign ministers in Nairobi was why is it that Africa is rich but its people are the poorest on earth? So, some of the issues that were raised were illicit financial flows, corruption, weak institutions, weak contract negotiations by our governments and also the issue of our economy still being controlled by external actors rather than our own private sectors within Africa itself. So,Burundi largely made comments and I think I agree with Burundi on the issue of bringing the media to play its rightful role at AGA Platform and within governance arrangements at the national level. As you rightly pointed out, the media has a big role to play in promoting democratic and participatory governance as the fourth estate. They have the right to information, I agree with you 100 percent.Mali captures the point, I think, that we have also been making over and over again that the problems that we have in advancing democratic governance on the continent is that we are good in terms of keeping in place normative frameworks, protocols, declarations and charters that also get signed and ratified, but we are poor when it comes to implementation of these shared values instruments. So, PAP therefore is called upon to see how we can bridge that gap between norm setting and non-implementation, PAP itself as being the true representative of the people.Sudan raised the issue that if AGA is to be successful we also at national level should ensure that all political parties participate in the political process. It is a fact. The political system should not be left solely as the preserve of the ruling party. All the parties have to participate during elections and in between elections. That should be the motto and the principle. Also, the issue of youth risking their lives through the Mediterranean sea to go and explore the greener pastures in Europe is a problem that we all need to address and we can address that if the democratic system is working on the continent and women and youth are able to participate effectively in the activities at home. We have to prioritise the livelihoods of our people.I agree 100 per cent with Liberia that we still have a problem on our continent in terms of managing diversity. Constructive management of diversity is a problem. We still have problems where we still within our countries look at each other through lenses that are divisive not unifying; ethnic lenses, religious lenses, colour and racial lenses, regional lenses, gender lenses and generational lenses. We have to bridge all these cleavages and the gap that is brought by the fogged lenses of diversity through ethnicity, tribalism, religion, race, et cetera et cetera.Liberia also gave a good example of the just elected Mayor of London who is a Muslim himself but who was not elected on that card. So I think we can do better on this and I think a number of countries are able to establish what we call National Cohesion Commission. A country such as Kenya has a National Cohesion Commission. Other countries are establishing different kinds of mechanisms such as in this country where we have what we call Chapter 9 Institutions. In South Africa, we have Chapter 9 Institutions that aim to bridge that gap and make sure that diversity is managed constructively.In Egypt, Mr President, the level of development does have an impact on democratic advancement. So, as we pursue socioeconomic development, we need to simultaneously pursue building peace and stability on our continent. In terms of pursuing socioeconomic development, Africa has to prioritise addressing the basic human rights of our people and we can do that starting with this year being the Year of Human Rights to address the basic needs of our people, namely: food, shelter, health, education, clothing, environmental protection and security without necessarily undermining the other rights, civil liberties and human rights. For Africa, we need to give more accent to addressing development rights as I speak to socioeconomic development of our people.Sierra Leone, I think I have addressed the question of AGA not yet been fully ratified and the PAP Protocol which has not yet been fully ratified. I agree with you 100 percent that we need to prioritise these two instruments in order to champion governance on the African continent.The Vice-President raised an issue of leaders adhering to constitutions and respecting the term limits as defined within the constitution rather than arbitrarily amending the constitutions to prolong tenure. This is a big issue on which we need to work together with PAP to address.Regarding Sudan, I agree on the issue of our understanding of the concept of governance. For me, the concept of governance can be defined simply to mean state-society relations or how the state relates to its citizens, and how the state exercises its power over citizens and how citizens in turn holds the state to account. It is as simple as that, for instance, how the state interacts with citizens and how citizens hold the state to account as well as the state having the responsibility to provide services to the citizens. For me, that is the basic definition I can provide Your Excellencies for us to move forward on the concept.Tunisia also raised the question of the paradox of rich Africa and poor Africans. I addressed that earlier on.Tunisia raised the issue of women empowerment. I will add youth empowerment, gender equality and youth empowerment. These are very important ingredients of promoting democratic governance on our continent. If they are not addressed, then we have not done our homework in terms of ensuring that democratic governance is entrenched and consolidated on our continent. Let us not forget that women constitute more than 50 percent of all our populations of the 44 countries. The youth constitute more than 70 percent. So, it is important that they are brought in the mainstream of the governance process and they are well represented in Parliaments and other decision-making structures. Let us not forget other marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and minorities. I would like to call on Honourable Members to ensure that we advance that agenda.The final point Mr President is on the issue raised by Togo on the external interference of foreign interest. I think other Honourable Members addressed the issue and how this then also affects our efforts in promoting democratic and participatory governance on our continent. Yes, we need to ensure that Africa promotes democratic and participatory governance that speaks to its own context, to its own socio-economic and political context.Democratic governance cannot be imposed from outside. Governance or democracy cannot be imported or exported as if they are bananas, oranges or apples. They have to grow within a particular African context and they have to be aligned to a particular situation of Africa. That is why it is important therefore that Africa determines its own governance systems based on the ideology of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance. This is where the Pan-African Parliament comes in to play a key role as the Chair of the African Governance Architecture and its Platform.Thank you Mr President.REFERENCE: 0905-115836EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr. President. I want to thank my colleagues for such a passionate debate. I can understand the passion and I can also sense his disappointment, a sense of displeasure especially when it comes to the position of PAP vis-à-vis African Union, which still continues to be an advisory body, a status that is actually affecting the extent to which we can carry out our legislative functions of law making, oversight and representation of the African peoples. So, I can understand and I want to thank my colleagues.Dr. McLaser has really taken his time to explain most of the issues or to clarify most of the issues raised. So, for some of those issues, I will only speak to them if I have additional information to give.On the issue of continental free trade - continental integration, I think the information I want to give here is that, in January this year, during the Heads of State Summit in Ethiopia, the meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and also the meeting of the Ambassadors, especially during the retreat in Mekele, the issue was extensively dealt with. Already, we have some countries like the ECOWAS region wherein ECOWAS members need visas to enter another ECOWAS country. Before you leave your country, you are given a visa to stay for ninety days, after which, if you want to extend your stay, you can do it.We know that now with any prior visa application, if you get to Rwanda, you will have your visa at the port of entry. So, that was a bit confirmed and at the end of the day, it was the decision and that decision was acclaimed and passed unanimously - that all countries should at least give visas on entry for thirty days - but, even more, depending on the country. That, however, did not take away from the country, the right to do due diligence because in as much as we want to give visas on entry, we also have to make sure that we protect our country from terrorist movements, from people that will come with ulterior motives. So, I think the next sitting would be this June and I think in Rwanda and I am sure there are going to be reports by the different countries with regard to the extent to which - for those countries that do not already have this policy to report on whether they have now implemented the decision. So, I think that is going to help in the movement of the people especially.On the issue of the Executive and the Judiciary, the presentation did not dwell much on the Executive and the Judiciary. I think what we have done in the clusters knowing that good-governance - the tenets of goodgovernance are free, periodic, fair elections, constitutionalism, rule of law, an independent judiciary, free press and all of these things is that the clusters have been organised along these tenets of democracy.So, may be Dr. McLaser did not have time to read about the clusters. We have the Cluster on Democracy which deals with elections, with Parliaments, with Political Parties and also non-State Actors and the Media.The Cluster on Governance deals with Public Service and Administration, that is, the Executive, and local governance and decentralization. It also deals with accountability and anti-corruption. In fact, if you go to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good-Governance, all of these clusters have Chapters and Articles. It is from there that these clusters where - because it is one of the most Important African Shared Value Documents which we are struggling to grapple with even though it has now come into effect . We know that only twenty-five countries have signed it, but these clusters have been carved out of the African Charter on Democracy and Good-Governance.We have the Human Rights and Transition and Justice Cluster which deals with the norms and standards of human rights and it also deals with redress mechanisms such as the TRC. In Sierra Leone, we had to set up a special court while in Rwanda they set up the ‘KACHACHA’ court alongside the major court itself.Then, we have the cluster on constitutionalism and the rule of law. Here you have constitutional and changing of Governments which you will find in chapter viii of the ACDEG. It also deals with executive, legislative and judiciary systems.The last cluster deals with humanitarian assistance, free movement of people, refugees and protection of civilians.So, when you look at the mandate of each of these five clusters, although there are overlaps, they clearly also address the salient issues in the African Charter on democracy and good-governance.On the issue of whether PAP is known in all our countries, this is not a new question. It is a burning issue. This has been a recurrent issue that has been debated here in PAP. It has been debated in the different advocacy missions that have been discussed and presentations have been made. Yes, we agree that PAP is not as well known as it should be. But even the parent body - the African Union is not as well known as it is supposed to be. So, I think, in this Parliament, we have had several debates and we have come up with several strategies on how we shall make the PAP known because even when you travel sometimes and present your Pan-African Parliament Diplomatic Passport, sometimes depending on whom you meet, you know, you may wait until the issue is clarified.So, I think we have the road map for improving on the visibility of the PAP. We know that the Speakers and the Secretaries-General of Parliament meet here every year in August and one of the issues that have been the agenda item has been the visibility of PAP - how do we make PAP visible in our respective countries? The Speakers and the Secretaries-General have agreed in their communiqué that every Parliament will set up a PAP desk with a liaison officer. That PAP desk is going to be the liaison between the National Parliament through their five delegates that come here with the Pan-African Parliament. The PAP desks will meet once every year to ensure that there is a plan of action of rolling out PAP to the people of that country and we have set a deadline that August this year would be the deadline in which every Speaker of Parliament and their Clerks would send to us here before the next meeting of the Clerks the name of the Focal Point person and the modalities they have put in place to establish the PAP desk. For example, one of the works of the PAP desk will be that every year there is going to be a PAP day.On that PAP day, there is going to be interactions between PAP and the citizens of that country where they will come to Parliament, questions are asked and presentations are made - just like you know for us the Commonwealth countries. We used to have a Commonwealth Day wherein there were matches, speeches, and statements to improve on our knowledge on the Commonwealth. So, it is also going to be like that and other countries - some countries, other Parliaments have already established their PAP days - they have a plan of action and some have even gone further to have a budget line. Like in Sierra Leone, we now have an office, a PAP desk with a budget. This year, we presented a small budget line to the Minister of Finance and we have been given the money and we are going to use it to roll out PAP.So, these are just some points, but at the end of the day, let me tell you, my colleagues, that if we expect that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Ministers of Attorney-General and Justice and even our Heads of State who have already adopted the revised Protocol are going to be the ones to voluntarily take the initiative to bring our Protocol to Parliament, forget it. It is our responsibility. We should be knocking at the doors of the Ministers, invite them to Parliament under question time to tell us the status of the ratification of this Protocol because you know that, first of all, in some countries, it goes to two Ministries for convergence. Once the two Ministries have looked at the Protocol and they see that there is nothing in the Protocol that is going to affect the sovereignty of that country then they send it to Cabinet and Cabinet takes it to Parliament.In Sierra Leone, what we did was, we knocked on their door every day. In fact, inviting the Heads of State here was a bait to ensure that if Mr. President would invite you as Guest of Honour, you should come here with a certificate of participation to say ‘look here colleaguesHeads of State if Sierra Leone would do it, you could do it’. So, that was how we speedily had to ratify because our President came here and we made it very clear that we wanted to put Sierra Leone on the map so he should do everything to make sure that the Protocol was ratified. So, I think it is going to be our own project to go back to our countries and engage the radio, the media, and the Parliament, but consistently knock on those Ministers’ doors that are responsible.We are also lucky that Honourable ICEWATER KABIA was in charge in her new role for ratification. So, that is how she made follow-ups everyday to see where the process was. So, I think it has to be our own responsibility in addition to the responsibility of the Heads of State. If they did not want us to become a legislative body then why spend so much time and money in Malabo to debate it?Every time, our Presidents and our Vice-Presidents are in Malabo using taxpayers fund to pressurise and to clarify issues that come from the PRC. So, if they have now seen that it is time we have the legislative function, they should also have the moral responsibility to move from adoption to operationalisation. I said, sometimes though it may not be in their interest. So, it is us the Members of Parliament who have to make sure that it is done.Strong institutions are not strong leaders. I disagree with all due respect to our learned brother Obama. I disagree. Who makes strong institutions? Strong leaders - if we have a strong visionary, forward looking leader, that leader would transform the institutions to make them strong. Even if you have a strong institution, as long as you have a very weak and leader without a vision, that leader can destroy the strong institution. So, it is an issue of the chicken and the egg - which one comes before the other? Institutions do not come from the sky and fall in countries. It is individuals that work to transform ideas into tangible realities - ideas of good-governance, ideas of accountability, your ideas to provide for your people, your idea to have a zero tolerance to corruption. It is these ideas that have transformed into structural frameworks to give us these strong institutions.So, while I agree that African needs strong institutions, Africa needs strong leaders to create those institutions or to sustain those institutions. When leaders come, they should continue on where subsequent leaders have left off. Weak leaders will dismantle all the strong institutions because maybe they do not want to acknowledge the good work of their predecessors. So, both are important; we need strong leaders who will make strong institutions, but we also need strong leaders to sustain those strong institutions. That is what I have to say.I just want to say to my sister from Conakry that, yes we have leaders in Africa who have judiciously held on to the constitution. You mentioned Benin and Seychelles. Please do not leave Sierra Leone out. In Sierra Leone, we have maintained our two terms. There was a smooth takeover from the Tijan Kabar Government to the Ernest Bai Koroma Government and we hope that there will also be smooth transition from the Ernest Bai Koroma Government to whoever will take over in 2018 after our elections. So, please, we want to be in history.What it the role of the media? I have already said that among the clusters, the media is key with regard to democracy and if you look in our ACDEG, the role of the media is also very clear. If you take chapter 2, paragraph 10 on the media - It says clearly that “promote the establishment of the necessary conditions to foster citizens participation, transparency, access to information, freedom of the press and accountability of the management of public affairs”. So, the media is key in any democratic institution because the media would educate, inform, but also call both parties to account. So, it is very important that we have a free media at the same time while also calling on the media to adhere to the code of practice. We have also seen how media in our countries have sent out hate messages - the issue of Rwanda - a particular news media was very instrumental in the genocide and we have also seen it in other countries. So, where the media is important in democratic institutions, they must also be responsible and ensure that by what they send out they do not ‘burn’ the country.On the relationship between AGA and the other organ, the platform is made up of all the ten AU organs. COMESA is the Vice-President of the other platform in addition to all the other organs. So, there is a good relationship because we are talking of the African political architecture. Without all the platforms coming to it then it will become a problem. So, there is a very good relationship between all the platforms.Then issue of corruption was introduced. Again, as you heard under the governance cluster, anti-corruption and accountability is key and it is also key in the ACDEG because corruption is sipping our resources away. So, it is an important issue and it is also part of the cluster.Let me say that also in our countries most of us have an Anti-Corruption Act. In fact, some have revised it like Sierra Leone to add money laundering and terrorist financing because it is very important. Most corruption takes place when money is being laundered. So, it is important that we take note of that.So, it was a pity that our colleague who moved the second motion here could not continue with the motion because the issue of our natural resources - I am addressing this because somebody alluded to the interconnectivity between our natural resources and corruption - we are very rich in natural resources, but I agree one way we are going to ensure that it benefits us is through beneficiation. We must process our natural resources even if not to the final product - but to the semi-product for us to be able to export it.The beneficiation process creates more jobs and the need for other complementary institutions to provide other services to the beneficiation project. We have also learnt that, most times, we give concession for a single mineral to an industry. For example, if you take bauxite, it is not found alone. Bauxite is found in composition with other minerals, Most of the time it is the main mineral that is the source or the major source of the contract. When we export the raw materials, what happens to the other minerals that are found in those raw materials? They may be of very high value.What happens? A report is only made to us on that mineral for which the contract was signed. So, in the process, we out because we do not get the royalties; neither do we get the correct profit on those other minerals that are not part of the contract. So, that is why beneficiation is very good.There is a lot of corruption also in the mineral sector. We have seen this. The former President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, dealt with illicit flows and I am sure we know exactly how some of these illicit flows are done. So, we must address ourselves as Parliaments and as Africans. What mechanisms can we put in place to ensure that we benefit? We must ensure that we have trained, skilled manpower to ensure that we put them in some of these institutions to stem the illegal flow of money. When we sign these contracts, the majority of the mining companies bring in not only skilled labour, but sometimes even some unskilled labour and sometimes if we are not very discerning, they even bring in the local non-skilled labour. So, that is why it is important that we make sure that we try to put these things together.I think I cannot agree more with the suggestion that we should have a workshop on the African Union Organ for Members of this Parliament. Mr. President, just this session, if I am not mistaken, we have sworn-in maybe fifty Members or more. These new Members may need this workshop. For us it will be a refresher course because there may be new things that could have happened in the African Union that even we the old Members do not know. Members need to know exactly the organs, structures and so on so that we are in a better position to raise motions in this Parliament. So, I agree that this workshop is imperative and the sooner we can organise it with the African Union, the better so that we know exactly what the roles of each of the organs in the African Union are.Lastly but not the least, I cannot agree more with the role of Women and their good examples on the continent. For example, there is nothing wrong if we call on the Tunisia Government to talk to us about the good success stories of the women’s rights or the role of women in their Government. Rwanda of course has every now and again taken the platform to tell us how after the war they have been able to turn around Rwanda, but that turnaround has come because first, in their Constitution, they have been able to recognize that everybody has the right to enjoy the country of Rwanda and that includes women and they have also taken particular measures in the Constitution to affirm all the laws, and the treaties affecting women, and they have moved further to give special preferences to women. Today, if Rwanda has over sixty something per cent women representation is not magic. It has come with political will, conscious efforts and a determination to never again go back to the dark days of the Rwanda genocide during which both men and women suffered. They have set up institutions to look after the reconciliation and put in place institutions to ensure that every commitment made by the Government is followed to the letter to see that it is implemented.So, I think, Honourable Members, I shall stop here and I want to thank you for listening, but I would want to stress that in as much as the Heads of State have adopted our Protocol, let us not sit and wait for them. Let us take the proactive measure to call upon them and all those in our Governments that have the responsibility of moving our protocol from where it is now to where we want it to be.The five Members from each of these countries will have a particular responsibility to ensure that we do everything through our normal business in Parliament either in our Committees or in the role of Parliament to question our Ministers on the programmes they have to bring not only this Protocol, but a lot of other Protocols that we have not signed. The African Charter on the Courts is still to be signed and ratified by a lot of countries. Every time we meet, there is the advocacy for the President of that Court, but the court would suffer if we do not ratify.So, I want to thank you all and hope that we shall take it further from here.REFERENCE: 0905-122537FELE PRESIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Madame la Présidente.Je soumets à la chambre les rapports sur l’aperçu général du cadre de l’architecture de la gouvernance africaine, AGA et le rapport relatif au rôle du Parlement Panafricain dans la plateforme de l’architecture de gouvernance africaine.Pas d’observation, pas de remarque, le Parlement prend note.(Coup de maillet)Chers collègues, je voudrais inviter les honorables députés à aller se faire établir le passeport diplomatique à la chambre n°3. Il faut que nous finissions avec ce problème de passeport diplomatique cette fois-ci. Les passeports seront établis, et vous seront distribués le jeudi ou le vendredi.Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, je vous donne la parole pour les annonces.THE CLERK:Thank you Your Excellency. The first announcement is that the President would like to meet the Chairpersons of the Regional Caucus, Committees and the Members of the Bureau of the PAP immediately after the adjournment of the session today in Committee Room 3.evening cocktail at 7 p.m. at the Adega restaurant. Transportation will be available at your hotels at 6: 30 pm.There will be too committee meetings this Afternoon. The Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs will meet from 1 o’clock to 2 o’clock in Committee Room 2 and the Committee on Monetary and Financial Matters will meet from 2 o’clock to 6 o’clock in Committee Room 1.LE PRÉSIDENT:L’ordre du jour étant épuisé, la séance est suspendue et reprend à 14 heures 30 minutes.(Coup de maillet)(La séance est suspendue à)SUSPENSION [12:27:52]REFERENCE: 0905-143330FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers Collègues, veuillez vous asseoir.La séance est reprise.Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, veuillez nous donner le point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux.Secondly, further to the invitation by the Honourable President of the Caucus of North Africa, the Honourable Safia Elmi Djibril of Djibouti would like to extend an invitation to all Honourable MPs of the West Africa, North Africa and Central Africa caucuses at thisMonsieur le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole.THE CLERK:Good afternoon. We now have the presentation and debate on the 2015 report of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Index of African Governance.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Invitation des autres à entrer dans la Chambre.Honorables membres, conformément aux dispositions de l’Article 38 (1) G du Règlement Intérieur, j’ai le plaisir d’inviter à entrer dans la Chambre, Monsieur ABDOULIE Janneh, Membre du Conseild’administration/Directeur exécutif (Liaison entre Gouvernements/Institutions africaines) de la Fondation Mo Ibrahim, et Mademoiselle ASAI OJIGHO, Coordinatrice de la Coalition SOTU, de rentrer dans la salle.(Les invités rentrent dans la salle)Monsieur le Directeur exécutif, Madame la Coordinatrice de la coalition SOTU, je vous souhaite la bienvenue au nom des membres du Bureau du Parlement Panafricain et au nom de tous les Parlementaires du Parlement Panafricain, je vous souhaite une chaleureuse bienvenue dans cet hémicycle du Docteur Idriss NDÉLÉ MOUSSA.Sans plus tarder, j’invite Monsieur ABDOULIE Janneh, Membre du Conseil d’administration/Directeur exécutif (Liaison entre Gouvernements/Institutions africaines) de la Fondation Mo Ibrahim, à faire sa présentation.REFERENCE: 0905-144430EMR. ABDOULIE JANNEH [BOARD MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS/INSTITUTIONS LIAISON)- MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION]:Mr. President, hon. Members of Parliament, Clerk of the House and colleagues, thank you for giving me this opportunity to come and present to you today the 2015 Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance. As you said, we have technical problems. I understand every Member of Parliament has my handout. So, instead of seeing it on the screen, we will continue with the presentation in order not to waste your very valuable time.Mr. President, I spoke to you last year when I presented the index of that year. I am happy that you invited me again to come and talk to you, particularly under your presidency. We have an index on national governance. We define “governance” as a process by which governments deliver goods and services that their citizens expect from them. I will go into details of what our findings of 2015 indicate.As I said, the index is produced on an annual basis and it is a statistical assessment of governance in every African country. The slide shows that the index is more than just one governance measurement. In fact, it is the most comprehensive data set on governance in Africa that anybody produces. The structure is on the overall government score. There are four categories and 14 subcategories. I will go to that later. As you can see from the slide, these four sub-categories are comprised of 93 indicators which are sourced from 33 independent data institutions. This year, the inclusion of data for South Sudan and Sudan means that the index is comprehensive in the coverage of all 54 African countries. The data set covers 200-2014 inclusive a 15-year time period.Slide two shows the structure of the 2015 index to sub-category level. One of the added values of the index is the fact that there are a number of layers.In the slide, this year the foundation decided to base index analysis on a four year trend from 2011 to 2014. 2011 was a particularly interesting year for Africa given the cessation of Southern Sudan from Sudan and the spread of the Arab spring. The Africa overall score for governance improved year on year between 2000 and 2008. However, there has been some stagnating.If you go to slide four, you will observe the overall governance trend underpinned by strengthening performance in two of the four categories of the index, namely human development and participation on human rights. The other two categories, safety and rule of law and sustainable economic opportunity, have shown deterioration. Only six countries improved in all four components. These are Cote d’voire, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Zimbabwe.If you go to slide 5 and read down to the sub-category level, you will see that the picture is mixed in different strands underlining governance dimensions. The bar chart that is you see on your handout shows the average continental trends for each of the sub-categories since the year 2011. On the left hand side, you see that eight of the 14 sub-categories have registered average improvement and in the far right side, 36 have declined. Trends went from the largest average improvement in participation to the largest decline in business environment.We now go to slide 6. If you look at individual category performances, the health sub-category was the highest scoring category and the biggest improver since 2011. It is the only governance category in which all of the underlying sub-categories have improved over the past four years. African average progress in human development is mainly driven by health, particularly the ARVs provision is the biggest indicator improver in our index.The education sub-category improvement is driven by progress in six of the seven underlying indicators. However, there have been declines in education system quality indicators since 2011. This indicator assesses how well the education system is meeting the needs of a competitive economy. There are weak results in welfare. The sub-category shows the least improvement in the three human development components.We move to slide 7 and we see the second category which has registered an African average score increase, that is participation and human rights. There has been slight general improvement on the category since 2011, which has mainly been driven by improvement in participation. The rights sub-category is losing ground. The freedom of association and assembly indicator declined in the category. Civil rights and human rights have also deteriorated.We can go to slide 8. The first two categories have exhibited decline in safety and rule of law, the second highest scoring category in the index. There has been a slight drop in the scoring of the accountability indicator. The category decline is mostly driven by a decline in the national security sub-category. The rule of law and personal safety sub-categories have shown average continental improvements.On slide 9, the fourth category has two characteristics that are notable. Sustainable economic opportunity is the lowest category score in the index now showing the largest deterioration since 2011. Three of the four underlying subcategories - public management, business environment and rural sector - have also deteriorated. The business environment has shown the largest sub-category deterioration in the sustainable economic category. In fact, it is the largest sub-category decline in the entire Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance. The business environment has shown year to year deterioration since 2011 driven by two most deteriorating indicators on the continent over the past four years - soundness of banks and custom procedures.Improvement is only observed in the infrastructure subcategory. However, at the indicator level, three of the seven infrastructure level and three of the seven infrastructure indicators have declined since 2011, the most pronounced and which we are all aware is electricity supply.On slide 10, you will notice that the world’s continental trends are useful and interesting. There are different performances in Africa’s geographical regions. The slide shows varying results at the regional level. Southern Africa, consistently the best performing region, continues to be the best one in the region and Central Africa is the weakest. Central Africa is the only region that showed a lower score in 2014 than in 2011.In slide 11, continental averages tell so much. If you really want to understand the African governance landscape, it is important to explore country level details. I hope that all of you have your country reports which were sent earlier. The first ranking is Mauritius with 79.9 out of 100 in 2014 and 70 points more than the continent’s weakest governance performance, Somalia, which achieved a score of 8.5. The remaining 52 countries showed diverse results and different points and that is captured in slide 11.In slide 12, you will see that the top 10 ranking countries in the 2015 Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance are Mauritius, Cape Verde, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Seychelles, Ghana, Tunisia, Senegal and Lesotho. Five countries have deteriorated since 2011. Five countries have deteriorated since 2011, which are Mauritius, Cape Verde, Botswana, Seychelles and Ghana. The most educated countries in Africa are Cape Verde and Botswana.Let us go to the last slide, slide 13. Looking at the top ten is interesting. The top ten improvers also provide some insight. This time, improvers represent almost a quarter of the continent’s population and within this group, we see some potential future powerhouses. The world was used to seeing the greatest governance gains in the countries which are coming from a low base. Over the past four years, five of the ten performers are those that only rank in the top 20 of the index - Senegal, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda and Tunisia. All five of these countries have received the highest overall governance score in 2011.Mr. President, this is questionable. Let me explain again. We are dealing with 54 countries. We aggregated this data. There is a lot of difference across countries, indicators and categories. So, it does not capture the totality of the trends at the country level. This is available in the individual country report that we call country insights. I suppose all of you have looked at the copies. As parliamentarians, you should look at this.This is the most comprehensive set of data that you have in your own countries. We do not fabricate this data. We have 33 data sources and for each indicator, we have at least three. So, there is no one data provider that influences what goes into this report. It gives you what I call in French tableau de bord, a dashboard which shows directions of where your policies are taking you, which are the areas where you have successes and challenges.Therefore, we need those governments to really look at these policies and act on them. As parliamentarians, I recommend that you really look at your individual country. What have you done to engage government and your constituents who require performance in some of these areas?It has been a pleasure presenting this to you. If you have questions, it will give me pleasure to respond. Thank you very much.ApplauseTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much. Take your seat please.REFERENCE: 0905-150000FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’ai devant moi une liste de 12 intervenants. Le premier inscrit sur ma liste est l’Honorable Idriss _du Soudan. Nous avons-Honorable Abdulrazak Sa’ad NAMDAS du Nigéria;Honorable Loide L. KASINGO de la Namibie;Honorable Sekou Fantamadi TRAORE du Mali;Honorable Kaltoum Abdelkarim SULEIMAN duSoudan;Honorable Faycal TEBBINI de la Tunisie;Honorable Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée-Conakry;Honorable Ali Awadalla ALI du Soudan;Honorable Santosh Vinita KALYAN de l’Afrique du Sud;Honorable Djantou TRAORE de Guinée-Conakry;Honorable Rouamba WORKYA du Burkina Faso, et Honorable Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI du Soudan.Je donne la parole au premier inscrit, Honorable Idriss^du Soudan.REFERENCE: 0905-150123AHON. SHASHIM IDRIS SULTAN [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم،شكراً أخي الرئيس على هذه الفرصة ونشكر عبر فخامتكم الأخ الدكتور مقدم المؤشرات،إجماال، نقول نحن في دولنا في أفريقيا هناك مؤشرات قياسية تأتينا من مؤسسات، و نحن هنا و ألول مرة نسمع بمؤشر يسمي إبراهيم مو، فهل هو فعال معتمد لدى المؤسسات العلمية ومعتمد لدى الجهات الرسمية حتى يكون لنا أن نؤمن بأن هذه المؤشرات حقيقية؟ فدولنا في أفريقيا و إلى هذه اللحظة لم تبن استراتيحية موحدة حتى نقول أن هذه الدول لديها استراتيجية في حدها األدني حتى نتمكن من قياس هذه االستراتيجيات ومن هذا األداء، سواء كان في اتجاه الصحة أو التعليم و التنولوجيا أو الزراعة أو ما يشبه ذلك، إذا فهذه المؤشرات في تقديري مؤشرات غير دقيقة ألنها تحكي عن مؤشر إبراهيم مو، فعلى أي قياس عالمي كان هذا المؤشر؟ذكر الدكتور الفاضل بأنه هناك مستندات فيها كثير من التفاصيل، فنحنض هذه التفاصيل علينا حتى نستطيع أن نقيس قياساً دقيقاً نود أن تعر ،على أال تكون مؤشرات عام 6102 هكذا، و أنا أعتقد أن هذا األمر فيه الكثير من النقصانن و لهذا كله ال يمكننا اعتماد مسودة كهذه في تقديريالخاص،االحترام الكبير لمقدم هذه الورقة ولكن ال يمكن أن تعتمد بهذه الكيفية، فهي ورقة أعتقد أنها مختزلة وفيها كثير من النقصان وعلى أي مرجعيات تستند؟ نحن نتحدث عن حكومات فيها كثير من الفساد ونتحدث عن حوكمة غير رشيدة، صحيح أنه هناك تقدم هنا ولكن هذا المؤشر ال يعطينا أي دليل حتى نستطيع أن نقيس أو نبني عليه.شكراً أخي الرئيسREFERENCE: 0905-150547AHON. KALTOUM ABDELKARIM SULEIMAN (MRS.) [SUDAN]:بسم هللا والحمد هلل،شكرا السيد الرئيس على إتاحته لي هذه الفرصة للمرة الثانية،أنا أقول أن هذه المؤشرات إذا كانت فعال حقيقية فأنا أتساءل إذا كانت هناك مؤشرات في السنوات الماضية أم ال؟ وإذا كانت موجودة، ماهي نتائجها؟ وهل توجد مقارنة بين المؤشرات في السنوات الماضية ومؤشرات هذه الورقة؟شكرا.REFERENCE: 0905-151043EHON. VINITA SANTOSH KALYAN [SOUTH AFRICA]:Thank you Mr. President.I would like to appreciate the pleasant presentation, but there are many questions I need to ask.The presenter seems to be doing something and I cannot put my question if he is distracted. I know I am from South Africa.You refer to a country as a synopsis or dashboard that has been made available for parliamentarians to read but regretfully it has not been distributed to us. All we have with us are slides that you presented. You refer in your presentation to a decline in national security. Can you be more precise in what you are saying? Is it that national governments are lacking arms or capacity in terms of a proper force? Is it the impact of terrorism? I am not picking up in your presentation the detail of what you saying.You also refer to a decline in the business environment. Again what does that mean? The African continent is an economic hub as we speak. A question has been asked around the status of the Mo Ibrahim’s research. Is it recognised on the continent as reliable? There are huge differences in governance styles, and I submit the three comparisons cannot be made because I think apples should be compare with apples and not oranges.In slide 6, you have a graph dated from 2000-2014, but there are no notations on each side. All I can see is a year, but I cannot see what you are mentioning on the left hand side of the graph.Notwithstanding, I look forward to listening to your responses.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-151434EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President and hon. Members, this is not the first time in this House or even in our respective countries that we are listening to Mo Ibrahim Index. I think this index has been around for quite some time just like we have the Human Development Report. As the years have rolled on, we are also seeing other institutions adding on other indexes. Recently, we are now talking on even the happiness index. Countries are now being ranked according to the level of contentment and happiness. They have a range of indicators they are using to rank countries that are very happy and those that are not.We now also see, for example, the index on corruption. Every year, we see international ratings giving us corruption indexes showing where countries are and whether those countries have moved or whether they have improved. I think all of this serves one purpose. It keeps us, as countries and our sectors, on the radar to see exactly where we are going.It is also important that we ourselves should know what we are doing. It is always better to get an outsider’s perspective for we will be told exactly where we are going. It is just the same as the Africa Peer Review Mechanism where countries are submitting themselves to the peer mechanism so that from the eyes of an outsider, we know what you are doing and what you are not doing.I think that what is important for us when we have these types of reports is to go back and look at our own country report and see what we are doing, how we are fertile or how we are not fertile so that the report will inform our annual development plans and our long and short term development plans. The report will inform where we will put more emphasis in terms of budget allocation and governance structures.This is the perspective from which we should look at some of these documents. From our perspective, we should go and look at what we need to do as PanAfrican Parliamentarians in our respective countries bearing in mind this report. I think this is the basis on which we should be looking at this report.Many more institutions will come up with other indicators or variables to try and gauge Africa when it comes to how we are doing in the other sectors. This is my submission.I thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-151830FEMR. ABDOULIE JANNEH [BOARD MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS/INSTITUTIONS LIAISON)- MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION]:Monsieur le Président, merci encore une fois, de nous permettre de faire cette présentation. Merci pour l’introduction.Je veux préciser que mon dernier poste au sein des Nations Unies, c’était celui de Secrétaire général adjoint, et Secrétaire exécutif de la commission économique pour l’Afrique, où j’ai servi pendant huit ans. C’est là-bas monsieur le Président, qu’on s’est rencontré et je continue de poursuivre l’interaction.Let me start with the first Member of Parliament from Sudan and say I look forward to the adoption of this report. I understand that this is a scientific study that was done last year and it is now being presented to you. This report has been going on since 2008 and it is increasingly being recognised as maybe the most comprehensive credible data that is available on individual African countries.As I said, we do not produce the reports, we have 33, but if we want we can have 50, 100, and so on, but we want to take data for which we have a sufficient number of data providers. If we take one country and have one data provider, it does not make any sense. So we will say, “Data available from the country”, and we try to test the validity of these things at a country level. Any country that really feels the picture that is being painted does not reflect the reality is free really to come to the Index to counter this and we are willing to look at that.However, again as I said in the beginning, there are tremendous variations between regions and between individual countries which are not possible for me to present here because here we have 54 African countries. If I want to go into the details of each African country, then we will have serious issues and may be here the whole day. I did send individual country reports and I hope that the Clerk would be able to make this available to you so that we could really see the reality of what is taking place in your individual countries. This will respond to the question from the Member of Parliament from South Africa. What I said was this is the general trend; this is what is profound. Maybe, this is not applicable to South Africa. The only way maybe is to look at the country report. If you do not have it, I will make sure that this is sent to you.Another Member of Parliament from Sudan asked if we have data. Yes, we are compiling now for the last four years, but we have data going as far back as 2008.I thank the Member of Parliament from Guinea and salute Guinea for the tremendous effort they made in overcoming Ebola. I think it showed the determination for a credible African government when met with a challenge that is beyond them, but we are glad that this is in the past and we hope that we do not at any one time again suffer from such pandemic.My sister from Guinea asked who won the prize. The last price was won by President Pohamba of Namibia, and we will continue to evaluate. This year we have not announced the price yet. I am a Board Member and the prize is not awarded by the Board. There is a prize committee which has four noble price laureates there including Kofi Annan, Mohammed ElBaradei, Martti Ahitisaari, former President of Finland, and others who are there. It is a very credible group that looks at performance by a leader who has come to power democratically and who left power democratically and who performed well in his or her own country. So far we have awarded five of such prizes. If you go to our website you will see who those are. One of them is President Festus Mogae of Botswana, President Perez from Cape Verde, and we have President Chissano from Mozambique; very credible African leaders whom we continue to salute and to recognise.I will end by saluting the Member of Parliament from Sierra Leone. He really has expressed it in a big way than I would have done, and said, “What is the real purpose and objective of this Index?” It is for you really, as I said this was a general presentation, to look at your country insights and that provides a lot of data which you can look at and then determine if it makes sense to you, or it is valid. On the basis of this, you can decide on some of those policy directions which you will want your government to take.It is a comprehensive dashboard and the most comprehensive set of data, I repeat this, available for any African country on these four categories; of safety and rule of law, participation and human rights and socioeconomic development and human development. No other institution does this. Given the comprehensive nature of this report, no one institution can issue or produce the data relevant to all this. That is why we have partnership with several institutions including African Development Bank and Afro Barometer. Every time there is an institution that produces credible data we are always willing to compare this with others and incorporate in our report.However, again, it was a pleasure for me to present this to you and this is for your information as you know and for use of those you feel you can make use of. I do not know whether you have a copy of this report. If you look at page 16 to page 22, you will see all the data sets, all the categories and all the indicators that we used. I mean you would then appreciate the comprehensive nature of this report.It was a pleasure being here with you all, representatives. It is always a pleasure to come and talk to you and present you with all the great work that you are doing.Mr President, thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0905-152545FAEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Docteur Abdoulie.Vous êtes toujours le bienvenu au Parlement Panafricain. Le Parlement vous félicite pour les efforts que vous êtes en train de faire pour le continent, en matière de bonne gouvernance à travers la Fondation Mo Ibrahim. Vous avez nos soutiens et nous vous attendons à la prochaine session pour nous donner la perception 2016 de l’Indice Mo Ibrahim.Ceci étant, je soumets à la chambre le rapport 2015 de la Fondation Mo Ibrahim sur l’Indice de gouvernance africaine.Pas d’observation, pas de remarque, le Parlement prend note.(Coup de maillet)Arabe: 15:26:30 -15:26:45السيد الرئيس احب أن أسجل إعتراضي على هذا التقرير، اسجل إعتراضي على هذا التقرير، شكراًM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Cher collègue, il faut lire le Règlement Intérieur. Nous n’avons pas adopté le rapport. Nous avons pris note du rapport en français. En Anglais, il y a «TAKE NOTE» et «ADOPTED».We have only taken note - we have not adopted the report. So, it is very clear.I think it is your opinion; we respect your opinion, but the entire Chamber has taken note of the report.I thank you very much.Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, je vous donne la parole pour le point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux.LE SECRETAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Merci!Présentation et débat sur le rapport de la coalition «État de l’Union» relatif au niveau de conformité avec les instruments et les normes de l’Union africaine.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite mademoiselle Osai Ojigho, coordinatrice de la coalition SOTU, à faire sa présentation. Mademoiselle, vous voudrez bien vous présenter au début de votre présentation. Je vous remercie. Vous avez la paroleREFERENCE: 0905-152838EMS. OSAI OJIGHO, CSOTU COALITION COORDINATOR:Your Excellency the President, hon. Members, the Clerk, members of staff, representatives from the African Union Commission, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to the Pan-African Parliament for giving the state of the union coalition an opportunity to make this presentation today. We continue to acknowledge the support of the Pan-African Parliament to raising the voices of African citizens and civil society in the corridors of power.Permit me to begin with a brief introduction about the state of the union coalition. It is a coalition of civil society organisations working together to hold African Governments accountable for the ratification, domestication, and implementation of African Union instruments, policy frameworks and standards - believing that their successful implementation will have tremendous positive impact on the lives of millions of African citizens.Article 4 (1) (b) Rules of Procedures of the Assembly of Heads of State mandates the Assembly “to monitor the implementation of policies and decisions of the union as well as ensure compliance by all member states.”The African Union (AU) has adopted over fifty treaties, charters, conventions and protocols that aim to improve citizens’ life and entrench a culture of respect for human rights, good governance, peace and economic prosperity. As at December 2015 forty-nine instruments were adopted, but from the January summit that took place earlier this year 2016 an addition nine were adopted and will be open for ratification.Based on a study we have conducted and the analysis we have done on the state of ratification of these instruments, only one instrument which is the Constitutive Act of the African Union has been ratified by all fifty-four member states. This is closely followed by the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights which has fifty-three ratifications. The only country that is yet to ratify this is South Sudan although it has signed the charter. Following closely is the treaty establishing the African Economic Community.In terms of treaties and conventions that have a minimum of forty ratifications, we only have eleven out of these forty-nine instruments that have got that number. Then we come to the least ratified instruments. We discovered that even though an instrument like the Agreement for the Establishment of the African Risk Capacity Agency was adopted in 2012, no country has yet ratified it. Looking at the current status, even the revised protocol on the Pan-Africa Parliament as well has only yet received one ratification from Mali even though it was adopted in 2014.So, on one hand you have a number of instruments that have been fully ratified and they are close to universal ratification, but on the other, there are number of instruments that have not got even the light of day although most of them tend to be instruments that were adopted at the inception of the African Union. This tells us that there is a discrepancy amongst the levels of ratification within African countries.The State with the most number of ratifications is Mali 38, followed by Congo 34; Niger 34; Rwanda 31; Gabon 31; Ethiopia 31; Togo 29; Libya 28; and Burkina Faso 28.The least ratifying states include South Sudan (3) this could be linked to the fact that it is the newest member of the African Union and it is still developing its system in terms of how it will be ratifying and committing to African Union instruments, Sao Tome and Principe (4), Somalia (6) Others are Eritrea (7), Cape Verde (9), DRC (10), C.A.R (11), Botswana (11), and Djibouti (12).Studying the pattern of state ratifications as at December 2015, apart from the Constitutive Act which has universally been ratified by all African Member states and excluding African Union Commission on International Law (AUCIL) which was not open to ratification and became operative immediately, only 11 per cent of African states have ratified thirty or more instruments. Twenty-eight countries representing 52 per cent have ratified twenty to twenty-nine instruments. 37 per cent have ratified less than twenty instruments.Looking at the regions, Botswana has the lowest rate in Southern Africa. Cape Verde has the lowest rate in West Africa. The Horn of Africa has three of the bottom States with least ratifications that is Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. Mali is clear leader in ratifications while South Sudan, AU’s newest member, has the least number of ratifications.We then looked at the percentage of change in one year. Because this is a study covering the period from 1963 to 2015, we decided based on the ratification levels which seem to have dwindled since the inception of the AU, the probability of getting more ratifications in the coming years.So, we looked at the period July 2014 and December 2015 and we found in the top ten that I shared as the most ratified instruments, there were no new ratifications on that table. Only two countries: Chad & Guinea-Bissau made three ratifications; 15 per cent of States made only two additional ratifications; 24 per cent of States made only one ratification; and 57 per cent States did not make any new ratifications. Despite attending the AU summits and the advocacy going around pushing especially for instruments like the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, no ratifications were made.We see a slow-down in ratifications and this has great implications for the AU. The clear message is that we do not have standards that are uniform across the continent which of course has implications for regional integration and how we move forward as a continent.Of particular interest is the revised protocol of the PanAfrican Parliament an organ of the African Union itself having only one ratifications so far which is Mali and speaks to how even within the AU they take seriously the issues that concern other organs and institutions.What we also discovered is that ratifications are not only slowing down, but even when they are made; they are not made against AU shared values and key instruments. They are the ones that are getting the least attention. We are asking ourselves why this is the case. We see a great risk in terms of how we would implement the African Union Agenda 2063 and regional integration if we continue at this rate. At the current rate of ratification, it will take forty-five years for all fifty-four countries to ratify all the forty-nine AU instruments which have now been increased to fiftyeight. So, we cannot afford to be having 2 per cent of African Governments making three ratifications in a period of eighteen months.While vital, ratification is not the ultimate driver of change at the national level. Implementation and domestication is the core of translating instruments into tangible results. One of the tools that CSOTU uses is our continental compliance report. The latest edition which was launched in 2015 titled “Realising Africa’s Aspirations” is a study of the status of implementation of fourteen AU instruments and looked at samples from across the region in ten countries in Africa.The ten countries were Tunisia, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. We discovered that across the different thematic focus areas, citizens are yet to fully enjoy the investments in human rights, governance and development made in their countries as well as their aspirations contained in the various instruments that their countries have ratified.I will take you through some of the findings of the report which cut across several issues. On corruption, in spite of the many laws enacted and institutions established to address corruption between 2012 and 2014, there was no significant change in addressing it in Kenya and Nigeria, for example, during the period under review. In Malawi, the anti-corruption perception index actually peaked between 2013 and 2014, while in Tunisia, where corruption has been low; there have been slight increases in anti-corruption perception indices.On Governance, the effectiveness of political, legal, and economic reforms has been hampered by lack of local ownership and political support, and most reform programmes remain largely donor-dependent. Weaknesses in the existing reform frameworks as well as low commitment of civil servants and political leaders to policy reform initiatives also compound these limitations.Another challenge has been the shrinking civil society space across AU member states through increased control over civil society organisations activities both at the national and AU levels. We have seen a wave of deregistration of CSOs in some countries as well as legislation of laws that limit CSOs existence and operations which are all pointers towards reduced space for citizens’ engagement in governance affairs.When it comes to Women’s Human Rights, the culture of patriarchy, for instance, continues to negatively impact on gender relations in the areas of power, production, distribution and governance, while harmful practices against women like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) persist in most countries.Despite ratification of the Maputo Protocol which calls for state parties to strengthen legal frameworks for improving women’s Human Rights, there are weaknesses in the application of laws, and impunity for violations due to permissive legal environments that limit the enjoyment of women’s rights due to cultural, religious, or social connotations.Rwanda still leads as the global leader in terms of women’s representation in Parliament at 64 per cent, but the majority of African States are still struggling to meet minimum gender balance in decision-making and leadership.Based on the ranking supplied by IPU which is Inter Parliamentary Union, you see that you have the first leaders in Africa, political participation of women Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Angola, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda having thirty-five per cent or more women. Most African governments have a minimum of 30 per cent women and the AU gender policy says 50 per cent gender representation. Other countries that fall below those rankings are Comoros being the least at 135th position and surprisingly, Nigeria is second to the last at 138th position. So, we still have a lot to do as regards that area.On a positive note, looking at children’s rights, most countries are facilitating child education by providing free books, transport and uniforms, with an overall increase in enrolment of female students, and provision of free basic education in many countries. Governments are also allocating funds for children’s immunisation programmes, with the highest being in Senegal and South Africa achieving a 100 percent in their immunisation programmes, lowest in Mozambique 24 per cent but this is a marked improvement from previous years, and between 45 per cent and 70 per cent in the other ten case-study countries. The right to basic education has also not been equally enjoyed by children in rural areas with declining quality of education and increasing number of school dropouts.High mortality rates for children under five have remained high in some countries. This has been above 100 out of 1,000 births in Mozambique and Nigeria.One of the things that are good about education is the access to opportunities. The right to basic education has also not been equally enjoyed by children in rural areas with declining quality of education and increasing number of school dropouts. Youth unemployment also remains a major challenge across the continent. One of the things that are good about education is the access to opportunities. We find that the rural and urban divide still exists depending on the quality and kind of access you have to education.When we look at the issue of young people, Africa has 200 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24. There is still nothing in a constructive way that African Governments have channelled the energies of these vibrant section of their community. Acute unemployment is still quite high in Africa and has been the source of a lot of other emerging trends as regards recruitment for terrorism, the scourge of drug abuse and the propensity for violence that we see on our continent today.Looking at agriculture and food security, we find that in terms of developing formal national agriculture and food security investment plans, 52 per cent of African Governments are already developing or implementing their national plans on agriculture. Only thirteen countries, that is Burundi, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, have met or surpassed the 10 per cent target in one or more years since 2003 for budgetary allocations to agriculture.On health financing, the percentage of Governments health expenditure as part of the total budget has slightly increased in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. In Rwanda, this has trebled. Health differentials between women and men on HIV/AIDS still exists with all study countries, these are ten out of the fifty-four, showing more prevalence of women living HIV?AIDS at above 40 per cent.Finally, the Ebola crisis that hit some parts of Africa put the continent on the spotlight with regards to health, health financing and management of health systems. We are grateful that with the joint efforts of several African states, this scourge has been eradicated.It is clear from the above and other issues evaluated in the CSOTU study that states need to do more to ensure that they fully implement their commitments under the AU treaties so that they can positively impact on African citizens.Your Excellencies, hon. Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, what are the reasons for this noncompliance or non-implementation? The majority of the reasons are by Africans and their representatives in Government themselves include the following:(i)limited Budget/no allocation provided for these commitments that have been signed at the AU level;(ii)available capacities in relevant department/ministry. Many Government departments feel that they are over stretched with staff leading to prioritising other issues;(iii)different legal systems. The African continent has various legal systems with different procedures for ratifying and domesticating; Meaning that there is not enough information on how many national governments can implement these commitments;(iv)key ministries, often the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Justice are working at cross-purposes;(v)non-harmonisation of ratification processes across the continent;(vi)lack of a national coordinating mechanism which links or acts as a liaison between the national governments and the African Union Commission;(vii)conflicting priorities;(viii)bureaucracy; and(ix)lack of political will.Our recommendations are as follows:(i)we need better coordination between the African Union Commission and the states themselves. This could involve improving on communication or on plans of work.(ii)establishment of national monitory mechanisms should be high on the agenda because that is the only way that the African Union can also monitor what is going on at the national level. We already know that within the office of the Legal Counsel at the AUC there are already attempts to form the national secretarial committees that would feed back into the mechanism for ensuring compliance.(iii)strengthening the role of Pan-African Parliament itself - this morning we had the opportunity of listening to presentations. We heard that until the PAP has legislative powers, its influence will be limited in terms of pushing for compliance of its AU instruments and standards.(iv)improved communication not only between the AU organs, the AUC and states, but also with CSOs in terms of the issues we will need to be working on more together to push for change.As CSOTU we are doing a number of initiatives and closely monitoring processes for strengthening states compliance and implementation. We have currently finalised a research on the legal analysis and policy analysis of the revised Pan-African Parliament protocol whose findings we shall be presenting at a later date to the PAP, but also to the larger community. We are concluding a study on mechanisms for promoting compliance with the African Union and SADC treaties and policy frameworks.In addition, we are developing a model national mechanism for monitoring compliance and implementation as a suggestion of what works in other areas and trying to create an African solution to an African issue. This model, while at the draft stage, I am happy to present, we hope would be able to speak to this sort of framework where you have regional authorities communicating with the treaty management body and how other stakeholders fit into that structure and how the national coordinating authority will now deal with the line ministries in order to limit the issues of conflict prioritisation and ministries working at cross purposes.One of the things we discovered is that depending on each country the department or the government ministry responsible for a particular instrument differs. For example, if you are talking about the African Court, the protocol establishing the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, and you look at Tanzania, it is the Ministry of Justice responsible, but in another country, it could be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So, how do we ensure this coordination and the channel for technical assistance works?Your Excellencies, let me close by highlighting that everyone of us has the duty and responsibility to share this knowledge with our families, which is the smallest governance structure that we all belong to, our communities and our regions. We can learn from the challenges and seek to engage more effectively our governments to fully implement these AU instruments and laws as they directly or indirectly impact on the quality and standard of the lives of the people.It is our hope and desire that as a Pan-African Parliament, the people’s Parliament, you actively invigorate the governance space with the aim of pursuing compliance to AU treaties and contribute to making Africa a prosperous continent with empowered citizens.I thank you for your kind attention.REFERENCE: 0905-155621FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle. Chers collègues, vous venez de suivre avec beaucoup d’attention l’exposé de Mademoiselle OSAI OJIGHO. Cet exposé tombait au cœur de la problématique que nous vivions, ici en ce moment. Le problème de notre ratification entre en droite ligne avec ce que Mademoiselle vient de nous présenter.D’aucuns auraient pu croire que c’est la faiblesse du bureau ou bien des parlementaires, mais vous pouvez vous rendre en évidence que sur plus de 50 instruments juridiques, depuis l’Organisation de l’unité africaine à l’UA, il n’y a que quelques instruments qui ont été ratifiés.Cet exposé nous interpelle tous à faire un grand travail, si nous voulons avoir les 28 ratifications. Je vous l’avais déjà dit, lorsque vous partez au sommet, c’est comme si ce dont vous parlez n’intéresse plus personne. Personne ne veut plus entendre parler du Protocole de Malabo. On adopte d’autres traités sans faire l’état de ratification des anciens traités qui sont là depuis.Je voudrais donc, à la suite de Mademoiselle, vous dire qu’ici la responsabilité de notre ratification, si nous voulons l’atteindre, nous incombe à nous tous. Chacun doit aller dans son Etat, chez lui, essayer de pousser. Il est bien vrai que nous voulons que plusieurs instruments juridiques de l’Union africaine soit ratifiés, mais charité bien ordonnée, commençons d’abord par notre protocole, poussons le pour qu’il puisse avancer.A ce jour, il y a dix signatures. Trois ratifications, cela voudrait dire qu’on a fait beaucoup d’efforts par rapport aux autres qui ont encore zéro signature, zéro ratification. Donc chers collègues, mettons nous résolument au travail pour que nous puissions avoir les 28 ratifications requises, afin que nous devenions un parlement fort, dont l’Afrique a besoin.J’ai une liste de 8 intervenants devant moi, il s’agit de:1.Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas du Nigeria;2.Hon. Ernesto MOLATO, de l’Angola;3.Hon. Claude D.M. KAMANDA, de Sierra Leone;4.Hon. Sekou Fantamadi TRAORE, du Mali;5.Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO, de Guinée-Conakry;6.Hon. Loide JASINGO, de la Namibi;7.Hon. ROUAMBA Workya, du Burkina Faso;8.Hon. Dr Bernadette LAHAI;9.Et Hon. Millie Grace, du Kenya.Je donne la parole au premier inscrit de ma liste, il s’agit d’Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas du Nigeria.REFERENCE: 0905-160001PHON. ERNESTO JOAQUIM MULATO [ANGOLA]:Em primeiro lugar, eu tenho de agradecer ao Senhor Presidente por me dar a palavra. E começar por felicitar a apresentadora que nos fez uma grande prestaçao de informaçoes importantes que penso que vâo ajudar a nossa acçâo; acçâo essa que tem a ver com a ratificaçâo de documentes da Uniâo Africana e no que diz respeito ao nosso documento no Parlamento.Pela exposiçâo, chegamos sempre a conclusâo que tudo é transversal àquilo que nós vinhamos a discutir desde que começamos as Sessoes Plenarias desta Quarta Legislatura e a Segunda Sessâo que nós temos agora aqui sedeados.O que significa falta vontade política dos nossos dirigentes para podermos avanzar com este processo.Vendo os países com os documentos ratificados, mesmo que haja muitos documentos ratificados, mas os fUndamentais nao ratificados, ficamos totalmente preocupados. Por isso, eu concordo com a sua conclusao, no sentido de falta de vontade política; mas no que diz respeito a outros pressupostos apresentados nos outros Ministérios, penso eu, que nao podemos aceitar que é por falta de dinheiro ou por falta de quadros para poder levar avante esses trabalhos porque um documento revisto como no caso do Protocolo que nos permite sermos legislativos, deveria merecer a primeira preocupado junto dos nossos Governos.Para terminar, diria eu que, com esta ferramenta apresentada pela digníssima Senhora, temos matéria para podermos levar como advogados e tentarmos, mais uma vez, junto dos nossos Governos para ver se os dois documentos fundamentais que sao a Carta e o Protocolo, pelo menos haja um movimento para a sua ratificado.Muito obrigado.REFERENCE: 0905-160253EHON. CLAUDE D. M. KAMANDA [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you, Mr. President.Mr. President, Honourable Members, 99.9 numbers of times when this protocol or these instruments are adopted by our Heads of State, Members of Parliament are not present at all and it is shameful most of the time when we go to a forum, the name of our countries are mentioned that we have not complied at all. Most times, it is the House of Parliament that does ratify these instruments.Mr. President and Honourable Members, on noncompliance, the presenter did mention that one of the characteristics is lack of coordination and on the recommendation sheet, she proposed improved communication and strengthening the whole of the PanAfrican Parliament and that is, we, the Members of Parliament, that are present here from the various countries.I believe this is the right platform, this Chamber, wherein Members of Parliament that are present need to know the status of our various countries on the compliance rate. I want to call on the coordinator of the status of the Union to make available to each and every Member here present the status of compliance of our countries so that when we go back to our various countries, we will sit as a team from the Pan-African Parliament and then liaise the Executive and see how fast we can move with the ratification and implementation of the instrument.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 0905-160707EHON. LOIDE KASINGO [NAMIBIA]:Mr. President, thank you. I have to thank the colleague for a well prepared report. Just like my colleague from Mali has said, when you have this report, you look through to see whether your country is also in. In the whole report, the tiny country, Republic of Namibia, has not been mentioned. We are young. We seem to do well. If I am not mistaken, we are one of those countries which have embarked on ratification of the AU protocol, apart from the PAP. I will ensure that come next year, Namibia will be one of those. Even in this ratification, we have the most ratifying states and the least. I would like to have at least the middle one. Maybe Namibia is in the middle.Namibia seems to do well in terms of children’s rights. We have ratified the continental convention and the local law. I would like to see the countries that do not appear here to appear next time so that when we go back home, we can tell our government to do ABCD. Otherwise, I thank the presenter. It is a good report.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-160902EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr. President.Mr. President, I am not surprised that these two presentations have been put together because they actually speak to the same thing. They are telling us about the state of affairs in Africa with regard to either the protocol or the agreements that we sign or the different sectors as has been espoused in the Mo Ibrahim’s presentation. I want to thank my sister for the presentation.One of the reasons maybe the African Protocol has not been ratified speedily - and that also applies to the UN Convention on Protocol and Agreements - has to do with the lack of involvement of Members of Parliament from inception. I happen to have sat in many UN meetings. You hardly find, among the government delegation, Members of Parliament. So, if these are not involved at the inception of the development of the text so that they know the reason behind the document and the processes of negotiation so that they are fully informed, how then do you expect them to even know that some of these protocols exist?I have seen one treaty that was very speedily ratified, that is the Arms Trade Treaty. It did not take long because the Parliamentarians were part of the action. They sponsored their member to attend all the four committees. I attended three of the four committees where other members attended. It was briefly informed by the draft text of the Arms Trade Treaty because I sat in the meetings and knew the agreements. I knew what was good and I compared the content of the text to that of the Arms and Ammunition Bill that came to parliament.So, maybe let us force our governments to involve Members of Parliament in their delegation when documents are being initiated and developed.Thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-161211EHON. MILLIE GRACE AKOTH ADHIAMBO MABONA (MRS) [KENYA]:I thank you, Mr. President for giving me this opportunity and I want to thank the presenter from CSOTU and Mohammed Foundation for their excellent presentations. I would suggest that maybe in future, if we can have all these versions as state of the union address because it actually answers to the work that we are doing here.In the past we have done a lot of work on ratification and implementation of treaties, including sponsoring a Bill in Kenyan which has now become law, the treaty making and ratification act that has ensured a greater role for Members of Parliament in the ratification of treaties. Once the Executive initiates the process, it is then passed by the Parliament of Kenya. However, one of the things that I have seen that is pretty unique is that as much as the African countries do not want the involvement of the West in their business, when it comes to the issue of ratification of treaties, we are only happy ratifying treaties that come from the UN, but not from the AU. We have absolutely no faith in our own systems, which is really a tragedy except when it perhaps has very selfish country interest.I have seen when Africa is reminded to do something, she can do it and in record time. When Kenya wanted to pull out of the ICC within record time, we were able to get the support of many African countries to get Kenya to threaten to move out of the ICC. If we could move with the same vigour in ratifying even treaties that affect us and help us to develop, then Africa would change. The unfortunate thing is that Africa behaves like a child with a stunted growth blaming every neighbour for developing kwashiorkor and all other regressive diseases.It is time we owned up. We may have come from a negative past, but it is time we owned up as a continent - that our future is in our hands, our destinies are in our hands and stop blaming everybody even for the smallest things. What it takes in ratifying treaties is very simple. I would want to encourage the countries and even us, as leaders here, that there are many people who are seeking higher office; there are people who are seeking to be presidents and others who have become ministers. When you find yourself in a position of authority in your country, please, have the spirit of Pan-Africanism in you and move and forge with Africa ahead.I would want to talk to the issue of participation of women. It is very sad that one of my colleagues and I were not able to come for the whole of last week because we were waiting to vote on a very critical constitutional amendment bill that would have seen the increase of the number of women from, I think, 15% to 30% and patriarchy played yet again and we were defeated. So, yes we lost twice - we did not come from the whole of last week and we lost, but it does not end there. We will still fight and we will make sure that we increase the number of women in the Kenyan Parliament.Thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Thank you very much and now I give the floor to Honourable FAYCAL TEBBINI from Tunisia.REFERENCE: 0905-161551AHON. FAYCAL TEBBINI [TUNISIA]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم،أعطى هذا التقرير على أهميته توضيحا لقيمة البرلمان عندما ال يكون له صفة التشريع، فالبرلمان هو الممثل الشرعي و الرسمي و الوحيد لكل الشعوب، و خير مثال على ذلك تونس، لدينا 06 حزب ممثال في البرلمان، لكن هناك 2 فقط يحكمون، فالحكومة ليست الممثل الشرعي للشعب، ولذا عدم إعطاء برلمان أفريقيا صيفة المشرع أمر ال يعود بالخير على الشعوب األفريقية، وأتمني أن تكون تخيالتي في غير محلها لمستقبل هذه الشعوب األفريقية، لماذا؟ كلنا نعلم - وعلينا أن نكون صريحين مع أنفسنا-أن أغلب الحكومات و الحكام في أفريقيا يقع تعينهم من الخارج و إذا لم يرض عليهم األجانب و الدول الكبرى فلن يكون لهم نصيب في الحكم، وأعتقد وأن هاته المعركة هي المعركة األصلية و الوجودية لهذا البرلمان، إذا لم تكن له صفة المشرع سيبقى مجرد اسم على مسمى، أعتذر إذا كان كالمي لم يعجب البعض فهذه هي الصراحة، و من كان يريد أن تبقى أفريقيا مقاطعة أو مستعمرة إلى حد اآلن، فهنالك من الشعوب األفريقية من تسعى للتحرر وعلينا أن نكون كلنا مع بعض، لسنا هنا من أجل تسجيل حضورنا بل من أجل تمثيل شعب أفريقيا، نريد أفريقيا موحدة نريد مضاهاة هذا البرلمان للبرلمان األوروبي، و المعضلة الكبرى لبعض الدول األفريقية أن البرلمان األوروبي يتفاوض مع دول بصفة منفردة وهذا يعود بالضرر على الشعوب، فمن غير المعقول أن تتفاوض شركة مع مواطن مثال، فالبرلمان يتفاوض مع حكومات دول وهذه أكبر مشكلة بالنسبة إليهم، فعلينا أن نتحد، علينا أن نذهب جميعنا كقارة أفريقية للتفاوض، مثلما وقع في الكاب60 للتغير المناخي، كانت كلمة أفريقيا موحدة بينما لو تذهب دولة لوحدها.فلن يكون ألي دولة نصيب إذا لجأت للتفاوض لوحدها، و لذا نتمنى أن يكون هذا البرلمان هو الذي يتفاوض في مكان كل دولة أفريقية حتى تكون لها القوة ففي االتحاد قوة كل المجموعة، بصراحة علينا فك االرتباط ما بين االتحاد األفريقي و البرلمان األفريقي إذا أردنا أن يكون لهذا البرلمان فاعلية، ألن الحكومات ال تريد إعطاء سلطتها و تشريعاتها لهذا البرلمانالسالم عليكم.REFERENCE: 0905-162010EMS. OSAI OJIGHO, CSOTU COALITION COORDINATOR]:Thank you very much, Your Excellency, for giving me the Floor again and thank you very much Hon. Members of the Pan-African Parliament for your proactive participation and your comments.Most of the reactions were general comments and I thank you all for this. I just want to highlight a few of the issues that were raised about some of the countries being absent. We will get this data across to you.On the issue of the status of compliance, yes, we have all the fifty-four countries and we can share the data set in excel to the secretariat and I am sure they will find the best means of ensuring that you have a copy before you leave and then you can use that to make an analysis.Also, on ratification, we have it in PDF and I can also make it available to be printed for you to take along. Then we are planning a larger table which would be laminated and made also available in the four official languages of the AU.On the discrepancy between ratification and the status of development in countries like Cape Verde and Botswana, this was also something we discovered in the research. You have a country like Cape Verde that is considered a middle income country and has achieved certain developmental indices. It has only ratified nine of the African Union Instruments. We have also seen that just because a country has not ratified this instrument does not necessarily mean that they have not already implemented or are not compliant to the same standards contained in these instruments.What we are requesting in terms of uniformity is for them to also accede to this treaty and it is still a working process. The same applies to Botswana. Just because a country has ratified many instruments does not translate into improving the lives of its citizens. So, we are now looking at that dimension that came out of the study to develop a closer link between ratification and development. Then we will also look at the development indices in these countries that have not ratified, but are doing so well in order to produce better resources and stronger recommendations to see what we can learn from these two different dimensions.On the issue of political participation of women, we asked ourselves the same question. We have a country like Nigeria which is very vibrant and involved in so many campaigns to ensure other countries have strong and effective government. The issue of women representation, however, is still a struggle. So we studied the top countries. Among the things we discovered is that the top countries, one way or the other, are implementing article IX of the Maputo Protocol which talks to facilitating participation of women through affirmative action practices.All the countries which are in the top five practice a form of affirmative action or the other either such as a quota system in the constitution or in terms of the political parties, their governance structures and how women emerge in the political system.In Nigeria, there is neither a quota system nor constitutional provision for ensuring a certain percentage of women in political parties or do they have special resources for women. So, that could be one factor, but we are not saying it is the only factor why Nigeria is not doing much better on that level.We did not have the status for the moderate countries like Namibia which might not be in the top ten, but maybe they are eleventh to twelfth. What we are going to do for the next study is to have even colour-coded results so that you can see where you are in terms of compliance and we will also be able to do a brief on each of the countries.We did not want to make a very large report because that would be over fifty pages, but what we could do is to do a more synthesised report that also captures the key findings of per country which will be useful.Like I said, the ratification table is going to be a more regular product that we do which you can then use as a tool to push for ratification at state level and also greater involvement of the National Parliament which was one of the things we heard from the Hon. Member from Sierra Leone to see how that can also change and prepare for ratification at country level.Thank you very much for your kind attention. We look forward to more opportunities like this to collaborate with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).Thank you.REFERENCE: 0905-162557FTHE PRESIDENT:Merci beaucoup. Merci, Thank you very much Madame.Je soumets à la Chambre le rapport de la coalition état de l’Union, relatif au niveau de conformité avec les instruments et les normes de l’Union africaine. Pas d’observation? Pas de remarque? Le Parlement prend note!(Applaudissements)Monsieur le Secrétaire général, je vous donne la parole pour quelques annonces.LA SECRETAIRE GENERALE:Conformément aux alinéas 3 et 4 de l’article 37 du Règlement intérieur, le programme de la journée du mardi 10 mai est modifié comme suit:de 09 heures à 12 heures: élection du viceprésident, représentant la région de l’Est, suivie de l’élection du Président du groupe sur la jeunesse,de 14 heures 30 à 18 heures: présentation et débat sur le budget de l’Union pour 2017.Le groupe régional de l’Afrique de l’est a soumis les candidatures suivantes au poste de vice-président, du Parlement panafricain, représentant la région au Secrétaire général.Honorable SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL, de Djibouti,Honorable CHARLES MAJAK ALEER, du sud Soudan.A la fin de la plénière de demain matin, les commissions suivantes se réuniront. La Commission éducation, culture, tourisme et ressources humaines, en salle 5 et la Commission permanente de l’audit et des comptes publics en salle 4.La dernière annonce concerne^ le Président de la région sud invite tous les membres, tous les députés de la région sud, à se joindre à eux à 19 heures précises au restaurant ADEGA.LE PRESIDENT:Ce n’est pas bon! Sud?LA SECRETAIRE GENERALE:l’Afrique australe, sorry. Le Président de la région de l’Afrique australe, invite également tous les députés de la région de l’Afrique australe à se joindre à eux à 19 heures précises, au restaurant ADEGA.C’est tout. Merci.LE PRESIDENT:Madame la Secrétaire générale, vous n’avez pas reçu de candidatures pour le caucus des jeunes?LA SECRETAIRE GENERALE:Nous avons reçu une seule candidature, celle de l’Honorable, DJIDDA MAMAR MAHAMAT, du Tchad, qui a été désigné comme candidat du caucus Afrique centrale pour le poste de Président du caucus des jeunes.LE PRESIDENT:Chers collègues, nous sommes arrivés au terme de nos travaux, la séance est suspendue, elle reprend demain à 09 heures.
Tuesday, 10th May, 2016
[THE President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observedLa séance est ouverte!Chers collègues,Mesdames et Messieurs les Vice-présidents,Chers collègues,Je vous adresse mon salut fraternel.Je salue la présence parmi des interprètes, des membres de la presse et de tous ceux qui nous facilitent le travail.Je souhaite que vous soyez bien réveillés et que vous ayez l’énergie habituelle pour continuer nos travaux.Le premier point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux. J’invite le Secrétaire général à donner lecture de premier point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux.Monsieur le Secrétaire général,Vous avez la parole!THE CLERK:Good morning Excellency!Honorables members,Election of the vice-president of the Pan African Parliament for the East African Region.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Élection du Deuxième Viceprésident représentant la Région de l’Afrique de l’Est.Honorables membres,Conformément à l’article 16, alinéa 4 du Règlement intérieur, la Chambre doit maintenant procéder à l’élection du Vice-président représentant la Région de l’Afrique de l’Est.J’invite les candidats à se présenter, présenter leurs motivations et leurs programmes.Secrétariat général,Quels sont les candidats?THE CLERK:Candidate n° 1: Hon. Safia ELMI DJIBRIL of Djibouti.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Mr Clerk, give of the list of the candidates who have been nominate for this election first.THE CLERK:Ok!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:How many candidate you have?THE CLERK:Ok!There are two candidates!One is Hon. Safia ELMI DJIBRIL of Djibouti.And two, Hon. Charles MAJAK ALEER of South Sudan.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je donne la parole à la candidate Safia from Djibouti pour présenter sa candidature et ses motivations.(Applaudissements)You have ten minutes!HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Bissimillah Rahaman Rahahim.Bonjour à vous, auguste Assemblée,Bonjour d’abord, Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Bonjour à vous, auguste Assemblée,Good morning,Habari ya asubuhi, Bom dia, Buenos dias,Assallah maleykoum.(Applaudissements)Permettez-moi, de me présenter d’abord Honorables collègues.Je suis l’Honorable Madame safia ELMI DJIBRIL, Djiboutienne et mère de trois enfants.Je suis député depuis le 8 février 2008 et je suis à mon second mandat.À l’Assemblée nationale de mon pays, je suis membres du Bureau permanent, en qualité de Questeur, en charge des finances de l’Assemblée nationale.Depuis mars 2013, je suis fière d’être membre du Parlement panafricain et actuellement membre du bureau de la Commission Permanente de la Santé, du Travail et Affaires sociales, en tant que Vice-présidente.En restant dans la modestie, je peux dire que je jouis d’une solide expérience professionnelle dans les domaines de la santé où j’ai exercé le noble métier de Sage-femme, et ensuite j’ai suivi une formation spécialisée en Master en Santé publique, avant d’être la Directrice des Projets et Programmes en charge de la Santé maternelle et infantile, puis Directrice du Département Santé, mère et enfant en République de Djibouti.Par la suite, j’ai été nommée Conseillère technique auprès du Ministre de la Santé, en matière de Santé reproductive.En plus de mes fonctions, j’ai apporté ma petite contribution bénévolement pour aider les femmes djiboutiennes au sein de l’Union nationale des Femmes djiboutiennes connue sous l’appellation « UNFD » une des plus grandes ONG de mon pays, et endossé la responsabilité de coordonner l’ensemble des programmes et projets pour promouvoir l’intégration de la femme dans le développement de notre pays. À cette occasion, j’ai pu initier et mettre en place un centre d’écoute, d’informations et d’orientation devant traiter les violences faites aux femmes.J’ai ensuite eu l’occasion d’assurer la présidence du Comité national de lutte contre les pratiques traditionnelles néfastes et en l’occurrence, les mutilations génitales féminines.Je continue à exercer mes fonctions au sein de l’UNFD, parallèlement à mon mandat de parlementaire.Comme vous pouvez le voir, mon parcours professionnel est jalonné par deux secteurs clés: « santé et social »; et mon seul leitmotiv reste la satisfaction des attentes des populations qui m’ont donné mandat, d’être à leur écoute mais aussi d’essayer d’apporter des solutions aux divers besoins de mes compatriotes dans leur quotidien.En toute modestie, je me considère comme une parlementaire dynamique, rigoureuse, sérieuse et dévouée au travail avec une forte implication personnelle et animée d’une force de propositions que je compte mettre au service du Parlement panafricain.Lors de mon premier mandat, j’ai initié sept propositions de lois qui ont toutes abouti. Les trois premières adoptées le 20 juillet 2011, portaient sur le régime général des retraités, des travailleurs salariés, fonctionnaires conventionnés et des militaires pour modifier les modalités de [ "croix” 09:03:52] de la pension de réversion aux ayants droit.L’une des meilleures [09:03:57 inaudible] entreprises étant de rétablir une équité sociale, puisque le veuf d’une femme décédée ne percevait pas auparavant la pension de retraite de sa défunte épouse, alors qu’elle avait cotisé.Les deux autres propositions de lois adoptées le 28 mars 2012 et le 30 septembre 2014 concernent respectivement les statuts juridiques d’une pouponnière qui accueille les nouveau-nés et les nourrissons abandonnés et la dernière enfin, concerne la révision de certaines dispositions du Code de la Famille.L’objectif premier étant d’offrir une protection juridique aux bébés abandonnés pour qu’ils puissent être légalement adoptés en accord avec les principes de la ‘’HABANA” du droit musulman.Mon expérience professionnelle, mes qualités personnelles, mon engagement africain et ma conviction dans le règlement des problèmes africains par les pairs, m’ont encouragée à me porter candidate au poste de Vice-présidente du Bureau du Parlement panafricain, car je pense avoir les capacités nécessaires pour être à la hauteur des responsabilités qui seront les miennes, si éventuellement vous m’accordez votre confiance pour exercer de telles responsabilités.(Applaudissements nourris)En outre, étant donné que le thème de l’année retenu par l’ONU, lors de la Journée internationale de la Femme et l’année africaine des droits de l’homme avec un accent particulier sur les droits de la femme, j’espère qu’au nom de l’égalité du genre, la participation effective des femmes aux instances décisionnelles est importante.C’est donc, à mon humble avis, le moment opportun dem’élire au poste de Vice-président du Bureau del’Institution parlementaire panafricaine, pour montrerau niveau continental et international que le PAP estune institution avant-gardiste.(Applaudissements)Aussi, fervente partisante des textes panafricains qui sont impérativement dans le contexte actuel de mondialisation, ma candidature est motivée par ma volonté manifeste d’apporter une pierre à l’édifice dans le cadre de l’intégration continentale des États africains.Eu égard à mon expérience concernant le travail parlementaire au sein de l’institution législative de mon pays, je compte apporter une plus-value tout en mettant mon énergie et mes compétences au service du Parlement panafricain qui sera désormais, j’en suis sûre et j’en suis convaincue, l’organe législatif de l’Union africaine.Je compte donc sur vous tous, pour m’élire en toute confiance à ce poste, car j’agirai toujours avec le souci de servir notre chère institution panafricaine, recherchant en permanence des solutions pérennes aux problématiques spécifiques et à notre continent, et à travailler pour un avenir meilleur pour l’ensemble des peuples africains.Enfin, je ne peux clôturer ma plaidoirie sans rappeler notre chère devise: « Une Afrique! Une Voix ».Je vous remercie, Honorables sœurs et frères de votre aimable attention.Merci beaucoup!Shukrane!Thank you!Asante sana!Obrigado!(Applaudissements nourris)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup. Mercibeaucoup.J’invite l’Honorable Charles MAJAK ALEER du Sud Soudan à présenter sa candidature.Honorable,Vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1005-0900746EHON. CHARLES MAJAK ALEER [SOUTH SUDAN]:Mr President, Hon. Members of PAP, my sincere greetings to you.My name is Charles Majak Aleer. I come from South Sudan as announced. I stand here before you delighted to present myself as a candidate for second VicePresident vacated by my sister from Ethiopia.Sincerely speaking, it is not in the real sense a contest. In my country, South Sudan, a country that has emerged from a very serious war for decades fighting to liberate itself, to be a nation among nationals of the world and particularly the AU. We did manage to realise that and so we are now a free country excelling among the communities of the world organised and formed under the AU.In the AU we are fifty-four members and as a new nation, it has been a slogan of African people that South Sudan is a new born nation to them. As a last born we are expecting to have Saharawi to be born soon so that we are fifty-five African countries.My ambition for is to build a strong Africa. It is a problem being a new state and as you all know we are inside Africa, in the middle, landlocked and still new to many people. So, the objective is to expose this country to the world and in particular to Africa with its rich potentials which most of you know.Recently, we witnessed a divided South Sudan. We had a war which was not even reported. These are some of the reasons we would rather be in the forefront of these regional or international groupings so that we must tell exactly what is happening there.The ‘war’ in South Sudan was a tribal struggle. It was not right to report that there was a war. It was a power struggle and the tribes were cut across. Of course, you need our presence at the front to make this country be understood as one of those countries that can even help the world because the resources we have are for Africa in the first place before they become for the world. South Sudan also needs advocacy with support from you, fellow African people. That is the main objective.Coming to experience, I would say I have loads of experience, with my age. I have done a lot for my country and I will enumerate where I did some of the things to the people of South Sudan and Northern Sudan. I have fourteen years experience in the civil service that there is no need to own up being director of Finance because my field was in finance. I was excelling in that line with a good name and reputation until I took to politics.In 1983, I was appointed, by decree, to represent university graduates with a regional assembly by a gazette. I headed a special committee on economy and finance for three years before we were taken way by a popular uprising. In the popular uprising which was multi-party system I became Minister of Regional Government regulated by a gazette because South Sudan was divided into three regions.So, I was there as a Minister for Health and Social Welfare. We were overtaken by the current government of Khartoum and so we were overthrown. Having being a minister I had to be patient with the law. As an economist, I was one of the people who moved that the South people needed a bank. I was one of the founders of that bank and that bank became the first commercial establishment. It took three years from 1992 to 1994 for it to become a commercial concern in Khartoum. It is now a leading bank in South Sudan.I worked there for four years before I joined SPLM/SPLA. Coming to the SPLA controlled areas, I established a commercial bank which is now in Juba flourishing as one of the national banks second to the ILO bank. That is my experience in this area.In 2008, I was appointed to a support fund that was established at the Presidency in Khartoum and that committee was headed by First Vice-President Silva Kiir and co-chaired by Elias Mantar and the management was my boss, the secretary general, while I was deputy secretary-general at the state administration status.By 2011, I was elected to the Parliament. It is the Parliament that has sent me here. In 2008, we held a regional convention for our party and I ascended to the Electoral Regulatory Council which is the second highest body in SPLM party.Today, I am here as a member of this Pan-African Parliament and I accept on behalf of my country to be elected to the highest office of the bureau so that I can also use this forum as a vehicle to reach other many forums for South Sudan to be heard. So, these are some of my experiences which I have briefly out lined.My social status is that I am married and I have thirteen children because I have three wives.LaughterHON. CHARLES MAJAK ALEER:So, the issue here, to be honest with you is that the fight is not between Hon. Safia and me. It is not a gender issue or struggle at all because I respect women as you can see. I have three women.ApplauseHON. CHARLES MAJAK ALEER:It is an issue of South Sudan and Djibouti. Djibouti got independence a long time ago. It has assented to all the treaties in the region. South Sudan is still a small child. So, nurse us so that we grow faster. My appeal to all hon. Members of either gender is to support my candidature.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1005-091827FEMR. PRESIDENT:Thank you very much.J’invite le Secrétaire Général à donner lecture des procédures de vote pour les élections du Vice-président.Monsieur Le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole.THE CLERK:Honourable Members will sign a register and receive one ballot paper representing the candidates of the region. They will then proceed to the polling booth and mark a cross in the box representing the candidate they have chosen. They will drop the ballot paper in the ballot box. The secretariat will count the ballot papers under the observation of the representatives of the candidates and the supervision of the President of the Pan-African Parliament. The Secretary will forward the results of the election to thePresident of the PAP for onward transmission to the Plenary.Thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Vous venez de suivre la procédure de vote. J’invite le Secrétaire Général à préparer la Chambre aux opérations de vote pour l’élection du Vice-président.THE CLERK:Honourable Members, you will proceed from this side. This section will be the first to come and register on this table here and then proceed to the booth.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues,Avant de commencer les votes, je voudrais vous donner lecture des dispositions de l’Article 16, alinéa 11 qui stipule qu’en cas de vacances en cours de mandat du poste d’un membre dans l’organe du PAP, celui qui est mis en remplacement achève le mandat du prédécesseur. Il peut être renouvelé une fois. Article 16, alinéa 11.THE CLERK:Honourable Mr President, you will lead in the votes, followed by the Bureau Members. So, will you please come and proceed.Voting takes placeREFERENCE: 1005-095610FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite les deux candidats à désigner leur représentant au bureau de vote.L’autre représentant!Cher Monsieur,Nous sommes en vote. Votre motion n’a pas _UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Si je peux voter parce que je n’ai pas voté, Monsieur Le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Le vote est déjà terminé.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Nous sommes trois.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Le vote est déjà clos.THE PRESIDENT:The numbers are tallying with the register.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:143 inscrits, 143 votants, le dépouillement, le compte des voix.THE PRESIDENT:We have 3 blank papers. For Honourable Safia we have 105 votes while for Honourable Charles Majak Aleer, we have 35 votes.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci mesdames et messieurs. Je soumets à la Chambre les résultats des votes pour l’élection du Vice-président du Parlement panafricain représentant la région de l’Afrique de l’Est -Inscrits: 143Votants: 143Votes blancs: 3Suffrages valablement exprimés par candidat -Charles: 35 voixSafia: 105 voixJe déclare ainsi élu conformément au...(Applaudissements)Je déclare ainsi élu, conformément aux dispositions de l’Article 16, alinéa 11, l’Honorable SAFIA Elmi Djibril de Djibouti élue Deuxième Vice-président représentant la région Afrique de l’Est.(Applaudissements)Je voudrais féliciter la maturité de notre démocratie. Il y a eu ni vainqueur ni vaincu. Seule la démocratie de notre institution a gagné.Honorables Membres,Conformément à l’Article 9 du Règlement Intérieur, nous allons maintenant procéder à la prestation du serment de l’Honorable SAFIA Elmi Djibril comme Deuxième Vice-président du Parlement panafricain.J’invite l’Honorable SAFIA, Vice-président du Parlement panafricain à lire son discours de serment.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1005-101940FHON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Bissimallah Rahaman Rahim.Moi, Honorable Madame Safia ELMI DJIBRIL, Députée du Parlement panafricain, prends l’engagement solennel devant les Peuples africains et devant Dieu, de m’acquitter de mes fonctions de Vice-présidente du Parlement panafricain avec honneur et dignité au service des peuples africains, de servir avec loyauté et entière allégeance à l’Union africaine, de préserver, protéger et défendre l’Acte constitutif de l’Union africaine et le Protocole au Traité portant création de la Communauté économique africaine relatif au Parlement panafricain tel que défini par la loi, et de promouvoir le respect des principes de bonne gouvernance, de démocratie, ainsi que ceux relatifs aux droits humains, du droit international humanitaire, à la paix, à la stabilité et aux objectifs du Parlement panafricain.Je le jure!(Applaudissements nourris)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci.J’invite l’Honorable SAFIA, Vice-présidente du Parlement panafricain à prendre son siège sur le podium.(Ovations)J’invite l’Honorable SAFIA, Deuxième Vice-présidente du Parlement panafricain à prononcer ses mots de remerciements.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DEUXIÈME VICE- PRÉSIDENTE DU PARLEMEN PANAFRICAIN]:Excusez-moi beaucoup, je suis très émue.Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Mesdames et Messieurs les Vice-présidents du Parlement panafricain,Mes très chers collègues,Mesdames et Messieurs,Je tiens, ici, à vous faire part de mes remerciements les plus chaleureux et sincères pour m’avoir élue au poste de Vice-présidente du Bureau de votre illustre Institution qui est le Parlement panafricain.Votre confiance sera ma source de motivation et j’essaierai d’être à la hauteur de l’estime que vous avez placée en moi.L’élection d’une nouvelle femme au sein du Bureau va certainement apporter un regard nouveau dans l’approche des problématiques abordées. Elle constitue aussi un pas supplémentaire pour la promotion de l’égalité du genre dans les Institutions décisionnelles de l’Union africaine.Au-delà des aspects institutionnels, l’Assemblée panafricaine est le porte-voix des aspirations des milliers des citoyens africains. La mission assignée est lourde mais elle est noble, et je m’engage à m’acquitter humblement et dignement de mon rôle de Parlementaire et Vice-présidente du Bureau, en vous renouvelant une fois de plus ma reconnaissance.Je vous remercie de votre aimable attention.Thank you.Shucran.Asante sana.Obrigado.(Applaudissements nourris)REFERENCE: 1005-102512FEAM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Le deuxième point de l’ordre du jour.J’invite le Secrétaire général à donner lecture du deuxième point inscrit à l’ordre du jour.THE CLERK:Mr. President, thank you. The second item is the election of the president of the Pan-African Parliament Youth Caucus.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Élection du Président du Groupe sur la Jeunesse; du groupe des jeunes [...] c’est quoi en anglais? What is it? Parce qu’ici c’est écrit élection du Président du Groupe sur la Jeunesse du Parlement panafricain. Il s’agit de quoi? Oui en français!Élection du Caucus des Jeunes du Parlement panafricain. Je crois que c’est ça la terminologie.Monsieur le Secrétaire général, donnez-nous les candidats!THE CLERK:Mr. President, thank you. We have two candidates who are Hon. Mboni Mohammed Mhita from Tanzania of the Eastern Caucus and the other is Hon. Djidda Mamar Mahamat from Chad from the Central Caucus.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Oui!UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:S’il vous plaît, Monsieur le Président, à moins que vous ne fassiez une erreur, hier vous nous avez dit qu’il y avait qu’une seule candidature.Comment se fait-il que séance tenante, on puisse poser une autre candidature. Cela ne se fait pas, Monsieur le Président.Je vous remercie.Tenez compte de ça.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Secrétariat général!UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:J’approuve cela aussi.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Secrétariat général, hier nous avions annoncé une candidature et aujourd’hui, vous en avez deux. Est-ce que vous pouvez expliquer à la plénière ce qui s’est passé?THE CLERK:Mr. President, thank you. Yesterday, we had one candidate, but today we received another one. So, we have now received two before the elections.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite les candidats à se présenter.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:S’il vous plaît, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Oui!HONOURABLE MEMBER:Point of Order. Mr. President, thank you very much for giving me the Floor. We have a candidate from East Africa who we nominated the first day of the session. So, if we are talking about nomination, we did our part. If there is something that went wrong in the administration, that is not our business. We nominated our candidate on 3rd May 2016.Thank you very much.بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيملوضع حد لهذا الخالف، ماذا يقول النظام الخاص بالبرلمان على الترشيحات؟ أم علينا اإلعالن عليها مسبقا، إذا تمت الترشيحات في آخر لحظة، فالجلسة سيدة نفسها و إذا كانت الترشيحات مسبقا، نريد أن نعرف حتى نضع حد لهذا الخالف الذي يعد خالفا إجرائيا، وأنا مع الزميل باتريك ألن اإلجراءات هي التي تجمعنا هنا.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Que dit le Règlement intérieur?UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Monsieur le Président, excusez-moi.Chers collègues,Veuillez m’excuser un peu.Au poste de Président des Commissions et de Caucus comme celui-là, en principe les candidatures sont présentées par les différents Caucus avant même qu’on ne puisse adopter et commencer les élections. Ça ne se fait pas séance tenante, Monsieur le Président.C’est une erreur dans laquelle nous risquons d’entrer et qui pourra nous être préjudiciable demain. Il ne faut pas tenir compte de ça. Je crois que les amis de l’Afrique de, je ne sais pas de quelle Afrique, ceux-là avaient tout le temps de faire en sorte qu’ils puissent déposer la candidature à temps, je ne refuse pas, je ne connais même pas le Caucus auquel appartient l’autre candidat.UN INTERVENANT:Monsieur le Président! Monsieur le Président!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Oui!UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Monsieur le Président,Indépendamment de ce que vient de dire mon collègue Patrick et les autres, la déclaration du Président du Caucus de l’Est qui dit qu’on a présenté la candidature de l’Est le 3 mai, enfin, je ne sais pas quelle date. On voudrait d’abord, avant d’analyser le reste, que le Secrétariat général explique comment une candidature aurait été présentée à telle date et qu’elle n’a pas été annoncée hier avant de continuer à vérifier dans le Règlement intérieur pour voir ce qu’il en est, parce que ce serait grave que le Secrétariat général ne nous présente pas une candidature et qu’on nous dise qu’elle a été présentée, il y a quelque jour.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Vraiment, chers collègues, il faut quand même détendre le climat dans notre Institution. On cherche à créer des problèmes; la candidature a été reçue ce matin, le 10 mai, signée du Président du Caucus.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Si c’est ce matin, ça ne va pas.(Plusieurs voix s’élèvent pour dire que la candidatureest irrecevable)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:C’est ça la candidature que le Secrétariat général m’a donné.Nominations from the Floor can be accepted because they are signed and correct.REFERENCE: 1005-103322FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers Collègues, personne n’est ici contre une région. Personne. Je souhaite que vous retiriez vos propos, parce que c’est vous qui avez écrit la lettre. Vous ne pouvez pas dire^ moi, je ne sais même pas de quoi est-ce qu’il s’agit. C’est la lettre qui est datée du 10. Nous sommes bien le 10 aujourd’hui. Qui a bloqué? Et vous avez signé cette lettre aujourd’hui. Comment vous êtes vous tout le temps, là où il n’y a pas de problème, vous voulez en créer? Voilà la lettre.Présentez cette lettre. La lettre est signée d’ABDOULAZIZI MOHAMED, et elle date du 10. Moi, je ne sais pas comment ça s’est passé.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:C’est irrecevable!AN HONOURABLE MEMBER:Mr. President, point of Order. I have a clarification, please.REFERENCE: 1005-103207EHONORABLE KEBIANE:Thank you Mr. President.Only in respect of the nomination of the President and the Vice-Presidents do we need announcement of candidature seven days before the election and in an extraordinary circumstance, it can be three days before. This is for the nomination for the Youth Caucus.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Monsieur le Président, moi je pense qu’une candidature déposée ce matin, je pense qu’elle est irrecevable. Je pense que nous respectons le Règlement Intérieur, je pense que, hier, il était enregistré une seule candidature, celle du Camarade ASSOUMANA MALAM. Une candidature, je pense, reçue ce matin, elle est irrecevable d’après le Règlement Intérieur de notre Institution. Merci.REFERENCE: 1005-103444EHONOURABLE MEMBER:On a point of order, Mr President! Mr President, I am from the Eastern Caucus and we nominated a candidate from our region on the 3rd of May. I do not know where the mistake happened.So, there should be a consideration to accept our candidate. Thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-103743KSEHONOURABLE MEMBER:Mheshimiwa Rais!Kanda ya Afrika ya Mashariki imewasilisha jina kwa Katibu wa Kokasi. Sasa kama jina halikuwasilishwa kwa wakati kwako kuna tatizo kwenye Ofisi yako. Kanda yetu ya Afrika ya Mashariki imewasilisha na Mwenyekiti wetu ameitwa leo kusaini barua ambayo ilitakiwa kuwa imesainiwa siku tatu, nne nyuma. Kuna tatizo kwenye Ofisi yako!HONOURABLE MEMBER:No translation please! No translation! Can you start again? Mr President...!HONOURABLE MEMBER:Mheshimiwa Rais!Kanda ya Afrika ya Mashariki imewasilisha jina kwa wakati kupitia kwa Katibu wa Kanda. Kama kuna tatizo jina halikuletwa hapo, ni tatizo la ofisi yako! Transalation please! Au wanafanya makusudi!REFERENCE: 1005-104215EHONOURABLE MEMBER:Mr President, this is our right to contest. Something went wrong with your offices not in our caucus. Please, you are the one who is responsible. It is not our Caucus. Something went wrong in your offices. We will just walk out of the House if you deny us our right. That is what I am telling you. if you deny us our rights, we will just walk out.REFERENCE: 1005-104720AAN HONORABLE MEMBER:المعذرة،يكون قرار رفع الجلسة بالتصويت و لا يكون بقرار الرئيس مع احترامي لك، لأنها دخلت لهذا المجلس و مرت به، فالجلسة سيدة نفسهREFERENCE: 1005-104744FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, suivez quelques annonces.(English)THE CLERK:Thank you Mr. President.There are Committee meetings taking place today. The Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism and Human Resources are meeting from 11.00-1.00 pm in committee room 5.The Committee on Audit and Public Accounts (CAPA) are meeting from 11.30-1.00 pm in committee room 4.Thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-142900FELE PRESIDENT:Veuillez vous asseoir! La séance est reprise.Je donne la parole au Secrétaire général pour nous donner le point inscrit à l’ordre du jour. Monsieur le Secrétaire général, vous avez la parole.THE CLERK:Good afternoon, Your Excellency and hon. Members.It is time for the presentation and debate of the budget of the African Union for the financial year 2017.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Honorables membres,conformément aux dispositions de l’article 38 1 (h) du règlement intérieur, j’ai à présent, le plaisir d’inviter SEM ERASTUS MWENCHA, Vice-président de la Commission de l’Union africaine à entrer dans la Chambre.HON. MEMBER:Mr President, I have a point of order, please.Thank you for giving me this opportunity to raise my point of order. I wanted to know whether we have in this afternoon on our Agenda election of the Chairperson of the Youth Caucus.We have come here ready and prepared for the elections and I would like an answer from the secretariat.I thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Madame, on a remis les élections à la prochaine session. L’ordre du jour appelle la présentation du budget 2017 de l’Union africaine.Excellence monsieur ERASTUS MWENCHA, Viceprésident de la Commission de l’Union africaine, le Parlement panafricain, le Bureau et ses membres vous souhaitent la bienvenue dans cet hémicycle pour la présentation du budget de l’Union africaine pour l’exercice 2017.Je vous invite par conséquent, Excellence, à bien vouloir prendre la parole pour présenter le budget 2017 de l’Union africaine.Excellence, vous avez la parole.HON. MEMBER:Point of order, Mr President, please!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Yes!HON. MEMBER:Mr President, with due respect, we feel that this is unprocedural. We are ready and prepared to have elections of the Youth Caucus. We cannot accept a situation where an Agenda item is removed from the Agenda without the hon. Members of Parliament’s approval. This is a Parliament.Secondly, we cannot continue having a situation where we have no Chairperson of the Youth Caucus. In fact, it is unprocedural and illegal to continue having an acting Chairperson of the Youth Caucus. We, from the Eastern African Caucus, demand that we must have these elections.I thank you.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Motion d’ordre, monsieur le Président.LE PRESIDENT:Oui!UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Monsieur le Président, nous sommes un parlement. Ce matin, nonobstant tout le respect que j’ai pour le président de la commission des lois, le collègue ZELI, il a lu le passage concernant les élections. Le Président ZELI a dit ceci: « Il faut que la candidature soit déposée, six heures au moins avant le vote ». En ce moment-là il était 11 heures, c’est-à-dire, le Président ZELI s’est trompé en disant que la candidature est recevable. Nous étions à 11 heures. S’ils insistent, nos amis de l’Afrique de l’est, s’il insiste, voilà la conséquence. Nous nous remettons à 11 heures, au moment où la candidature a été déclarée recevable par le Président ZELI e nous analysons.Quand nous analysons, quelle est la conséquence? C’est-à-dire qu’à 11 heures, on recule, la candidature doit avoir été déposée à 05 heures du matin, pour qu’elle soit recevable et valable. Etant donné que tel n’était pas le cas et que cette candidature n’était pas déposée à 05 heures du matin, cette candidature ne peut pas être acceptée nonobstant, l’erreur commise par le collègue ZELI et l’acceptation par le bureau. Il ne faut pas qu’on impose, nous sommes un parlement, nous devons respecter la loi. Notre loi c’est la loi fondamentale que nous avons. La candidature devait être déposée 06 heures avant. Etant donné qu’elle n’a pas été déposée 6 heures avant, elle n’est pas valable et personne ne peut pas l’examiner.Je vous remercie, monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci, cher collègue. Je crois que nous sommes là pour un travail très important. Nous avons le budget. Référez-vous à l’article 37, alinéas 3 et 4. Nous avons établi un ordre du jour. Ce matin, un point n’a pas été débattu. Et le point de l’ordre du jour que nous devons examiner maintenant, nous ne pouvons pas le modifier. Nous devons continuer, et on va réexaminer comme d’aucuns disent ces propositions d’élections, et ce n’est pas une condition que s’il n’y a pas élections, on a bien fait l’ordre du jour. Vous n’allez pas empêcher le viceprésident qui est venu de loin pour nous présenter le budget, à cause des problèmes internes du parlement. Est-ce que c’est l’Union qui a violé l’ordre du jour? L’ordre du jour a été établi, et lisez bien ce que dit l’article 37, alinéas 3 et 4.Oui, Madame KALYAN.HON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN (MRS) [SOUTH AFRICA]:Mr President, I think I have to set the record straight with regard to the six hour notice that is in specific connection with the position of President and Vice President.I would like to draw your attention colleagues to Rule 83. The position that is vacant at the moment is not of a formal committee. It is that of a Chairperson of theCaucus on the Youth. Rule 83 refers to establishment and composition of regional caucuses. Rule 85 refers to other caucuses. Given that this is not a formal committee, nominations from the Floor can be received so there is no need that there has to be a six hour waiting period. The specifications as laid down in 15 (2) should not apply as well.So, let us get it straight. This is the election of a Chairperson of a caucus and therefore, because there is no rule implied or specific, it then means that nominations can be taken from the Floor.Furthermore, you yourself, Sir, referred to a Rule, I think 92 (1) which states that should doubt arise over the application or interpretation of these rules he or she may, without prejudice to plead his decisions, refer the matter to the permanent committee. So, I think it is quite clear Mr President; we should not get our knickers in a twist over something that does not exist in our rules.I thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci, beaucoup Honorable KAYLAN. C’est Claire que le règlement chez nous ici, on ne n’insiste pas... Est-ce que vous pouvez savoir. Bon allez-y!HON. MEMBER:Point of order, Mr President!We want to know under which rule the election of the Youth Caucus is going to be conducted in the Chamber.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Quelle est donc la règle appliquée à l’élection? Je crois que chers collègues, pour le moment, poursuivons notre ordre du jour.L’honorable KAYLAN vient de dire clairement les articles concernés, poursuivons notre ordre du jour, afin que le Vice-président nous présente le budget. Dans le règlement, il n’y a pas quelque chose qui dit qu’impérativement, il faut faire telle ou telle chose dans le cadre des organes. Mais aujourd’hui, nous sommes face à une situation qui n’a pas été créée du fait de quelqu’un, et nous devons attendre. On va modifier l’ordre du jour. L’ordre du jour n’a pas été modifié, puisque ce qu’on devait faire cet après midi, c’est ce que nous sommes en train de faire. Laissez-nous examiner le budget, on va référer cette question à la commission de règlement.Monsieur le Vice-président, je vous donne la parole pour la présentation du budget.REFERENCE: 1005-144014EH. E. MR. ERASTUS MWENCHA [DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION]:Mr. President, hon. Vice-Presidents, hon. Members of PAP, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to present the 2017 draft budget of our Union. As I am meeting you for the first time this year, allow me to wish the hon. Members a successful and fruitful legislative year, particularly in your respective countries. May I also convey greetings from Her Excellency Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the Commission, who also wishes you successful deliberation during this session.Exactly one year ago, I presented to this august House the 2016 budget of our Union, which, at that time, had gone through the permanent representative committee. Although the budget was not presented in time for you because of mismatch of PAP and the PRC calendar, I thank you for the contributions you made towards its conclusion. It is now under implementation, albeit without the alternative sources of finance, which I hope will apply this time with effect to the 2017 budget.Now that a practise of engaging PAP has been established, we need to develop modalities for a budget development process. This can be engrained in the financial rules. You may wish to note that after today’s presentation, the Permanent Representative will be considering the draft budget next week and thereafter to the Executive Council and finally to the Assembly in July in Kigali for adoption. Before presenting the 2017 budget estimates, let me highlight the socio-economic environment under which the budget has been drafted.During the last 12 months since we met here, important developments with significant bearing to the future wellbeing of our continent have taken place. This includes a drastic fall in commodity prices. In January 2016, oil prices fell to unprecedented levels for more than three decades. Some have actually concluded that this particular cycle marks the end of the oil boom prices. Main causes for this fall were:(a)Reduced imports by US which, as you know, is a major consumer that has shifted to renewable technology.(b)Reduced consumption by China, the world’s second largest economy due to sluggish growth that has not been seen for the last quarter of a century.This has also compounded a downward trend in commodity prices and dampened the global economic outlook. The effect of this broad slowdowns is hurting African economies mostly because China and other emerging markets have not only been major consumers of our primary products, but have also been significant sources of financing for the major infrastructure and other development projects that are not taking place in our continent.Commodity price crush is causing a significant budget shortfall for governments and weakening currencies in commodity exporting countries. Currency pressure in all the exporting nations has been most pronounced.The second development was the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, in which about 30,000 were infected and about 12,000 fatalities were recorded, was contained in the last 12 months, thanks to the combined efforts of the affected countries, the AU and the international community. Through these joint efforts, the danger of Ebola spreading out of the rest of West Africa and even to the entire continent was halted. This was done at a heavy cost due to loss of life in the three countries and also some of the gallant medical volunteers.The Ebola outbreak tested our capacities and resolve to fight together as a continent. We should be proud that we emerged victorious. However, we should never be caught napping again, thus the need to continue to strengthen our weak health services, including the establishment of the African Centre for Disease Control. Funding for this programme is provided for in the 2017 budget. We have learnt a lot from this unfortunate incident. We must do more to invest in our people, especially in health provision and basic needs such as water, food security and infrastructure, including health, especially those in remote areas. Our people being the most important resource, there is no excuse for not having quick and adequate response particularly for epidemics in the future.You as law makers have an opportunity to provide leadership in this regard and ensure that the necessary investments are made to revamp our health facilities in our respective countries.During the same period, the conflicts on our continent have been checked significantly, but not completely extinguished. We continue to face challenges in Somalia and in Eastern DRC. Mali and Central African Republic are stabilising. We have the challenge of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Libya continues to face challenges of stability and some disturbances, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula. A serious matter of concern has been the spread of internal and cross border terrorism links linked to Al-Queda and ISIS. This calls for a major review in the traditional way of approach to internal security. It is now a new challenge we must deal with and stop these in their tracks. To implement our African peace and security architecture, particularly silencing guns by 2020, we need to invest in early warning and also in crisis management before they degenerate into armed conflict.We have been discussing financing of AU peace missions with the UN to give us support for funding that is predictable and adequate, bearing in mind that 70 per cent of these missions of the UN are in Africa. This exercise is ongoing. Fortunately, some countries like China have already made some pledges of about US$100 million. We hope that the rest of the UN Security Council will come on board for us to secure funding. This will have a major impact on our budget.During this same period, we have also witnessed a major migration crisis. Unfortunately, this problem did not only continue but escalated during the past 12 months contributed by the developments in Libya. Although several migrants managed to reach the European shores, the truth is we shall never know the number of those that perished in the Mediterranean Ocean or across the Sahara as they tried to take the long trip to Europe in search of a better life. For a long time, Europe was unwilling to listen to us particularly in searching for solutions for migrants and underdevelopment. We believe that there has to be a comprehensive approach to development and not merely addressing the symptoms as Europe has tended to approach this matter. One of the areas that we are looking at is transformation of our economies, and in particular industrialisation, to provide jobs and also tackle poverty as the root cause of this migration.This crisis has also created another challenge for us which will impact on our budget too. Europe is now diverting resources from ODA to managing the European migrants, thus expenditure on migrants is recorded as ODA. Of course there is also a crisis on the Euro zone. This crisis is even getting more complicated in the wake of the referendum of the UK on their intention to stay or to exit from the EU. As you know, Europe is one of our major markets but also major development partner. That impact translates directly to an impact to our economies.Mr. President, despite some progress on export diversification, the majority of African countries remain dependent on commodities, particularly extractives like oil, iron ore and copper for their economic growth. We must address this as a matter of urgency to overcome commodity export dependence. It is sad to know that on average, Africa only adds up to 15 per cent of all the exports. The rest, which amounts to 85 per cent, is added outside Africa.Mr. President, the overall fear of an emerging market slowdown blinds and dampens investor confidence in African markets. A number of multinational firms reacting to the negative news emanating out of emerging markets are pulling their investments from capital markets, especially those in Africa.The NCA African index measuring the equity market performance in Africa dropped by 19 per cent in 2015 significantly more than that of other frontier markets. Consequently, Africa’s economic growth is slowing.The African average GDP growth dropped 3.8 per cent in 2015 with all the exporting countries hit slightly harder than this. This growth rate is far too low from the tipping point of what we have been anticipating of 7 per cent which is seen as the minimum growth rate for economic transformation. Africa’s growth trajectory is moving in the right direction with the industry contributing 18 per cent growth against 18 per cent in agriculture, 16 per cent in transport and 14 per cent in services.Africa’s more diversified economies and particularly oil importers, including Ethiopia, Kenya and others actually stand to gain from low prices but the challenge is the export markets. The same principle applies to import bills for food. It is estimated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation that as a continent, our import bill for food has risen to US$80 billion. This is unsustainable for a continent so well blessed with climate and rich soils.Current IMF projections suggest that a combination of factors, including normalisation of economic conditions in emerging economies and easing of China’s slowdown, lifting of Iran sanctions and spill over from developed economies growth, will lead to an economic rebound for emerging markets in the late 2016 and grow to an average of 5 per cent until 2020. We must remain alert particularly to jobless youth and also the growth of the jobless that we have also been witnessing, gender inequality, lack of structural transformation, slow pace of integration, low volumes of intra-African trade, weak national performance and the development agenda.Mr. President, unfortunately, there are also home grown problems. One major home grown problem that the continent has witnessed particularly in the last 12 months is what has been revealed by Panama papers and that is corruption. If the Panama leaks are indeed true, then Africa is illegally exporting capital through illicit financial flows to a tune of US$150 billion annually, which is more than that which we receive from ODA and foreign direct investment combined. The sectors most affected are oil and other extractive industries. This is mainly done through transfer pricing of commodities and also poorly negotiated mining and infrastructure contracts. We must stop this unacceptable haemorrhage of resources of our continent.What are the emerging challenges in the last 12 months? It is debt stock. As we speak now, the average debt stock of the continent is about 37 per cent of GDP. During this commodity crisis, this stock has risen by about 2 per cent. Although this debt is manageable, the average can disguise. The danger is the sources of this funding and the terms under which this debt may be secured. A number of countries have resorted to Eurobonds and the rest. This also shows maturity of our continent. This is a good indicator but we must also watch out especially when we know the crisis we went through in the HIPC initiative which created a lot of challenge for countries that were heavily indebted. We should not submerge again into that situation.Currently, as a continent, our average savings is about 22 per cent. This is measured against what we see in Asia, which is about 46 per cent. This translates to investment which is low compared to what we see in Asia and the rest. These low savings also are seen in low government revenue. Low government revenue is because of what we have just talked about, the leakages particularly through illicit financial flows and weak tax base which is not able to harness enough resources domestically. This is important particularly as we talk about financing our agenda 2063.During the same period, we have witnessed a progressively worsening drought across Africa. Many countries that depend on hydro power are facing hydro power challenges, extending even to food production.This crisis reminds us of the climate change that is here to stay. Having least contributed to this climate change, we must develop adaptation measures in the areas where we live. Otherwise, as Africa, we are entering a new and very challenging phase for the agricultural sector.Last, I am accused of being afro-pessimistic. Let me turn to the positive development that is the good news despite the litany of challenges that I have just enumerated. Africa still remains the continent of promise. It is home to a large and growing population of young people. In 15 countries, half of the population is under 18 years old. In three countries, half are under 16 years old. While the ballooning youth population presents a challenge to governments to improve education and infrastructure, this population can be used positively as an opportunity for Africa, and especially down the road when we see that by 2050, 25 per cent of global work force will be from Africa. With the ageing population in the rest of the world particularly Europe and Asia, Africa is blessed to be in this situation but it can also be a time bomb. So, we should look at it very closely.Mr. President, our agenda is still underutilised, but Africa has made giant leaps in the last few years. In the last summit that was held here in Johannesburg last year, we developed what we call a gender score card to monitor and evaluate how gender mainstreaming is being managed in our various countries. We hope that your respective national parliaments will also take this to make sure that as a continent, we use the more than 50 per cent of our resource in order for our countries to have effective growth by using all our human resources.May I congratulate this parliament because I gather that from the below five, this time round our women folk are three, which means 60 per cent. You have beaten the record of even the Commission which now operates at 50 per cent.ApplauseAn equally interesting development is the urbanisation which will increasingly yield economic growth. Countries can begin to take advantage of the benefits of this agglomeration, particularly the provisions of basics as it is much easier to provide these basics under concentrated populations. We must also watch out because many of our cities are also developing into urban shanty towns which could harbour the poorest of the poor if we do not manage them properly.We are also seeing diversification of exports or products coming from Africa. We are seeing more intraAfrican trade which has doubled in volume in spite of the fact that the average intra-African trade has stayed the same. This must be seen against a phenomenal growth in global trade in the last few years. For this, we commend the regional economic communities like East Africa, which has gone beyond trade liberalisation to bring about easy movement of people across its territory. We also see this in West Africa. We encourage that many of our regional economic communities follow suit.We have also developed what we call an integration index to monitor and assess regional integration at national and continental levels. In this regard, one of the elements that we are pushing is issuance of an African passport. At the forthcoming summit, AU passports will be issued to our heads of state and government, the Executive Council and AU organs. I want to believe that PAP members will also be travelling on an African passport in the next few months.ApplauseMr. President and hon. Members, we have to weather the emerging downturn by focusing on our collective energy and strength. We must continue to unite our people and use the private sector more effectively. We must continue to address the costly inefficiencies, increase the diversification and speedy regional integration to take advantage of the gains the continent has enjoyed in the last decade.Mr. President, last year, we launched our agenda 2063 along with its first 10-year implementation plan which has some flagship programmes. This is now firmly in place but the next phase is for us to domesticate our agenda 2063 in our respective national development plans and also embark on its implementation.The determination of our agenda 2063 is to develop Africa, particularly a transformation that will bring Africa to middle income status, maturity of our countries by 2030 and be a fully integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent by 2063.We hope this can be achieved even much earlier and I hope many of us seated in this room can live to see an integrated continent. Furthermore, agenda 2063 provides us with a strategic framework that will guide the Union’s interventions as it supports development and integration aspirations of the continent. As members of PAP and also in your respective national parliaments, please take this message to your respective parliaments, especially in domestication and integration of our agenda in our national programmes. I guess you have received and interrogated Agenda 2063.We are fortunate that for the first time in a long time, our agenda is in line with the global agenda - the sustainable development goals. As you know, Africa has faced challenges in the past because many of our programmes were either scorned or ignored. Others developed programmes which they deemed fit for us.This time, particularly under Sustainable Development Goals, Africa had a major impact through our common African position. That is why for the first time, the global and continental agenda are aligned. Let us take advantage of our position to push our agenda forward for the benefit and eradication of poverty on our continent.Let me now turn to particular dynamics of the budget that is before you.Last year, our Heads of State and Government made a major decision that we must strive towards selffinancing of our budget as much as possible. In that regard, our Summit has made a commitment to move towards 100 per cent of our operational budget, 75 per cent of the programme budget and 25 percent of peace and security budget. The peace and security budget is that low because after all, peace and security is the preserve of the UN Peace and Security Council. Therefore, we are only an agent of the UN Peace and Security Council. That is why we also want to contribute and be in charge and provide leadership in managing conflict on our continent. If we have to maintain this scenario, then it means that we must look at how we will finance this. The Heads of State are still examining to levy areas such as airline tickets, hospitality or any other system that member states may choose because depending on treasury has proved quite a challenge.In this regard, member states have been grouped into three. There are four countries that contribute a total of 25 per cent of the budget equally and there is a group with an income of less than 25 per cent which contributes 1-4 per cent and the rest contribute 1 per cent of the budget. It is reckoned that if we shift to alternative forces of financing, the Union will be able to bring the continental framework to the people but also lessen the burden of treasury while enlarging and expanding the base of revenue.In this regard, in June in 2014, a foundation of the private sector was registered in Mauritius and launched at the Summit in January 2015. The foundation has commenced work to mobilise funding from the private sector and other sources. This has actually attracted and even encouraged our Heads of State and Government to establish what is now known as the Private Sector Forum. This Forum will be meeting in Mauritius later this year with the Heads of State not just for financing of our development agenda but also to discuss policy issues and encourage participation of our people so that this truly becomes a union of the African citizens.The AU Commission has continued to work with sister organs on measures to ensure continuous improvement in order to improve operational efficiency of the service sectors and benchmarks as a way of adopting best practises. The 2017 budget plan of the Union will be based on the five pillars, namely on enhancing and strengthening sustained accountability, driving performance and operational efficiency, pursue financial, sustainable and available union and promoting and strengthening synergies with organs, regional economic communities and stakeholders.As you know and we announced this last year, we have now firmly adopted and use the international and we have also put in place new financial rules and regulations, results-based management and also put in place measures such as fraud and anti-corruption policy to ensure that as a Union, we lead in this area.Of course, this will also be pursued together with improving the areas of personnel management, which includes staff performance training and development. In fact, in our budget, we have also made a provision for what we call home grown AU Academy to train and manage our own personnel.Mr. President, it may be fair even going to the substance of my presentation to update you on the changes that have occurred in the budget development process. The internal programme and budget committee, which is chaired by the deputy chairperson of the AU Commission and includes heads of all organs amongst others, has already met and its outcome is what is being submitted to you. Thus, PAP is the first point of call after the Internal Budget Committee.In line with the ongoing budget process of 2017 budget calendar, it is envisaged that these broad consultations will continue and that today’s presentation will be followed by consultations with the PRC and eventually with the Executive Council and, as we said earlier, the summit in July.Let me now turn to the budget performance of 2015 before highlighting the budget estimates for 2017. Of course, we cannot highlight the budget performance of 2016, which should be able to guide us for the 2017 budget, simply because we are not even in the middle of the year of implementation of 2016 budget. So, we do not have any record that can guide us from the performance of 2016. This is the dilemma we face in preparing a budget ahead of time.The overall budget performance for 2015 stood at US$230,095,163 representing 51 per cent of the approved budget. Looking at the available budget which was US$446,874,036, the performance was slightly over 70 per cent. Member states and partners provided funding up to a total of 67 per cent of the approved budget, that is US$110,116,755 whereas partners provided US$192,215,836.As I said earlier on, the execution rate of our available funds was 70 per cent broken into 77 percent of operational and 62 percent of programme budget respectively.The highlights of 2017 budget are as follows. I regret that you have not been given the budget framework, paper. There is a miscommunication challenge. Let me highlight the following.The year 2017 is the final year of implementation of the Strategic Plan 2014-2017 prior to the development of a new strategic plan which will be known as 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, which will give us an opportunity to align the first 10-year implementation plan of agenda 2063. In that, there are 12 flagship projects which have been identified and which have also been factored into the 2017 budget with the launching of the continental free trade area as one of the major flagship projects.All flagship projects are funded by member states and partners with a total of US$21 million. Following implementation of the decision regarding the alternative sources of funding which I mentioned earlier where member states undertook to provide 100 per cent of operational budget and 75 per cent for programme and 25 per cent for this budget, a provision has been made of between 10 and 15 from member states. As a result of this, in the 2017 programme budget, member states contribution will rise by 15 per cent of the total program compared to 6 per cent in 2016. In other words, for the programmes of our Union in 2016, member states only provided about 7 per cent but in 2017, they will double this figure to contribute 15 per cent.Personnel costs have also gone up by 8.9 per cent to cater for additional 83 new staff members that will be recruited during that period. That includes all organs of the Union, including PAP. At the moment, this figure stands at US$132,495,132 whereas in 2016, this budget was US$121,611,885. Operating costs have gone down by 21 per cent from US$283,102,034 from US$361,855,313. Due to the effect of systems modernisation across the Union, there has been a reduction in African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operating costs, where we have had to reduce the budget both from our partners and also from our member states.Capital costs have gone up by 81 per cent due to the combined impact of refurbishment and equipment replacement, refurbishment of buildings and maintaining of AU Commission, movable capital expenditure and also upgrading IT equipment even at PAP. Programmes have decreased by 2.3 per cent mainly due to advance impact on programmes that were taken away from the rest of the 2017 programmes if they had not secured funding. We have put these programmes in what we call a suspense account or packing lot. As soon as these programmes attract funding, they will be brought into the budget. All programmes without secure funding should not be seen as having been thrown away, but merely for preparation of the budget, they have been kept away until they secure the budget.Coming to the overall budget for 2017, the proposed budget for 2017 stands at S$781,606,123 representing a decrease of 2.5 per cent compared to the 2016 budget which was US$801,328,033. The 2017 budget supports the AU Commission and the organs in the areas I have just mentioned. The main theme for the budget of 2017 is first to harness Africa’s demographic dividends, particularly the youth and the women. It will also focus at the continental free trade area. It will also establish the centre for disease control, optimise ITC, especially for e-learning, implement Yamoussoukro decision on open skies, and continue to support implementation of peace and security architecture and African Governance Architecture. These are some of the priorities that have attracted this budget for 2017.Hon. Members, the member states are expected to contribute up to the tune of US$212,018,886, representing 27 per cent of the total budget compared to 2016 where member states contributed slightly more than 20 per cent. As I said earlier, access contribution has gone up because of the move towards implementation of alternative sources. Contribution from partners will also decrease by 11 per cent, from US$631,487,496 to US$558,470,494. This is partly because some of the negotiations are ongoing hence some of the projections are in the parking lot. This is a deliberate move for us to continue to lessen our dependence on external sources of funding.Therefore, the contribution of the partners will be 78 per cent of our budget. You will see that the development partner support remains key to financing of the programmes, particularly peace operations in the medium term. Thereafter, in the spirit of alternative sources of financing, member states will gradually take over this budgeting as indicated earlier.Mr. President, as I conclude, may I emphasise the need for us, and particularly the hon. Members, that we continue to work together and embody the aspect of funding of our Union. Efforts are intensified in this area. In fact, in the last Summit, the Heads of State and Government decided to hold a retreat at which they will discuss this specific item. We plead and urge you that you take this debate to your national parliaments. The paradox is that we are rich continent that has poor people. We can change this by using our resources judiciously and effectively in the transformation of our economies. We need to own and invest in a programme particularly with regard to investment in our people to transform our continent.Mr. President and hon. Members, let me once again thank you for the opportunity to be here with you on this occasion and to assure you of the preparedness of the Commission to work closely with you and other organs in our common cause to build an integrated and peaceful continent that occupies its rightful position among community of nations.On my part, I stand before you perhaps for the last time. As you know, in July there will be elections for the AU Commission and with that I will stepping down from the Commission. However, I will remain a true son of Africa committed to integration and contribute in whatever way I can from whatever corner I will find myself when I leave the Union officially.I wish well those of you that will continue to pursue this common cause for emancipating our continent particularly in the second struggle to liberate our continent economically. It is true that we have flags and national anthems but we still have to get our true independence. We will be together in fighting this common cause.Thank you and May God bless you.ApplauseTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you, Your Excellency. You can have your seat.REFERENCE: 1005-153239EFM. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite l’Honorable AMMED du Chad, Vice-président de la Commission Permanente des Affaires Monétaires et Financières à faire sa présentation.HON. MIKE TEMPLE [SWAZILAND]:Sorry Mr. President. I am not Honourable AMMED from Chad. I am the Chairperson of the Committee, Honourable TEMPLE from Swaziland.REFERENCE: 1005-153317EFM. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite l’Honorable Mike Temple, Président de la Commission permanente des Affaires monétaires et financières à faire sa présentation.HON. MIKE TEMPLE [SWAZILAND]:Mr. President, I am not Hon. Ahmad from Chad. I am the Chair person of the Committee (Hon. Mike Temple) from Swaziland.Mr. President, Vice-Presidents, welcome the new second Vice-President and congratulations. His Excellency Erasmus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union, Dear Colleagues, Clerks and all members of staff, ladies and gentlemen.It is once again a great pleasure for me to stand before you to discuss a very important issue in our lives, that is money or budgets.Firstly, I would like to thank the Deputy Chairperson more sincerely for his time out of his busy schedule for being present. Here you see the Budget for 2017 and I hope that whatever the deliberations take place, God help him so that one day he uses it to develop the Budget.I would also like to thank the IEC for observing us more and more as time goes by. I believe that will be in the African Union in October to start working on the 2018 Budget. Members of the Committee of the Finance Committee will be there with members of the administration of PAP to develop the 2018 Budget. So, it is noted that we have started to get more and more involved.I think the two commissions can start working together very closely so that our Budget becomes a very concise budget that we all believe in and work on and work for.Also, we as the Committee on Finance can readily update our members as to where the 2018 Budget is at. Where you find shortfalls or roadblocks, we recommend members to assist in that regard.Mr. President, the parliament Budget in comparison to the EU Parliament still has a lot of work to be done. The understanding of the findings of human rights is always understood. However, if you look at the EU Budget, the EU Parliament receives twenty percent of the EU budget; the PAP receives three percent of the AU Budget. We as members need to work very hard to try and influence our countries and anybody else to increase that budget so that we can carry out our mandate effectively in Africa.Mr. President, before you I made a commitment that I would work very hard to bring back what the members enjoyed when I left as chairperson in 2008. I am pleased to say that thanks to the very hard work of our committee on finance and to the strong intervention of our member from Chad, Hon. Ahmad, and the members themselves, those items that were removed without any decision since 2010 up till now. I have reinstated them in the IEC Budget. For that I think we all deserve a round of applause. I will tell you what they are, but give yourselves a round of applause first.ApplauseThe 2008 budget which I have spoken about much contained a number of allowances for Members of Parliament to effectively carry out their mandates. They have now been reinstated in the IEC budget.We as Members of Parliament and we as the Committee on Finance have to work very hard with the PAC and the IEC commission to get the budget passed as it is.The nine issues around the allowances are:Allowances for Bureau meetingsAllowances for non-statutory committee meetings of all permanent committeesAllowances for communication, coordination to chairpersons of regional caucusesChairperson or Vice-Chairperson and rapporteurs of permanent committeesAllowances for members of the bureauSpecial allowances for members of parliamentThey were in the 2008 budget. They were removed but I have brought them back into the budget. So I would like to thank the IEC for understanding our plan of putting these in the budget and assisting us in making it happen as far as the PAC is concerned.Mr. President, as the IEC Deputy Chairperson indicated, we all need to stop our reliance on donor funding. As we are all aware, we started a trust fund in 2007 - 2008 which ceased to operate due to various technicalities.However, we, as your Finance Committee, have worked long and hard on the resource mobilisation issue, and we would like, with the support of all the members, to put forward a resolution for adoption by the Plenary to request the administration according to all the labour rules and proceeding of the AU and procurement etc, to procure a resource mobilisation company that would source funds to us, to allow us to be non-dependent on donor funding.Also, it is very important that we re-establish the trust fund so that there is a vehicle available for these funds to be put into so that we can increase our programme activities and election observation as we used to do in the past.As you all know, the budget presented has to go before the PAC. I am fully confident that with Members of the Committee on Finance who have been lobbying with the help of the IEC - in the past, even the IEC was not quite on our side as far as these allowances are concerned - they are now fully behind us; they fully understand why. As you can see in the preamble in the Pan-African Parliament budget part a(19) of the budget 5.3.2(c), introduction of allowances paid to the Bureau Member of Parliament that have been aligned with AU rules applicable in other organs. So, they are fully behind us and we are working together and I can assure you we will work very hard to make sure that this budget is passed at the summit.Mr. President I would like to thank you. I would also like to welcome and congratulate the two new members of our Bureau Hon. Komi who is now a Vice-President and the hon. Member who is her rapporteur. We now have a full bureau.Hon. Members I appeal to encourage Ambassadors based in Addis Ababa to assist in making this budget a reality.I thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-154528PHON. MARIA IVONE RENSAMO BERNARDO SOARES (MRS) [MOZAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigada Senhor Presidente pela concessao da palavra.Dar as boas vindas ao nosso Ilustre Representante da Uniao Africana, dizer que estive atenta a sua apresenta^ao e tenho que felicitá-lo por ter trazido estes dados para nós podermos apreciar, que é a nossa competencia como Parlamento Pan-Africano.Tenho a dizer que o défice de democracia é um cancro que deve ser combatido para que haja maior transparencia na governa^ao, para que haja elei^oes livres, justas e transparentes e que nao haja Estadosmembros que no lugar de atacar a pobreza usam o ornamento para criar suas elites de novos ricos, enquanto a vida do povo desses países só piora.A maior parte dos países dependem de doa^oes.Os papéis de Panamá, como bem referiu, desvendaram casos de alta corrupto e tráfico de influencia.Hoje, por exemplo, Mozambique, o meu país, perdeu o apoio directo ao ornamento de Estado porque os dirigentes, violando a Constituidlo, decidiram ir buscar nos Bancos Russo e Suí^o mais de dois bilioes de dólares e ninguém sabe explicar onde está esse dinheiro.ExcelenciasNao é só a Somália, a República Democrática do Congo e a África Central que tem desafios como a questao dos Boko Haram; a Líbia que tem o desafio de estabilidade.No nosso país, Mozambique, estamos neste momento a viver um conflito pós-eleitoral e nao estao informados parece, que em Mozambique há conflito.Conflito que resultou na existencia de refugiados em Malawi, somando mais de 12 mil mozambicanos que tiveram que fugir dos confrontos militares entre o Governo da Frelimo e o maior partido da oposizao, a Renamo, que reivindica a vitória nas províncias onde ganhou as eleizoes. Portanto, seis províncias das onze que o país tem.Porque é que a Uniao Africana nao divulga a lista dos Presidentes que prejudicam os seus povos, como forma de desincentivar práticas corruptas?A impunidade que é oferecida aos Presidentes que prejudicam a imagem de África e aumentam a pobreza que se vive em muitos países continuará a ser tradizao?Será que basta o Estado-membro contribuir para Uniao Africana que logo fica isento de ser criticado quando viola os Direitos Humanos e usa os impostos do Povo para coartar as liberdades de manifestazao, de reuniao, de eleger e ser eleito?Quando é que a Uniao Africana se irá unir em torno de questoes centrais de África em vez de defenderGovernos africanos, idependentemente do que eles fazem?Esta, Excelencia, nao é a primeira crise dos petróleos! Deve ser a sétima ou a oitava.Houve crise de petróleo nos últimos cinquenta anos: em 1968, em 1973, em 1979, em 1982, em 2007 e agora esta de 2015.A crise de petróleo nao é algo que apareceu do nada! Nós sabemos que para além destas crises, há problemas mais profundos que tem estado a prejudicar o nosso continente, mormente a questao da corrupzao.O que é que nós vamos fazer para garantir que realmente o ornamento seja dado á juventude, já que foi eleita como a prioridade para o continente? Qual é o orzamento concreto que esta Casa parlamentar, por exemplo, vai ter, uma vez que só nos dao 3% do orzamento global, o que nao chega para os desafios que o Parlamento Pan-Africano tem.Muito obrigada.REFERENCE: 1005-155013AHON. HASHIM IDRIS SULTAN [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم،شكرا أخي الرئيس، و الشكر موصول لمعالي السيد أفيرتوس موشا نائب ً رئيس مفوضية االتحاد األفريقي،نناقش اليوم مشروع الموازنة المقارن للعام ،6102 و إذ نثبت في البداية أن الوضع االقتصادي العالمي و عدم التزام بعض الدول األعضاء و الديون و الجفاف كلها جوانب مؤثرة في ميزانية االتحاد األفريقي، ولكن مع ذلك هناك جوانب مشجعة في الميزانية مثل مصادر التمويل البديلة التي تمول بنسبة %011 من الميزانية التشغيلية للصناديق، وهذا مؤشر جيد و نسبة 22 % من ميزانية البرامج و 62 % تغطي ميزانية السلم واألمن، إنه لعمل جيد ونحن نشجعه،من المسائل أو المؤشرات المشرفة في هذه الميزانية تنفيذ 06 مشروع رئيسي و انطالق التجارة الحرة وكل المسائل التي تعزز من قدرات الموارد االقتصادية، و أنا أعتقد أنه عمل جيد، و لتحسين آداء الميزانية و للتقييم الجيد تم إنشاء اللجنة الفرعية للمشاكل اإلدارية و الميزانية و اللجنة الفرعية للقيام بعمليات تقييم فني لمشروع ميزانية االتحاد األفريقي، و هذا أمر جيد يؤدي إلى تحسين آداء الموازنة في الشكل الهيكلي وفي شكل مراقبة اآلداء وذلك ينعكس في تحسن الوضع األمني في دول القارة، و من المؤشرات الجيدة كذلك ازدياد عدد النساء في الوظائف القيادية في مجال العدالة بين الجنسين وأيضا الشباب، ضف إلى ذلك قدرة بعض دول االتحاد على مواجهة التحديات مثل األمراض الوبائية بنسبة معتبرة، فكل ذلك أعتقد أنه عمل ومؤشر جيد،فخامة الرئيس،طالما ال يمكننا العمل خارج نطاق التوصيات، فتوصياتنا بخصوص الميزانية جاءت من أجل الضغط على الدول وحركات التمرد للتوجه إلى السالم والمصالحات وذلك بوضع شروط قاسية ورادعة للدول األعضاء التي لم تلتزم، وصوال إلى األمن و السلم االجتماعي، ألن هذا البند يأخذ جزءا كبيرا من هذه الموازنة و ميزانية التشغيل عالية بنسبة 22 % ، و حسب اعتقادي إذا ما توصلنا إلى ذلك في هذه القارة سوف تتحول هذه األموال إلى تفجير طاقات أفريقيا و استخدام هذه األموال في مجاالت ممكن أن تحسن من الموارد، و كذا ضرورة حث الدول على زيادة اإلنتاج و اإلنتاجية في المجاالت الزراعية و الثروة الحيوانية و التعدين و كل ما هو متعلق بخامات األرض حتى نزيد في الدخل الكلي لدول القارة، وذلك ألجل التخلص من التمويل الخارجي شيئا فشيئا،أخيرا فخامة أخي الرئيس،نثمن فكرة إنشاء صندوق لدعم برنامج البرلمانن و نشيد أيضا بجهود األخوة في لجنة المالية من خالل قدرتهم على إعادة البنود الهامة التي حذفت و هو ما سيساعد هذا البرلمان على اآلداء،وأخيرا، نسأل هللا سبحانه وتعالى أن يوفق أفريقيا وأن يوفق البرلمان إلىتقديم ما هو أفضل، وبارك هللا فيكم.REFERENCE: 1005-155505EHON. VINITA SANTOSH KALYAN [SOUTH AFRICA]:Thank you, Mr President. Mr Mwencha, I must tell you that I really appreciated your overview before you tackled the budget per se. It gave a very fair and accurate picture of the continent.Sir, in your proposal you referred to the six countries which will be making up 60 percent of AU contributions, if you will just turn to your left and look to me. As a South African, of course, I am really concerned by this headline which says, “South African tax payers to pay millions more to the African Union”. Now at the summit that you referred to in your presentation when you said the 6 countries would be contributing 60 percent, a proposal by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo said that the shortfall could be made up by levies on hotels, air fares and SMSs, which place a huge burden on the tax payer. So, I ask you to comment on that.With regard to the Panama Papers, I am glad that you spoke about this matter because again it gives leverage and impetus to the silent body that we have called the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption. Since the release of the Panama Papers, this particular board has been deafeningly silent. Are we waiting for the list to be published before we get any comment?This budget is prepared on the assumption that member states will increase its programmes and according to your figures presented here, the increase is from 6.8 percent to 15 percent. That is more than 100 percent increase. Given that at the end of 2015, 19 member states had fully met their obligations, 35 member states were in arrears and 14 member states were in arrears as at 2014, what mechanisms or remedies are in place? I submit to you that the AU is going to try and recover this money because it is not fair to those who pay their subscriptions and their dues while others are not paying.Whatever their circumstances, they still reap the benefits from the Union itself.I thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-160108EHON. Dr. BERNADETTE LAHAI [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let me thank the two presenters for this very good paper. The first presenter took his time to actually give us the economic outlook within which this budget is situated, and our second presenter focused more on the PAP budget itself.What I see in this budget are two things: one, almost forty-four percent of the budgets is being given to AMISOM. We know AMISOM is peace keeping and the remaining goes to the AU or the secretariat of the African Union. Of course, we know why forty-four percent is given to AMISOM (peace keeping) as a result of conflicts. I wish this money was available for us to use on our programmes budget because we have very beautiful and laudable twelve flagship programmes, but we have been told that the budget for our programmes has been reduce by nine point percent.Of course it is only fear that if you have not got secure funding or committed funding, then we do not add it on our budget. Otherwise, you will be very unrealistic.I agree with Madam Kalian. Yes members have agreed to increase their access contribution. What is the use if you increase the access contribution while at the end of the day the default rate is so high? We are currently looking at thirty-eight million dollars and more in arrears from so many countries.I want to know what punitive measures the AU is imposing on countries that have defaulted.I want to also say that our role continues to be more of debate here because as long as we are an advisory body, we cannot cross a T and dot an I, with regard to the budget. Like all Parliaments, when we approve the Budget, we also go further to provide oversight, to ensure that the Budget is implemented as it was presented to you based on the policies.So, that is why we must all of us, AU and all other Organs, stand up for us to be a legislative body. Without that, we will just continue to coming here, year in and out and talk about the Budget without a followup and oversight. So, it is important that we move forward from advisory to legislative body.I wish to thank you for being with us all these years. Your presentations have always been insightful. Sorry that you will be stepping down, but as you said, as a true son of Africa, you will always be there for us to enjoy the knowledge and experience you have gained working in the African Union Commission. I thank you very much and God bless you in your future endeavours.REFERENCE: 1005-160505FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le président.Permettez-moi à mon tour de féliciter Son Excellence, Monsieur Erastus MWENCHA et le Président de la Commission permanente des Affaires monétaires et financières du PAP pour leurs brillantes présentations.Nous avons un budget de l’Union Africaine 2017 qui nous a été soumis. Nous nous en félicitons parce qu’il prend en compte les programmes de plan de mise en œuvre des dix premières années de l’Agenda 2063. Donc, l’espoir est permis.Ensuite, il y a un nouveau mécanisme de contrôle et de reddition des comptes. Cela est, à mon humble avis, très important dans la mesure où vraiment la crédibilité pour aider pour la mobilisation des ressources.Ensuite, le budget nous parle d’un terme pertinent. Le budget correspond aux termes 2017 sur, je cite—« Exploiter les dividendes démographiques par un investissement sur la jeunesse. »Ma question est de savoir si les présentateurs pouvaient nous édifier mieux sur la question dans la mesure où on nous vante tout le temps le mérite de la peine des dividendes démographiques. Pour nous, on se dit même que c’est la panacée. Mais comme je sais que très peu de pays en Afrique ont atteint la phase de la transition démographique, à plus forte raison, la peine des dividendes démographiques, je voudrais vraiment être mieux édifiée sur la pertinence du...Ensuite, le budget nous parlait de sources alternatives de financement. Nous en avons parlé ici, mais on nous parle d’augmentation de la quote-part des États. Or, dans le document que nous avons reçu, au point 2.3, il est dit—« De plus en plus les États membres ne payent pas leur contribution et que les montants des arriérés s’accumulent. »L’Union a été obligée de fonctionner avec de sérieuses contraintes financières qui la ramenaient à emprunter sur ces comptes de roulement et en témoignent d’ailleurs les statistiques puis qu’il n’y a que dix-neuf États qui sont à jour, trente-cinq ont des arriérés parmi lesquels quatorze jusqu’au 31 décembre ont des arriérés. Donc, ne pensez-vous pas que les mêmes causes pourront produire les mêmes effets?Toujours sur les sources alternatives de financement, j’ai une proposition. J’ai eu à faire état de ça ici. Puisque le Vice-président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine est là, c’est toujours de mener la réflexion et de voir au niveau de la CEDEAO où il y a quinze États membres et où on applique le prélèvement communautaire au niveau de l’Union Africaine. Mais je propose que même si c’est la moitié puisqu’il y a cinquante-quatre États, si c’est la moitié de ce prélèvement communautaire qui est pratiqué sur les quinze États de la CEDEAO, je pense qu’on peut trouver une bonne manne financière comme source alternative de financement.Nous encourageons ces sources alternatives de financement pour mettre un terme à la dépendance vis-à-vis de l’aide étrangère et que Dieu nous aide vraiment à vaincre ce challenge.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup chère collègue. Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Mohamed Tayeb LASKRI de l’Algérie.REFERENCE: 1005-160910FHON. MOHAED TAYEB LASKRI [ALGERIE]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Si vous permettez, je commencerai par une remarque générale, sur la présentation de ce budget et ce qui a été évoqué par le représentant de l’Union Africaine.Franchement, la période n’est pas propice pour une bonne appréciation d’une proposition d’un budget. En absence de l’exécution du budget précédent, comment peut-on bien apprécier un budget 2017, si on n’a aucune information sur l’exécution du budget 2016, qui vient à peine de commencer, c’est clair. Donc, en absence de l’exécution d’un budget, l’appréciation,personnellement je ne peux pas en avoir.Je proposerai par contre, s’il était possible et c’est possible je pense, qu’on me donne au moins une idée sur l’exécution des budgets précédents: 2014 et 2015, pour savoir si les trois derniers budgets de l’Union Africaine ont été bien exécutés; pour avoir une idée sur l’appréciation du budget qui suit. Ceci est pour la remarque d’ordre général.Maintenant concernant deux points que je voudrais évoquer, le premier point, c’est par rapport à la contribution des Etats membres. On voit qu’il y a une augmentation de 2017 par rapport à 2016, qui est de l’ordre de 5,8% et de 2016 par rapport à 2015, c’est de l’ordre de 2,5%. Donc, si pour 2017 il y a une augmentation de la contribution des Etats membres de 5,8 % et c’est justifiée dans le rapport par la décision prise par le sommet de l’UA de juin 2015, je pars contre de la diminution des contributions des partenaires du même pourcentage 5,8%, n’est pas justifiée et n’est pas clairement définir. Est-ce qu’une décision de l’Union Africaine, le fait d’avoir une augmentation de la contribution des Etats, on diminue les prévisions des contributions des partenaires? Parce que, je vois du moins pour le budget du Parlement panafricain, on en a besoin fortement puisque les 3% qui sont alloués au Parlement panafricain par rapport au budget de l’Union Africaine, je pense que cela pourrait prêter réflexion.Le deuxième point que je voudrais évoquer, c’est le budget alloué au Parlement panafricain. Je pense que dans la version française du rapport, il y a une erreur de traduction, où il est dit que le Parlement panafricain présente une proposition de budget de temps, soit 27,8% du moins que le budget approuvé de 2016, alors qu’il y a eu une augmentation et non pas une diminution. Parce que dans le paragraphe suivant, le budget du PAP 2017 a augmenté pour les raisons suivantes. Donc, ce n’est pas une diminution. Il doit y avoir une erreur de traduction si je comprends bien.Je terminerai par dire toujours sur le budget du Parlement panafricain, les raisons évoquées qui sont bien mentionnées dans le rapport de l’Union Africaine, mentionnant donc cette augmentation. Par contre, il y a une raison fondamentale que nous cessons de dire à chacune de nos sessions, donc dans le Parlement panafricain, c’est le manque de budget et le manque de finances pour bien mener les activités des programmes des commissions par exemple, du Parlement panafricain. Donc, cela pourrait être accepté du point de vue des raisons évoquées pour penser à augmenter le budget du Parlement panafricain.Je vous remercie.LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’honorable Faycal Tebbini, de la Tunisie. Faycal!Je donne la parole à l’honorable Ignace Ndebo Akanda, de la République Démocratique du Congo.REFERENCE: 1005-161348FHON. IGNACE NDEBO AKANDA [DRC]:Honorable Président, je vous remercie de la parole, j’ai été tenté de dire que mon intervention était sans objet, en ce que mes préoccupations ont été rencontrées d’abord par le collègue du Mozambique, s’agissant du budget réservé aux jeunes. Parce que la question précise qui a été posée était de savoir quelle est la ligne budgétaire qui prévoit des investissements dans la jeunesse? Qu’est-ce qui est effectivement prévu pour les jeunes, afin de les sortir, de leur éviter de la pauvreté et de toute la cohorte de méfaits que cela peut entrainer?Ma deuxième préoccupation a été rencontrée par le collègue du Soudan, en ce qui concerne la dépendance extérieure, parce que la conclusion du rapport sur le budget est tout à fait explicite en ce qu’elle précise qu’il faut absolument qu’on puisse sortir de cette dépendance. Mais la question principale est de savoir comment? Parce que nous n’avons jamais reçu, nous n’avons jamais entendu des propositions concrètes susceptibles d’amener nos Etats à sortir, nos Etats contributeurs au budget de l’Union africaine, comment entendaient-ils sortir de cette dépendance, mais je pense que les pistes sont nombreuses, notamment des projets de développement sous régionaux, des projets intégrateurs au niveau régional, de manière que nous puissions atteindre le niveau continental. Mais tout le monde est d’avis que c’est une question de volonté politique, de disponibilité et de tout ce qui s’en suit. Mais je ne m’attarderai pas là-dessus.Troisième préoccupation qui a été rencontrée, honorable Président, c’est par le collègue de l’Algérie, en ce qu’il dit et je voudrais ajouter du bémol à ce qu’il a dit, en posant une question bien précise. Est-ce que le PAP est réellement l’autorité budgétaire du continent africain? La réponse est claire, la réponse est tout à fait non. Parce que la porte reste fermée, étant donné que nous n’avons pas encore la clé de la porte qui nous ouvrirait la pièce contenant le pouvoir législatif.Ce n’est qu’à ce moment-là que nous deviendrons l’autorité budgétaire et aurons un mot à dire sur le budget, parce que le débat qu’on est en train de faire, l’examen de ce budget qu’on est en train de réaliser maintenant nous amènerait à quoi? Il s’agit tout simplement d’une consultation, parce que ces propos n’amèneraient absolument pas les Etats, au sommet, cela s’entend, où la Commission à réviser son budget, ou à le modifier à tout moment. Donc il ne s’agit que d’informations.Subséquemment, honorable Président, je disais donc que le collègue de l’Algérie avait raison, parce que nous n’avons pas décidé de la réédition des comptes afin d’examiner un budget pour un exercice suivant, il est absolument impérieux que nous puissions avoir des éléments susceptibles de nous amener à la réédition des comptes, à examiner le niveau d’exécution des comptes, comme l’a dit la collègue et homonyme du Rwanda, IGNATIENNE, moi c’est IGNACE, et donc, il faudrait absolument que nous puissions avoir tous ces éléments pour évaluer le niveau d’exécution et amener l’Union africaine à apporter les modifications nécessaires pour un budget réaliste.Enfin, honorable Président, les Etats contribuent, au niveau du budget de l’Union africaine, à concurrence de 27% et 83%...Je m’arrête-là, honorable Président. Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue. La parole est à l’honorable OSCAR NSAMAN-O-LUTU de la République démocratique du Congo.La parole est à l’honorable ABDALLAH BARKAT IBRAHIM, de Djibouti.REFERENCE: 1005-161822FHON. ABDALLAH BARKAT IBRAHIM [DJIBOUTI]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Comme le disait mon collègue de la République Démocratique du Congo, je pense qu’on nous présente le budget, mais c’est à titre consultatif, puisque ce budget-là va atterrir après au COREP; et, apparemment, c’est le COREP qui décide en matière budgétaire.Deuxième point, contrairement à certains, je pense que le budget du Parlement Panafricain a diminué. Et il est clair, à la page 25, le tableau l’indique. Le budget 2016, il était de 32 460 993 (trente deux millions quatre cent soixante mille neuf cent quatre vingt treize); le budget de cette année, il est de 23 421 000 (vingt trois millions quatre cent vingt et un milles). Donc, c’est une diminution. Il y a le problème de français dans la partie française, je suis d’accord; mais c’est une diminution.Apparemment, cette diminution concerne uniquement la partie programme. Et c’est vraiment étonnant que la partie programme ait diminuée de 68,5 %. Et vraiment, on coupe, en tout cas, l’herbe sous les pieds du Parlement Panafricain; puisque comme certains l’ont dit, le programme devrait être les activités^ une partie du budget programme était consacrée aux activités des différentes commissions du Parlement Panafricain; alors que les autres rubriques ont augmenté: le personnel a augmenté de 35,3 %, c’est bien; le fonctionnement a augmenté; le capital a augmenté. Donc, je pense qu’en tout cas, est-ce que cette diminution du budget programme est due à ce que le budget programme du Parlement Panafricain est jugé irréaliste? Je ne sais pas, est-ce que c’est un jugement qui est porté, ou bien est-ce que c’est un problème de mobilisation de ressources financières? Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:La parole est à l’Honorable Djidda MAMAR MAHAMAT du Tchad.La parole est à l’Honorable MUSTAFA ABDELAEIE ELGENDY de l’Égypte.REFERENCE: 1005-162052FEHON. MUSTAFA ABDELAZIZ ELGENDY [EGYPT]:Merci Monsieur le président.بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمJe ne vais pas parler de ce que mes collègues en ont déjà parlé, de l’Algérie ou de la République Démocratique du Congo. Mais moi, je vais parler pourquoi les pays africains ne payent pas leur contribution à leur Maison. Pourquoi ils n’y croient plus? Pourquoi ils ne donnent pas? C’est ça le point qu’il faut comme instrument. Comment ça se fait que notre Maison est financée par 80% ou peut-être plus par les amis de la Maison? Ils sont eux les enfants de la Maison. Qu’est-ce qu’ils font les enfants de la Maison? Pourquoi ils n’y croient plus à la Maison? C’est ça la question qu’il faut qu’on se demande. Je pense que si on en cherche un peu, il n’y a plus l’âme; l’âme qui était là à la création par les pères fondateurs. C’est ça la question qu’il faut qu’on se demande parce qu’il ne faut pas me faire croire que les pays ne payent pas parce qu’ils n’en ont pas. Ce n’est pas vrai. On en a. Et les papiers.. nous prouvent qu’on en a et on en a pleinement. Ce n’est pas la question que l’Égypte paye, l’Algérie paye, des fondateurs payent mais la question est: pourquoi on ne paye pas? Je pense que c’est ça la question, Monsieur le président. Pourquoi on n’y croit plus à notre continent? Pourquoi on laisse les autres venir intervenir chez nous? Et on sait tous que personne ne donne pour rien. Personne ne donne pour rien! Il faut qu’on réponde à cette question, Monsieur le président. Parce qu’on en a besoin d’une réponse.On a besoin d’une réponse ici dans cette salle. On a besoin de la réponse pourquoi on dépense tant. Il y a une guerre entre nous, l’un et l’autre, pour commencer parfois, le fonds du Parlement, il faut le fonds du Parlement. Mais avant d’aller ailleurs pour tendre la main, pour demander, il faut demander à nos pays pourquoi on n’y contribue pas et il faut les entendre bien, résoudre les problèmes que l’âme revient à l’Afrique, on en a besoin, le monde entier, on en a besoin de l’Afrique et nous aussi les enfants de l’Afrique en a besoin de l’âme de nos grands-parents et de nos parents.Merci Monsieur le président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue. La parole à l’Honorable Chief Fortune Charumbira du Zimbabwé.REFERENCE: 1005-162437EHON. CHIEF FORTUNE CHARUMBIRA [ZIMBABWE]:Thank you, Mr President. I want to joint those who have debated prior to my contribution. May I also start by thanking the two presenters for their good information.Comments on 2015-2016 execution rates, you will find that 62% on program budget and 72% on operating budget. This means we did well in spending money on things like administration, salaries, but we did worse on the actual programs that define why we exist as the AU, and that is worrying! When you go to page 16 of the document, and look at the table on that page, you will find that the table tray on staff and operating costs are going up, and this indicates that the program components as a percentage is not doing as well.When you turn to page 17 you will see that the table shows that 43.5% goes to the AUC and 43% to AMISOM. This is basically saying that 86.5% is going either to conflict issues and our own admin and remuneration issues, leaving 25% for actual programs. But the story is even worse when you consider that the said 25% means other organs. And most of these organs more than 50% of their expenditure is on remuneration again. So you see an AU which is really not focused on programs to increase the lives of the people of Africa. In the final analysis you will find that we have already expended less that 10% in uplifting the state of living of the people of Africa. The rest is simply going to paying admin, travel, workshops and the like, which won’t change the lives of the people of Africa. Thank you very much!REFERENCE: 1005-162758FHON. MARTIN BOHUE [COTE D’ VOIRE]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais dire merci à monsieur le Commissaire de l’UA, pour la bonne présentation du budget, en tout cas dans ces articulations. Je lui dis merci, parce que dans la présentation du budget qu’il nous faite, je constate des avancées notables et je m’en réjouis.Je voudrais passer rapidement sur certaines questions qui ont été déjà évoquées par mes prédécesseurs, notamment la question sur le financement des activités du PAP.Mais, je voudrais avant tout cela rappeler que l’année dernière, en 2015 nous avons eu droit ici à un exposé d’un émissaire venant de l’Union Africaine, sur justement le budget et qui dans ces propositions, nous a dit que l’UA était à la recherche des sources de financement autres que celles venant des partenaires. Et ce jour là, il a évoqué la possibilité de procéder à des taxes parafiscales sur certains produits d’exportation et ce jour-là, nous avons abondamment applaudi. Ceci étant, si cela devrait se mettre en œuvre, je dirais que notre problème serait en partie résolu.Mais, je lui dis merci parce que dans son exposé d’aujourd’hui et bien j’ai entendu des projets phares, ambitieux, mais qui me posent quand même quelques problèmes de compréhension. Par exemple, il a parlé de TGV devant relier les capitales formidables, mais comment cela va se faire? Peut-il me donner quelques explications? Il a parlé de marché unique de transport aérien en Afrique, il a parlé du Barrage du Grand Inga, il a parlé de la stratégie africaine de l’espace. Autant de projets innovateurs, très avancés pour lesquels je souhaiterais avoir quelques éclaircissements.Ensuite, dans la présentation du budget 2017, il a parlé de la formulation, de la normalisation, de la diffusion et de la promotion des lois types. Alors, je m’interroge, au stade où nous sommes, peut-on déjà parler de formulation, de normalisation, de diffusion et de promotion des lois types, quand on sait que peut-être un ou deux pays seulement à ce jour ont pu ratifier le Protocole de Malabo?Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’honorable Abdularazak Sa’ad Namdas, du Nigéria.REFERENCE: 1005-163112EHON. ABDULARAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Thank you, Mr President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the debate. I actually have very little to say because so much has been said already.I just want to add my voice to the position of Dr Lahai who says that there is need for this august body to be given legislative powers rather than just being an advisory body because as a Parliament if we approve this budget assuming that we have legislative powers, it means that we will move a step further to do some oversight functions to ensure that we check how these monies are being expended. The presenter just talked about the issues of Panama leaks.There is a lot of capital flight from this continent to other nations. This shows that corruption is so much present in Africa. Just like my hon. Colleague from South Africa said, we do not see the reason why we have an advisory body on corruption that does not even say anything about the Panama leaks.In fact, I have seen a budget of one point something million dollars earmarked for some activities of this body against corruption and we do not know what kind of activities they are going to do because corruption is all over the continent.I wish to submit that for this budget to be effective and for Africa to move forward, first we have to really fight corruption very seriously. My colleague from Botswana made an attempt to tell us that we need to ensure that something is put in place because whatever we do, since we are just an advisory body, we cannot close our eyes and cross our fists. Otherwise, anything that comes here will go back the way it came. Therefore, my own simple advice is that I pray that this body is turned into a legislative body so that we can have powers to check the activities of this budget.Lastly, even if it is a non-governmental organisation, The AU sometimes has some kind of revenues. May I also just ask that the AU as a body with all the monies that you collect from agents and what have you, do you really have some kind of projects or enterprises that generate revenue for this very basic body which you can rely on and fund some causes in the budget?I thank you so much.REFERENCE: 1005-163403FHON. SYLVESTRE NAAH ONDOA [CAMEROON]:Monsieur le Président, je vous remercie. Je voudrais faire un certain nombre d’observations sur ce rapport. Je veux d’abord revenir sur le problème de la faible contribution des Etats membres qui a été souligné par plusieurs orateurs ici et le camarade qui vient d’Egypte a parlé d’une cause, qui est l’absence d’un exclu tel qu’il a été perçu au début de la création de l’Union africaine. Mais je pense qu’il faut qu’on aille au-delà. L’UA est devenu ce machin, dont parlait le Général de Gaulle, où les Chefs d’Etats viennent faire des discours qui n’ont aucun impact sur la réalité.Le camarade de Côte d’Ivoire, a rappelé ici un certain nombre de projets bien alléchants sur le papier. Je veux parler du projet du train à grande vitesse, tel qu’on le voit, c’est un très beau projet, mais en réalité comment parler du train à grande vitesse, qui doit relier les capitales d’Afrique, quand pour aller, je prends le cas de mon pays, en Guinée Equatoriale, il faut faire comme un parcours du combattant. Je crois qu’il faut commencer par là. J’ai l’impression qu’on met les charrues avant les bœufs au niveau d l’UA.Nous avons d’autres préoccupations concernant le problème relatif à l’Université virtuelle, où ceux de la communication en ligne. Mais comment peut-on faire l’Université virtuelle, de la communication en ligne, dans un continent où 80% d’habitants manquent d’électricité? Il faut que l’UA soit réellement réaliste. Il faut commencer par là.Monsieur le Président, vous savez que nous avons ici des projets qui ont été exposés pour l’électrification de l’Afrique et qui ont été présentés dans le cadre de la Coop21, ce sont de beaux projet et je crois qu’il faut que l’UA commence par insister sur ces éléments de base, avant de parler de gros projets, qui en réalité, j’ai l’impression, ne verront jamais le jour. Il en est ainsi d’ailleurs, j’ouvre-là une parenthèse, du projet de la création du fonds monétaire africain.Le projet a été confié pour étude à mes compatriotes qui ont déposé le rapport, mais nous avons l’impression que c’est un projet qui est lettre morte, surtout après le décès de Kadhafi. Alors, j’ai comme l’impression que l’UA doit se réorienter, se repenser pour que les gens recommencent à avoir intérêt à cette organisation qui nous est si chère.Si elle continue sur cette voie, beaucoup d’Etats vont continuer à ne pas payer leurs contributions, et je reviens ici sur le cas qui nous concerne, le Parlement panafricain, comment créer un instrument qui n’est ici rien que pour faire des observations? Et depuis qu’on demande la ratification du Protocole, beaucoup de pays ne semblent pas être intéressés. Dans le rapport de l’UA, il y a un certain nombre de démarches qui sont signalées et qui sont faites en faveur d’un certain nombre de protocoles pour leur signature. Alors, pourquoi n’avoir pas fait la même démarche, en ce qui concerne le Parlement panafricain?Je vous remercie, monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, la parole est à l’honorable PHESHEYA VICTOR, du Swaziland.REFERENCE: 1005-163842EHON. HLATSHWAYO VICTOR PHESHEYA [SWAZILAND]:Thank you, Mr. President for according me this opportunity to make my intervention regarding this presentation before this honourable House.Special thanks go to the presenters who have clearly articulated the budget of the African Union.Mr. President, maybe mine would be coming from a different dimension given all these issues which are being deliberated here especially the issue of subscription. The question that I may have to ask is: Do all the Heads of State in Africa normally attend the A.U. Heads of State General Assembly? If they attend this very important Assembly, in what capacity and from what perspective do they do so? Or in whose interest do they attend that Assembly if our member States do not subscribe to the membership of such a body? How do they expect the continent to move forward and what specifically is expected of us as member countries if our leaders cannot subscribe to the notion of ensuring that the AU is a competent institution on its own?Mr. President, honestly, I am very happy about the report because it points out the challenges and possibly remedies which basically Africa can bring to the fore in an endeavour to ensure that Africa is sustainable on its own. So, I basically urge Hon Members to support this budget because in as much as we can see that most of the money is for the remuneration of the staff and so on and so forth, I believe that the foundation of everything is the personnel. As long as we have personnel with relevant skills and they are aware that they will have their money at the end of it all, possibly they would bring ideas which will take Africa forward.Mr. President, I would urge our member countries to ensure that during the Kigali Assembly, all the Heads of State should ensure that they subscribe before they attend the Assembly.Mr. President, the report talks about forty-three per cent to amazons Maybe it is another reason why the Committees which we have at PAP should be given enough resources including the Committee where I am a Chairperson - the one on Cooperation.InterruptionsM. LE PRÉSIDENT:One more minute!HON. HLATSHWAYO VICTOR PHESHEYA [SWAZILAND]:Thank you Mr. PresidentWe must ensure that enough resources are mobilized so that we go and try and ensure that we do not have further conflict in Africa.Maybe the last one - the report talks about 15% of that product which is being finished in Africa. I think we should do more as Africans and we should not be discouraged by the 15% but we should use that as a base which will give us more courage to say: ‘Africa, yes we have done well on 15%’. We can do more on that.Thank you so much Mr. President.REFERENCE: 1005-164232EHON. SEN. JANET ONGERA (MRS) [KENYA]:Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity so that I may also make my contribution. I would like to thank His Excellency Erasmus Mwencha who is the son of the Kenyan soil. We are very proud of the work you have done in AU as the Deputy Chairperson and the distinguished career that you have exhibited and your professionalism. You make us very proud as Kenyans. On behalf of the Kenyan delegation we want to thank you for the good job that you have done as you now leave the position as the Deputy Chair person.Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues by welcoming outcome 5 as the AU is now looking for alternative sources of funding for their programmes and development.However, like my colleague from South Africa said, I think that there is a lot of bureaucracy in the AU. They are not thinking outside the box and particularly they do not want to accept new and innovative ideas. Unless we as Africans begin to think of new ways in which we can raise funds to keep our dear AU in a good financial position, we shall not achieve much.I welcome the proposal that was made by President Obasanjo that a levy be introduced in hotels and the additional sources of funding were going to go up way over forty-five percent.I even wanted to suggest another alternative source, that is if the AU can consider collecting a levy on all aircraft movements made in our countries. If perhaps they could get just half a dollar. My calculations tell me from my experience as a former managing director of the Kenyan Airport that in deed the AU could raise almost fifty or fifty-five percent of their sources of funding, because we have over 3.5 billion aircraft movements per year in our African soils.It is high time that the AU started thinking outside the box in terms of how it will finance its operations without relying on donor funding.Finally, I want to thank our chairman for the Finance Committee and their chairman who is the distinguished Member of Parliament from Swaziland for fighting very hard for us to get allowances.However, it is indeed shameful that Members of this distinguished House, when on AU missions, particularly observer missions, travel in economy class, but members of staff of PAP travel in business class. Recently, we had a very embarrassing situation where our third Vice-President, I and a member from Cameroon had to travel in economy class when our own Clerk was travelling in business class. I hope that this could be resolved.I thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-164609AHON. BACHIR ALI MOHAMED AL-BATHANI [SUDAN]:بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وشكراً سيدي الرئيس وشكراً للسيد نائب رئيس المفوضية ممثل الاتحاد الإفريقي لهذا العرض المفصل للميزانية و لعل أهم ملاحظاتي على هذه الميزانية أن العناصر و المرتكزات الأساسية للميزانية تتفق تماما مع جاء في توصيات وبروتوكولات الاتحاد الإفريقي وتطاعات الشعوب الإفريقية أيضا من الإيجابيات أن الميزانية حوت مقترح لتنفيذ 12 مشروع رائد كما جاء في الصفحة 7 و 8 من شأنهاإحداث بنية ملائمة لإنطلاق الدول الأعضاء في زيادة الإنتاج و التواصلالتكامل بين الدول و تحسين الوضع الإقتصادي لهذه الدول نأمل أن تجد هذه المشروعات التمويل الكامل للتنفيذ ونستفسر إن كانت هذه المشروعات قد خضعت للدراسات التفصيلية و التشاور بين هذه الدول المستفيدة، أيضا من الإيجابيات في تقديرنا إرتفاع مساهمة الدول عن العام 2016 بنسبة 24,8 إذ أن نسبة الدول الأعضاء في هذه الميزانية أصبحت 27 في المئة مقابل 21 في المئة في 2016 وهذا في تقديري عمل إيجابي و يقلل من الإعتماد على الشركاء و المانحين أيضا، بالنسبة للميزانية البرلمان، برلمان أفريقيا رغم أنها إنخفضت بنسبة 28 في المئة إلا أن الملاحظ أن هناك زيادة في ميزانية المصروفات التشغيلية و التي تحوي تكاليف الموظفين بالاضافة لبدلات المكتب وأعضاء البرلمان مما يمكن البرلمان من اداء عمله بصورة طيبة من ملاحظاتي أيضا أو توصياتي أضم صوتي للأخو الذين طالبوا بضرورة تقديم تقرير منفصل عن مستوى تنفيذ ميزانية العام السابق للبرلمان. شكراً سيدي الرئيسREFERENCE: 1005-164837FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher Collègue.Avant de clôturer le débat général, je voudrais à mon tour faire entendre ma voix.Mes chers Collègues, le Vice-président, Son Excellence Monsieur Eratus MWENCHA qui quitte la Commission de l’Union Africaine aujourd’hui, j’ai travaillé avec lui pendant près de six ans. Il a pris une part active dans les grandes décisions de l’Union Africaine, et je doute fort bien que son absence nous fera avancer. Il a été avec nous, toutes les luttes, lorsqu’on révisait le protocole, il était l’homme qui donnait les conseils, qui essayait de dissuader certains membres du COREP pour que ça puisse avancer. Mais également, il part au moment où l’Union Africain veut mettre en place un passeport africain. C’est également grâce à lui que vous avez les passeports diplomatiques de l’Union Africaine. C’est à lui que j’adresse les demandes, c’est lui qui motive pour que les gens puissent venir vous établir les passeports ici; comme ils sont en train de travailler là, c’est lui qui les a envoyés. On avait un projet avec lui, celui des smart conference. On devait, cette session même, si ça avait évolué, avoir des smart conference. Vous aviez trouvé tout dans les tablettes dans vos bureaux, comme ça se fait à l’Union Africaine. Il travaillait sur ce dossier, j’espère qu’il va voir le jour.Mais également, chers collègues, je voudrais vous dire sincèrement ce qui se passe; beaucoup de nos collègues ont évoqué le problème ici. Ce budget au départ d’ici doit passer par les Ambassadeurs, et c’est là où le bas blesse. Parce que les Ambassadeurs des différents pays nous prennent comme des adversaires, ils ne veulent rien lâcher. Et je doute même que les moindres indemnités qu’on avait mises là pourront passer. Je peux vous prendre pour exemple: il faut qu’on fasse une différence, nous ne venons pas ici en mission; nous venons ici en session. Et comparaison étant raison, lorsque nous assistons^ la plut part d’entre-nous, lorsque nous assistons aux sessions de l’Assemblée Nationale dans nos pays, nous avons une petite indemnité appelée « indemnité de session », et c’est ça qui est reconnu dans le Règlement Intérieur à l’Article 10 qui dit que les Parlementaires panafricains perçoivent une indemnité pour couvrir les charges de leur session. C’est ça qu’on a remis et l’Honorable TEMPLE vous a expliqué. En 2008, on avait déjà mis ça dans le budget, mais ça a disparu, personne n’en parlait. Aujourd’hui, il est question de revoir ça, et je voudrais inviter mes collègues ici de travailler de concert avec leur Ministre des Affaires Étrangères pour qu’ils donnent les instructions aux Ambassadeurs à Addis qui vont nous faire la pluie et le beau temps sur tout ce que vous imaginez. Il ne faudrait pas que demain, si ça ne sort pas, qu’on accuse le Président de la Commission, qu’on accuse le Président, non. Ça ce n’est que le début. On nous a fait, d’aucuns ont bien dit, nous ne faisons que faire des recommandations; mais l’étude de ce budget va commencer avec les Ambassadeurs du COREP.Donc, je voudrais que vous souteniez cette initiative, et surtout que son Excellence Eratus MWENCHA, qui est un frère, essaie de tout faire pour que, s’il y a un passeport africain — Qui est plus Africain que nous? —, nous soyons les premiers aussi à bénéficier. Il a cité une catégorie: les Chefs d’État, les Premiers Ministres, les Chefs de Gouvernement; pourquoi pas les Parlementaires Panafricains bénéficier de ce passeport?Je vais m’arrêter jusque là pour donner l’opportunité à Son Excellence Erastus MWENCHA de pouvoir répondre aux questions.La discussion générale est close.J’invite donc Son Excellence Eratus MWENCHA, Vice-président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine, à répondre aux questions.REFERENCE: 1005-165315EH.E. MR. ERASTUS MWENCHA [RESPONSES]:Thank you, Mr. President.May I extend my deepest appreciation to all the members who have spoken. My sincere gratitude for the contributions that you have made.I would want to start with those of you who have expressed doubt as to the value of your contributions. I want to assure you that we listen very attentively. In fact a suggestion was made earlier on that a delegation of the finance committee should also be present at the PRC meeting. This will contribute to us passing the message that comes from, you the representatives of the people, so that you can express Africa’s priorities and implementation and also influence the outcome of the budget.I also want to thank you Mr. President for praying hard and looking forward to the day when our parliament will be truly a parliament. It is ironic that we create so many institutions and we still do not want to give them the capacity that they need to be able to play their role.When the Chairperson addressed you two years ago clearly committed that in areas where your competency will be welcomed particularly in continental programmes, like the Free Trade Area we are going to pursue, I think that is what the president is saying, we should start with that before going to other areas. Really what remains is for all of you since you come from different countries in Africa to go and discuss with our heads of state and government and our own parliament to ratify that protocol so that when we do our integration we can move towards a continental approach to our development issues.Mr. President, let me just highlight just some responses to the questions that were raised, in the interest of time, because if I should go question by question then I would take much time; more than you may allow me.Someone has talked about the legislative issues and I think this is an area we would like to continue to work with together. For instance, Mr. President himself attended a retreat with Ministers in Mekele, Ethiopia and they made really a passionate appeal that was loud and clear. Everybody leaving that session should have gone home to press for that ratification. Of course, this is a journey so let us continue to press forward until we achieve that commanding height. Many of you have also talked about other alternative sources of financing, welcoming the idea and giving us examples and some even said we should think out of the box. You also gave us specific areas of consideration.In fact we welcome some of these suggestions such as the example that was given about aircraft levy and all that. We will take all this into account. The ECOWAS example will be taken into account because ECOWAS charges a levy on imports. All these are areas that we are looking at. When our leaders meet we hope they will adopt one of these as a way to lessens dependency on external sources of financing our budget.Another member spoke about the budget for PAP, where of course the programme budget has gone down. Indeed, if you look at the programmes which we called the parking lot and increase them, the PAP budget is not affected. We just hope that we can secure this funding.I want to thank the Hon. Chairperson of the Finance Committee for what he suggested that in PAP we have to establish mechanisms like a trust fund. Weencourage you to do whatever you can to mobilise resources - so long you put it in the budget - so that you can bring resources in for implementing some of the programmes that PAP may think necessary.In fact, observation of election is not just something we should take lightly because we know that elections have become major sources of conflict. So we need to continue to improve election outcomes so that we can also entrench not only democracy but the status of our countries so that we can stabilise our country so that every so often we do not have to see upheavals on our continent because of poorly managed elections or issues pertaining to us accepting the outcomes or ensuring that things were done in a proper way.Many members raised the question concerning the budget (non-payments). What do we do when member states do not pay? Simply to say yes, there are sanctions. In fact, if a member state stays in arrears for two years sanctions apply straightaway. They cannot speak and they do not attend.There was also a question that was raised; do member states really attend AU summits? The answer is yes. In fact, you will see an average depending on the schedule of the heads of state. Presently, there are fifty-four of them, but on average, I see at least forty heads of state attending the summit. So it is well attended and they come because they believe in their collective unity and objectives of their continent.I want to agree with the Hon. Member from Egypt who said that the spirit of Pan-Africanism is not there. During the struggle for independence, there was that zeal for the total liberation of the continent. We had a uniting factor of liberating the continent. Today I am not sure I can say the same.Under agenda 2063 we are saying, we must take agenda 2063 and make it part of our curriculum of our education to bring that sprit of Pan-Africanism, teach African values to our children so that as they grow up they will know our history and where we are going. If you look at Africa, just like India, we have not taken advantage of our demographic dividends. That is why we are saying next year let us visit this thing on how to take care of our demographic dividends.India and China are growing by using their population and their domestic market. But we have been divided and therefore we remain weak. If we are united we can then use our resources because we have them. One Hon. Member said that all these projects like is a dream or a pie in the sky. Nothing can be further from the truth because some of these projects have actually started. What we are now doing as African Union is to make sure that we manage them at the continent level. We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China in which we have started implementing these programmes. We want to make sure that as we implement projects, we can also implement technology. We can train our people and use them for industralisation.If you look at Europe, how did the European Union project start? It starts with raw materials. In fact it was iron and steel in the project that really brought up what they are now today as European Union. So that is a very important project that we can use for industralisation or transformation.I regret the situation that obtains that our Hon. Members have to travel economy class, when actually some of our visitors travel in business class. I do not know how we will solve this. It has to be incorporated in our financial rules. Our auditors remain very vigilant if the name Member of Parliament has not been mention. I know the national parliaments have that privilege, why can we not include it? I think this is a matter for us. I can only mention one thing that perhaps because like now from 2017 if you look at the budget what we are providing is about 30 million. We may have to reduce the number of observation missions that we want to undertake. Remember for instance that last year we had over fifteen elections and of course we did not manage to observe all of them, because we did not have adequate resources. The point is well made and we will move in that direction.On implementation, it can be misleading. If you remove AMISOM and its implementation was quiet high, then the ratio of implementation is much better, but we take your point and this is a point many of us continue to fight for.I agree and sometimes I tell the bureaucrats in the AU commission that if you do not show results to members states you will not encourage them to continue to pay their dues. Of course, it is an egg and chicken situation. If we do not own our fund, remember many of the programmes we have been implementing in the past, are those that partners would come and choose. Many of the partners can give us funds for election observations and governance, but they do not want to finance programmes like industrialisation and this is where we make a difference. That is why in the budget 2017 we have taken these flagship programmes and made provision for them so that we rely less on contributions of our development partners.On the ratio of programmes and operation of budget - the Hon. Member from Zimbabwe I think I must answer this question- If you look at page 17 of the document, I think you made a miscalculation here. First on the overall: the ratio of operational budget which you have called staff cost and the rest is 67%. In fact this is a normal ratio.In many best practices you get 40 to 60 and we have 70 to 67 which are even much better. If you read that column you will notice for instance, staff costs in AU is $US81million, but if you look at the total budget it is $US338 million. So that cannot be 86%. The figure actually may be there but there is some slight calculation aspect that you do not understand, but the ratio is quite good and it is one of those things which were brought down in the last few years, because I remember when I joined the African union the ratio was almost 60 to 40 and today we are looking at 37% to 67% which is a very significant improvement.How are we managing our gender and youth? One of the approaches that we have for gender and youth is to make sure that every programme of the AU has a gender and a youth component. In fact, in the new structure, that is why we have an increment of staff by 83. We are saying we must have a new division for youth because if youth as we said early are a major resource we have, then we must take our programme at continental level to support them. All other programmes we have been doing for youths start with the PanAfrican University which we are implementing at the moment. We have five campuses: one of them is in Cameroon. We have also programmes like the youth volunteer scheme, internship and vocational. In fact, that is an area where we are spending quite a bit to have vocational programmes for the youth.As the Hon. Member said, how can we use a virtual university? Surely, if you look at Africa, its internet administration level is increasing. Can we not we start with the base that we have? Many of the youth now have smart phones and so we have this base that we can use. So if we have to wait until we have a total penetration of electricity before we embark on new technology, I think we will be missing an opportunity. That is why we want to start with E-learning for Virtual University but also at the same time, if you look at one of the flagship projects it is the connectivity of the continent so that we can use modern tools for us to access our education. Through the Internet you can have one teacher being able to reach maybe a thousand students. Through physical contact, it is not possible to do that.Now we take information that has been given by members that if you have to deal with the contribution of members from 6.8 to 15%, that will be a major leap in one financial year and I believe as we go down the road this is going to be a major debate.Remember that there is a decision our heads of state and government made that they want to move towards 100% of the operation budget at 75%. How do we move? They even said that they want to do that within five years. So, what we have said is that from 2017 let us work for 15% of the programme project, then the next year we move to 30%. It is going to be a leap. That is why this change must also be seen in tandem with alternative sources of funding. That is why we would also appeal to you as you go to your various member states to make this a major thing for us to change.Many members have wondered what our anticorruption board is doing when it is not mentioning corruption.Indeed there was a study that was undertaking by former president Thabo Mbeki which pointed to the figure of was about fifty million. Of course, that was part of the documentation that he was able to read. Of course the Panama papers have revealed more.So we are not a poor continent, it is really poor management of our resources. If we tackle this, we should be able to have adequate resources because after looking at the budget of the African Union is under one billion and what we are using as a union is much more. Talking about fighting this, we are using various approaches. We are talking to our development partners so that we can introduce legislation to make it difficult for those that do not pay their legitimate taxes but also for us to improve our capacity to negotiate contracts and improve on effective management.We have also developed a mining vision which we hope can domesticate and a common standard to make sure that if you enter mining or oil exploration, it needs a minimum standard for the benefit our people.Mr. President, I only chose to respond to some points that I thought were critical. May I use this opportunity once again to thank you personally. I have known and worked with you. I have also worked with many members of PAP and I believe in the PAP philosophy. I am leaving very much encouraged because I sincerely have been going through my second and last term under the sprit that it is Africa’s time. However, it is only Africa’s time if we, as leaders, can lead from the front and claim the opportunities because we have a big challenge. Africa has millions of youth who are unemployed with all these resources which are being plundered and history will be very harsh on us if we do not change course. Otherwise, we have an opportunity to change this rich continent of poor people to a prosperous and fruitful future.May God bless you. May I now beg to move that you look at the budget.Thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-171403EHON. MIKE TEMPLE [SWAZILAND]:Thank you Mr President. Thank you His Excellency Erastus Mwencha and thank you Honourable Members for the support you have given to this budget. I know that what has come out of these deliberations where you see I have taken note of. I know that we will fight for PanAfrican Parliament to achieve its goals and I know that we will fight for us to achieve our budget. I thank you Honourable Members. I thank you Mr President. And from Chairman of Finance’s position and Committee on Finance we are happy with the budget and we say move the process.Thank you.REFERENCE: 1005-171459FETHE CHAIRPERSON:Thank you, Mr President,Your Excellency and Honourable Members, for the support you have given to this budget. I know that you have come up with many views and the EAC has taken note. I will refer them to the Pan-African Parliament. And now I call upon you to adopt our budget.I thank you all! Thank you Honourable Members! Thank you, Mr President! Chairrman of Finance and the Committee on Finance were happy with the budget. We so move the process. Thank you!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues, je soumets à la chambre le budget de l’Union Africaine pour l’exercice 2017 et le rapport de la Commission permanente des Affaires monétaires et financières sur le budget de l’Union Africaine pour l’exercice 2017.Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque!Adopté!Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, je vous donne la parole pour quelques annonces.THE CLERK:Thank you, Mr. President. There are no announcements.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Honorable Membres,Nous sommes, à présent, arrivés à la fin des travaux de ce jour. La séance est, par conséquent, suspendue jusqu’à demain, mercredi 11 mai 2016 à 9.00 heures.La séance est suspendue.
Wednesday, 11th May, 2016
[THE President in the Chair][A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observed]La séance est reprise!J’invite le Secrétaire général à donner l’ordre du jour de nos travaux.M. LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Présentation et débats sur le rapport de l’atelier portant sur «Le renforcement des droits des femmes en vue de l’accès à la terre ».M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Présentation et débats sur le rapport de l’atelier portant sur « Le renforcement des droits des femmes en vue de l’accès à la terre ».J’invite l’honorable Hasna HOUMED BILIL, Présidente de la Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes handicapées à prendre place.UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Motion d’ordre, Monsieur le Président!C’est ici! C’est ici!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Oui!UN HONORABLE MEMBRE:Monsieur le Président,On nous a remis un ordre du jour que nous avons sous la main, mais le premier point, c’est la présentation et débats sur le rapport de l’atelier sur « La gouvernance électronique » et deuxièmement, tout le reste.Je suis étonné qu’on nous parle plutôt de l’accès à la terre qui viendra peut-être après votre présentation.Voilà!Merci, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues,L’ordre du jour que vous avez a été modifié et l’ordre du jour que je donne, c’est celui qui est appliqué, mais la gouvernance c’est dans l’après midi.Effectivement, cela fait partir de l’ordre du jour.Madame la Présidente,Vous avez la parole pour votre présentation.REFERENCE: 1105-090407FHON. HASNA HOUMED BILIL [DJIBOUTI]:Bissimillahi Rahaman Rahim.Monsieur le Président,Mesdames et Messieurs les Vice-présidents,Chers Collègues,Distingués Invités,Je vais me permettre de vous présenter le rapport de l’Atelier conjoint de la Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes handicapées et la Commission Permanente de l’Économie rurale et de l’agriculture, des ressources naturelles et de l’environnement sur « le renforcement des capacités des droits axés au foncier des femmes, une réponse parlementaire, résorber l’écart entre les sexes en vue d’un développement économique à travers l’agriculture ».Le rapport est soumis votre appréciation et le résultat de la collaboration entre la Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes handicapées et la Commission Permanente de l’Économie rurale et de l’agriculture, des ressources naturelles et de l’environnement du Parlement panafricain.Les deux Commissions ont conjointement organisé un atelier sur les droits d’accès de la femme au foncier en vue de réduire l’écart qui existe entre l’homme et la femme en la matière.Cet atelier a eu lieu le 1er mars 2016 au sein du Parlement.L’atelier avait pour objectif majeur de sensibiliser les Parlementaires panafricains à exercer leur mandat législatif et à jouer leur rôle de contrôle au niveau de leurs Parlements nationaux.Ainsi, il s’agit, d’une part, d’élaborer des stratégies en vue du renforcement des droits fonciers des femmes dans le cadre des politiques et législations des États membres et des dispositions du Protocole de Maputo et, d’autre part, de faire le suivi du progrès enregistré dans sa mise en œuvre. L’accent a surtout été mis sur certaines dispositions du Protocole telles que l’article 15 qui définit le droit à la sécurité alimentaire, l’article 19 relatif au développement durable et l’article 21 qui met l’accent sur le droit de succession.Chers collègues,La femme joue un rôle primordial dans la production et la sécurité alimentaire des ménages, malgré son accès limité aux terres. L’agriculture traditionnelle a toujours été pratiquée par la femme et celle-ci a démontré qu’elle était capable d’utiliser judicieusement les ressources limitées mises à sa disposition.Le thème de l’année 2016 adopté par le Sommet des Chefs d’États tenu en janvier 2016 à Addis-Abeba, qui est celui des droits de l’homme avec un accent particulier sur ceux de la femme, confirme la détermination de nos dirigeants à sensibiliser les peuples africains à tous les niveaux et à reconnaître les droits de la femme. Nous sommes par conséquent, ici, interpellés en tant que représentants de ce peuple pour faciliter le bien-être de nos sociétés.2016 est donc l’année d’évaluation à mi-parcours de l’autonomisation de la femme par rapport à sa décennie 2010-2020 qui a été déclarée par la Conférence des Chefs d’États en 2010. Je suis convaincue que cette autonomisation ne pourra être possible que lorsque la femme sera économiquement libérée.À ce titre, la terre, ressource naturelle et principale source de revenus, surtout en milieu rural, est indispensable pour le développement économique durable. La femme évoluera ainsi d’une agriculture de subsistance à celle axée sur le marché pour son autonomisation économique.Monsieur le Président,Chers collègues,Je saisis cette occasion pour féliciter ceux des États membres qui ont réalisé une avancée considérable dans la mise en œuvre du Protocole de Maputo, en vue de l’émancipation de la femme africaine. Il est temps pour nous, Parlementaires panafricains, de prendre nos responsabilités dans l’élaboration, l’adoption et l’application effectives des législations en matière des droits de la femme, en général, et en particulier celles liées à son accès aux ressources naturelles. Plusieurs défis restent à relever, surtout ceux qui concernent les différents systèmes d’administration du foncier, l’accès des femmes aux crédits et à l’éducation de la jeune fille.À cet effet, plusieurs recommandations ont été formulées et sont soutenues par ce rapport comme suit:*Sensibiliser** les parlementaires nationaux afin qu’ils fassent des rappels aux ministres en charge du Protocole, notamment la Commission parlementaire qui en est responsable, et mettre à contribution le Réseau des femmes au sein des Parlements nationaux;*Harmoniser** le droit successoral et l’aligner sur le Protocole;*Envisager**, outre que le projet de loi sur la famille donne aux femmes l’accès aux moyens financiers, l’adoption de la loi portant sur le droit de succession pour éliminer les obstacles à l’application du Protocole de Maputo;*Faciliter** la volonté politique dans les processus de ratification et de mise en œuvre des instruments juridiques de l’UA;*Mobiliser** les parlements nationaux, les organisations féminines, les législateurs, les ministres chargées de la promotion de la femme et les Commissions parlementaires dans le cadre d’une action collective pour faire pression en faveur de la mise en œuvre du Protocole;*Diffuser** les rapports sur la Conférence des femmes par le biais du secrétariat, y compris le questionnaire sur l’état de la ratification et de la mise en œuvre du Protocole de Maputo;*Organiser** des visites d’échange avec d’autres instances décisionnelles et les parlements nationaux;*Renforcer** les capacités des parlementaires sur la façon de suivre les procédures de ratification et identifier les obstacles à la mise en œuvre;*Développer** des mécanismes pour orienter l’interaction entre le PAP et les parlements nationaux en ce qui concerne le suivi des progrès accomplis dans la mise en œuvre des décisions prises. Cela permettrait de renforcer les rôles de supervision et de contrôle du PAP grâce à un travail de collaboration étroite avec les gouvernements;*Faire le bilan et interroger **les États membres sur les progrès réalisés dans la ratification et la mise en œuvre des Protocoles concernés;*Accroître** l’accès des femmes et des jeunes filles à l’éducation et à la scolarisation ainsi qu’à l’eau;*Mettre** en place une sous-commission de l’égalité en genre et de l’agriculture au niveau du PAP pour suivre et évaluer les progrès réalisés en ce qui concerne la cible de 30 pourcent de terre documentée allouée aux femmes, tel que convenu par les États.Je ne saurais terminer sans exprimer la gratitude à toute la Commission qui a été honorée de la présence du Présence de notre auguste Parlement à l’ouverture des travaux de cet atelier.J’adresse également mes sincères remerciements à mes collègues de la Commission Permanente de l’Économie rurale et de l’agriculture, des ressources naturelles et de l’environnement qui se sont engagés à soutenir mes actions de plaidoyers en faveur des femmes.Je vous remercie.I thank you.Shucran.Obrigado.Je vous remercie de votre attention.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1105-091200FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Madame la Présidente, pour votre présentation.Le débat général est ouvert!J’ai devant moi une liste de quinze intervenants:Hon. Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi;Hon. Maria Ivone RENSAMO BERNARDO SOARES du Mozambique;Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée-Conakry;Hon. Dr Bernadette LAHAI du Sierra Leone;Hon. Millie Grace Akoth ODHIAMBO-MABONA du Kenya;Hon. Mustapha ELGandy;Hon. Said BRAHIM SAID du Sahara Occidental;Hon. Shitaye MINALE de l’Éthiopie;Hon. Daouda TOURÉ du Côte D’Ivoire;Hon. Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI du Soudan;Hon. Marie Médiatrice IZABILIZA du Rwanda;Hon. Asha ABDULLAH JUMA de la Tanzanie;Hon. Ignatienne NYIRARUKUNDO du Rwanda;Hon. Paulette MOUNGUENGUI du Gabon, etHon. Martin BOHUÉ du Côte d’Ivoire.Je donne la parole donc au premier député inscrit sur ma liste, il s’agit de l’Honorable Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi.Vous avez la parole!(Silence dans la salle)Not in the Chamber.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Maria Ivone RENSAMO BERNARDO SOARES du Mozambique.REFERENCE: 1105-091350PHON. MARIA IVONE RENSAMO BERNARDO SOARES [MOZAMBIQUE]:Muito bom dia Senhor PresidenteMuito bom dia estimados colegas Deputados, Meus ParesMuito bom dia ao nosso apresentador, os meus parabéns pela apresentado que fez.A minha grande preocupado tem a ver com o financiamento para a mulher que está ligada a agricultura.Nós dizemos que ela, sim, tem que ter acesso a terra, mas depois enfrenta o grande desafio de como poder ter as ferramentas necessárias para uma boa produdo.Enquanto a mulher continuar a usar enxada de cabo curto para poder produzir na terra que ela consegue com muito sacrifício, porque sabemos que há grandes dificuldades para que ela possa nao só ser proprietária de terra, como também herdar a terra, porque há ainda este machismo que se pensa que só pode ser dono de terra o homem; entao como é que nós vamos fazer com que ela tenha acesso ao financiamento sem que seja obrigada a ter um documento do seu parceiro, do seu esposo, a garantir que realmente ela é dona daquela terra e pode ser financiada?Digo isto porque alguns Bancos nao financiam as mulheres sem que haja uma carta do seu parceiro, homem neste caso, que comprove que ela tem direito a poder ser financiada. Portanto, eu acho que isto é uma grande discriminado porque os nossos parceiros quando vao aos Bancos para ter financiamento para os seus negócios, para os seus investimentos, quer no ramo de agricultura como em outros, em nenhum momento a mulher é chamada para testemunhar que sim, aquele dinheiro é do conhecimento dela e que o Banco pode financiá-la. Portanto, temos este grande desafio de ter acesso a terra que tanto nos dá os seus frutos quando bem trabalhada, naturalmente, mas também continuamos com este grande problema que é dos parceiros homens, dos familiares homens que continuam a achar que o dono de terra so pode ser um homem.Como é que nos vamos sair desta situaçao?Obrigada.REFERENCE: 1105-091609FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais adresser, tout d’abord, mes félicitations à l’Honorable HASNA pour sa présentation, sur un thème aussi important qu’est l’accès des femmes à la propriété foncière.Aujourd’hui, nous pouvons dire qu’il y a des avancées significatives dans certains pays, mais dans la plupart des pays, le défi reste consistant, surtout dans nos pays, comme la Guinée où les femmes n’ont toujours pas droit à la propriété foncière. Souvent dans les familles, au moment de la succession, les femmes bénéficient très peu, sinon, n’en bénéficient pas. Ceci pose un problème sérieux. Or pour atteindre l’objectif de l’autonomisation des femmes, il faut que les femmes aient accès à cette propriété foncière.Les obstacles sont là! Souvent dans notre pays, pour pouvoir venir à bout de cela, elles sont obligées de s’associer en groupements féminins pour avoir un agrément, l’autorisation d’avoir accès à des projets et d’être financées par des projets pour pouvoir produire et avoir des sources de revenus. Mais, si toutefois, l’accès à la propriété foncière est réglementé comme le stipule le Protocole de Maputo, ceci pourrait être un plus dans l’autonomisation des femmes que nous ambitionnons.Donc, pour cela, il faut une synergie d’actions entre le Parlement panafricain et les parlements nationaux, avec les ministères en charge de la promotion féminine, pour que nous parvenions à vaincre ce challenge.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1105-091825EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS.) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President and Honourable Members, I want to thank the presenters and the two committees for hosting this important workshop. Of course, the issue of women’s land rights has been a recurrent topic in this Parliament. All the time we have had the conference of women in this Parliament, we have also made a report topical. The AU has also made presentations to us in this Parliament on the AU Land Policy and again the issue of women’s rights was topical.So, I think this is a topic that we are going to continue to talk about until the status quo has changed. So anytime we talk about the issue we are breaking the silence and we are also attacking the systems; the structural systems and the regulatory systems that still constrain women’s access to land.Mr President and Honourable Members, land is one of the most important factors of production and especially for Africa where two situations exists: Africa’s economy is based on agriculture and Africa’s economy especially agriculture has been classified as female farming system par excellence. In a situation like this where women continue to be the traditional people responsible for household food security, how can we deny them the basic factors that will help them to contribute to this traditional role? If women do not have complete access to land then they cannot invest. We know there are a lot of new technologies in agriculture, such as improved agricultural practices, but you can only invest if you have long term ownership and control over land. That is why Africa still continues to grapple with food security. How are we going to feed Africa when that target group that is responsible does not have the wherewithal to do so? So we must insist that we must move from these rhetorics to practicalising women’s access to land through constitutional changes, through amendments of our laws and through bringing on board men themselves who are also part of the problem.Mr President and Honourable Members, after this session let this report go out to our National Parliaments and make it topical. We do not just want to come and sit and talk about it here and leave it. Let us just try to start operationalising our own recommendations from outside of this Parliament.I thank you.REFERENCE: 1105-092153EFHON. SHITAYE MINALE (MRS) [ETHIOPIA]:I thank you, Mr President and I thank Hon. Sofia for her presentation. I usually confuse her with the Djibouti chairlady, sorry about that.First of all, I appreciate this topic which is very important and necessary not only for women but for all Africans.InterruptionHON. SHITAYE MINALE:What happened?M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers collègues,Vous savez que notre Règlement intérieur a interdit d’introduire le téléphone portable dans la salle.J’espère que vous le savez?Madame la Députée, vous avez la parole!HON. SHITAYE MINALE:Thank you, Mr President.I think this topic is very important. I do not believe that there is another topic which is as important as access to land for women. Africans depend on agriculture and agriculture is done on land. So, proper use and distribution of land is very important.If we are economically empowered and have our own land to manage, that is the main thing which will bring true independence in all aspects. We can confidently participate in all areas of human development if we are economically independent.For any nation to be great, there should be equal use of land. This is very important and necessary. If you take an example of my country, land is for the people and the Government. It is in the policy of my Government that land is for the people and the Government. Land is divided equally with women. It is not just by law; it is practical.A husband and wife have equal rights to land. They are equally registered to own that land in a particular area. So, they are equally responsible to use land responsibly and show anything they are doing on that land. If there is rivalry between them, they have to share the land equally.You will be surprised that women are on demand due to land because a woman with land is independent. Women own their own land. I suggest that in this PAP, we can use this session or the next coming ones to share our own experiences. I believe that each and every African country has their good experiences on the issue of land. We can share our own experiences and build Africa not simply by saying one Africa one voice. It should start with practice. We have to share our good experiences here. I believe that this will be a good opportunity to do that.Thank you, Mr President.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.La parole à l’Honorable Daouda TOURÉ de Côte d’Ivoire.(Silence dans la salle)La parole à l’Honorable Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI du Soudan.REFERENCE: 1105-092604AHON. BASHIR ALI MOHAMED [SUDAN]:شكراً السيد الرئيس أنا موجودبشير علي محمد من السودان،بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكرا السيد الرئيس، و الشكر موصول إلى األخت الموقرة مقدمة الورقة،وأقول، إن الاهتمام بالمرأة دون شك هو اهتمام بالمجتمع عموما، وإذا ما أردنا للمجتمع أن يتطور لابد من الاهتمام بالمرأة و منحها حقوقها كاملة، فحقوقها مستحقة التمليك وحقها في التوظيف حق تقره كل القوانين و الشرائع، إلا أن بعض الأعراف في بعض الدول حرمت المرأة من هذاالحق، و نحن في السودان لنا تجربة نأمل أن تأخذو بها، فالمرأة في السودان لها كامل الحق في امتلاك الأراضي و لها الحق في الحصول على التمويل و امتلاك وسائل الإنتاج، وأن الدولة انشات مؤسسات خاصة بتمويل المرأة و منحها التمويل الكامل الذي يمكنها من الاستثمار و من امتلاك وسائل الإنتاج، بالإضافة إلى حقها في كامل المؤسسات و نشاطات المجتمع، بل هناك مصارف في الدولة أنشأت خصيصا لهذا الغرض فلدينا بنك الأسرة، و هو يمنح قروضا لتمويل الأسرة خاصة المرأة، بالإضافة إلى أن الدولة فرضت على البنوك أن تحدد نسبة من التمويل تصل إلى 14 أو 15% من إجمالي التمويل إلى الأسر المنتجة و خاصة ،المرأة، ولهذا كله أعتقد أن هذه التجربة في السودان تجربة تستحق الوقوف عندها و تستحق أن يستفيد منها الدول الأعضاء الأخرى.شكراً جزيلاً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1105-092842KSMHE. ASHA ABDULLAH JUMA (MRS) [TANZANIA]:Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais. Awali ya yote namshukuru Mungu kwa kuniwezesha kuzungumza kwa mara ya kwanza leo hii katika Bunge letu Tukufu la Afrika.Nianze kutoa pongezi kwa mwasilishaji wa mada hii, Ndugu Hasna Houmed Bilil. Mada hii ni muhimu na imeeleweka vizuri. Ni kweli kwamba suala la ardhi kwa wanawake ni muhimu sana kwa sababu ardhi ndiyo inayogusa maisha ya watu wote. Sote tunajua kwamba kupata ardhi ni ukombozi kwa wanawake wote kwa kuwa wanawake ndio wazalishaji wakubwa; wana jukumu kubwa la kusimamia familia, kushiriki kusomesha, kulisha na kutunza afya. Lakini bado wanawake wanakabiliwa na vikwazo katika kumiliki ardhi.Kama tunavyojua, kilimo pia ndiyo kinategemewa katika kunyanyua uchumi na kuziweka hali za wananchi kimaisha katika mazingira mazuri. Tunalo Azimio la Maputo (Maputo Declaration) ambalo linasimamia maendeleo kwa wanawake na kuhakikisha kwamba wanawake wanapata kushiriki katika kunyanyua maendeleo yao. Lakini bado utekelezaji wa Azimio hili ungali unasuasua. Unaweza kukuta katika nchi zetu nyingi bado hazijawapa uzito wa kutosha wanawake katika kusaidia kuweza kuwapatia ardhi. Mara nyingine unaweza kukuta wanawake ambao wanastahili kupata urithi halali wa ardhi wanakosa kupata nafasi na haki hizo na bado hakuna vyombo vya kuweza kuwasaidia kutetea na kupata haki zao.Sasa ni kwa namna gani tunawawezesha wanawake kuwa na nguvu zaidi katika kilimo katika kupata mikopo na mafunzo. Ninadhani kwamba mabunge yetu lazima yatoe kipaumbele kwa masuala haya ya ardhi zaidi ya hivi yanavyosaidia. Pamoja na hayo, tuwawezeshe wanawake kupata mafunzo zaidi ili wapate fursa ya kujiendeleza zaidi.Katika mada iliyowasilishwa imependekezwa kuwa elimu iwe njia mojawapo ya kuwaendeleza kimasomo wasichana. Pendekezo langu kuhusu elimu ni kwamba nafikiri jambo hili litafanikishwa pia endapo wasichana wetu wengi watapata elimu ya kutosha. Kwa kufanya hivyo, basi wataweza kusimamia ardhi vizuri na kupunguza ugumu wa maisha. Na hapa napenda niipongeze na kutoa mfano wa Serikali yangu ambayo imetoa elimu bila malipo kuanzia darasa la kwanza mpaka sekondari kwa wanawake na wanaume. Kwa kufanya hivyo utakuta kwamba wanawake wengi wataelimika na kuwa na uwezo hata wa kusimamia ardhi endapo wazazi wao watanyang’anywa ardhi zao.Mheshimiwa Rais, nakushukuru sana. Nasema tuendelee kushirikiana kupigania haki za wanawake. Ahsante!REFERENCE: 1105-093230FHON. IGNATIENNE NYIRARUKUNDO [RWANDA]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je remercie également la Présidente de la Commission pour l’exposé du rapport.On est vraiment mal à l’aise, quand on parle toujours des droits de la femme, comme si les femmes n’étaient pas des personnes en entier. Comme c’est comme cela, il faut qu’on en parle, qu’on se demande quand ce débat sera clos parce que depuis 1948 tout le monde disaient que les hommes naissent égaux en droits.Pourquoi les femmes n’ont pas accès à la terre? Ce sont des citoyennes! Pourquoi les femmes n’ont pas la capacité? Qu’est-ce qui se passe?Je voudrais poser la question aux parlementaires de savoir si dans les conférences comme celles-ci, on peut connaître les pays qui ont des lois discriminatoires et pourquoi les parlementaires ne mettent pas en place une législation qui protège tout le monde, qui donne les mêmes droits à tout le monde - les femmes, les hommes, les garçons, les filles - pour que tout le monde ait les mêmes droits. Comme cela on pourrait savoir par où commencer.Il suffit de mettre des lois en place et les gens ont les mêmes droits et 50 % d’accès à la terre. Qui peut empêcher à la fille d’avoir l’héritage de son père? Je ne sais pas! C’est un peu compliqué de comprendre, mais je demanderais aux parlementaires d’aller dans leurs pays et mettre en place des droits pour chacun.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.La parole est à l’Honorable Paulette MOUNGUENGUI du Gabon.(Silence dans la salle)La parole est à l’Honorable YAO Martin BOHUÉ de Côte d’ivoire.HON. MARTIN BOHUÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Je passe!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La parole est à l’Honorable Agnès KWAJE LASUBA du Sud Soudan.REFERENCE: 1105-093514EHON. AGNES KWAJE LASUBA (MRS.) [SOUTH SUDAN]:Thank you, Mr. President and Hon. Members.I also wanted to add my voice to all those who have spoken about the land. Indeed, land is very important as a capital and economic resource. When it comes to us in Africa from what I have been hearing, women have no access to land and this is sad. In many countries women are the subsistence growers. They are the ones producing the food to feed the families. If they have access to the land and are supported, I think poverty will be reduced.In my country, South Sudan, women have access to land, but that is a traditional practice which is handed over from generation to generation and it is still progressing and people develop it. It should be legalised because sometime when changes come you will be denied your right to land tenure.So, like Ethiopia who have access to land, I think one of the way forward should be for the countries where women have access to land to legalise the practice and to make sure that our governments have polices to support women to ensure high productivity.Like in my country, you can access the land, but if you are not supported, your productivity is low and you do not do well economically to earn extra money. So these are some of the issues we should consider when talking about women’s land.Thank you Mr. President.REFERENCE: 1105-093720EHON. MBONI MOHAMMED MHITA [TANZANIA]:Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to contribute a bit on this matter.The change should actually start with us. In this august body we have Members of Parliament and Senators with the responsibility to make laws in our parliaments. We also have enough women in here. In the front we have enough women leaders. Africa today has women presidents, judges and governors. We should not let bad laws be made in our parliaments and wait to use this platform to discuss issues which we were very much able to discuss and rectify problems at home or make changes in our respectful countries.I was District Commissioner before I ran for Parliament. In that position, I made sure most women acquired land. I made sure I made a difference. I believe we are all capable of making changes. If every individual does something in their countries, this situation would change. We should not keep quiet and let women suffer and then when we get such big platforms, that is when we start talking about this matter. Let us talk after we have done most of our homework in our respectful countries.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-093922FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Le débat général est clos.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable HASNA HOUMED BILIL à répondre aux questions.Madame la députée, vous pouvez venir devant!REFERENCE: 1105-094002FHON. HASNA HOUMED BILIL [DJIBOUTI]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Mes chers collègues,Je vous remercie pour tous vos commentaires et vos recommandations.Monsieur le Président,Comme il n’y a pas eu de question, c’est surtout des recommandations et des échanges d’expériences qui ont été donnés par mes collègues, je voudrais vous remercier.Il faut une implication de tout le monde, de tous les Parlementaires pour que la femme ait droit, ait accès à la terre. C’est un plaidoyer, mais c’est une implication de chacun de nous dans nos Parlements nationaux et surtout l’implication de chacun de nous et la mise en œuvre du Protocole de Maputo.C’est le Protocole de Maputo qui donne à la femme le droit à l’éducation, le droit à la terre, le droit à la santé, c’est-à-dire tous les droits de la femme sont inclus dans ce Protocole de Maputo.Et je voudrais plaider surtout pour que tous mes collègues parlementaires, hommes et femmes, s’impliquent pour la mise en œuvre de ce Protocole. La femme aura ses droits, si ce Protocole est mis en œuvre.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais vous demander de donner la parole au Viceprésident de la Commission en charge de l’Agriculture pour qu’il puisse me compléter plus d’explications et de commentaires - qu’il va donner - Monsieur ABDOULIE KANAGI Jawla.Merci, Monsieur le Président.Merci à tous.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Honorable JAWLA, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1105-094235EHONOURABLE MEMBER:Mr. President, thank you. Giving land access to women is a fundamental right enshrined in the AU protocol, especially in Articles 15, 19 and 21. It is true that in Africa, most of the land that is accessed by men is predominantly occupied by women but women are not given the right to use their land. I believe that the protocol will address the need for women to use this land. That is why we have the joint collaboration with the Committee to look into these matters so that women have more access to land. There are also legislative powers that are given to various parliaments. Various parliaments should also try to ensure that women are given more access to land so that this controversy is over.Secondly, today in Africa, most of the land as I have said is predominantly cultivated by women and as such, women should have massive access to the land in that manner. Therefore, I support the hon. Member for moving this Motion to have this joint committee towards that Motion.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-094338FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Je soumets à la Chambre, le rapport de l’atelier portant sur: « le renforcement des droits de la femme en vue de l’accès à la terre ».Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque!Adopté!(Coup de maillet)Monsieur le Secrétaire général, je vous donne la parole pour le deuxième point inscrit à l’ordre du jour.M. LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Présentation et débats sur le rapport de l’atelier portant sur: « la gouvernance électronique ».M. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite l’Honorable Daouda TOURÉ, Président de la Commission Permanente des Transports, de l’industrie, des communications, de l’énergie, des sciences et de la technologie, à faire sa présentation.REFERENCE: 1105-094425FHON. DAOUDA TOURÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles et Messieurs, bonjour.Je voudrais, d’abord, nous excuser auprès de l’assistance parce qu’on devrait passer en première position. On ne l’a pas fait pour des raisons de traduction. Tous les documents n’étaient pas traduits dans les langues qui sont accréditées de cette Assemblée. Nous voudrions nous en excuser.Alors, je vais vous lire le rapport de l’atelier sur la gouvernance électronique intitulé: « Défis desparlementaires en Afrique », il s’agissait d’études de cas et d’expériences pratiques. Cela s’est passé les 1er et 2 mars 2016 dans la salle de la Commission n° 1, ici, au siège du PAP à Midrand.Le contexte.L’article 18 du Protocole instituant le PAP stipule que celui-ci doit travailler en étroite collaboration avec les Parlements des Communautés économiques régionales et les Parlements ou tous autres organes législatifs nationaux. Ça, je pense que vous le savez. C’est l’article n° 18.C’est dans ce contexte que le PAP, à travers sa Commission Permanente des Transports, de l’industrie, des communications, de l’énergie des sciences et de la technologie, a organisé un atelier les 1er et 2 mars 2016, sur la « Gouvernance électronique: Défis des parlementaires en Afrique - Études de cas et Expériences pratiques » à Midrand, ici même.L’atelier était axé sur le partage des expériences de certains des pays ayant adopté la gouvernance électronique et les services en ligne.Bien sûr, pour commencer, nous avons commencé par une allocution.Nous, Président de la Commission Permanente des Transports, de l’industrie, des communications, de l’énergie des sciences et de la technologie, par ma voix, l’Honorable TOURÉ Daouda, c’est bien inscrit sur certains documents en français: TRAORÉ Daouda, mais c’est TOURÉ Douada, nous avons souhaité la bienvenue aux membres présents à l’atelier et aux experts et nous les avons informés de la nécessité d’adopter le système de Gouvernance électronique afin d’améliorer la gouvernance sur le continent africain. Nous avons donné un bref aperçu de la manière dont l’idée de l’organisation d’un atelier où les membres pourraient échanger des expériences sur la question de la Gouvernance électronique.À l’ouverture officielle, le Président s’est joint à nous.ALLOCUTION DE SON EXCELLENCE L’HONORABLE ROGER NKODO DANG, PRÉSIDENT DU PARLEMENT PANAFRICAINDans son allocution d’ouverture, Son Excellence le Président Roger NKODO DANG a souhaité la bienvenue à tous les participants. Il a exprimé sa satisfaction quant à l’engagement qu’ils ont manifesté en faveur de la participation à la Conférence, malgré leurs emplois de temps chargés dans leurs pays respectifs et leur appui constant au Parlement panafricain.Dans son intervention, il a précisé que c’est uniquement à travers une bonne communication et des stratégies de collaboration efficaces avec les parties prenantes concernées, que le PAP pourra réaliser ses objectifs, ajoutant que son Bureau était déterminé à œuvrer dans ce sens.Merci encore une fois, Monsieur le Président.Nous allons passer à la présentation des sous thèmes de l’atelier et le débat. L’atelier a été subdivisé en cinq chapitres ou sections. Les présentations faites au cours de ces cinq éléments ont porté sur les points suivants:D’abord, nous allons parler de la présentation du Programme du NEPAP relatif à l’Administration électronique.Nous avons reçu la visite du Docteur TOGNOLA MIRANDA NJE représentante de la Division des TIC du NEPAD, qui a présenté un exposé précisant la manière dont le NEPAD concevait la question de la gouvernance électronique. Elle a informé les membres de l’efficacité de la gouvernance électronique, de la gouvernance par internet et des TIC, en général, que tout cela était lié à la globalisation.Elle a indiqué que nous évoluions dans un monde où tout sera en ligne et que cela exigeait que tout un chacun soit très attentif à la manière d’aborder la question.Par ailleurs, elle a porté à la connaissance des membres que le rôle du NEPAD consistait à faciliter et à coordonner les programmes et projets continentaux et régionaux. Elle a les assurés de l’appui du NEPAD dans les domaines des TIC.L’intervenante a émis les réflexions suivantes en faveur de la réalisation de la Gouvernance électronique:Nécessité d’accélérer le rythme de développement;Importance de l’harmonisation des cadres juridiques et réglementaires;Nécessité d’actions de sensibilisation et de renforcement des capacités;Volonté politique en faveur de l’investissement; etGestion de l’Agenda du NEPAD, comment tirer avantage des ressources humaines, techniques et financières de l’Afrique?En deuxième point, nous allons parler de la présentation sur le Conseil électronique en Algérie. Nous avons reçu la visite du Pr Abderezek HENI, Directeur général de la Modernisation, de la Documentation et des Archives au Ministère de l’Intérieur et du Gouvernement local de l’Algérie.Il a expliqué aux membres le système utilisé dans le développement de l’enregistrement et de l’identification nationale en ligne en Algérie. Il a informé les membres que l’Algérie promouvait la formation dans le domaine des services internet au niveau des écoles, ce qui lui a permis de disposer d’une importante population capable d’utiliser les services électroniques. La plupart des programmes de services électroniques sont lancés dans des écoles. Ils sont ensuite utilisés dans les administrations.Vous suivez la démarche?Il a souligné que pour que le continent se développe, il est nécessaire de tirer partie de l’expertise des autres et a affirmé que l’Algérie était prête à partager son expérience avec le reste de l’Afrique.Ensuite, nous avons eu une autre présentation sur l’apprentissage en ligne et à distance: Apprentissage en ligne.Une autre expérience d’apprentissage en ligne et à distance a été partagée par le Pr Amar Balla, membre de l’Autorité de Régulation des Postes et Télécommunications et par ailleurs Professeur à l’Ecole Supérieure des sciences informatiques d’Alger.Le Pr Balla a décrit le processus de traitement de l’apprentissage en ligne en Algérie. Il a fait savoir aux membres qu’une importante proportion de la population qui ne pouvait pas suivre des cours à l’école jouissait de cette facilité, ce qui a contribué à l’augmentation en pourcentage des gens qui avaient accès ou avaient été informés des services en ligne, notamment l’apprentissage en ligne.Il a informé les membres des opportunités disponibles à l’École Nationale d’Informatique d’Alger, que les pays africains peuvent utiliser. Il a en outre exhorté le Parlement panafricain, à travers ses pays membres, à diffuser le message à leurs Parlements nationaux. Il a insisté sur la nécessité pour les pays membres d’amorcer le virage de la création d’un projet conjoint d’apprentissage à distance et en ligne sur le continent.Ensuite nous avons eu la présentation sur les défis et les enjeux du commerce électronique: le cas de la Tunisie.Monsieur Hassen DHRIF, Consultant, Expert et Gestionnaire principal en Commerce électronique et Innovation technologique en Tunisie - c’est un chef d’entreprise - a partagé avec les membres la manière dont la Tunisie a développé le secteur commercial en utilisant les services en ligne et les défis que ce pays rencontre.Vous savez, la Tunisie a plus de 3000 entreprises qui font du commerce, du business en ligne.Il a déclaré que la Tunisie faisait la promotion de l’utilisation des paiements en ligne et encourageait également les hommes d’affaires à faire usage du commerce électronique dans leurs affaires. Il a indiqué qu’en guise de mesure incitative, l’État accordait une contribution aux hommes d’affaires qui s’engageaient dans le commerce électronique.Toutefois, il a fait état des problèmes suivants rencontrés dans le domaine du commerce électronique:Insuffisance d’infrastructures: il a exhorté l’Union africaine à aider à la construction d’infrastructures afin d’améliorer et de promouvoir le commerce électronique sur le continent africain; ainsi, les produits en provenance par exemple du Tchad et de l’Algérie peuvent être connus en dehors de l’Afrique;Vulgarisation du cybercommerce: le commerce électronique a besoin d’être vulgarisé afin d’attirer davantage de personnes s’engageant à l’utiliser.Ensuite, présentation sur la synthèse des politiques nationales dans le domaine des TIC.Monsieur Auguste YANKEY de la Commission de l’Union africaine a donné un aperçu des politiques nationales des TIC. Il a défini les politiques des TIC comme des mesures et des plans d’actions adoptés par les gouvernements pour traiter les questions de TIC ou des stratégies développées et mises en place par les organismes publics pour leur permettre de transformer leurs économies en économies de l’information et du savoir.Il a présenté la structure des politiques nationales des TIC, à savoir leur Vision: Buts, Objectifs, Calendrier, Ressources disponibles, de même que leur suivi, évaluation et révision. Il a donné l’exemple des Seychelles comme l’un des pays doté d’une politique nationale des TIC.Il a informé les membres que les gouvernements africains se situaient à différents niveaux de mise en place d’instruments politiques et de cadres législatifs.Par ailleurs, il a souligné qu’alors que de nombreux pays ont proposé des législations, le niveau de mise en œuvre des politiques en matière de TIC, tant au niveau national que régional, demeure peu élevé.Il y a eu aussi la présentation sur la Communication parlementaire.La Communication parlementaire efficace a été citée comme essentielle dans la promotion des services en ligne. Cela a été souligné dans la présentation sur la Communication parlementaire faite par l’Honorable Professeur Mohamed Tayeb LASKRI de l’Algérie, qui est ici, et qui est notre spécialiste Maison. Bonjour!Alors, il a informé les membres qu’il était nécessaire de disposer d’un plan de communication nous permettant de communiquer efficacement et de manière transparente. Il a expliqué les règles qui s’appliquent à la communication parlementaire en mettant l’accent sur les éléments suivants:Le type de communication parlementaire, plus spécialement lorsqu’il y a deux parties, c’est-à-dire l’opposition et le parti au pouvoir;Les voies et moyens de communication sur les réseaux sociaux, les outils nécessaires et la manière dont le Parlement souhaiterait partager avec le gouvernement;La nécessité d’avoir une politique de communication dans tous les Parlements.La communication parlementaire est une ardente obligation qui devrait être prompte, rapide, simple, personnalisée et devrait mettre le parlement en valeur pour sa visibilité.Je voudrais même savoir s’il y a des députés, ici, qui ont accès à Tweeter.Est-ce qu’il y en a qui ont des comptes Tweeter?Il y en a?Bon presque pas!Ah! Vous êtes seul?Deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit^ d’accord c’est bien.Merci.Donc, vous vous rendez compte qu’il n’y a pas beaucoup de députés qui ont accès aux médias sociaux?Est-ce qu’il y en a qui ont des sites web?Il y a-t-il quelques-uns qui ont de sites web ici?Ah! Vous avez un site web?Merci.Deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six!Six personnes qui ont des sites web?Sept, huit, neuf! C’est bien.Je pense que tout le monde devrait avoir cela. Tout le monde devrait avoir une page Facebook. C’est obligatoire! Vous avez Facebook? Tout le monde a Facebook. D’accord, merci!Bon voilà, c’était pour vous dire que les parlementaires n’ont pas trop accès ou ne se donnent pas les moyens d’utiliser les réseaux sociaux qui sont des instruments très importants, nous reviendrons là-dessus.Ensuite, nous avons eu la présentation sur l’expérience de l’Estonie dans le domaine de la Gouvernance électronique.L’Estonie est un petit pays de 1.300.000 habitants, pays moderne, pays le plus septentrional des baltiques.Alors, nous avons eu la présentation de Monsieur Aare Laponin sur l’expérience de ce pays, l’Estonie.L’Estonie est un tout petit pays situé dans la région nordique glaciale. Il a informé les membres que l’Estonie avait un taux de pénétration d’internet de 78 %, je dis bien 78 %, avec des infrastructures degouvernement électronique parfaitement fonctionnelles. Il a indiqué que le pays avait 16 ans d’expérience en matière de prestations de services en ligne et qu’il utilisait le système de vote électronique, depuis 2005 à toutes les élections et 96 % des déclarations d’impôts sur les revenus personnels sont soumises en ligne.Il a en outre informé les membres que les Estoniens avaient pu réaliser cela parce qu’ils avaient utilisé l’éducation comme un moyen leur permettant d’atteindre le stade où ils se trouvent, notamment par la promotion des TIC dans les écoles.Monsieur Laponin a fait savoir aux membres que nous sommes confrontés à une nouvelle réalité où l’utilisation des TIC n’est pas un passe-temps, mais une composante majeure de la réalité de la vie quotidienne. Il a exhorté les pays à travailler sur les nouveaux principes, afin de relever les défis.RECOMMANDATIONS:À la fin de l’atelier, les membres ont formulé les recommandations suivantes:Vu l’importance des TIC dans l’économie mondiale et africaine;Vu le retard accusé par l’Afrique, bien qu’étant sujet à une forte pénétration des TIC, elle reste à la traîne. L’Afrique est a peu près 2,6 % de pénétration internet;Vu le manque d’infrastructures d’interconnexion entre États africains;Vu l’absence de politique globale africaine;Vu les diverses communications présentées à cet atelier;La Commission Permanente des Transport, de l’industrie de l’énergie, des communications, des sciences et de la technologie, recommande ce qui suit:Afin de bénéficier des expériences des pays tels que l’Algérie, la Tunisie et l’Estonie qui ont enregistré des avancées importantes dans la modernisation de leurs administrations et tenant compte du rôle de l’Union africaine dans la coordination et l’harmonisation des politiques en matière de TIC, au niveau régional et national, il faut encourager et soutenir la coopération bilatérale et multilatérale pour prendre comme références les expériences pratiques de ces pays en matière de e-gouvernance afin d’aider les pays en retard dans ce domaine à développer les outils analogues pour une administration électronique et moderne.La reprise de l’ancien projet par exemple, de création de l’Université virtuelle africaine, qui avait été abandonné pour le concrétiser puisque beaucoup de pays africains ont réalisé les infrastructures en matière de TIC qui n’existaient pas au lancement de ce projet.Nous en reparlerons.Troisièmement, le continent africain accuse un retard considérable en termes de flux commercial et en particulier en commerce interafricain. Les produits et services africains manquent de visibilité et les PME africaines n’ont pas la taille pour faire face à la concurrence des autres continents.Les gouvernements africains doivent absolument assister leurs entreprises locales à passer à l’économie numérique. La promotion des produits africains ne peut réussir que via la création des places des marchés en ligne pour les produits made in Africa.Quatrièmement, les membres du Parlement panafricain sont appelés à faire un plaidoyer efficace auprès des autorités gouvernementales de leurs pays respectifs afin d’obtenir la signature et la ratification de la Convention de l’Union africaine sur la cyber-sécurité et la protection des données à caractère personnel et le développement des législations nationales sur la cybersécurité et la création. Et cela au niveau national et régional, il faudra mettre en place des équipes d’intervention informatique d’urgence ou des équipes de sécurité et d’intervention en cas d’incident informatique.Cinquièmement, les parlements nationaux et principalement le Parlement panafricain, doivent élaborer une véritable politique de communication parlementaire. En effet, pour tous les parlements contemporains, je dis bien contemporains, c’est-à-dire modernes, quelle que soient leur ancienneté etl’ampleur des moyens qu’ils peuvent utiliser, la communication est un impératif démocratique et institutionnel. Le public exige d’avoir davantage accès à l’ensemble des institutions gouvernementales, y compris le parlement et veut que celui-ci fasse preuve de transparence et d’efficacité et se plie à l’obligation de rendre compte.Les parlements nationaux, pour une communication parlementaire efficace, sont donc invités à se doter d’un portail numérique pour une meilleure visibilité de leurs activités parlementaires, aux termes de l’année 2016. Je dis bien de l’année 2016. Nous devons tous avoir des portails électroniques dans nos Assemblées nationales.Est-ce qu’on le pourra?Oui, on le pourra!Comme, pour paraphraser Barak OBAMA qui dit « Yes! We can. », d’ici 2016.CONCLUSIONEn conclusion, le Président, au nom des membres, a remercié, c’est-à-dire que j’ai remercié les intervenants, pour leurs présentations et le Parlement panafricain pour l’organisation de cet atelier.Les membres de la commission ont promis d’assurer le suivi des recommandations qu’ils ont formulées au cours de l’atelier et de s’assurer de l’organisation, par le PAP, d’une conférence continentale sur la gouvernance électronique qui comptera des participants en provenance de l’ensemble du continent et aussi des invités du monde entier, qui ont l’expérience de la gouvernance électronique.Le Président a remercié les membres qui ont fait l’effort de prendre part à l’atelier et les a exhortés à partager les informations dont ils disposent avec les populations de leurs pays respectifs.Nous devrons rendre compte.Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles et Messieurs, voici succinctement fait le rapport d’activités pour l’atelier qui s’est tenu du 1er au 2 mars.Je vous remercie.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1105-100623FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Monsieur le président.Le débat général est ouvert!(Coup de maillet)J’ai devant moi une liste de dix-neuf intervenants. Il s’agit de:Hon. Martin NITERETSE;Hon. Bissiri SIRIMA;Hon. Ignatienne NYIRARUKUNDO;Hon. Abdallah BARKAT IBRAHIM;Hon. Sékou Fantamadi TRAORÉ;Hon. Mohamed Tayeb LASKRI;Hon. Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI;Hon. Noé MBONIGABA;Hon. Eugene KPARKAR;Hon. Evelyne BUTOYI;Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO;Hon. Dognon KONÉ;Hon. Ali AWADALLA ALI;Hon. Paramont Chief BAI KURR KANAGBARO;Hon. Aissatou Sow DIAWARA;Hon. Jacqueline MUHONGAYIRE;Hon. Hashim IDRIS;Hon. Dr Bernadette LAHAI;Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad NAMDAS.Je donne la parole au premier inscrit sur ma liste qui est l’Honorable Martin NITERETSE du Burundi.Yes!HON. SANTOSH VINITA KALYAN [SOUTH AFRICA]:Sorry before you do that, I have submitted my name for this debate.Thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:On vous a inscrit Madame. Il n’y a pas de problème. C’est une forme de demander la parole.Vous vous levez et on prend votre nom.Il n’y a pas de problème, vous êtes inscrite!HONORABLE MEMBER:Thank you!HON. MARTIN NITERETSE [BURUNDI]:Merci!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Vingt inscrits, la dernière sur la liste est l’Honorable Santosh VINITA KALYAN de l’Afrique du Sud.Oui, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1105-100816FHON. MARTIN NITERETSE [BURUNDI]:Merci Excellence Honorable Président.Je remercie, d’abord, le présentateur et mon intervention concerne une inquiétude en rapport avec sa présentation.Deuxièmement: les TIC en Afrique c’est vraiment un souhait de tout le monde. Mais j’ai constaté que nous avons un problème, peut-être, dans certains pays d’Afrique où on observe généralement de délestage d’électricité. Alors, je pose la question de savoir comment on va développer les TIC en l’absence d’électricité dans tout le continent.Dernièrement, il y a eu la présentation de Ministre Borloo par rapport à la COP21. Nous avons eu beaucoup de promesses et les conclusions du COP 21 ont été favorables au développement du secteur énergétique en Afrique.Je pense qu’il serait mieux, Excellence Monsieur le Président, de faire un suivi ardent en rapport avec l’électrification en Afrique. Pourquoi, parce que tous les moyens sont là mais peut-être la mise en œuvre pose problème.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue.La parole à l’Honorable Bissiri SIRIMA du Burkina Faso.HON. SIRIMA BISSIRI [BURKINA FASO]:Merci, je passe, mais je m’appelle encore SIRIMA BISSIRI.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:C’est SIRIMA.HON. SIRIMA BISSIRI [BURKINA FASO]:Voilà!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:SIRIMA.HONORABLE SIMIRA BISSIRI:Voilà!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue.La parole à est l’Honorable Ignatienne du Rwanda.REFERENCE: 1105-101026FHON. IGNATIENNE NYIRARUKUNDO (MRS) [RWANDA]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je remercie le Président de la Commission.Je dirai que l’utilisation électronique au niveau du Parlement s’installe petit à petit, mais sûrement. Mais par rapport à la recommandation n° 3, elle parle du flux commercial en Afrique - interafricain - je pense que le problème ce n’est pas la façon dont les gens peuvent faire écouler les produits, mais le problème c’est qu’on ne produit pas assez. À l’aide de ces instruments électroniques, on pourrait moderniser les entreprises, je ne connais aucun pays en Afrique qui produit trop pour qu’il n’ait pas de marché. Je n’en connais pas. S’il y en a, je ne suis pas sûre. Mais je pense que ce qui nous manque en Afrique, nous nous contentons de vivre avec le peu alors qu’on peut produire plus et enrichir nos économies.Avec ces outils modernes, on peut les utiliser à produire assez et le marché est assez grand. On a un milliard d’habitants, peut-être que je me trompe, mais on a assez de consommateurs. Alors, à nous de produire assez pour qu’on puisse faire ce flux commercial. Il faut qu’on produise assez pour satisfaire les besoins des Africains.Merci.REFERENCE: 1105-101233FHON. MOHAMED TAYEB LASKRI [ALGÉRIE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Bien sûr que je fais partie de la Commission. Ici, je me suis inscrit pour intervenir et c’est pour qu’on puisse renforcer ce qui vient d’être dit par l’honorable TOURÉ Daouda dans sa présentation du rapport de la Commission.On a parlé dans les précédentes journées concernant les sujets comme, la corruption, la mauvaise gestion ou la bonne gouvernance à instaurer au sein de nos pays africains.Voilà un outil très puissant qui permet de lutter contre la bureaucratie, qui permet de lutter contre la corruption et qui permet d’accentuer la bonne gouvernance au sein des gouvernements nationaux.En effet, les États et les gouvernements africains sont appelés à moderniser leur administration pour mieux se rapprocher des citoyens et pour débarrasser cette population des lourdeurs bureaucratiques. Les gouvernements doivent gagner effectivement la confiance des citoyens, avec plus de transparence dans leur gestion.Comme l’a si bien mentionné mon collègue TOURÉ Daouda, l’Afrique est en retard. Je dirai que l’Afrique est en retard par rapport à un classement qui a été établi par les Nations-Unies. Ce classement qui prend comme référence l’indice de maturation en termes de gouvernance électronique.Le premier pays classé en Afrique et à la traîne mondiale, je pense que c’est les Seychelles qui est classé s premier pays en Afrique ou le Cap-Vert, Seychelles ou Cap-Vert, je ne sais pas.Le problème, c’est que chaque pays africain avance à sa propre cadence, selon sa propre politique nationale. Mais par contre, on a mentionné qu’il y a une absence d’une politique continentale africaine en matière d’utilisation des TIC dans la gestion électronique et dans la modernisation des administrations.Comme je le disais, chaque pays africain avance selon sa propre cadence. Il y a certains pays qui ont instauré au sein de leur gouvernement un ministère des TIC, comme le cas en Algérie par exemple et dans d’autres. Mais, il y en a qui n’ont rien fait. Donc, ce serait très intéressant pour mentionner qu’il y a une politique nationale, qu’il y ait au sein du gouvernement, un ministère qui a la charge des TIC dans le pays, pour mener une politique nationale.Le cas de l’Estonie a été évoqué, mais moi j’évoquerai un autre cas. C’est le cas de Lituanie, un tout petit pays, qui a été pris [Temps de parole épuisé].English: 10:15:32 -10:15:36M. LE PRÉSIDENT:One more minute!HON. MOHAMED TAYEB LASKRI [ALGÉRIE]:La Lituanie est un tout petit pays qui a été pris comme référence par les pays les plus développés, parce qu’il a mis dans sa Constitution, clairement, que l’accès à l’internet est pour tous et gratuitement. Il a mentionné constitutionnellement la gratuité d’utilisation de l’internet.J’aborderais donc le dernier point, c’est que la communication parlementaire qui est une ardente obligation, pour une démarche démocratique et une utilité institutionnelle où tout Parlement doit rendre compte de toutes ses activités aux citoyens.Si on veut que le Parlement soit visible, il faudra que toutes ses activités, quelle que soit l’activité qui se déroule au sein des Parlements, il faudra qu’elles soient en ligne, il faudra qu’elles soient accessibles aux citoyens et il faudra partager les soucis et les préoccupations en matière d’élaboration des lois par exemple, par les citoyens pour avoir leurs avis.La solution, elle est claire, c’est l’utilisation des TIC dans la mise en place de la communication parlementaire.Enfin, nous voulons que le Parlement panafricain, le PAP, soit le meilleur exemple dans la communication parlementaire. Il faut donc seulement communiquer, non il faut non seulement communiquer mais bien communiquer.Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La parole est à l’Honorable Bachir Ali Mohamed El-Bathani du Soudan.REFERENCE: 1105-101712AHON. BACHIR ALI MOHAMED EL-BATHANI [SUDAN]:شكراً،بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم،شكراً السيد الرئيس و الشكر موصول إلى السيد مقدم الورقة، وهي دون شك ورقة مهمة في تقديري لارتباطها بتطور أفريقيا، و نحن نسعي سيدي الرئيس، الأخوة الأعضاء، لزيادة الإنتاج و الاستفادة من الموارد المتعددة و الكبيرة لأفريقيا، فلابد من المنافسة في تسويق منتجاتنا عبر العالم، إذ أصبحت التجارة الإلكترونية ضرورة مهمة حتى نستطيع الترويج و المنافسة لمنتجاتنا و لتنفيذ وتطوير الحكومة الإلكترونية لابد من بناء و تطوير الشبكات وذلك مرتبط بالعولمة وتكنولوجيا المعلومات، لهذا من الضروري توفير التقنيات الحديثة و بناء القدرات للمتعاملين بها، و لهذا أرى سيدي الرئيس أن يتبنى الاتحاد الأفريقي برنامج مفصل و محدد لمساعدة الدول الأعضاء فنياً ومالياً، كما أرى ضرورة أن يتبنى أيضا برنامج رفع الحضر عن الدول التي تتعرض لحصار أو مقاطعة مثل السودان مما يحرمها من الحصول على التقنية المطلوبة بل و التعامل مع المصارف العالمية.شكراً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1105-101920FHON. NOÉ MBONIGABA [BURUNDI]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, de me donner la parole.En tant que participant à l’atelier, je voudrais aussi, ici, contribuer en soulevant certains défis.Le premier défi concerne effectivement l’exposé luimême. Il a l’aspect de faire une certaine sensibilisation en faveur des TIC, mais, j’ai constaté que les exposés étaient d’une grande pertinence. Mais les parlementaires qui participaient à cet atelier étaient peu nombreux. Ici, je plaiderais à ce que le PAP fasse en sorte que de tels exposés qui revêtent une importance continentale, puissent être bénéfiques à tous les parlementaires, c'est-à-dire les exposés, l’atelier, il faut qu’il soit organisé à l’intention de presque tous les parlementaires.Et ici, je voudrais proposer également que les exposés qui ont été faits, soient distribués électroniquement aussi aux boîtes des parlementaires.Un autre défi, c’est le vote électronique. Si les TIC venaient à être développés sur le continent africain, il y a, comme le thème l’indique, la gouvernance, il y a le problème électoral qui regorge tout un tas de contentieux, pourraient être résolus. Malheureusement, ce n’est pas le cas pour le moment.Un autre défi, on l’a souligné, c’est l’enseignement virtuel. Comme on l’a dit, l’enseignement est la base du développement, mais pour le moment, l’Afrique connait un déficit au niveau de l’enseignement virtuel. On plaiderait à ce que le PAP puisse contribuer à ce qu’il y ait un développement électronique et cela est lié à ce qu’il y ait l’énergie en Afrique.Merci.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Eugène Fallah KPARKAR du Libéria.REFERENCE: 1105-102648FJe remercie d’abord le présentateur du rapport.HON. EVELYNE BUTOYI [BURUNDI]:Merci, Honorable Président, de m’accorder la parole.Comme mes prédécesseurs, je dois également féliciter les présentateurs.Sinon Honorable Président, lorsque j’ai vu l’exposé, je pensais à avoir un exposé sur une stratégie de comment on pouvait profiter des TIC en tant que PAP et je m’excuse parce que je vais répéter ce que mon prédécesseur vient de souligner.Je me suis alors demandé pourquoi ne pas profiter de ces TIC pour qu’on profite de l’Intranet ou de l’Internet afin que les papiers qui nous sont distribués chaque fois à l’entrée, aident le PAP pour qu’il ait des moyens pour nous donner des ordinateurs ou profiter de ce que nous avons déjà, parce qu’ici j’ai vu qu’au moins la moitié des MP ont leur ordinateur et comme ça on aurait les documents via ces TIC. Cela pourrait influer sur le budget du PAP et ça pourrait faire autre chose.Je voudrais aussi profiter de cette occasion pour partager l’expérience de mon pays, le Burundi, parce que pour le moment, nous avons un ministère des TIC et n’eut été le problème de l’électricité qui nous fait défaut des fois, notre Parlement, le Sénat et l’Assemblée nationale mais aussi nos ministères, nous avons des portails, nous avons des sites web, nous travaillons sur les réseaux sociaux, nous avons les comptes Twitter, nous avons les pages Facebook, nous sommes sur les YouTube, nous sommes aussi sur flickup. C’est pour dire que nous sommes déjà avancés. Seulement, c’est cette mobilisation de tous les parlementaires qu’on devrait faire, mais aussi je voudrais qu’en tant membre du PAP nous devons servir d’exemple et comme ça les parlementaires de nos pays respectifs pourront voir l’exemple à travers nousmêmes.Je suis convaincue que l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux nous servirait de plus parce que tout ce que nous communiquons à travers nos meetings, une fois mis sur le web, ça va faire plus d’écho.Je vous remercie, Monsieur le président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Zalikatou DIALLO de la Guinée-Conakry.REFERENCE: 1105-102935FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINEA- CONAKRY]:Merci, monsieur le Président, de m’avoir donné la parole.À mon tour, je félicite l’honorable Daouda TOURÉ pour la qualité de sa présentation, surtout sur un thème qui est d’actualité et qui est d’une importance capitale aujourd’hui, pour le monde contemporain.Je voulais personnellement prendre part à cet atelier mais malheureusement, dans notre Commission nous avions un autre agenda et c’est pourquoi je rejoins notre collègue Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi qui pense que l’atelier, dorénavant, doit être ouvert à presque tous les parlementaires. Ceci est très important pour nos recommandations.Aujourd’hui, il ressort que nous évoluons dans un monde où tout sera en ligne. Ceci implique que tôt ou tard, la gouvernance en ligne, le parlement en ligne, l’enseignement en ligne, le commerce en ligne, etc. seront incontournables. Sur ce, il faut se mettre à la tâche pour qu’au moins on soit, les pays africains soient au même niveau d’évolution, pour ne pas que certains soient à la traine, parce que sur le plan mondial, les statistiques le prouvent. Déjà en Afrique, le premier pays, si je ne me trompe, c’est le Cap-Vert, le plus avancé, suivi des Seychelles. Mais en dépit de tout, sur le plan mondial, ils occupent le bas de l’échelle.Donc, j’avais des questions sur les stratégies pour que les pays africains soient au même niveau, quelles stratégies, mais au cours de l’exposé, l’Honorable Daouda en a fait allusion. Mais je voudrais ajouter à cela que le PAP exhorte les parlements nationaux à mettre dans leurs plans d’actions, la formation ou le renforcement des capacités des parlementaires sur les nouvelles technologies de l’information. C’est très important parce que la gouvernance en ligne, le parlement en ligne nous aident même à préserver l’environnement. On va utiliser moins de papiers, ça va conserver nos forêts.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Je donne la parole à l’honorable DOGNON Koné de la Côte d’Ivoire.REFERENCE: 1105-103210FHON. DOGNON KONÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je joins ma voix, naturellement, à celles de mes prédécesseurs pour féliciter l’intervenant pour le travail réalisé.Toutefois, Monsieur le Président, là où je m’attendais à ce qu’on nous dise, comme l’a dit Eveline, la stratégie pour faciliter l’utilisation des TIC, quels sont les avantages, quelles sont les retombées positives dans bien de domaines, dans bien de secteurs comme l’environnement, la corruption; notre collègue LASKRY en a parlé tout à l’heure, et bien d’autres sujets encore.Cet atelier a servi aux députés, un chapelet d’expériences en matière de gouvernance électronique, pays par pays. C’est très bien. Ça c’est ma première préoccupation.La deuxième, je voudrais savoir quelles sont les mesures mises en place par les pays africains en termes d’investissements, en termes d’infrastructures: on parle de fibre optique, on parle d’énergie, certains ont dit, ici, pour une meilleure intégration globale dans le domaine des technologies de l’information et de la communication. Le problème a été posé par l’exposant lors de son intervention sur le cas de la Tunisie.Ma troisième préoccupation, et qui sera la dernière, apparemment, j’ai fait le même rêve que certaines personnes: MBONIGABA, Eveline, EugeneKPARKAR du Libéria; on a dû manger la même chose hier, parce que, Monsieur le Président, figurez-vous, je devais partager ce rêve avec le Président de la Commission sur l’énergie. Dans ce rêve, j’ai vu un Parlement, je voudrais vous rassurer, toute ressemblance avec un Parlementaire que vous connaîtriez, n’est que pure coïncidence. Donc, dans ce rêve, j’ai vu un Parlement où les plénières étaient souvent bloquées ou bien commençaient avec une demie journée de retard; dans ce Parlement, on imprimait des kilogrammes de papiers - ça c’est mon stock de deux ou trois jours - je peux vous assurer qu’il n’ira dans l’avion parce que les kilos coûtent chers et puis un jour, dans ce même rêve, quelqu’un a eu la lumineuse idée de mettre des rapports et autres documents sur un réseau intranet - Eveline l’a dit - ou même pourquoi pas internet. Et là, je voudrais remercier Josée MANGUANDA qui, depuis notre arrivée ici, nous envoie tous les jours les rapports, les documents actualisés, même si elle envoie avec quelques heures de retard, c’est-à-dire au moment où on est en train de débattre des sujets, elle nous envoie les documents, mais quand même c’est déjà un bon pas; il n’est jamais trop tard pour bien faire.Je voudrais pour terminer [Temps de parole épuisé].M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup!HON. DOGNON KONE [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Je voudrais une minute pour terminer, si vous permettez.Dans mon pays, pour dire qu’un rêve est impossible à réaliser, on vous dit simplement que votre rêve est en couleur.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais que le Président de la Commission me dise que mon rêve n’est pas en couleur et que ce n’est pas une utopie.Merci.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable ALI AWADALLA ALI du Soudan.REFERENCE: 1105-103542AHON. ALI AWADALLA ALI [SUDAN]:شكرا السيد الرئيس والشكر أجزله للسيد الموقر داودا تاوري مقدم التقرير، و الشكر موصول إلى لجنة النقل و الصناعة و الاتصالات و لجنة العلوم و التكنولوجيا، لتقديم هذه الورشة و التي أكدت أن البوابات أو الحوكمة الإلكترونية تقدم معلومات متكاملة عن البلدان التي تستخدمها، و تشمل كذلك دليلاً للخدمات لمساعدة الأفراد في الوصول إليها كما توفر هذه البوابات الإلكترونية مجموعات ضخمة من الخدمات الإلكترونية التي توفرها الدوائر الحكومية مثل الخدمات الصحية أو خدمات التعليم أو خدمات الدفع الإلكتروني أو حتى الخدمات التجارية و التي نأمل في فترة من الزمن أن تستطيع القارة الأفريقية أن تصل إلى هذه الخدمات بصورة كاملة، فتطبيق الحكومة الإلكترونية بدأ مبكرا في السودان و بدأت ببوابة لحكومة السودان الإلكترونية، وهذه البوابة تعتبر واجهة الدولة والمعبر الأساسي لجميع الخدمات الإلكترونية التي تقدمها المؤسسات الحكومية في السودان، إذ تقوم البوابات الإلكترونية في السودان بتسهيل التعاون بين الأفراد والشركات والمؤسسات و تتوفر على المعلومات الأساسية التي يحتاجها المواطنون أو رجال الأعمال أو حتى الخدمات المصنفة حسب احتياجات الزائر لها، و عبرها يتم تحصيل الرسوم و الخدمات بواسطة نافذة يطلق عليها نافذة الدفع الموحد أوالمعروفة باسم السداد هذه البوابات أيضا تبسط التواصل و التفاعل بينالحكومة الفيدرالية و الولائية في السودان، لكن نتمنى أن يتم العمل بها على مستوى المجالس التشريعية و المجالس الوطنية حتى نقلل استخدامالأوراق في الجلسات وفي المجالس الوطنية.وشكراً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1105-103827EHON. JACQUELINE MUHONGAYIRE (MRS.) [RWANDA]:Mr. President, thank you very much. First of all, I thank you and the entire Bureau of PAP for facilitating this workshop on this important topic. I also wish to thank the Chairperson of our Committee for the excellent presentation on behalf of the Committee members. As we all know, the importance of science and technology is fundamental for an average based economy and for economic transformation.As we are moving towards a world where everything will be online, we require everyone to be mindful of how to deal with it. I just want to share an experience of my country on the one laptop per child programme. This programme has shown that the introduction of technology in primary school allows primary school students early access to computer skills, understanding and knowledge on specific subjects like science, languages and social sciences through on line research. Digital transformation can really help in efficient and effective service delivery in the education, business, ecommerce and healthcare sectors and also in the fiscal sector like fiscal declarations and governance in general.Through our regional economic communities, member states should be encouraged to adopt a common regional telecommunication framework, for example, adoption of a one network area and share the benefits of the fibre optic cable. This can cut the financing investment.Member states should also continue to share positive steps in this new development of information technology for efficient and effective economic transformation. There is urgent need for African members to have a global policy and to harmonise our legal and regulatory framework. As parliamentarians, we should continue with the advocacy in increasing awareness and capacity building in collaboration with different stakeholders in this sector of Information and Communication Technology.Mr. President, allow me to also add my voice to that of my colleagues to thank the administration of PAP for the improvement in PAP administration in submitting documents to members on line some days before the debate in the House. In these last two weeks, we received documents from Mr. Joseph Mangwanda.We have no choice. As has been said by the chairperson of this Committee, the penetration for ICT is high in the foreign countries, but Africa is still lagging behind. This was a test. It was not the end. We will continue to bring our efforts together to explore this sector in order to see how we can transform the African economy and share the benefits of this One Africa One Voice.Mr. President, thank you.REFERENCE: 1105-104216AHON. HASHIM IDRIS [SUDAN]:شكراً أخي الرئيس و الشكر موصول إلى السيد رئيس اللجنة الدائمة للنقل و الصناعة و الاتصال و الطاقة و العلوم و التكنولوجيا، لاشك أن الموضوع ذو أهمية واصبح لازماً و مفروضاً هذا الوسيط الذي يفرض نفسه في واقع الحال و في هذه الحياة التي تتحرك من خلال التكنولوجيا و التقنية و التقانة، و لا بد لإفريقيا رغم ما ورد في التقرير أنه هناك تأخر هائل في هذا المجال من عمل و حث للحكومات على المضي قدما استراتيجية موحدة لبناء وسيط إلكتروني حتى تستطيع أن تلحقبركب الدول التي تقدمت في هذا المجال هذا الوسيط سيدي الرئيس ليس للتواصل والتفاعل فقط ولكن أصبح يعني هذا الوسيط بمعية العلوم و التكنولوجيا وسيلة سياسية للضغط على الحكومات و الجماعات لكي تستخدمه كوسيلة حرب لحرمان بعض الدول من الحصول على هذه التقنية، لذلك نأمل أن تهتم اللجنة بجدية بهذا الأمر و تسعى بحسب الجهود المقدمة للمضي إلى الأمام، فبلدي السودان محاصر منذ ثلاثين عاما أخي الرئيس من الدول الجائرة و الظالمة وحرمت السودان حقيقة من الكثير من الممارسات و من الاستفادة من كل ذلك، ولكن برغم ذلك في إطار الحوكمة الرشيدة والحكم الرشيد استطاع السودان بجهوده الذاتية - و هو ما تفضل به أخي الكريم الدكتور علي في حديثه - من إنشاء شبكة إلكترونية ساعدت وساهمت حتى في تحصيل الضرائب الحكومية و في أول تجربة ارتفعت نسبة التحصيل إلى 40 % عندما استخدم الوسيط...لذلك كانت هناك حوالي 2 توصيات في اللجنة، و لكن ماهي اآلليات التي يتم تطبيق هذه التوصيات من خاللها؟ لدينا وسيلتين تتعلق األولى باالتحاد األفريقي و الثانية بالبرلمانات الوطنية، ولكن أرجوا من اللجنة أخي الرئيس، أن تعد دراسة متكاملة ألهمية هذا الموضوع و لرئاسة المجلس أن تهيء البيئة لهذه اللجنة حتى تقدم لنا دراسة مفصلة فيها قاعدة بيانات عريضة حتى يمكننا معرفة مكانة أفريقيا.وشكراً أخي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1105-104621EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS.) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr. President, thank you very much. I am compelled to take the Floor on this very important topic. I have been the Chairperson and rapporteur of this Committee for three years until my election as Vice-President.Under my leadership, the Committee had a workshop on e-government and e-parliament. It was very well attended. We brought in experts. At the end of the day, we came up with certain salient recommendations. One of the recommendations was to widen the scope of this conference by making it an international conference. We did our best to host an international conference but our best was not good because it has serious financial implications. This is why we decided that this time we will increase the scope in terms of the resource persons. You can see somebody was brought from Estonia to also share with us their experience on e-governance.Mr. President and hon. Members, I recommend to the Chairman to look back at some of the recommendations of the earlier workshop. I can see that we have started implementing some of them. Today, we have increased our visibility in terms of media, especially at this conference as a result of that conference. We have put in place a senior media and communication officer who was not there before. We can now see the changes. Of course, we need to do more. I want to assure you that very soon this Parliament will go e-parliament. We are working towards the provision of tablets for all Members of Parliament here. At least, for a start, you now have your documents sent to you sometimes early or a bit late based on the challenges of this parliament.For you to go e-government and e-parliament, you have to have certain basic imperatives. Most African countries do not have those imperatives. These are some of the imperatives:1.You must have a communication and IT strategy. Parliaments in most countries do not have strategies.2.You must have energy that is reliable. Africa still enjoys less than 10 per cent of energy.3.We must have our fibre optic up and running.4.We must ensure that we migrate from analogue to digital.5.We must upgrade our ICT equipment to stateof-the-art in order for it to take us through.This Parliament has been implementing some of the recommendations but let us strive to have this international conference that we decided to have and we have not had. It is important. We can mobilise the service providers in ICT and the regulatory frameworks so that we put some money into this international conference. It is in the interest of all of us to have this international conference.I thank the Chair of this meeting for having carried through some of the recommendations of the previous workshop. We are ready and willing to give all the support to this Committee so that we can have an international conference. Also, please go back to our earlier recommendations and see the ones which have been implemented and the ones which need to be implemented so that we can add them to the recommendations and resolutions that you have brought up, which are very good.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-105100EHON. ABDULRAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Thank you, Mr President. First let me not sound very pessimistic. I want to say that we have a very big problem our hands and I am saying it very seriously. Let me begin by giving you a quotation from one of our African Leaders who says that, “When the modern world is moving to the moon Africans are yet to get to the villages”. This is to explain to you the quantum of problem we have in Africa.I must tell you very sincerely, I am sorry to say it, but for us to have any change in e-governance, whatever decision we take in Parliament, has to have the political will of our Heads of State and Presidents of our nations. In Africa 60 percent of our leaders are within the ages of 70 and above. They are not even electronic compliant. Some had their education cramming, some got books. They are yet to even agree that this electronic governance is in order. Sincerely speaking, until we involve the youths of Africa in governance, we will continue to debate here, organise workshop, travel to the USA, the United Kingdom and come back, but there will be no impact. To be sincere, among our leaders, even our political and our elected leaders, how many of us have Facebook accounts or have twitter and how many of us can use them?I am very serious on this issue. For us to move forward as a continent we have to give education, e-governance, and computer education at all levels to ensure that our youth participate from primary school to the universities so that people can be actively involved in e-education. I have been a journalist for over 15 years and I know what I am talking about. I know for sure that even when you meet some leaders, they do not even know how to operate ordinary concepts; they rely on their aids. So, we do not even have secrets in Africa. You know whatever our leaders do, their aids are aware. So, these are issues. But I believe that hopefully in future we will be able to get there, but we have to start very well.Like the doctor said, we have the issue of power. We need to work on power. In Africa, in my country too we are very populous, about 170 million people, but I can tell you that less 30 million or 40 million people have access to power and this is very serious. Until our leaders address things like that, we will continue to remain here. Thank you to PAP. I saw in the last budget that there is an attempt that some of this obsolete equipment will be replaced and I hope when I come for the next session I will operate electronically.Thank you and God bless you.REFERENCE: 1105-105404EHON. SANTOSH VITINA KALYAN (Mrs) [SOUTH AFRICA]:Thank you Mr President. When I am listening to my colleagues speak I realise how privileged I am to be a Member of Parliament for the South African Parliament. As you talk about some of the problems I honestly can identify with that, simply because in the 4th Parliament we had already started the whole e-governance system.The Parliament of South Africa has a fantastic website. All Members of Parliament are profiled on that website, the policies, the legislation, everything is there and we refer to ourselves as a people’s Parliament. So our bio data is there and what we say in Parliament is there for the public out there to view. We also have what we call live video and audio streaming so that anyone from any part of the country who has a good signal, good internet or access to a cell phone can listen to the debates live.Now, when South Africa went the e-route, we realised that many of our senior MPs did not even know how to switch a computer on. So, a separate ICT Unit was set up in Parliament to help every single Member of Parliament to set their computer up, to teach them how to use it, how to send an email and how to receive an email. And we have a help desk. So, if anything goes wrong you just phone your help desk and they will either guide you over the telephone or they will come and do it. We also have a radio conferencing facility, so it saves on costs. If members want to be part of a Committee and they cannot all fly in just for a day, they have a video conferencing room and via your computer you can then skype and do what you need to do.One of the speakers earlier referred to our pitfalls. We are going to be having a debate on climate change this afternoon. I think we must do things in this Parliament; I will bring it up later in the debate. One is our carbon footprint and the other is how many forests we do use every time this Parliament sits. So it is good that we started receiving our documents. We here Members saying we need laptops. If you Parliament has not provided for that maybe the Pan-African Parliament should look into that.Before I conclude, lastly and most importantly, the PanAfrican Parliament has to come up with the Social Media Policy. As you well know people have twitter and have Facebook accounts. When you are Member of Parliament, you no longer have a private view, everything is public and you are either a Member of Parliament representing the Parliament of the country you live in or the Pan-African Parliament. So what you what you twit or what you put on Facebook has got to be appropriate so that it cannot violate the code of conduct or the policies of this Parliament. One of the recommendations made was that we add that the PanAfrican Parliament comes up with a social media policy.In conclusion, Madam Lahai you talked about an international conference. Let us start with a needs analysis. Rather than inviting someone from Estonia, find out what needs are in this Parliament and then design a conference to address those needs. I thank you for your attention.REFERENCE: 1105-105815FHON. IGNACE NDEBO AKANDA [RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO]:Honorable Président, je vous remercie infiniment pour la parole.Il est difficile d’intervenir après de si brillantes interventions autant les unes que les autres. Cependant, je voudrais apporter mon grain de sel dans ce débat intéressant en ce qui concerne les nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication.J’ai entendu parler de l’internet, de l’intranet, de facebook, de tweeter, d’Instagram. Mais, Monsieur le Président, nous devons faire de la prospective. Nous devons également nous imposer des projections, parce que la vision pour demain nous impose de penser à toutes les personnes vivant avec handicap. Quand nous parlons d’internet, d’intranet et tout ce qui s’en suit, mais on parle des personnes qui ont une vue parfaite ou, à tout le moins, une vue assistée avec des lunettes. Mais les malvoyants, les malentendants, les personnes vivant avec handicap, que ferons-nous de ces gens-là si demain, ici, au Parlement Panafricain, et par solidarité avec elles, ces personnes me dis-je, que ferons-nous d’elles? Si elles ne savent ni voir ni entendre, nous devons faire de la vision, Honorable Président, nous devons penser à eux. C’est cela aussi la solidarité africaine par humanité.Et je voudrais terminer en proposant, Honorable Président, je me réjouis que la Présidente de la Commission à laquelle je voulais faire allusion soit revenue dans la salle, parce que j’ai entendu que c’était la Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes handicapées.Je voudrais proposer solennellement, Honorable Président, que nous puissions modifier in fine la disposition, l’appellation de cette Constitution en remplaçant « personnes handicapées » par « personnes vivant avec handicap ». C’est cela aussi la modernité et les termes de la nouvelle linguistique, si vous voulez.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1105-110057FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Permettez-moi à mon tour de joindre ma voix à ce débat qui est d’une importance capitale.Première chose, je demanderai au Secrétariat général d’envoyer ce rapport à tous les députés. Vous allez le lire. Ce n’est pas un rapport confidentiel. C’est le rapport sur la situation des médias au Parlement panafricain. Le rapport commence à la demande de l’Honorable Roger NKODO DANG, Président du Parlement panafricain, une mission de l’Union africaine a passé un séjour ici, du 12 au 16 février 2016. L’objectif de la mission était de venir évaluer la situation actuelle de la documentation du PAP et de voir comment on peut l’intégrer à e-conference system. C’est un rapport qui n’est pas volumineux, vous l’avez vu. Mais, les premières conclusions de ce rapport, c’est que cette salle ne permet plus qu’on adapte les instruments modernes parce que les instruments que nous utilisons, c’est de type Bosch qui ne sont plus d’actualité.Deuxièmement, le rapport avait pour mission de nous mettre ici des écrans pour couper la parole, mais également à un vote électronique. On avait convenu que ce travail devrait finir quinze (15) jours avant cette session parce que nous avons une promesse de troiscent lap tops de la Banque mondiale et cette promesse était soutenue par la Commission de l’Union africaine. C’est pourquoi la mission était venue.Malheureusement, les gens qui étaient venus ont dit que pour faire ce travail, cela pourrait coûter chers, parce que si nous le faisons ici, cela va coûter deux fois plus cher.Nous sommes dans uns salle provisoire, il faudrait que si on quitte, que tout soit déplacé. Mais, ce n’est pas là le problème. Le problème c’est que, si ces appareils qui nous ont proposés par la Banque mondiale via l’Union africaine, nous ne les avons pas reçus à temps pour que nous puissions les installer parce que l’équipe a dit qu’il fallait trente jours de travail pour reprendre toutes les installations.C’est pour vous dire que le Bureau est à l’écoute. Le Bureau veut diminuer le volume de papier que nous utilisons. Le Bureau veut aller vite, c’est pour cette raison qu’on fait des efforts pour vous envoyer les documents.Je demande au Secrétaire général de vous envoyer ces rapports pour voir à quel niveau de discussion nous sommes avec le système internet dans notre Parlement. Vous le verrez, ce n’est pas un document confidentiel.Deuxième chose, je voudrais souhaiter que lors de notre prochaine session, que le Ministre d’État Jean Louis Borloo vienne nous faire le compte-rendu ou bien le suivi du projet énergie pour tous en Afrique.Je le dis parce que lorsqu’on parle ici, on ne se rend pas très vite compte que ce qui nous fauche le plus, c’est le problème de l’énergie. Je n’ai pas honte de le dire, quand je suis dans mon village, vous ne pouvez pas m’atteindre. Je n’ai pas d’électricité. Cela pose un problème pour nous qui voulons aller vite. Je crois que la base de cette affaire, c’est de foncer sur l’énergie pour que nous puissions être tous joignables et qu’on puisse avoir les documents à temps. Mais non seulement cela, Madame Kalyan vient de le souligner, il faut que nous apprenions même à manier les ordinateurs.Lorsque nous étions au Sommet, je suis arrivé devant ma place, il y avait un lap top, même pour l’utiliser, moi-même j’avais des problèmes. Il faudrait que quand on aura les lap tops, qu’on vous forme parce qu’on va mettre tous les documents dedans, vous devez travailler et laisser sur place.Donc, pour la formation, je rejoins l’Honorable Kalyan, la formation sera très importante dans ce domaine pour que nous puissions nous adapter.Je voulais dire que les TIC sont très importants dans notre contexte parce que si on venait à installer le vote électrique ici, il y aura plus beaucoup de temps à prendre. Chacun à sa place pourra appuyer et il va voter la personne de son choix.Enfin, je voulais parler du scandale du Panama. Je crois que c’est grâce aux TIC que ce scandale a été mis à jour. Mais également aussi, le gros problème qui se pose ici, c’est le problème de vote. Beaucoup de gens sollicitent le vote électrique et tout et tout. Moi dans mon village, je ne peux pas voter électroniquement, peut-être que ceux qui ont déjà l’avantage d’avoir l’électricité pourront le faire. Et même, ce vote électronique nécessitera la formation des citoyens. Donc, je crois que le débat d’aujourd’hui porte l’accent non seulement sur nous qui sommes là présentement, mais sur les générations futures; d’où commencez à aller former dès la base pour qu’ils puissent demain manier les ordinateurs.Voilà ce que je voulais dire, pour vous dire que notre Parlement est bien inscrit dans la lignée mais, les conditions ne nous le permettent pas. Je voudrais lancer un appel aux bonnes volontés ici, ceux peuvent apporter un coup de pouce pour que nous puissions acheter deux écrans, parce qu’on demande seulement deux écrans, et notre budget ne l’avait pas prévu, pour que nous puissions acheter deux écrans et que prochainement, nous commencerions à avoir une limitation de parole électroniquement, ici.Voilà ce que le rapport demandait. Deux écrans « two screns », pour que nous puissions commencer par là.Donc, chers collègues, ce rapport est très important pour nous. Comme personne n’a rien dit, je me permettrai donc à la prochaine session d’inviter Jean Louis Borloo, pour qu’il vienne nous faire la situation sur le projet énergie en Afrique.Je sais que lors du dernier Sommet à Addis-Abeba, on avait élu le Président de Guinée Conakry, comme porteparole pour le suivi des Accords de la COP 21 et sur le projet énergie. Donc, je crois qu’il travaille d’arrachepied avec le Ministre Jean Louis Borloo, parce que quand j’étais en Europe, dernièrement, nous avions donné une conférence sur ce projet et nous l’avions aussi évoqué au Parlement européen, pour que le Parlement Européen puisse pousser les États européens à payer le fonds de contre partie en Afrique, pour mettre ce projet en place.Je vous remercie donc pour ces informations que je me devais de mettre à votre disposition.Maintenant, j’invite l’Honorable Daouda TOURÉ à répondre aux questions.Honorable, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1105-110835FHON. DAOUDA TOURÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Je voudrais commencer par dire à l’Honorable ABUDULRAZAK du Nigeria qu’il ne faudrait pas que nous soyons pessimistes, et que nous y arriverons.Vous savez quand le GSM, les systèmes de cellulaires ont commencé en Afrique, on n’avait pas pensé qu’on aurait pu utiliser les cellulaires dans nos villages. Et vous avez vu aujourd’hui, beaucoup d’activités se font dans les villages; les villageois, souvent, ils savent plus que nous. Et aussi la jeunesse aujourd’hui utilise beaucoup plus internet parce que, ceux qu’on appelle « les vieux », c’es-à-dire nous, nous sommes un peu dépassés; je pense qu’il y a de l’espoir.Je voudrais surtout dire merci à l’assistance pour la forte contribution que les uns et les autres ont faite pour ce que nous sommes en train de faire. Et je voudrais quand même essayer de répondre aux quelques questions, aux quelques inquiétudes que certains auraient.Je vais commencer par Eugene KPARKAR du Libéria, qui dit que nous devrons être un modèle, nous-mêmes au PAP, et je pense que le PAP est en train de s’atteler à cela. Et si nous ne prenons pas sérieusement le problème des NTIC en Afrique et surtout dans nos Parlements, nous serons en retard. Nous avons, Africains, déjà raté la révolution industrielle, et il ne faudrait pas que nous rations la révolution électronique; si nous la ratons, nous sommes morts! Nous sommes morts! Et nous serons seulement des gens passifs dans ce monde qui évolue. Et nous devons tout faire pour faire avancer les choses, et c’est aussi le rôle de vous, les députés qui êtes dans cette Assemblée, de faire le plaidoyer pour commencer par vous-mêmes, vos Assemblées, pour qu’ils soient munis de tous les systèmes qui puissent permettre d’être un modèle. Et cette Assemblée doit être un modèle, et nous devons nous donner le temps pour que le PAP soit un modèle, un exemple de e-parlement, c’est-à-dire le Parlement électronique d’ici 2017, Monsieur le Président [...]M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Nous y attelons.HON. DAOUDA TOURÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:OK!Et je vais répondre à l’Honorable DOGNON, je ne pourrais pas répondre à tout le monde. L’Honorable DOGNON qui parlait de son rêve, et je pense que son rêve pourrait être un rêve, ce qui est possible! Vous savez, les bonnes choses sont toujours difficiles à réaliser. Mais, l’Afrique, il y a du travail qui est fait. Au niveau de l’Union africaine, par exemple, vous savez, on parle d’interconnexion régionale. Peut-être que vous ne le savez pas, certains le savent, parce que je pense que la Vice-présidente a travaillé dans ce sens pour l’interconnexion au niveau des pays de l’Afrique Centrale; et la Banque mondiale, l’Union africain, l’IUT, la BAD et souvent la Banque islamique ont financé des projets d’interconnexion aux réseaux des projets optiques, fibre optique. L’idée, c’était de créer des communautés économiques régionales pour une meilleure mise en pratique de l’interconnexion africaine à travers des projets spécifiques.En Afrique centrale, ils ont ce qu’on appelle « le C. A. B ou CAB » - Centrai African Backbone - l’idée est que tous les pays d’Afrique centrale soient interconnectés et aient accès au réseau sous-marin. Et cela se fait à partir des côtes camerounaises. Ça permet à tous ces pays-là d’en avoir. Donc, c’est des choses qui existent. Et ils ont mis quelque chose comme quatre cent millions (400.000.000) de dollars dans ce projet.Il y a eu aussi le projet RCIP, c’est le projet d’infrastructures pour les pays de l’Afrique orientale et australe: Burundi, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda: quatre cent vingt-quatre millions (424.3000.000) de dollars ont été investis. Et je pense que Madame a travaillé sur ce projet de quatre cent millions de dollars.J’espère que vous n’êtes pas dans le Panama papers?(Rires de l’orateur)Et puis à la réunion du CIP, pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest, trois cent millions de dollars, et qui a commencé en 2011. Il s’agissait de huit mille kilomètres de fibre optique à implanter en Afrique. Et vous avez les pays de l’Afrique du Nord: la Libye, le Maroc et la Tunisie qui ont leur propre système, leur propre accès à la fibre optique.Donc, je pense que l’Afrique est en train de faire quelque chose, il y a de quoi être optimiste.Et je voudrais terminer ceci, comme je l’ai dit, je ne pourrais répondre à tout le monde.On a parlé d’un ordinateur par enfant. C’est vrai, c’est ce que nous devons faire. L’Afrique a des ressources, l’Afrique a des moyens, et nos pays ont des moyens. Il suffit d’une volonté politique, on peut donner des ordinateurs à tous les enfants dans toutes les écoles. Le gâchis que nous faisons dans nos pays, la corruption qu’il y a dans nos pays, si nous réduisons cela, nous pourront donner des ordinateurs aux enfants. Mais vous avez dit des ordinateurs aux enfants, mais ces enfants n’ont même pas l’électricité. C’est vrai, 70 % des Africains vivent dans le noir; 70 % des Africains n’ont pas l’électricité.Et là aussi, nous devons travailler, c’est-à-dire que l’électrification de l’Afrique doit aller concomitamment, conjointement avec l’accès à l’électronique, l’accès à l’environnement électronique; l’un ne peut pas aller sans l’autre. Même le cellulaire, il y a des villages où on ne peut pas recharger. Voilà pourquoi nous devons penser à une forme d’accès à l’électronique. Nous devons penser à utiliser par exemple les énergies renouvelables, le soleil. Nous avons plein de soleil en Afrique, mais nous ne l’utilisons pas. Le tout n’est pas de parler, le tout est de faire des stratégies, de venir avec des stratégies qui puissent forcer nos pays à aller vers la révolution électronique.Et je vous l’ai dit tout à l’heure, si nous n’allons pas vers cette révolution électronique, nous avons déjà raté la révolution industrielles, Mesdames et Messieurs, c’est une question de survie.Je vous remercie pour avoir contribué de manière significative à ce rapport d’atelier.Merci.REFERENCE: 1105-110835FHON. DAOUDA TOURÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Je voudrais commencer par dire à l’Honorable ABUDULRAZAK du Nigeria qu’il ne faudrait pas que nous soyons pessimistes, et que nous y arriverons.Vous savez quand le GSM, les systèmes de cellulaires ont commencé en Afrique, on n’avait pas pensé qu’on aurait pu utiliser les cellulaires dans nos villages. Et vous avez vu aujourd’hui, beaucoup d’activités se font dans les villages; les villageois, souvent, ils savent plus que nous. Et aussi la jeunesse aujourd’hui utilise beaucoup plus internet parce que, ceux qu’on appelle « les vieux », c’es-à-dire nous, nous sommes un peu dépassés; je pense qu’il y a de l’espoir.Je voudrais surtout dire merci à l’assistance pour la forte contribution que les uns et les autres ont faite pour ce que nous sommes en train de faire. Et je voudrais quand même essayer de répondre aux quelques questions, aux quelques inquiétudes que certains auraient.Je vais commencer par Eugene KPARKAR du Libéria, qui dit que nous devrons être un modèle, nous-mêmes au PAP, et je pense que le PAP est en train de s’atteler à cela. Et si nous ne prenons pas sérieusement le problème des NTIC en Afrique et surtout dans nos Parlements, nous serons en retard. Nous avons, Africains, déjà raté la révolution industrielle, et il ne faudrait pas que nous rations la révolution électronique; si nous la ratons, nous sommes morts! Nous sommes morts! Et nous serons seulement des gens passifs dans ce monde qui évolue. Et nous devons tout faire pour faire avancer les choses, et c’est aussi le rôle de vous, les députés qui êtes dans cette Assemblée, de faire le plaidoyer pour commencer par vous-mêmes, vos Assemblées, pour qu’ils soient munis de tous les systèmes qui puissent permettre d’être un modèle. Et cette Assemblée doit être un modèle, et nous devons nous donner le temps pour que le PAP soit un modèle, un exemple de e-parlement, c’est-à-dire le Parlement électronique d’ici 2017, Monsieur le Président [...]M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Nous y attelons.HON. DAOUDA TOURÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:OK!Et je vais répondre à l’Honorable DOGNON, je ne pourrais pas répondre à tout le monde. L’Honorable DOGNON qui parlait de son rêve, et je pense que son rêve pourrait être un rêve, ce qui est possible! Vous savez, les bonnes choses sont toujours difficiles à réaliser. Mais, l’Afrique, il y a du travail qui est fait. Au niveau de l’Union africaine, par exemple, vous savez, on parle d’interconnexion régionale. Peut-être que vous ne le savez pas, certains le savent, parce que je pense que la Vice-présidente a travaillé dans ce sens pour l’interconnexion au niveau des pays de l’Afrique Centrale; et la Banque mondiale, l’Union africain, l’IUT, la BAD et souvent la Banque islamique ont financé des projets d’interconnexion aux réseaux des projets optiques, fibre optique. L’idée, c’était de créer des communautés économiques régionales pour une meilleure mise en pratique de l’interconnexion africaine à travers des projets spécifiques.En Afrique centrale, ils ont ce qu’on appelle « le C. A. B ou CAB » - Centrai African Backbone - l’idée est que tous les pays d’Afrique centrale soient interconnectés et aient accès au réseau sous-marin. Et cela se fait à partir des côtes camerounaises. Ça permet à tous ces pays-là d’en avoir. Donc, c’est des choses qui existent. Et ils ont mis quelque chose comme quatre cent millions (400.000.000) de dollars dans ce projet.Il y a eu aussi le projet RCIP, c’est le projet d’infrastructures pour les pays de l’Afrique orientale et australe: Burundi, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda: quatre cent vingt-quatre millions (424.3000.000) de dollars ont été investis. Et je pense que Madame a travaillé sur ce projet de quatre cent millions de dollars.J’espère que vous n’êtes pas dans le Panama papers?(Rires de l’orateur)Et puis à la réunion du CIP, pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest, trois cent millions de dollars, et qui a commencé en 2011. Il s’agissait de huit mille kilomètres de fibre optique à implanter en Afrique. Et vous avez les pays de l’Afrique du Nord: la Libye, le Maroc et la Tunisie qui ont leur propre système, leur propre accès à la fibre optique.Donc, je pense que l’Afrique est en train de faire quelque chose, il y a de quoi être optimiste.Et je voudrais terminer ceci, comme je l’ai dit, je ne pourrais répondre à tout le monde.On a parlé d’un ordinateur par enfant. C’est vrai, c’est ce que nous devons faire. L’Afrique a des ressources, l’Afrique a des moyens, et nos pays ont des moyens. Il suffit d’une volonté politique, on peut donner des ordinateurs à tous les enfants dans toutes les écoles. Le gâchis que nous faisons dans nos pays, la corruption qu’il y a dans nos pays, si nous réduisons cela, nous pourront donner des ordinateurs aux enfants. Mais vous avez dit des ordinateurs aux enfants, mais ces enfants n’ont même pas l’électricité. C’est vrai, 70 % des Africains vivent dans le noir; 70 % des Africains n’ont pas l’électricité.Et là aussi, nous devons travailler, c’est-à-dire que l’électrification de l’Afrique doit allerconcomitamment, conjointement avec l’accès à l’électronique, l’accès à l’environnement électronique; l’un ne peut pas aller sans l’autre. Même le cellulaire, il y a des villages où on ne peut pas recharger. Voilà pourquoi nous devons penser à une forme d’accès à l’électronique. Nous devons penser à utiliser par exemple les énergies renouvelables, le soleil. Nous avons plein de soleil en Afrique, mais nous ne l’utilisons pas. Le tout n’est pas de parler, le tout est de faire des stratégies, de venir avec des stratégies qui puissent forcer nos pays à aller vers la révolution électronique.Et je vous l’ai dit tout à l’heure, si nous n’allons pas vers cette révolution électronique, nous avons déjà raté la révolution industrielles, Mesdames et Messieurs, c’est une question de survie.Je vous remercie pour avoir contribué de manière significative à ce rapport d’atelier.Merci.REFERENCE: 1105-111531FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Le débat général est clos!(Coup de maillet)Je soumets à la Chambre le rapport de l’atelier portant sur la gouvernance électronique.Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque!Adopté!Monsieur le Secrétaire général, vous avez la parole pour le troisième point inscrit à l’ordre du jour.M. LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Merci Excellence.Présentation et débats sur le Rapport de la Politique en matière d’éducation de l’Union africaine.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:J’invite l’Honorable Abdou NDIAYE, Président de la Commission Permanente de l’Éducation, de la Culture, du tourisme et des Ressources humaines à faire sa présentation.Honorable, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1105-111640FHON. ABDOU NDIAYE [PRÉSIDENT DE LA COMMISSION PERMANENTE DE L’ÉDUCATION, DE LA CULTURE, DU TOURISME ET DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,Mesdames et Messieurs les membres du Bureau,Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Commissions et Caucus,Distingués responsables dans l’administration, à vos rangs et fonctions,Chers collègues,Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais, tout d’abord, au nom de l’ensemble des membres de la Commission Permanente de l’Éducation, de la Culture, du tourisme et des Ressources humaines, et à mon propre, vous présenter nos sincères félicitations et remerciements pour les actes que vous êtes en train de poser dans le sens d’une plus grande visibilité du PAP.Ces mêmes remerciements et félicitations vont à l’endroit des membres du Bureau et autres collègues qui ne ménagent aucun effort pour une bonne atteinte des objectifs de développement du PAP.Ceci dit, le rapport que je vais vous présenter se fera sous forme de notes de synthèse articulées autour de la politique de l’éducation au niveau de l’UA.Donc, vous me permettrez, Monsieur le Président, avant d’entrer dans le vif du sujet, vous raffiner sur l’organisation et la méthodologie développées depuis votre avènement à la tête de cette importante et stratégique Commission.En effet, suite à notre prise de fonction, nous nous sommes inscrits dans une dynamique nouvelle marquée par une rupture dans la manière de pratiquer. Chemin faisant, nous avons mis en place un organigramme de fonctions dans lequel les quatre dimensions composant l’intitulé a été bien pris en charge.C’est ainsi que le poste de point focal a été créé et pour chacune de ces composantes à savoir, la culture, le tourisme, les ressources humaines, un collègue a été choisi pour en assurer la charge.Le même procédé a été utilisé pour toutes les souscomposantes du secteur de l’éducation à savoir, l’éducation de base qui renferme le cycle: la petite enfance, le cycle fondamental. Également, l’enseignement moyen général, l’enseignement supérieur, la formation qualifiante et professionnelle et l’éducation non formelle.Un tel schéma nous a permis de mettre tous les collègues à contribution et aujourd’hui sans risque de nous tromper, nous pouvons dire haut et fort que notre Commission fait partie de celles des plus vivantes du PAP.Nous imposons alors cette quête effrénée de mieux-être dans un cadre décloisonné. Nous avons été amenés à entrer en contact avec des structures des pouvoirs aux plans régional et international.L’Union africaine notamment, le Commissariat chargé de l’éducation a été la première institution à nous recevoir et cette rencontre a été une occasion rêvée pour voir ensemble les possibilités s’offrant pour la mise en place d’un partenariat fécond entre les deux institutions. Quoi de plus normal entre le législatif et l’exécutif africain!Monsieur le Président,Chers collègues,C’est dans cette perspective qu’en ma qualité de Président de la Commission Permanente de l’Éducation, de la Culture, du tourisme et des Ressources humaines, j’ai l’honneur et le privilège de diriger une délégation composée exclusivement des membres de la Commission au siège de l’Union africaine aux fins de rencontrer l’équipe chargée de l’éducation.Ainsi, les places créées à l’occasion ont permis de larges échanges entre les deux parties au cours de ce projet innovant très porteur.À ces propos, pour des raisons de cohérence stratégique, les membres de la Commission ont voulu s’assurer du bien-fondé de l’initiative continentale et la place réservée au PAP dans le dispositif de mise en œuvre. C’était important pour nous, car il y va de la crédibilité de notre institution qui est l’émanation des Parlements nationaux, donc censé être la vitrine africaine en termes de représentation des populations africaines.Aux questions de savoir, à quoi sert la stratégie continentale? Quel impact peut-elle avoir sur les groupes cibles? Quelle approche utilisée? Quelle doit-être la place du PAP? etc., le Commissaire nous a fait l’amabilité de nous fournir toutes les informations dont nous avions souhaitées disposer pour notre bonne compréhension.Dans son intervention, il a indiqué tout d’abord que la stratégie continentale de l’éducation telle est l’intitulé de l’initiative vise à améliorer les conditions pleine réussite du système global, de l’éducation et de la formation. De ce point de vue, il a fait savoir que le cadre général de la stratégie comprenait entre autre l’agenda 2063, la feuille de route développée lors du cinquantième anniversaire de l’UA, en plus des résultats de la conférence des Ministres à Kigali et du Forum mondial sur l’éducation 2015, tenu en Corée.La première question sur laquelle nous devons partager, c’est de savoir le pourquoi de la mise en place de la stratégie continentale?Comme vous le savez, Mesdames et Messieurs, Chers collègues, en Afrique, l’éducation prise globalement comme secteur stratégique est considéré comme un parent pauvre dans la nomenclature budgétaire de nos différents pays, malgré la signature d’actes et autres résolutions au plan international.Nous convenons tous, ici présents, que le financement du secteur de l’éducation est insuffisant dans la plupart de nos pays. De même, les orientations déclinées dans une optique d’impact clair, dans la politique de développement, ne sont pas adaptées aux besoins des populations africaines. En atteste l’insuffisance d’enseignants qualifiés, disons de formateurs qualifiés, les contenus des programmes non adaptés à nos réalités changeantes.En vérité, dans la pratique, tout ce qui est fait est généralement tiré du legs colonial. Ceci quand même mérite une méditation, chers collègues.Au plan des infrastructures, un déficit notaire est aussi constaté, limitant ainsi les possibilités de performance. Beaucoup de nos pays sont en manque d’installations sanitaires. Je fais allusion à la dimension fille. Ce qui réduit les chances de réussite de scolarisation et du maintien de cette catégorie qui connaît un flux croissant en termes de représentativité. Dans nos pays, dans nos écoles, dans nos centres d’apprentissages, vous savez aussi bien que moi, que la dimension femme, fille occupe une place de choix. Donc, de ce point de vue là, je crois que des efforts doivent être faits à ce niveau.Voilà, Mesdames et Messieurs, chers collègues autant de raisons qui ont poussé l’UA à s’imposer le devoir de mettre en place la stratégie continentale.Maintenant, quel est le but poursuivi? La stratégie continentale vise une meilleure prise en charge des questions d’éducation et de formation dans le continent africain.Tous les ordres d’enseignements, que cela soit le cycle fondamental, jusqu’à l’université, sont concernés de même que la formation qualifiante professionnelle.Un accent particulier est accordé aux thèmes: les sciences, la technologie et les mathématiques. Une manière d’encourager l’innovation technologique et les sciences qui constituent une voie incontournable pour développer nos pays au regard de leur place dans le développement global.Aussi, les infrastructures occupent également une place de choix au regard des insuffisances criardes notées à ce niveau et qui impactaient négativement dans la plupart des cas sur l’évolution des groupes cibles. De manière spécifique, la stratégie va favoriser la production des ressources humaines africaines qui ont répondraient à la demande du marché et également une meilleure compréhension du processus d’éducation et de formation, aux fins de sa prise en charge dans les budgets nationaux.Et pour y arriver, les concepteurs pensent que le niveau institutionnel, c’est-à-dire l’État central et les parlementaires, à raison de leur qualité de décideurs et de législateurs, seraient les premiers mécanismes par lesquels la mise en œuvre se fera. Cela suppose que les pays ont l’obligation de repenser les stratégies en s’adaptant aux dispositifs de la stratégie continentale.Par ailleurs, retenez que la volonté politique et le développement du capital humain, demeurent les piliers incontournables de la stratégie, car l’éducation dans sa globalité a besoin d’un environnement de paix et de sécurité. L’égalité des sexes, la mobilisation des ressources et les renforcements des capacités institutionnelles sont aussi à verser dans le paquet des principaux piliers. Tout ceci pour dire, qu’avec cette nouvelle politique de l’UA, les pays, du moins, beaucoup d’entre eux seront obligés de se faire violence pour s’y adapter, c’est certain, chers collègues.La stratégie de mise en œuvre, qu’est-ce que nous devons faire arriver à dessein? Face à ce tableau, l’Union africaine a mis en place toute une organisation articulée autour d’une approche concertée et sur ce rapport, elle est en train de développer tout une série de rencontres avec des structures de pouvoir national et autres partenaires techniques et financiers. Dans cette optique, trois phases importantes ont été retenues.Premièrement, la mise en place d’un atelier de rédaction du programme avec des experts, des partenaires venant des pays. Vous savez que, dans des telles situations, là je voudrais qu’on fasse appel à l’expertise nationale et internationale.Deuxièmement, il y a l’organisation des sessions à l’intention des Commissions nationales. Effectivement, il faut que l’UA se déplace dans les pays pour rencontrer les Commissions, que ce soit au niveau des départements ministériels qui gèrent ces dimensions, ou bien au niveau de nos Parlements nationaux pour quand même les sensibiliser par rapport à l’importance de ce mécanisme.Le troisième point, c’est par rapport à la présentation de la stratégie nationale qui se fera au niveau du Sommet des Chefs d’États.Pour maximiser les chances de réussite de cet instrument, un comité des Chefs d’États a été mis en place et coordonné par le Président du Sénégal Monsieur Macky Sall. Dans ce comité, figurent aussi des partenaires et les Commissions nationales.Au regard de ce qui précède, chers collègues, la Commission Permanente de l’Éducation, de la Culture, du tourisme et des Ressources humaines tient à soumettre les recommandations suivantes:1.Encourager toutes les Commission permanentes du PAP à tenir les réunions non statutaires en dehors du PAP, pour effectivement participer à la visibilité de notre institution;2.Élaborer des politiques et stratégies appropriées à même de nous permettre de renforcer les rôles des Commissions permanentes du PAP dans la diffusion de l'information;3.Organiser des réunions régulières des Commissions permanentes avec les départements équivalents de la Commission de l’UA;4.Compiler et mettre à jour un inventaire de toutes les activités permanentes, des programmes et des projets des parties prenantes compétentes. Cela aiderait les Commissions permanentes à élaborer leurs plans de travail et à organiser leurs futures missions auprès des intervenants;5.Encourager la signature des Protocoles d’accord avec les parties prenantes compétentes afin de réglementer la collaboration future.Monsieur le Président,Mesdames et Messieurs les membres du Bureau,Mes chers collègues Présidents des Commissions et de Caucus,Ces chers collègues,Je ne saurais terminer sans pour autant féliciter et encourager les collègues qui sont membres de la Commission Permanente de l’Éducation, de la Culture, du tourisme et des Ressources humaines, pour leur détermination, pour leur sens du dépassement mais également pour leur capacité d’écoute.Aujourd’hui, si nous sommes arrivés à ce niveau, je crois que c’est parce qu’il y a une solidarité agissante au niveau de cette Commission et sans celle-ci, rien ne peut se faire.Donc chers collègues, soyez en remerciés!Ce que je peux dire encore, c’est que cette stratégie continentale est un bon prétexte pour revoir le système d’enseignement-apprentissage parce qu’il y a énormément de choses à faire dans nos pays. Tantôt, le collègue Daouda l’a dit, l’intégration des NTIC dans le dispositif enseignement-apprentissage est une donnée importante qui est versée dans le package des préoccupations au niveau de la stratégie continentale.Donc, l’éducation est unique et transversale. Donc, tout ce que nous faisons ici, l’éducation a une part dans cela.Je dis encore une fois de plus, merci pour votre écoute et merci aussi aux camarades membres de la Commission.Que Dieu vous bénisse, chers collègues.Alhamdoulilah!(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1105-113111FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le président.(Coup de maillet)La discussion générale est ouverte!J’ai devant moi une liste de 18 intervenants, la première étant:1.Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée Conakry;2.Hon. Dr Bernadette LAHAI de Sierra Léone;3.Hon. Millie GRACE du Kenya;4.Hon. Veronica Nataniel MACAMO DLOVO de Mozambique;5.Hon. Halidou SANFO de Burkina Faso;6.Hon. Mustafa Abdelaziz ELGENDY de l’Égypte;7.Hon. Pr Elsayed FELYFEL de l’Égypte;8.Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad NAMDAS du Nigéria;9.Hon. Shitaye MINALE de l’Éthiopie;10.Hon. Daouda TOURÉ de Côte d’Ivoire11.Hon. David Ernest SILINDE de la Tanzanie;12.Hon. Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI du Soudan;13.Hon. Marie Médiatrice du Rwanda;14.Hon. Tekle Tesema de l’Éthiopie;15.Hon. Ignatienne du Rwanda16.Hon. Amoussouvi KPADENOU du Togo;17.Hon. Ali AWADALLA ALI du Soudan;18.Hon. Martin BOHUÉ du Côte d’Ivoire, et19.Hon. Oscar NSAMAN-O-LUTU de la RDC.Donc, 19 intervenants.Je donne donc la parole à la première qui est l’Honorable Zalikatou DIALLO de Guinée Conakry.Honorable, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1105-113305FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais commencer mes propos par, tout d’abord, féliciter le présentateur, l’Honorable Abdou NDIAYE du Sénégal pour son brillant exposé. Je voudrais également le féliciter pour les réformes entreprises au niveau de la Commission Permanente de l’Éducation, de la Culture, du tourisme et des Ressources humaines depuis son arrivée à la tête de ladite Commission.À mon humble avis, la politique de l’Union africaine en matière d’éducation montre la volonté politique des dirigeants du continent pour insuffler un bon dynamisme à l’éducation qui est un secteur clé pour le développement.Il y a eu certes, des avancées au niveau des pays, de façon diverse, mais quand même il y a eu des avancées avec le programme soutenu par la Banque mondiale surtout sur « l’éducation pour tous » en matière de maintien de la jeune fille à l’école.Il y a vraiment eu des avancées bien que les défis sont encore énormes. Et pour cela, cette stratégie de l’Union africaine vient à point nommé. Mais les dispositions prises, en mon humble avis, l’efficacité est en demiteinte. Je m’explique, parce que la finalité de la formation de nos jeunes, des enfants, c’est surtout l’emploi. Et la première question que je vais poser est:Est-ce qu’en général, la formation est en nette adéquation avec la demande du marché?Parce que ce problème est en train de nous faire vivre le nombre sans cesse croissant des candidats à l’émigration qui vont mourir dans la Méditerranée. Ceci pose un problème parce que les jeunes, en général, n’ont pas une visibilité sur leur avenir.Donc, il faut revoir cette question et une nette synergie d’action entre les ministères de l’éducation, les employeurs et surtout les banques qui peuvent octroyer des crédits aux jeunes sortants pour créer leurs propres entreprises pour résorber le chômage et vaincre la sempiternelle question de leur recherche du premier emploi.Je vous remercie.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, chère collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Dr Bernadette LAHAI.REFERENCE: 1105-113600EHON. DR BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Mr President and Hon. Members, I just have a general comment to make on this presentation for the benefit of every committee in this House.We see that this report is a statutory meeting of the committee held not in PAP here but in Addis Ababa and because this meeting was held in Addis Ababa the committee had the opportunity to meet with all the divisions within the Human Resource and Education Commission. I am of the view that we are able to have value for money. I remember that we have held two extra-ordinary meetings in Addis Ababa. In those meetings a day was set aside for all the committees to meet with AU Commissions that are aligned with the committee and that gave them the opportunity to meet with all the departments to exchange information and reach a common understanding. As a result, some of the commissions were able to invite some committee members to international conferences which PAP may not be able to sponsor but they could sponsor. That also created an opportunity for some of the commissions to come to PAP and make periodic presentations on the status of their departments and give the committees upto-date information and facilitate the exchange of information on a regular basis. So, I just want to take off my hat to this committee.Mr President, maybe we need to also continue with that tradition of having some of our extra-ordinary meetings in Addis Ababa but let me also end by saying that there is a big resource in South Africa that we are not using. We should also be working with the committees of the South African Parliament that are aligned with our own committees. That way we will also have access to the ministries and departments that these committees oversee.When we did that with the committee on energy we were able to break a lot of ground because we worked with the South African Committee on Energy. We were able to have conferences sponsored not by us but by them. We were able to visit energy services. They set up exhibitions for us and even as I speak that initiative between the Energy Committee and the Energy Committee of the Pan-African Parliament is ongoing and it is a very good initiative. So, we have the resource here. With very little money, working with committees of the South African Parliament aligned with our committees, we can do much.I just want to encourage Parliament to use the resource that we have in South Africa. South African Parliament is a big resource. I wonder how many committees are working with the committees in the South African Parliament. It is important. If we cannot go out to work with outsiders let us use the resource we have here. They have a lot of experience in committee and parliamentary work and we can benefit from that experience.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-113917FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.J’invite Madame l’Honorable KALYAN à favoriser ces réunions, elle qui est de la délégation de l’Afrique du Sud qui peut nous favoriser ces genres de rencontres.Merci beaucoup.Madame KALYAN,Nous attendons de vous.Maintenant je donne la parole à l’Honorable Millie GRACE AKOTH ODHIAMBO-MABONA du Kenya.REFERENCE: 1105-114135PHON. VERÓNICA NATANIEL MACAMO DLHOVO (Mrs.) [MOZAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigada Senhor Presidente por ser esta a primeira vez que tomo a palavra nesta Sessao.Permita-me, Excelencia, que saúde a todos os colegas e saúde a Vossa Excelencia pela condufao dos trabalhos.O futuro do nosso continente e dos nossos povos depende da educafao.Não existem dúvidas: investir na educafao é investir no futuro de África. É garantir que a África de amanha seja mais próspera e mais forte.Investir na educado é garantir que os nossos recursos serao devidamente explorados, pois o nosso capital humano estará melhor preparado.ExcelenciasA nossa estratégia deve implicar alicerfarmos nos nossos filhos o valor de paz, harmonia, justifa social, respeito pela vida humana, amor ao próximo e igualdade de oportunidades entre homens e mulheres.É alicerfarmos nos nossos filhos a nossa cultura.É educar para que a inclusao política, social e económioca seja uma realidade.Para lograr uma educafao de qualidade é importante investir na formafao dos professores, nas infraestruturas e na melhoria das condifoes do processo de ensino-aprendizagem.Precisamos de investir nas escolas e garantir que o ambiente seja mais sadio e motivador para os nossos estudantes, evitando deste modo as elevadas taxas de abandono escolar, em particular da rapariga, que sofre inúmeras pressoes sociais, contando para isso com o envolvimento das famílias.ExcelenciasEm Mozambique, o nosso esforzó é grande nesta área. Com efeito, mais de 7 milhoes de crianzas e jovens representando um pouco mais de 1/3 da populazao mozambicana frequenta os diferentes níveis de ensino.As questoes de equidade de género tem merecido uma atenzao especial.Gostaria de dizer que de 93% de analfabetismo em 1975, na altura da nossa independência, agora contamos com 43% e a luta contra o analfabetismo continua.No meu país, estamos a expandir a educaçao profissional para ensinar aos nossos filhos o saber fazer.O ensino em Moçambique é gratuito nas primeiras 7 classes, é igualmente gratuita a distribuiçao do livro escolar.ExcelênciasA África deve disponibilizar mais recursos para educaçao, para que as geraçoes vindouras tenham um futuro risonho.Pela atençao dispensada, aceitem Excelências, o meu sinceroThank youMerci beaucoupHasanti SanaShukran eMuito obrigado a todos.AplausosREFERENCE: 1105-114502FHON. HALIDOU SANFO [BURKINA FASO]:Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais aussi, à mon tour, remercier l’orateur, le collègue N’DAYE du Sénégal, pour la qualité de son exposé.J’ai un constat, je ne vais pas revenir sur ce que mes prédécesseurs ont déjà avancé, mais je voudrais tout simplement dire que l’éducation en Afrique est beaucoup plus générale que technique alors que vous savez, que si l’enseignement n’est pas en cohérence avec les réalités du terrain, ce que certains on qualifié de marché de l’emploi, c’est un problème. Cela soustend que les possibilités naturelles de l’Afrique, nous serons obligés chaque fois de faire appel à des expertises extérieures, alors que mon constat en Afrique ici, il y a des pays qui ont des écoles de grande renommée qui pourraient aussi, par solidarité, faire en sorte que les enfants de l’Afrique puissent y apprendre.Je voudrais donc lancer un appel pour qu’au niveau du continent il y ait cette solidarité et pour que l’Afrique puisse par elle-même pouvoir former ses enfants et pouvoir répondre aux besoins du terrain.Merci Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 1105-114652FAM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci cher collègue.La parole est à l’Honorable Moustafa El Gendy de l’Égypte.Honorable membre, vous avez la parole!HON. MOUSTAFA EL GENDY [ÉGYPTE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Mesdames et Messieurs,Je viens d’une famille où le père et la mère sont des professeurs et je viens aussi d’un pays dont l’éducation est quelque chose de très important depuis sept mille ans, l’Égypte.L’éducation pour nous, comme nous l’ont dit les poètes, c’est comme l’air, on en a besoin pour vivre. Et donc la volonté est très importante dans le système de l’éducation, la volonté des familles d’envoyer leurs enfants à l’école, la volonté du pays d’avoir un peupleéduqué, peut-être difficile, quand on est éduqué, de truquer son peuple, et c’est pour cela qu’il y a beaucoup de volonté qui ne va pas vers l’éducation et qui préfère qu’il y en a un peuple encore, quand il va pour voter, il vote pour la voiture, pour la lampe, pour le train.Et donc la volonté est très importante. Nous, en Égypte, on vient de sortir de deux révolutions, deux révolutions dont l’une des demandes des gens était l’éducation, une bonne éducation, une éducation gratuite. Parce qu’on peut trouver des écoles, mais on y apprend rien et on a besoin des leçons particulières, des leçons privées et donc alors une éducation parallèle.Je vais vous lire ce qu’on a mis dans notre Constitution égyptienne qui oblige aujourd’hui le gouvernement à donner 4 % minimum du budget à l’éducation.Permettez-moi, je vais le lire en Arabe, article 19:التعليم حق لكل مواطن هدفه بناء الشخصية المصرية و الحفاظ على الهوية الوطنية وتأصيل المنهج العلمي في التفكير وتنمية المواهب، و تلتزم الدولة بتخصيص نسبة من اإلنفاق الحكومي للتعليم ال تقل عن 2 % من الناتج القومي اإلجمالي تتصاعد تدريجياً حتى تتفق مع المعدالت العالمية.L’article qui vient après parle de l’éducation aussi à l’université et on arrive à 2 % du budget. Donc, je pense qu’il faut dans nos Constitutions locales, dans nos pays que ce soit marqué combien du budget doit aller à l’éducation et de ce pourcentage on va savoir est-ce que vraiment les gens et les messieurs qui gèrent nos pays veulent une bonne éducation ou est-ce qu’ils préfèrent que leurs peuples restent analphabètes et ça sera plus facile à gérer.Merci Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 1105-115039AHON. PROF. ELSAYED FELYFELY [EGYPT]:شكرا ، و طبعا ألنها المرة األولى التي أتحدث فيها إلى ً سيادة الرئيس حضراتكم، فأنا أظن أنك ستمنحني بعض الوقت الزائد، الشكر موصول لألستاذ عبدو ديالو على هذا العرض القيم الذي قدمه، وبما أنني حضرت للمرة األولى معه، فأنا أشيد باإلدارة الديمقراطية للجنة،حقيقة لدي الكثير من المالحظات، سأوجزها في نقاط سريعة، و أقول أنه من الضروري أن تكون اإلستراتيجية التي نتوصل إليها في التعليم قد تمت بشكل تشاركي بين كافة الدول، وأن ال تكون موجودة فقط في داخل البرلمان هنا أو في مفوضية التعليم في أديس أبابا، كذلك نتساءل كيف تتاح هذه الرؤية اإلستراتيجية لكل مسؤول تعليم في دولنا المختلفة لكي نلتزم بها و األهم من هذا في رأيي هو كيف نوحد رؤية أفريقية لقارتنا بكاملها للمستقبل يكون التعليم طرفا فيها، كيف يمكن توظيف التعليم للنهوض بالقارة األفريقية، و بصفتي أستاذا في التاريخ في الجامعة على مدار 21 عاما أو أكثر، أردت توضيح األساس الذي يمكن أن يساعدنا للوصول إلى هذه الرؤية، فكيف تتحقق رؤية نهضوية للقارة األفريقية عبر التعليم؟ أستاذنا البرفسور كيجي زيربو من اليونيسكو أعد كتاب تاريخ أفريقيا العام في ثمانية مجلدات ضخمة، نحن في مصر قمنا بتلخيصها في أربع مجلدات كيف يمكن أن نلخص هذا العمل لكي يكون للنهوض بأفريقيا، هذا األخير يعطي فكرة عن التاريخ و كتابا مرجعياً الكفاح من أجل االستقالل وإنهاء العنصرية، و يعطي كذلك فكرة لمخطط أفريقيا للنهوض حتى سنة 6122 وبهذا نساعد الشباب على النظر إلى روج إلى البحر المتوسط و الموت غرقاً المستقبل بدل الخ فيه، وأعتقد أننا لو توصلنا إلى هذا يمكن أن نساعد أنفسنا قبل أن يساعدنا اآلخرون، كما ذكر أخي وصديقي مصطفي الجندي، كيف يمكننا التوصل إلى الفكرة نفسها التي توصلنا إليها في مصر لتحديد نسبة معلومة من الدخل القومي لإلنفاق على التعليم، فالحكومات في نهاية األمر - وأنا قرأت هذا في تقارير كثيرة - عندما تحتاج إلى تمويل تأخذ من األموال المخصصة للتعليم، كذلك كيف نتضامن نحن جميعا؟ فالدولة التي لديها برامج تعليم متقدمة تساعد الدول األخرى، وكيف أيضا نستفيد من العقول األفريقية المهاجرة، و لألسف اطلعت في كندا على رقم مفزع ما يقارب ثالثة آالف أستاذ رئيس جامعة أو مر على رئاسة الجامعة في كندا وحدها أفريقي، فالتساءل المطروح سيدي الرئيس، كيف نستفيد من هؤالء؟شكراً.REFERENCE: 1105-115443EHON. ABDULRAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Thank you, Mr. President.First and foremost, I want to commend the brilliant presentation by Honourable ABDOU DIA. It was a very brilliant one.I want to also join the previous speakers by re-echoing the fact that, as Parliamentarians, there is need for us to ensure that in our national budgets -attention is given to education. If education is made a priority by most governments accross Africa, I think we would be able to move a step forward because if we look at some government policies, education is not given priority. In fact, it is not even number three. We need to move forward but all the same we are doing very well.I want to say that in Nigeria too, we have this issue of shortage of teachers and shortage of teachers not only about teaching. There is need for us to have professional teachers who know what they are doing. But because of the unemployment thing, people who do not even have the background of education would just be employed to teach. At the end, you just have students who come out with five grades and yet when you give them aptitude tests you find that they are not doing quite well. So, there is need for us to work hard in the area of teachers.In my country, this year, our new government has decided that five hundred thousand teachers will be employed so that at least they can build the education sector. If other governments can do same, I think that will enhance the quality of education accross the continent.Secondly, there is need for us to emphasise the area of science education. In my country too, science education is free so as to encourage our students to go into science education so that we can have technology and move forward from there. We operate a federal system, we have the national, the State and the local Governments and so even the States are making sure that pupils or students are given free feeding because once you have a child that is hungry, I am not so sure that he can listen to what is being said in class. So, free feeding is also something that is helping and I would like other countries to adopt it.Finally, I want to plead with us, politicians - please, let us not use our youths for political thuggery because if you go to most of these African countries, you find children that are supposed to be in schools, our politicians use them as thugs in order to achieve their selfish aimsWhilst these children are exposed to some little money, they forget about their education. Some of the issues we have like in Nigeria such as the problem of Boko Haram is because when politicians arm youths to go...THE PRESIDENT:One more minute.HON. ABDULRAZAK SA’AD NAMDAS [NIGERIA]:Thank you.After you get power, you forget about them and when they realise that you have used them, they also use the gun against you. So, I think there is need for us to look forward and not use our children for thuggery.Thank you so much.REFERENCE: 1105-115806EHON. SHITAYE MINALE TIZAZU [ETHIOPIA]:Mr. President, thank you. I thank the presenters. I appreciate the things which have been chosen by the bureau and the committees. They are very good and interesting. Agriculture, education and land are very important for us to discuss, give some ideas and advice all our countries when we go back.After saying this, I think education is a human right. Every human being has a right to live. Most African countries are doing their best in education, but my worry is its quality. We are backward in many aspects of the world. The quality of education in most African countries is not good. Quality education means different infrastructure in the schools and the quality and professionalism of teachers. I share the ideas of my colleague from Nigeria.So, the quality is very important. We have to consider it. As parliamentarians in our respective countries, when we approve budgets, we have to pay attention to education because education is the key to everything.In my country, Ethiopia, we have the 70:30 strategy where 70 per cent goes to technology and science and 30 per cent to social science because science and technology is very important to developing countries like Ethiopia.The other objective is that of job creation. We have a lot of graduates in our respective countries. I believe that it is not only in Ethiopia but in many African countries. Our education is not aimed at creating jobs. Graduates are walking throughout the country. This is not helping our countries and Africa. So, the education policy of the AU has to concentrate on and give attention to these very important issues. It should be aligned with the creation of jobs. After that, everything will fine and we can improve our respective countries and Africa as a whole.Thank you.REFERENCE: 1105-120134FHON. DAOUDA TOURÉ [CÔTE D’IVOIRE]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais dire, comme pour paraphraser mon compatriote Koné DOGNON, que j’ai fait un rêve, un rêve de voir une législation commune africaine qui impose à nos États dans leur cheminement vers la globalisation, un certain quota de leur budget dédié à l’éducation nationale, à l’éducation technique et à la science. Mais pas n’importe quelle éducation, une éducation qui réponde aux normes sociales tout en respectant les standards internationaux, pour être compétitive dans un monde où nous Africains, devrions aussi compter.Ces défis, nous les devons à notre jeunesse. Ces défis, nous les devons à nos enfants qui, pour la plupart du temps, ne sont pas prêts à répondre à la demande de main-d’œuvre et de connaissance universelle, capables de suivre l’évolution de cette Afrique dont on dit souvent qu’elle est économiquement en croissance. Ce qui fait que dans nos États, la plupart du temps, les multinationales viennent avec leurs cadres car la jeunesse n’est pas formée comme il se devait.Aujourd’hui, quand vous allez dans nos écoles, vous vous rendez compte que nos enfants font des études qui n’ont rien à voir avec les besoins de la main-d’œuvre internationale qui est demandée en Afrique elle-même.Aujourd’hui, en Afrique, vous ne trouverez pas des jeunes qui puissent simplement fabriquer un transistor qui est la base même de l’électronique ou un post de radio ou une télévision.Tout le monde veut travailler dans des mairies, tout le monde veut travailler dans des Assemblées. C’est ce qu’on appelle « tout le monde veut faire des travaux de col blanc ». non, il faut que l’Afrique change ses priorités, que l’Afrique essaye de rentrer dans le monde qui demande que l’Afrique puisse prendre en charge sur le plan technique, technologique et c’est ce qui nous manque.Merci.REFERENCE: 1105-120404KSMHE. DAVID ERNEST SILINDE [TANZANIA]:Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais. Mimi niipongeze taarifa ambayo imeletwa Mezani. Lakini kuna mambo ambayo lazima tujiulize. Afrika inataka elimu gani? Afrika inataka elimu ya aina gani? Jambo la pili ambalo Afrika inahitaji kujiuliza, ni kipi kipaumbele? Elimu, maji, barabara ama kitu gani? Kipi ni kipaumbele? Jambo la tatu ambalo Afrika tunapaswa kujiuliza, ni kwamba tumekuwa wazuri kweli kweli wa kuandika mipango. Tunatengeneza mipango mizuri lakini utekelezaji wake uko wapi? Hakuna!Mheshimiwa Rais, leo ukisoma Ripoti ilivyo nzuri unaweza kufikiri kuwa ndani ya miaka mitano inayokuja Afrika itakuwa kama Ulaya. Lakini mwisho wa siku tutaondoka sisi kama Wabunge ndani ya Bunge la Afrika, watakuja watu wengine, watazungumza haya haya tunayoyazungumza, hakuna jambo lolote ambalo linaweza kufanyika. Lazima tukubali kuwa ili tusonge mbele hatuna budi tuwe na dhamira ya kweli (commitment) katika kila jambo ambalo tumekuwa tukilipanga. Sisi ni wazuri wa kusema lakini kwenye suala la utekelezaji hatuwezi.Jambo jingine ambalo sisi kama Afrika ambalo tunashindwa kujielewa ni kama ilivyoelezwa katika mada ya kwanza iliyokuwa inahusu Elimu ya Mtandao (Electronic Education). Tunataka kwenda kwenye elimu ya mtandao wakati huo huo kuna elimu za kawaida (informal education) tu zimetushinda! Afrika elimu hii imetushinda! Elimu ya ufundi tu hata kushona nguo imetushinda; elimu ya ujasiriamali imetushinda, tunataka kuruka hatua wakati mambo madogo madogo kama Afrika yametushinda!Kingine ambacho Afrika tuna tatizo, ni kwamba hatujawekeza kwenye tafiti; hatujui kwenye tafiti je, tunapojadili elimu ukubwa wa tazizo la elimu ni lipi? Watu wangapi hawajui kusoma na kuandikia. Watu wangapi wanatakiwa watatuliwe tatizo la kusoma na kuandika? Gharama inahitajika kiasi gani? Hatuwekezi kwenye tafiti. Kwa hiyo, tumekuwa ni watu ambao tunayajua matatizo kwa ujumla lakini hatujui matatizo kwa undani. Hilo ndilo tatizo ambalo Afrika tumekuwa tukilikabili.Lakini jambo jingine ni kwamba sisi wenyewe kama nchi husika hatutaki kuwekeza kwenye elimu, na niseme ukweli kwamba katika mambo mengine yote elimu ndiyo sehemu pekee ambapo unaweza kumuunganisha mtoto wa maskini na tajiri. Elimu ndiyo sehemu pekee ambayo inaweza kuibadilisha Afrika kutoka hapa tulipo. Tunaweza kuwekeza kwenye vitu vingine; tukawekeza kwenye viwanda, lakini kama hakuna wasomi wataendelea kuja tu wawekezaji kutoka nchi za Ulaya, watawekeza ndani ya Afrika, tutabaki kuwa wafanyakazi tu.Mheshimiwa Rais, lazima tukubaliane kabisa kwamba ili Afrika iweze kubadilika tukubali kwamba: moja, tuwekeze kwenye tafiti kutambua kuwa kila tatizo linahitaji gharama gani, na ufanisi kwa kiasi gani ili kuhakikisha kwamba tunakwenda.Lingine tuweke kipaumbele kitakachochukuwa muda mrefu. Malaysia leo wamefanikiwa sana kwa sababu ya kuwekeza kwenye elimu. Zaidi ya miaka 20 tangu mwaka 1981 hadi 2001 walikuwa wanasomesha watu wao katika ule mkakati wa BIG RESULTS NOW (BRN). Leo kila nchi inapeleka watu wake kwenda kujifunza Malaysia. Kwa nini sisi tunashindwa kuwekeza katika hilo jambo?Mheshimiwa Rais, na Kamati inayohusika, wakati mwingine mtakapokuja na mkakati wa elimu, mje vilevile kutueleza ni nini kimetokea baada ya kupokea mawazo ya Wabunge. Kwa sababu hofu yangu ni kwamba tutazungumza hapa, mwisho wa siku Rais atasema Ripoti imepitishwa, tunaiweka Mezani, haifanyi kazi! Tunataka tujue Ripoti ikishapitishwa nchi zinazohusika zinakwendaje kutekeleza hizi Ripoti na mawazo ya Wabunge yaliyotolewa na Wabunge wetu? Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais!REFERENCE: 1105-120835AHON. BASHIR ALI MOHAMED AL-BATHANI [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكرا ، الشكر موصول لألخ الموقر رئيس لجنة التعليم ً سيدي الرئيس على هذا التقرير الهام، وألن موضوع التعليم السيد الرئيس، مرتبط ارتباط وثيق بالتطور و التنمية في أفريقيا و مرتبط بالتنمية البشرية فهو فعلت لجنة التعليم ً من أهم المواضيع، إذ دونه ال تطور وال تنمية، وخيرا باجتماعها المشترك بمفوضية التعليم باالتحاد األفريقي، كما جاء في الورقة أن هناك بعض المشاكل التي تعوق عملية التعليم، وأسمحوا لي السيد الرئيس، أن أذكر تجربة بلدي السودان في عالجها لهذه األزمة،أوال/ً اعتمد السودان إلزامية ومجانية التعليم األساسي لكل من هم في سن الدراسة بنين وبنات،التربوي ثانية في إطار تهنية البيئة المدرسية خاصة في الريف وللتقليل الفارق قامت الدولة باستنصار الجهد الشعبي و المشاركة مع الحكومة بجهودها في تهيئة البيئة المدرسية، في موضوع التغذية، أقول أن الطفل الجائع لا يستطيع التركيز، فالدولة عبر مؤسسات ديوان الذكاء تقدم وجبة للتلاميذ الفقراء، بل أن هناك داخليات توصل الغذاء بالكامل لهم في الريف خاصة، لتشجيع الأسر الفقيرة لدفع أبنائها للمدارس، و قد اتبعت بعض الأقاليم في السودان سياسة الغذاء مقابل التعليم وذلك بمنح التلميذ بعض المواد الأساسية لتعين أسرته في الحياة وفي المعاش، بالنسبة إلى تعليم البدو الرحل هناك إدارات متخصصة وكذلك مدارس و داخليات لتلاميذ في البدو الرحل، فبالنسبة إلى تعليم البنات في السودان بدأ مبكراً أخي الرئيس، و هو متوفر ولا تستغربوا أن جميع الأوائل في شهادتياألساسي والثانوي في األعوام األخيرة في السودان كان من البنات، ولهذا كله أقدم جملة من التوصيات أختصرها في اآلتي:أوال/ً اإلسراع في وضع إستراتيجية للتعليم في أفريقيا وتحديد آليات تنفيذها، ألن الموضوع مازال في طور المسودة،ثانيا/ اإلستفادة من الموارد المالية المتاحة خاصة للتعليم األساسي،ثالثا/ زيادة نسبة الميزانيات المخصصة للتعليم بالدول األعضاء في ً أفريقيا،رابعا/ االهتمام وتشجيع التعليم الفني.شكراً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1105-121221FHON. MARIE MÉDIATRICE IZABILIZA [RWANDA]:Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président, de m’avoir accordé la parole. Je remercie également le présentateur du rapport sur l’éducation de l’Union africaine.Monsieur le Président,Au cours de cette session beaucoup d’interventions ont souligné le problème de chômage des jeunes, que ce soit les jeunes non scolarisés ou les jeunes scolarisés. On a parlé également, tout à l’heure même, de la migration des jeunes vers les pays européens. Mais je pense que nous, Africains, nous avons les solutions sans continuer à tendre les mains aux partenaires extérieurs.Monsieur le Président,Dans mon pays, le Rwanda, il y a presque cinq ans que notre gouvernement s’est fixé un objectif de création d’emplois de 200.000 par an. Aujourd’hui nous sommes à 145 emplois par an. Pour y arriver les différentes institutions tant privées que publiques se sont collaborées pour mettre en place des stratégies et mécanismes qui ont permis de s’attaquer à ce problème de chômage.À ce propos, Monsieur le Président, le nombre de centres de formation professionnelle a augmenté et nous avons créé des écoles techniques et des instituts de technologie. Chaque année, la fédération du secteur privé en collaboration avec les institut de technologie, le ministère du Commerce et de l’industrie, le ministère du Travail, organisent une compétition des jeunes, le lauérat des instituts de technologie qui ont élaboré des projets de développement et ceux qui ont des projets éligibles perçoivent des prix en sommes d’argent qui leur permettent d’entreprendre des projets générateurs de revenus. Les autres sont recrutés par ces institutions comme ingénieurs.Monsieur le Président,Aujourd’hui, par exemple, nous avons une agence de transport en commun, très populaire même, qui a été créée par un jeune lauréat de l’Université qui a été soutenu dans ce cadre. Il y en a tant d’autres.Monsieur le Président,Combien de jeunes qui terminent les universités avec de bons projets, de leurs mémoires? Comment nos pays les exploitent-ils? Et pourtant nous investissons beaucoup pour produire donc ces projets de mémoires. Si nos pays s’en servent, nous pouvons amoindrir le coût des études des projets élaborés par des experts extérieurs.Il est grand temps, Monsieur le Président, de motiver les jeunes dans ce sens pour la création d’emplois.Je vous remercie beuacoup, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je vous remercie beaucoup, chère collègue.Jje donne la parole à l’Honorable Tekele TESSEMA de l’Ethiopie.REFERENCE: 1105-121535EHON. TEKELE TESSEMA [ETHIOPIA]:Mr President, I thank you and I want also to thank the presenter.It has been said that education is a matter of preparing generations for the future. In this regard it is the most important item that we need to invest in. Unless we invest in education or if we are wrong in education there will be a mistake in every sector of human endeavour. In this regard the development level that we see today in advanced and developed economies is the difference between education and human resource developpment. So, I think this is very important to discuss and to consider on our continent.In relation to education challenges like the things that are mentioned in this report, for instance, insufficient teachers, competence, sanitation in schools and curricullum design that is influenced by colonialists or the western world, education in African must answer to our needs as Africans. It must not be influenced by the European or others. Since we are preparing the future generation for our future development we have to solve our problems. Education by itself is a key for solving problems that we face. In Africa today we have so many problems. We are talking about electricity, infrastructure, transport, roads, engineering, heat, medical doctors and so on and so forth. We must design our curricullum regarding the problems and issues that we are facing.I want to join my predecessors and talk about resource allocation. In Ethiopia at the state level we have 25 per cent of the budget allocated to education. At the national level it is more than 15 per cent. Unles we invest in education, we will lose our human resource development in all the sectors. I think it is better to give more money to education than any other area. On the continental strategy on education, I do not know how we can reconcile the continental strategy to our national education strategy.In this regard, I think it is better to see how member states are reconciling and adopting this continental strategy to their national educational strategy. I think it is better for Members of Parliament to know the continental strategy of education so that we can adopt it to suit our own parliaments or our national education strategy.Thank you.REFERENCE: 1105-122034FHON. AMOUSSOUVI KPADENOU [TOGO]:Merci Monsieur le Président.J’ai écouté très religieusement tous les collègues qui ont parlé des problèmes de l’éducation.À mon tour, je voudrais apporter ma petite touche. Je voudrais, d’abord, dire qu’on l’a déjà suffisamment dit dans cette salle, que l’éducation est la clé de tout développement.En Afrique, je ne vous apprends rien, l’ignorance et l’analphabétisme sont les grands maux que l’Afrique connaît.Mais lorsqu’on envisage, lorsqu’on veut développer une stratégie continentale de l’éducation en Afrique, je me demande, quelle est la philosophie qui sous-tend cette stratégie de l’éducation en Afrique parce que toute éducation repose sur une philosophie donnée? Quelle est cette philosophie continentale sur laquelle notre éducation va reposer?Quelqu’un vient de dire, tout à l’heure, comment est-ce qu’on va essayer d’adapter cette stratégie continentale aux stratégies nationales? Cela est un problème. Donc, c’est à partir de la philosophie continentale que nous pouvons déterminer le type d’éducation que nous voulons, parce que l’éducation est un processus. Quel est le produit fini que nous voulons? On a beau investir des millions et des millions dans l’éducation, si à ce niveau, on n’a pas une philosophie claire de l’éducation en Afrique, nous allons encore jeter de l’argent par la fenêtre.Donc, je voudrais insister sur cet aspect de la philosophie de l’éducation en Afrique.Pour le reste, ce sont des clarifications que je voudrais demander à la Commission. À la page 7 du rapport, la Commission a dit que la stratégie continentale de l’éducation comprend seize objectifs. Est-ce qu’il peut nous préciser d’abord ces seize objectifs?Ensuite, les collègues l’ont souligné ici, il ne s’agit pas pour nous de venir ici palabrer et puis retourner chez nous sans avoir à l’esprit un programme défini.Quel est le calendrier de mise en œuvre de cette stratégie continentale de l’éducation?Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 1105-122327AHON. ALI AWADALLA ALI SAEED [SOUDAN]:شكر السيد الرئيس على إتاحة هذه الفرصة لي، و أهنئ لجنة التعليم على نجاح هذا االجتماع غير الدوري، و الذي انعقد في أديس أبابا في أغسطس الماضي، و الذي نعتبره خطوة جيدة و مبادرة ناجحة للجنة التعليم الدائمة في البرلمان األفريقي،لا أريد أن أطيل عليكم، فقد تحدث الأعضاء الموقرون من قبلي عن مشاكل التعليم في القارة بصورة واضحة و أنا أريد أن أقول عموما أن أفريقيا هي عبارة عن خزان من الكفاءات ومن الطاقة البشرية التي يعول عليها كثيراً في تحقيق التنمية البشرية، ولكي نستفيد من هذه الطاقة البشرية بطريقة مثلى لابد من زيادة التركيز في موضوع التعليم، مع إعطاء الأولوية للتعليم الإلكتروني والتعليم عن بعد، و الذي تحدث عنه قبلي في الورشة السابقة و في التقرير السابق السيد عوض، بصورةواضحة و تطرق فيها إلى أهمية التعليم عن بعد والتعليم الإلكتروني، ثانياً، حلت في بعض الدول أجهزة الحاسوب محل السبورة أو اللوحة في القاعات الدراسية و التي تسع فقط لثلاثين تلميذاً في بعض الدول المتطورة، و لذلك يجب بذل المزيد من العمل في مجال التعليم في قارتنا الأفريقية لكي نستفيد من هذه الطاقات الكثيرة المتوفرة في القارة، ومن المهم أيضا إدخال و بصورة مركزة الثقافات الأفريقية في مناهج التعليم لكي لا يتم فصل هذه الثقافة من التعليم في الدول الأفريقية حتى نرجع للتاريخ القديم للقارة الأفريقية ونستفيد منه في المستقبل،أختم حديثي و أقول أن التنمية و التطور البشري وكل المشاكل القائمة حلها في التركيز على موضوع التعليم.وشكراً سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1105-122606FHON. OSCAR NSAMAN -O-LUTU [RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO]:Monsieur le Président, je vous remercie pour la parole.Je crois qu’on a lancé suffisamment des fleures au Président de la Commission de l’Éducation qui est mon Président, la Commission qui est ma Commission; je m’en réjouis et je remercie ceux qui ont suivi avec beaucoup d’attention le discours de mon Président.Mon intervention s’articule autour de trois petits points: une observation, un état des lieux et une suggestion.Observation: Lors du discours du Président, il était dit ceci: « la stratégie continentale est une occasion pour corriger des failles dans le cadre de l’éducation ».Deuxième observation: Après avoir suivi les débats, on peut déduire que la solidarité africaine doit amener les Africains à former ses propres formateurs. Partant de ces deux observations, j’ajoute les éléments concrets du terrain.Les recherches ont démontré que d’ici 2025, en général, les pays africains, pour atteindre un standard international, doivent former au moins 250 docteurs à thèse par an. Mais la réalité en est que la plus part de ces pays n’atteignent pas 50 docteurs par an. En ce qui concerne le ratio des étudiants, le standard international exige que le ratio soit de 1 pour 30 ou pour 25 étudiants.Mais en Afrique, on est au niveau de 1 pour 400 étudiants; ce qui montre que c’est la catastrophe.Problème: Que devons-nous faire, Africains, pour pouvoir boucher ce gap? C’est là, la préoccupation!Et la solution, je voudrais plutôt qu’on soit réaliste. Au lieu de pouvoir attendre que la manne tombe du ciel, le Parlement panafricain doit chercher à trouver des solutions à ce niveau. Quelle est la solution? La solution est que, à notre niveau, nous avons des professeurs, nous avons des anciens chanceliers, nous avons [Temps de parole épuisé].M. LE PRÉSIDENT:More one minute.HON. OSCAR NSAMAN-O-LUTU [DR CONGO]:Créer tout simplement un réseau des enseignants expérimentés, anciens recteurs, professeurs ordinaires etc., de façon que si chaque pays qui a besoin de former des docteurs chez lui puisse éventuellement recourir à ce réseau-là, faire appelle pour que les volontaires viennent enseigner pendant deux un mois, deux mois, trois mois, ils rentrent chez-eux; après cinq ans, on aura formé au moins le noyaux pour que les formateurs puissent former leurs propres formateurs dans leurs pays.Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.J’invite l’Honorable ABDOU NDIAYE à répondre aux questions.Vous avez cinq minutes!REFERENCE: 1105-123020FHON. ABDOU NDIAYE [SÉNÉGAL]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président,Je voudrais, tout d’abord, remercier les collègues qui ont eu à intervenir pour les aimables mots adressés à notre intention. Je crois que le mérite vous revient aussi.Ceci dit, il y a des interrogations qui ont été portées à notre attention mais aussi des contributions qui ont été faites.C’est vrai que l’éducation occupe une place de choix dans le dispositif sociétal. Aujourd’hui, il y a des problématiques qui se présentent à nous et la première c’est la volonté politique. Vous savez que tout ce qui a été dit ici dépend de la volonté politique de nos pays. C’est vrai que souvent, nous incombons la responsabilité à nos gouvernements mais nous aussi en tant que parlementaires, nous avons une grosse part de responsabilité.Je le dis parce que souvent dans nos pays, qu’est-ce qui se passe? Nous sommes des représentants des populations, mais quelque part ici, il y a une complicité entre l’exécutif et le législatif. Souvent, tout ce qui nous est présenté par l’exécutif, nous l’approuvons les yeux fermés et quand nous sommes dans certains cadres, nous posons le véritable problème. Donc, je crois qu’on ne peut pas vouloir une chose et son contraire.Chers camarades, nous avons une grosse part de responsabilité.Ceci dit, on dit souvent que tout effet a une cause. Si l’UA est arrivée à proposer un canevas, mécanisme pareil, c’est parce que quelque cela ne va pas. Il y a des insuffisances. Vous avez parfaitement raison!Nos budgets nationaux ne prennent pas en considération, du moins en certain niveau, l’éducation dans le schéma. Et nécessairement, il faut qu’il y ait des insuffisances dans la pratique. Mais parlons de la pratique, en vérité, aussi souvent qu’est-ce qui se passe dans la définition des programmes? C’est l’État central qui propose à travers ces structures décentralisées et déconcentrées, une feuille de route. Les gouvernants proposent à la place des bénéficiaires alors que c’était l’inverse qui devrait se faire.Finalité, conclusion, c’est que généralement, nos programmes ne sont pas appropriés. Les préoccupations véritables de nos enfants ne sont pas prises en compte parce que dans le schéma de réflexion, ils n’ont été assez associés. Les acteurs que [j’appelle MCM 12:33:34], les professeurs « craies en mains » ou bien les enseignants ou « les maîtres craies en mains », ne sont pas également généralement pris en compte ou bien leurs appréciations ne font pas l’objet de d’études sérieuses. Et tout cela fait que nous sommes dans une telle situation.Des collègues nous ont posé la question de savoir est-ce que la formation est en adéquation avec nos programmes? Non dans la grande vérité, non! Parce que, c’est à cause de ce que je disais tantôt, c’est l’exécutif, au niveau du sommet de l’État que tout se fait. Les filles dans le dispositif enseignementapprentissage, on avait donné la place qu’il faut aux acteurs à la base, que cela soit la trilogie « parents, enseignants et enseignés », je crois que la formation serait en adéquation avec les programmes.L’organisation financière, on en a parlée, inutile d’en revenir. Il y a une faible allocation qui est attribuée à l’éducation. L’éducation c’est la base de tout, c’est la base du développement. Si on veut réussir, il faudrait nécessairement accorder une place belle à l’éducation.Par rapport maintenant aux institutions de Bretton Woods, qu’est-ce que nous devons en faire? Qu’est-ce qui se passe dans nos pays? Ce sont la Banque mondiale et le FMI qui nous imposent certaines pratiques. Nous, en tant que parlementaires, ouvrons cette brèche pour apporter une réflexion par rapport aux solutions à envisager. Je crois que cela aussi est une composante très intéressante et importante.Maintenant, qu’est-ce que nous devons faire par rapport à la suite de l’adoption de ce rapport? Nous avons été prévoyants au niveau de la Commission en charge de l’éducation. C’est pourquoi, nous avons dit tantôt dans notre intervention que chaque membre de la Commission est responsabilisé. Il y a une feuille de route qui lui a été assignée, parce que nous avons eu l’occasion de dire cela au Commissaire. Si vous nous prenez comme des figurants, dites-le tout de suite et nous on se désengage parce que nous devons participer à toutes les étapes de processus de développement. Quand je dis nous, Commission, c’est le PAP. Parce que je crois que la commission éducation est une structure transversale.Donc pour vous rassurer par le biais du Président et de son équipe, nous allons proposer un canevas pour effectivement vous renseigner de toutes les étapes de l’évolution effectivement de ce processus-là.Mais, encore, faudrait-il comprendre que la stratégie continentale dépendra également de la volonté de nos Chef d’États, de la volonté également de nos pays parce que, ce sont les pays qui vont proposer à partir du modèle standard de l’UA. Donc effectivement, chaque pays a une part de responsabilité dans ce qui va se faire au niveau de la stratégie continentale.Parler en fait du calendrier de mis en œuvre, il ne nous revient pas de décliner ce calendrier. Je crois que l’exécutif africain va faire le nécessaire et porter cela à notre attention. Je crois qu’en grosso modo, c’est ce que j’ai retenu. Si non, j’ai beaucoup aimé la proposition de mon collègue Daouda TOURÉ lorsqu’il parlait de la législation commune. Je crois qu’il faut oser! Il faut quand même décloisonner nos cadres de réflexion. Il faudrait qu’on arrive à nous imposer au plan mondial.C’est bien possible. Mais pour ce fait, je crois qu’il faut donner la possibilité à tout un chacun de participer à la réflexion parce que je constate que nul n’a le monopole du savoir.Chers collègues,Voilà succinctement brossé les quelques réponses que je vous ai apportées tout en saluant les contributions importantes qui ont été faites.Monsieur le Président,Encore une fois plus merci, parce que vous nous avez donné l’occasion de faire tout ce travail-là.Je vous remercie, chers collègues.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1105-123815FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Le débat général est clos!(Coup de maillet)Je soumets à la Chambre le rapport de la politique en matière d’éducation de l’Union africaine.Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque!Adopté!Chers collègues,Nous sommes arrivés au terme de nos travaux de ce matin.Par conséquent, je suspends la séance.Nous reprenons à 14 h 30 précises.La séance est suspendue!(Coup de maillet)La séance est suspendue à douze heures trente-huitminutes trente-huit secondes. Elle reprendra le mêmejour à quatorze heures trente précises.SUSPENSION [12:38:38]REFERENCE: 1105-143000FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:La séance est reprise.Monsieur le Secrétaire général, je vous donne la parole pour donner le programme.M. LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Merci Excellence.Présentation et débats sur le Rapport portant sur le Changement climatique.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Présentation et débats sur le Rapport portant sur le Changement climatique.J’invite l’Honorable Jacqueline AMONGIN, Présidente de la Commission Permanente de l’Économie rurale et de l’agriculture, des ressources naturelles et de l’environnement à faire sa présentation.REFERENCE: 1105-143115EHON. JACQUELINE AMONGIN (MRS.) [UGANDA]:Mr. President, thank you. On behalf of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources andEnvironment, I would like to present a Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources andEnvironment in the Second Parliamentary Summit on Climate Change that was held on 10th to 13th November 2015 in Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi in the Republic of Kenya.Before I embark on this Report, I recognise the role played by the bureau of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in my absentia because I was busy campaigning in my country, Uganda. Thank you for your prayers because besides everything, I made it to the 10th Parliament of the Republic of Uganda. Hopefully, I will be sworn in on Monday next week. So, thank you for your prayers and support. I thank the members of this Committee for all the contributions that you made in my absentia. You played a big role to make sure that this Committee moves on. Thank you very much.We are giving a report of last year. The year 2015 was critical in the global climate change policy discourse. In December, governments met in Paris to hammer an elusive international climate agreement to help contain the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and provide support for communities that need to build resilience to the adverse effects of climate change.As the region at the frontline of climate change impacts with least capacity to adapt, the African continent desires an ambitious climate agreement responsive to its realities and aspirations. To effectively defeat the challenges of climate change, the universal climate pact should not only be fair but also equitable and just. This means that the agreement must recognise both the respective contributions of countries to address climate change and the changing nature of the global economy. It must acknowledge where nations have more responsibility and where they have more or less capacity to tackle climate change and adapt to its effects.Advancing African common goal for a fair, ambitious and effective outcome in the decisive Paris Conference requires, among other things, concerted pressure on both developing and developed countries in the negotiations and by civil society and social movements to hold governments to account. The right strategy for governments, intergovernmental institutions and civil society in developing countries lies at the heart of efforts to secure success in the negotiations. Such a strategy could augment and support the progressive alliance-building both Governmental and nongovernmental level, sufficient to generate desirable political power, counter laggards and opponents and tackle climate change in practice. A formidably strong African voice, which is inclusive, people-driven and backed by the highest political commitment possible is a prerequisite for securing a desirable deal for Africa with regard to the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21).In the lead-up to the UNFCCC-COP21 in Paris, various partners have unified their effort that seeks to consolidate various efforts by faith leaders, youth, women, smallholder farmers, indigenous peoples and parliamentarians to ultimately contribute to Africa’s formidable voice in COP21.In this context, a segment of stakeholders that have been ignored in climate change discourses, important as it might be, is us legislators in various African parliaments. A Summit hosted in 2009 through a partnership between PACJA, UNEP, Oxfam, COMESA, the Kenya National Assembly and the Pan African Parliamentarians Network on Climate Change demonstrated that Members of Parliament can use their legislative space, clout and political profiles to drive policy agendas into national laws in various countries, thus contributing to the integration of climate change into national policy frameworks and development plans. The post-Summit actions included sponsoring of individual motions in respective countries, which has resulted into enactment of climate-specific laws. The self-driven initiatives by various parliamentarians continue to broaden awareness and consciousness on climate change by Parliamentarians.Hence, the participation of the Pan African Parliament, through its Permanent Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment in the Second Parliamentarian Summit which held in Nairobi, Kenya from 10th to 13th November 2015 came to further support existing efforts towards the formulisation of a unified African common position in Paris. The Second Parliamentarian Summit was organised in partnership between National Assembly of Kenya, Oxfam, UNEP, PACJA and IISD.Mr. President, I would like to report that the Summit came up with the following objectives:-I.To identify the African common agenda in the countdown to COP21 and the role parliamentarians can play in the ongoing climate change negotiations for future responses to climate change.II.To strategise on how to jointly and effectively engage in climate justice and equity advocacy with other stakeholders such as civil society, development partners, private sector, research community and the academic sector, both in the lead-up to Paris and the period after;III.To explore possible long-term intergovernmental and cross-border cooperation on climate change interventions, particularly in the management of natural resources threatened by climate change such as rivers, lakes, forests, etc;IV.To identify and define the action agenda for different stakeholders, policy makers, civil society organisations, government negotiators, regional economic blocks such as the RECs and leaders to support global and national actions to enable communities adequately respond to climate change in ways that guarantee their livelihoods;V.To share experiences and challenges especially the action agenda, including a Communiqué by National Parliaments, and particularly the Pan African Parliament, and such initiatives as the Pan African Parliament Network on Climate Change (PAPNCC).EXPECTED OUTCOMESAfter this Summit, these were the expected outcomes:-I.Enhanced awareness and coordinated approach among members of PAP and other Parliamentary initiatives driving climate change agenda in African countries;II.Increased participation and visibility of Parliamentarians in national, regional and international climate dialogue processes;III.An action plan for Parliamentarians in the COP21 and the period beyond. That means if you participated in the COP 21 in France.IV.A Communiqué that upholds African unified position as driven by other key stakeholders, civil Society etc and which affirms the principles of environmental integrity as well as climate justice.Mr. President and hon. Members, I would also like to report that the participants in this Summit were drawn from the various sectors and countries. 25 members of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment from the PAP participated but 17 members attended the Summit. Parliamentarians from the National Assembly of Kenya, representatives from Oxfam, UNEP. IISD and PAP staff members from the secretariat of the PAP as well as many other local civil society organisations participated in this Summit.In our annexure is the list of participants. Because of time, I will ignore the preparatory meetings.Mr. President, this session was held in Kenya and the guest of honour was supposed to have been the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta. However, the President delegated the Speaker of the Senate of Kenya to deliver the keynote speech on behalf of the President.The people of Africa presented. My colleague, Hon. Amina Abdallah, presented. The Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture in the National Assembly of Kenya also presented as well as Hon. Abdoulie K. Jawla, Deputy Chairperson of the PAP’s Committee on Agriculture. I recognise the role you played in this Committee when I was absent.Others who presented are Mr. Mithika Mwenda, Secretary General of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Winnie Bianima, Executive Director of Oxfam, representation from EALA, the ambassador of France to Kenya and Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Kenya.Six presentations were made during the summit under the theme “Impact on Climate Change”. The first presentation was handling climate change projection for African, overall impacts and implications for development. Key concerns were highlighted by the participants.The second presentation was on the role of science, technology and innovation policy in climate change response in African countries. Also, there were key recommendations as per the paper that you see.The third presentation was on the role of Parliamentarians, Legislative Approach in Response to Climate Change in Africa.The forth presentation was a reflection on the first PanAfrican Summit on Climate Change and there was need for continuous summits prior to COP21.There was also a presentation on a roadmap to COP21 and what would be the role of the different stakeholders in moving the African agenda forward. The presentation was an overview of the negotiations, key issues and current status in building global consensus on universal climate change agreement. There was also a good presentation on climate change and disaster in Africa.Hon. Members, now I would like to say that the Summit came up with a final communiqué which is attached to this presentation. I hope you will read it.Mr. President, this Summit came up with recommendations. PAP’s Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment was very successful. The Summit offered the committee the opportunity to interact with various stakeholders and hence managing not only to enhance its current networks of partners but also to establish new partnerships with various organisations.The Committee on agriculture also strongly believes that the issue of climate change has become one of the important issues in the national, regional and international agenda. Annual global events such as COP and other similar events have begun gaining a lot of attention. They are also providing important platforms that bring together a wide range of stakeholders. This entails that PAP and relevant permanent committees should actively engage, contribute and take advantage of such events. However, financial constraints always remain the biggest challenge in realising such a goal. The over dependency on development partners to support the participation of the PAP and its relevant committees in such events is really undermining the level and quality of such participation. I realise as a Committee Chair, we had designated members to travel to France but having relied on donors, we did not have money and the members did not make it to France to participate in COP.The Committee on Agriculture further noticed that in order to have a meaningful participation in future COP events, there is urgent need to build the capacity of parliamentarians and staff of Secretariat in the area of climate change in addition to other technical aspects relating to COP like process of registration, nature of participation and organisation of side events among others. This will assist the Secretariat of the PAP to properly and timely facilitate the participation of the Honourable Members in the future events.These are the recommendations that we have come up with as a Committee. In light of the above, the Committee on Agriculture wishes to make the following specific recommendations:I.PAP should develop a concrete work plan for the annual participation in COP. It should be part of the PAP’s agenda.II.BPAP should mobilise adequate financial resources to secure the participation of the relevant permanent committees in global annual events such as COP;III.B PAP should set up an ad hoc committee to coordinate and organise the participation of the PAP and its relevant committees in future COP;IV.BPAP, through its development partners, should build the capacity of the parliamentarians in areas related to climate change and other technical aspects;V.Building the capacity of staff working with the relevant committees in areas related to the technical aspects of the participation in future COP, in particular, registration in COP, nature of participation and organisation of side events. All these would enable staff to facilitate the participation of the parliamentarians; andVI.PAP should also coordinate with the relevant organs of the AUC to harmonise the participation of the AU in the future COP event. Approach similar to the Joint Election Observation Missions is encouraged to be adapted in this regard so that we come up with a common African position.Hon. Members, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for listening to this precise presentation of the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment.Asanteni sana. Shukurani.Thank you.THE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-144723FM. LE PRÉSIDEN:J’ai devant moi une liste de dixneuf (19) députés qui veulent intervenir.Le premier député inscrit sur la liste est:1.Hon. Noé MBONIGABA du Burundi;2.Hon. Sénateur Janet Ong’era du Kenya;3.Hon. Sultan HASHIM Idris du Soudan;4.Hon. Santosh Vinita KALYAN de l’Afrique du Sud;5.Hon. Zalikatou DIALLO du Guinée Conakry;6.Hon. Dr Bernadette LAHAI de Sierra Léone;7.Honorable David Ernest SILINDE de Tanzanie;8.Hon. Chief Charumbira FORTUNE du Zimbabwe;9.Hon. ELGENDY Mustafa de l’Égypte;10.Hon. Bongani MDLULI du Swaziland;11.Hon. Amoussouvi KPADENOU du Togo;12.Hon. Sylvestre Naah ONDOA du Cameroun;13.Hon. Malini SEWOCKSINGH de l’Île Maurice;14.Hon. Tekle TESEMA de l’Éthiopie;15.Hon. Jacqueline MUHONGAYIRE du Rwanda;16.Hon. Bachir Ali Mohamed AL-BATHANI du Soudan;17.Hon. Hassane MAROU dit Koubou du Niger;18.Hon. Yao Martin BOHUÉ de Côte d’Ivoire;19.Hon. Mai ABDULLAH d’Égypte.Je donne donc la parole au premier inscrit, il s’agit de l’Honorable Noé MBONIGABA.HON. NOE MBONIGABA [BURUNDI]:Merci, Monsieur le Président. Je passe!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable sénateur Janet ONG’ERA du Kenya.(Silence dans la salle)Je donne la parole à l’honorable Sultan HASHIM Idris, du soudan.REFERENCE: 1105-144917AHON. SULTAN HASHIM IDRIS [SUDAN]:شكراً أخي الرئيس على هذه الفرصة و الشكر موصول للجنة الزراعةو الموارد، لاشك أخي الرئيس، أن هذا الأمر جد خطير، و تكمن خطورته في أن قارتنا أفريقيا لم تكن مستعدة لمواجهة هذا التحدي الكبير، فهناك دول كبيرة متسببة في مسألة التغيير المناخي، وهذه الدولفخامة الرئيس لديها مراكز أبحاث وقاعدة بيانات عريضة تتمكن منخلالها من مواجهة وإيجاد بعض الحلول ولكن في أفريقيا ليس لدينا تلك الإمكانات، ولذلك فإن مسألة تغيير المناخ و هذا حسب التقرير الجيد الذي عرض علينا و التوصيات الكبيرة والمهمة جداً التي وردت فيه، أود أن أكون عمليا و أتساءل عن الطريقة المثلى التي يمكننا من خلالها أخذ هذا التقرير إلى دولنا وإلى مجتمعاتنا البسيطة غير المتعلمة و التي لم تتسبب في هذه الكوارث الكبيرة، لذلك أقترح ببساطة أخي الرئيس، الأخوة الأعضاء المحترمين أن يكون هناك مؤتمر جامع يضم رئيس برلمان عموم أفريقيا و رؤساء البرلمانات الوطنية مع رئاسة الاتحاد الأفريقي لوضع إطار استراتيجي وخطط لمواجهة تحديات التغيرات التي تحدث في المناخ وذلك للأسباب الآتية ذكرها:ال تتوفر اآلليات الحالية على القدرة لمواجهة هذه المعضلة، هذه األخيرة المجسدة في شكل مؤسساتنا الحالية.لو أسندنا مسؤولية هذا األمر إلى كل عضو من األعضاء في حمله إلى برلماناتهم الوطنية رغم أننا على دراية تامة باالوضاع هناك خاصة في دولنا، من عدم انسجام كثير من القوانينن وهناك بعض الرؤساء و بعضالقيادات..............REFERENCE: 1105-145224EHON. SULTAN HASHIM IDRIS [SOUTH AFRICA]:I thank you, Mr. President.The presentation indeed was quite a comprehensive one. I alluded earlier when I spoke on the EGovernments, how important it is for us to migrate to an E-Parliament as soon as possible simply because of the amount of papers that we generate for these meetings and how the Pan-African Parliament uses up almost a forest each time it comes to meet. This, in fact affects the amount of oxygen that we have and other things.As a challenge to all the Members of Parliament that come to the Pan-African Parliament, when you travel to your countries, I would like you to calculate what your carbon footprint is so that you will know how much you are contributing to the climate situation we find ourselves in.The drought effects of climate change cannot be underestimated. Here in South Africa, at the moment, we are experiencing a severe drought. This is impacting on food security. It has a ripple effect because the animals do not have enough water. We are actually at water restrictions. Where I come from in Durban, the Itikekumi municipality has imposed water restrictions. We actually got water restrictors now in our pipe so that the amount of water that we are using is limited and in some areas we even have a shutdown of the water at night from 9 pm to 4 am the next morning so that the pressure can build up and so on and so forth.In conclusion, Mr. President, one of these solutions is that the Committee should meet as soon as possible and start planning for the next one. I agree to that proposal. However, I would like to add another dimension to this. Climate change is not purely the territory of agriculture or rural development. It is across all our portfolios because it involves education, health and social development. So, I would like to say that we should form a mighty Committee, so that all the permanent Committees are represented and then they can go back to their Committees and say this is what the angle is going to be for us.I thank youREFERENCE: 1105-145507FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.À mon tour, je voudrais bien féliciter la Présidente de la Commission Permanente de l’Économie rurale, de l’agriculture, des ressources naturelles et de l’environnement, Honorable Jacqueline, pour sa brillante présentation.La position commune africaine est à saluer parce que nous devenons là, une puissance politique qui prend de l’ascendance sur les pays qui avaient peu d’intérêt à ce que la majorité avance sur les stratégie à utiliser pour contrer l’ampleur du changement climatique.Dieu merci, de plus en plus toutes les nations du monde ont pu mesurer les dangers de ce phénomène et les discordances qui ont caractérisé les stratégies pour lutter contre l’émission du gaz à effet de serre et en train de tarir progressivement.Depuis le Protocole de Kyoto à nos jours, beaucoup d’eau a coulé sous le pont, car les plus gros pollueurs qui traînaient les pas, ont pu mesurer l’ampleur du phénomène, même avec les ouragans de plus de plus dévastateurs genre Katrina, j’en passe.Nous sommes tous ravis de la position commune africaine à la COP21 et surtout la participation de la délégation du PAP qui a apporté sa pierre à l’édifice, avec la proposition pertinente pour l’appui au projet phare de Monsieur Jean Louis Borloo, sur l’électrification de l’Afrique.Dans nos pays, nous devons persévérer pour prévenir les pratiques qui mènent vers le changement climatique, surtout la déforestation. Il peut y arriver qu’il ait des avancés certes, mais en relevant certains défis majeurs, certaines pratiques de nos populations qui cèdent à la plantation de la facilité, peuvent créer d’autres problèmes qui influencent négativement la biodiversité voire même l’écosystème. Il faut qu’on soit très vigilant.Je demande une minute de plus, s’il vous plaît, Monsieur le Président.Par exemple chez nous en Guinée, tout le monde a applaudi la construction du barrage hydroélectrique de Kaléta qui a pu résoudre en partie le déficit énergétique auquel notre pays était confronté. Le projet comportait un volet social et surtout infrastructurel. Volet social dans la mesure où il a pu réaliser des écoles, des marchés, des dispensaires dans les territoires riverains du fleuve.Ensuite, il y a eu la réalisation d’importants ouvrages de franchissement, dont était un pont de 200 mètres.Auparavant, les populations vivaient avec un bac qu’elles empruntaient pour traverser la rivière pour aller de l’autre côté. Mais une fois que le projet Kaléta a vu le jour, le pont a été mis en place, donc les véhicules pouvaient traverser. Qu’est-ce que nous avons remarqué? C’est que les populations se sont adonnées à la coupe du bois sauvage pour faire le charbon et aller pratiquer le commerce. Ce qui a entrainé une déforestation qui menaçait même les sources de ce fleuve, ce fleuve qui portant, rêvait d’une importance capitale dans la mesure où le potentiel hydroénergétique de ce fleuve est très important. Il pourra même faire de la Guinée une puissance énergétique si cela est réalisé.C’est pourquoi, on doit faire attention avec la déforestation et ses corolaires. Donc, je souhaite enfin, de tout mon cœur que le PAP participe à la COP22 au Maroc, de manière plus pesante, de même que les rencontres ultérieures.Pour cela, il doit tenir compte des recommandations de la Commission.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1105-145939EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS.) [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr. President.Let me thank Jacky and the Committee for this Report.While I agree with the recommendations of this Report - Madam KELIANE really drew the carpet from under my feet because every now and again either on this floor or in our Committees, I have always stressed the interrelationship between Committees when it comes to climate change.Climate change is such a crosscutting issue that - especially when we prepare for the Summit from this Parliament, we should ensure that we hold a crosscutting Committee meeting so that Committees whose activities are intricately linked to climate change would also have an input. For example, if you take the Committee on Transport, Energy, Industries, Science and Technology - Climate change is an issue of emission of gases, either by industries or when we produce energy, using fossil fuel or when we use air, land, river or water transportation. All these leave behind a huge carbon print. Of course, when we have a drought or flood, communities are affected. So, we have to look at the human rights and food security issues. New strains of diseases are introduced as a result of climate change.When communities move as a result of climate change, there are international cooperation implications; there are human rights implications. So, in this regard, we should do all in this Parliament to look at - not only at climate change - but other international issues to see which Committees are crosscutting and use the signatories of these Committees. This way, we will also be maximising our meagre resources and we will also be looking at the issues of Africa from a broader perspective - from a multi-faceted perspective so that at the end of the day our solutions are also multi-faceted.I thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-150215KSMHE. DAVID ERNEST SILINDE [TANZANIA]:Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais kwa kunipatia fursa hii na mimi nichangie juu ya athari zinazotokana na athari za tabianchi. Athari za mabadiliko ya tabianchi zinapotokea hakuna hata mtu mmoja ambaye anaweza kupona kutokana na athari zake.Mheshimiwa Rais na wajumbe wa Kamati ambao wameijadili hii taarifa, tunapozungumzia athari za tabianchi maana yake tunazungumzia ukame, tunajadili mafuriko, kimbunga, matetemeko makubwa ya ardhi, milipuko mikubwa ya mabomu, vita ambavyo vimekuwa vikiendelea na uanzishwaji wa viwanda vikubwa hususan ni vya kikemikali.Mheshimiwa Rais, haya mambo yanapoendelea kutokea huwezi kuona athari yake ya moja kwa moja kwa sababu tu unaweza kusema kwamba, mimi labda nina maendeleo kidogo kuliko watu wengine, kwa hiyo, siwezi kuathirika kutokana na mambo yanayofanyika maeneo mengine. Lakini kikubwa kwenye hii taarifa tukieleza katika hali halisi ni kwamba watu ambao wametusababishia athari kubwa ya tabianchi ni nchi zilizoendelea hususan Bara la Ulaya na Amerika. Hawa ndio chanzo cha haya yote. Ndiyo maana umeona ajenda yao kubwa sasa hivi ni kuhimiza Afrika kuhakikisha kwamba hatukabiliwi zaidi na majanga haya. Na wanaamini kabisa kwamba, kwa viwanda vyao kuendelea kuzalisha basi Afrika ndio tuwe tunatumika kama kizuio kwa sababu sisi tutakapopanda miti mingi au tutakapojaribu kupambana kuzuia athari za tabianchi maana yake wao kule ndio watakaopona.Mheshimiwa Rais, niseme tu kwamba, pamoja na yote, ukiangalia nchi ambazo zimekuwa zikisababisha haya mambo bado zenyewe hazipo tayari kuhakikisha kabisa kwamba hili tatizo linaondoka. Hili tumekuwa tukilishuhudia na tumekuwa tukiliona kila mahali. Kwa hiyo, mimi niseme tu kwamba sisi kama Afrika lazima tuendelee kukabiliana nalo ili kuhakikisha kwamba athari za tabianchi hazitokei.Tumekuwa tukisisitiza katika upangaji wa miji, tuwe na miji ya kisasa na bora, lakini iwe ni miji - tutenge maeneo. Maana yake nchi zetu nyingi ziko ovyo ovyo tu, hazijapangwa vizuri. Tupange miji vizuri na tutengeneze maeneo ya hifadhi ya misitu ambayo yawe ni makubwa kuliko maeneo ya miji ambayo inatakiwa. Tuendelee kusisitiza watu wetu waendelee kupanda miti kwa sababu ukienda kwenye kilimo, kilimo cha Afrika ni kilimo holela kabisa. Watu wanalima, wanafyeka misitu, wanamaliza. Ukiangalia wafugaji, kuna watu ambao ni wafugaji wakubwa kabisa. Hiki kitu ndio utakiona kwa mfano, kuanzia Sudan, Ethiopia, mpaka Kenya Kaskazini sasa hivi. Ukame ule! Na ukipitia taarifa mbalimbali zinasema kwamba nchi za Afrika Mashariki, Afrika ya Kati, pamoja na Afrika ya Kusini, baada ya miaka ishirini zitakuwa ni jangwa kabisa. Haya ni mambo ambayo sisi kama Waafrika tunahitaji kujua ni jinsi gani tunaweza kukabiliana navyo.Lakini jambo jingine ni kwamba kumekuwa na makampuni makubwa ya kigeni ambayo yamekuwa yakija kuwekeza katika nchi zetu za Kiafrika, yamekuwa hayafuati sheria za uhifadhi wa mazingira. Na nchi hizo sisi tumekuwa tukiogopa kuyaeleza makampuni yao ukweli kwa sababu tu ya kuhofia uhusiano wa kimataifa. Kwa hiyo, kikubwa ambacho kinatakiwa kifanyike, kama taifa, kwa mfano, sisi Tanzania au nchi nchi nyingine zozote, ili tuweze kukabiliana na hili jambo ni lazima kwa umoja wetu tuwe na sauti moja. Kama anakuja African Barrick kuzalisha dhahabu eneo lote tuwe na fursa ya kuweza kumkataza, kumwambia hapana! Waanze kwanza kutuonesha sera ya uhifadhi wa mazingira halafu waanze huo uwekezaji ambao wanapaswa kuufanya.Kwa kufanya hivyo, tunaweza kukabiliana na hili janga na hiyo miaka ya mbele ambayo tumesema kufikia mpaka 2050 au miaka 50 ijayo tuhakikishe kwamba tatizo au athari za tabianchi hazilikabili Bara letu la Afrika na dunia nzima kwa ujumla. Ahsante sana Mheshimiwa Rais!REFERENCE: 1105-150655EHON. BONGANI MDLULI [SWAZILAND]:Thank you, Mr President.Let me also appreciate the effort and the report that has been brought in by the Committee on Agriculture. The issue of climate change is quite a pertinent one because it is reshaping human civilization. It is therefore important that as hon. Members we pronounce ourselves on this issue. It is how we respond to it that will really determine the future of our species because our food system, economies, cities and communities are all adapted to the climate we live in. If the climate is changing faster than we can keep up, then there is a problem. It is for that reason Mr President that it is in everybody’s interest to make sure that we come together to find a way out. This is a mammoth task.The fate of our planet which we call home is very uncertain due to climate change. I am happy that as the Hon. Madam the Chairperson of the Committee was presenting her report, she did mention that the meeting they had was in preparation maybe of coming up with a consensus in order to make themselves meaningful at summits that are ahead like COP.So, I really appreciate the committee for planning beforehand. It shows that they are really up to it because we do not want to see a situation like Copenhagen in 2009 which brought home something with a very weak political statement. It was just a summit that was noted and it did not come out with anything binding.Mr President, we look forward to COP because it is legally binding and it could bring us something meaningful and a way out of the problem of climate change. I have been reading the recommendations of the committee and I will be very happy indeed if what they will present next on this very topic will be how they are going to take forward the issue that we are debating because it is quite a serious one.Thank you, Mr President.REFERENCE: 1105-150959FHON. AMOUSSOUVI KPADENOU I [TOGO]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Après l’intervention de mon collègue du Swaziland, je passe.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher collègue.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Sylvestre Naah ONDOA du Cameroun.REFERENCE: 1105-151017FHON. SYLVESTRE NAAH ONDOA [CAMEROUN]:Monsieur le Président, je vousremercie.Monsieur le Président,On constate que l’Afrique est le continent qui émet le moins les gaz à effet de serre. Mais hélas, elle est celle qui subit le plus de conséquences de ce phénomène, notamment sur le plan climatique dont les changements entrainent des conséquences dramatiques,principalement dans le secteur agricole.Il me paraît donc impératif, Monsieur le Président, compte tenu de la gravité de ce phénomène que l’Afrique en prenne conscience et agisse non pas en rang dispersé, comme il a été constaté dans le passé, mais d’une seule voix face à ceux qui détruisent l’Afrique, parce que la propagation des gaz à effet de serre n’a pas de limites continentales. Il faut se rappeler que certains pays développés n’hésitent pas à utiliser l’Afrique comme un dépotoir de déchets. Ceci est absolument inconcevable.Quand je dis que l’Afrique doit avoir une position unique, une seule position, ce qu’elle puisse demander à ceux qui émettent le plus de gaz à effet de serre des compensations.Cela a déjà été dit dans le passé, mais il est constaté que dans ce domaine, plusieurs voix s’élèvent en Afrique et chaque région défend sa position selon ses intérêts. Mais en réalité, nous sommes tous exposés à ce phénomène et nous devons agir ensemble, d’où la nécessité de présenter un front commun face aux pays développés qui émettent le plus de gaz à effet de serre. Ces compensations sont d’autant plus [Temps de parole épuisé].M. LE PRÉSIDENT:One more minute! One more minute!Microphone! Micro!Une minute de plus!HON. SYLVESTRE NAAH ONDOA [CAMEROUN]:Merci Monsieur le Président.D’autant plus évident que l’Afrique abrite la deuxième plus grande réserve forestière du monde après l’Amazonie et constitue de ce fait un poumon pour l’humanité, parce qu’elle absorbe les gaz à effet de serre.Donc, nous devons continuer, nous devons insister pour que les pays développés nous fassent des compensations face à ce phénomène.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1105-151416EHON. TEKLE TESSEMA [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you, Mr President. I will also thank the presenter. Mr President, climate change is one of the critical challenges in this century in relation to terrorism. When we come to the impact of climate change you can see the effects of the flooding and drought that affects all living things. In this regard the degree of impact of climate change is more than terrorism that affects the lives of innocent people.When we come to Africa, we are very vulnerable and our people are not able to cope with the effects of climate change. So, I do not know whether we have a common strategy to mitigate climate change in Africa. In my view, it is very important to set up a common strategy continentally to cope with or to mitigate climate change.Regarding Ethiopia we have one month period to mobilise our community for the conservation of soil and water as well as to rally the people for environmental protection. In this regard, I think it is better to organise our people to adapt and protect themselves from the very dangerous effects of climate change.REFERENCE: 1105-151634FHON. JACQUELINE MUHONGAYIRE [RWANDA]:Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Président, de m’accorder cette opportunité pour contribuer à ce sujet si important.Monsieur le Président,Nous ne pouvons pas atteindre les objectifs du développement durable sans trouver les solutions à la vulnérabilité aux effets néfastes du changement climatique.La réduction des risques et de catastrophes doit être partie intégrante essentielle de nos stratégies et programmes visant à éviter que le développement ne soit source de vulnérabilité supplémentaire au changement climatique et aux effets du changement climatique pour nos communautés.Monsieur le Président,L’autre observation que j’avais, vous l’avez rappelée ce matin, à la clôture de la session, le suivi des recommandations de la COP21 et en particulier le suivi du projet énergie pour l’Afrique et la création d’une structure de financement de l’énergie pour l’Afrique.Honorables parlementaires,Nous devons renforcer aussi notre responsabilité, en tant que législateurs, en veillant à ce que le plan de développement soit toujours résiliant face aux changements climatiques, à travers le processus budgétaire, le processus de législation et le processus de l’action gouvernementale.Ce projet d’énergie pour l’Afrique, il faut vraiment le suivre et nous donner une période limite, je peux dire, pour préserver les forêts africaines, à la protection de la biodiversité et surtout veiller à ce que les pollueurs honorent leurs engagements sur toutes les conférences qui se suivent au niveau de la conférence des parties.Je voudrais aussi remercier en particulier l’Honorable Présidente de cette Commission pour le rapport bien élaboré et bien présenté.Merci Monsieur le président.REFERENCE: 1105-151915AHON. MAI Mahmoud Ebrahim [EGYPT]شكرا لي، و الشكر موصول إلى السيدة سيادة الرئيس على إتاحة الفرصة رئيسة اللجنة على هذا العرض و هذا التقرير، و أريد التوضيح أن قضية التغير المناخي واالحتباس الحراري صارت تحتل اليوم بؤرة اهتمام و أولويات أجندة المجتمع الدولي وليس األفريقي فقط، ليس ألن هذه القضية ستؤدي إلى تغيير طبيعة المناخ على األرض ولكن األهم هو ما لها من آثار سلبية سيمتد تأثيرها ليشمل كل مظاهر الحياة و النشاط اإلنساني على هذا الكوكب،سيادة الرئيس،إن الدول الأفريقية ستكون الأكثر تأثراً من تغيير المناخ في الوقت الذي تتهرب فيه الدول المتقدمة من مسؤوليتها من التسبب في تلك التغيرات لكثرة انبعاثاتها، و حانت الفرصة التي نطرح فيها السؤال الآتي على كل الدول: هل المطلوب أن تتحول أفريقيا لمصنع للعالم و تتهرب الصينمثلا؟يرى العلماء أن هناك انقراض جماعي سيحدث على سطح األرض مع اقتراب عام ،6121 حيث ستنقرض الحيوانات و النباتات ألسباب عديدة، و من أهمها التي تؤثر على بقاء الجنس البشري على سطح األرض هو االحتباس الحراري و الزيادة المستمرة في درجات الحرارة في الغالف الجوي لألرض التي ترتفع نتيجة ارتفاع درجات حرارة المحيطات الموجودة على كوكب األرض، و طبقا لتقارير العلماء فإن زيادة درجة الحرارة بدرجة واحدة يمكن أن يؤثر على الحياة النباتية و الحيوانية على سطح األرض، و جدير بالذكر أن مناطق حوض البحر الكريبي في جنوب أفريقيا يمكن أن تؤدي إلى زيادة درجات الحرارة في تلك المنطقة و إلى انقراض حوالي 22 ألف نوع من النباتات و 2211 نوع من الحيوانات، لذلك يتعين علينا جميعا بحث نقل آليات التكنولوجيا وبناء القدرات لدى الدول النامية و الفقيرة المتضررة بشكل كبير من االحتباس الحراري ووضع برامج تعمل على تخفيف حدة التأثيرات المناخية على تلك الدول.دقيقة أخرى سيدي الرئيس،هناك بعض الاقترحات التي يمكن أن تخفف من آثار هذا التغيير المناخي لدى كل الدول، و يأتي على رأسها تطبيق ممارسات الزراعة المراعية للمناخ و التوسع في الغابات، و كذلك زيادة كفاءة استخدام الطاقة و استخدام الطاقة المتجددة و بناء المدن المرنة منخفضة النسب الكربونية، و الإلغاء التدريجي لدعم الوقود الحفري و تحويله إلى مصادر للطاقةالمتجددة، وهو ما اتجهت إليه مصر في اآلونة األخيرة بالتقليل من كميةالمخلفات الموجودة لدينا وتحوليها إلى وقود يكون بديال للكربون و للموادالوقودية التي تؤثر على البيئة، و يكون هو البديل النظيف للحد مناالحتباس الحراري.وشكرا.REFERENCE: 1105-152255FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Chers Collègues,Je voudrais, à mon tour, me joindre à ce débat, pour dire ma surprise de voir le Parlement panafricain ne pas se féliciter pour la victoire qu’il a pu remporter en France.Pour ceux qui ont lu l’Accord de Paris, l’unique fois qu’on a prononcé l’Afrique, c’était sur le projet énergie. Et Dieu seul sait le travail qui avait été abattu par ce Parlement pour qu’on en arrive là.Tout à l’heure, j’ai suivi les interventions, je voudrais d’ailleurs remercier des Collègues SANTOS, NAAH ONDOA, Jacqueline qui trouvent que le problème de changement climatique n’est pas le problème d’un secteur donné. C’est un dossier transversal, il faut que nous multipliions les efforts pour que tout le monde, on doit mutualiser nos efforts pour que nous puissions arriver à faire quelque chose.Si l’Afrique a pu parler de quelque chose qui est sortie au nom de l’Afrique, c’était grâce au Parlement panafricain. Et je vous dis, les Africains sont allés, il y avait quand même près de 150 délégations. Si vous prenez que chaque délégation avait 10 minutes de parole, vous pouvez savoir combien de temps on a passé pour suivre les discours. Et que, quand le rapport final sort, on met juste un petit titre pour parler de l’énergie en Afrique, ça voudrait dire toute l’importance que nous avons eue.Mais, vous avez suivi le Sénateur NAAH ONDOA. Le Cameroun a le deuxième grand massif forestier après la République Démocratique du Congo. Effectivement, je vais vous dire quelque chose, le Sénateur NAAH ONDOA a été Ministre des Forêts et de l’Environnement pendant sept ans, et j’étais exploitant forestier; on a mené tous les combats. Et c’est lui qui a réformé le secteur forestier au Cameroun parce qu’aujourd’hui, on est passé de la gestion artisanale qui se faisait à la gestion durable. Donc, il sait de quoi il parle.J’ai fait plus de vingt COP. Si je vous parle des résultats des deux derniers, quand on était à Copenhague, pas d’accord; on était à Cancun, pas d’accord. La première fois que l’Accord sort, c’est l’Accord de Paris. Et comme Jacqueline l’a dit, ce que nous devons faire, c’est d’essayer de suivre cet Accord, au moins l’application de cet Accord, parce que quand on votait l’Accord à Paris, le Sénat américain avait dit qu’il n’allait pas le ratifier. Et j’en suis sûr, pour ceux qui connaissent l’histoire, Kyoto n’a jamais été ratifié; la Cour de justice n’a jamais été ratifié. Et je suis sûr que cet Accord de Paris, nous allons le ratifier; mais son application va poser des problèmes.Et qu’est-ce qu’on a dit dedans? On a dit qu’on va mettre 100 milliards de dollars pour l’électricité en Afrique et les pays en voie de développement. Quand on dit « les pays en voie de développement », ce n’est pas seulement l’Afrique; on a des Îles Fiji; on a toute l’Asie pacifique; on a l’Amérique latine, il y a beaucoup de pays en développement là-bas qui vont en bénéficier.Donc, je pense que ce qu’il y a lieu de faire, comme la Présidente elle-même l’a dit, il faut qu’on se prépare murement, financièrement pour une bonne participation à la COP22. Parce que, si ça se passe comme ça s’est passé maintenant, ça sera très difficile. Ce sont des pays qui payaient les participations des gens qui étaient à Paris. Mais on a dû se réunir pour faire un groupe de pression, aller à tous les ateliers, crier, parce que, à trois jours de la fin de la COP, il y avait encore 50 pages de négociation, à trois jours, presque 80. C’est là où on a commencé à crier, crier, crier jusqu’à ce qu’on est arrivé à obtenir quelque chose.Donc, je voudrais quand même vous dire que ce Parlement est en train d’évoluer. Nous faisons des choses pour le monde entier, nous devons nous en féliciter. N’ayons pas honte ou ne nous épuisons pas. Les gens sont allés à Paris par leurs moyens, et c’était en plein hivers, et les gens ont supporté d’aller au Bourget chaque matin, rentrer, assister aux réunions; aller faire le bruit quand il fallait le faire, pour que nous soyons [...].Je crois que si on veut bien, ce qu’on dit, notre devise a commencé à porter des fruits, c’est-à-dire « Une Afrique, Une Voix », on a porté la voix de l’Afrique, et ça a donné le résultat.Je voudrais donc vous en féliciter, je voudrais féliciter notre Parlement pour ces efforts.Pour la COP22, comme la Présidente l’a dit, c’est le moment de préparer la COP. Et comme certains Honorables l’ont dit: mutualisons les efforts, amenons les idées. Déjà, la première chose d’ici la COP22, on doit s’assurer que l’application de l’Accord de Paris est effective. Et c’est pour cette raison que j’ai suggéré que nous devons faire revenir le Ministre d’État français, Jean Louis BORLOO, pour qu’il vienne nous dire à quel niveau nous en sommes. C’est le seul, je dis bien que c’est le seul paragraphe où on a parlé de l’Afrique.Donc, ce n’est pas long. Il doit nous dire, il y a eu ceci, qui s’est engagé. Et comme le Ministre NAAH ONDOA a dit, l’Afrique ne pollue pas. Aujourd’hui au Cameroun, on est passé d’une exploitation à 50 % à moins de 10 %. On prélève dans l’exploitationforestière, on fait une exploitation durable à 30 ans, une rotation de 30 ans. Donc, l’Afrique ne pollue pas.Nous ne demandons pas de l’aumône, ce que nous demandons, c’est les fonds de contrepartie, parce qu’on ne nous demande pas seulement de ne pas couper le bois, on nous demande de ne pas manger le gibier, on nous demande tout. L’Afrique est toujours prête à faire des consensus, mais en retour, les pays pollueurs, la seule chose qu’ils peuvent faire de bien pour nous, c’est de venir déverser les déchets sur nos continents.Donc, c’est pour ça que nous devons être fermes dans les négociations et, puis, donner la voix parce que nos exécutifs sont toujours limités pour des problèmes politiques, ils ne peuvent pas parler. Mais nous, en tant que Députés, nous pouvons parler à haute voix, dire que nous représentons les peuples pour que quelque chose soit fait.Je voulais apporter ces informations pour que vous sachiez que Paris n’a pas été facile. Et je crois que Maroc, ça risquerait encore d’être difficile parce que pour que l’Accord-ci entre en application, il faut qu’au moins la moitié des pays ratifient. Et si vous prenez le nombre de pays au monde, qu’il y aura la moitié qui va ratifier d’ici la COP22, ça sera difficile.Donc, chers Collègues, le travail est beaucoup, armonsnous de courage et essayons de soutenir les initiatives africaines.Voilà ce que je voulais dire.Madame la Président de la Commission, je vous donne la parole pour vos éléments de réponse.REFERENCE: 1105-153721FEM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.La discussion générale est close!HON. ABDOULIE JAWLA [GAMBIA]:On a point of Order Mr. President!A motion was submitted to your office last week that we designate Hon. Abridge Gayo as Ambassador of the Pan-African Parliament charged with the promotion, signing and ratification of the protocol as revised by the National Assembly of the African Union.Since the Parliament is almost coming to an end, I thereby move that the motion be heard for various reasons.Mr. Gayo comes from Ethiopia and his house is very close to the African Union. It will therefore be easier for him to move these agendas to the African Union with cost-effectively. I therefore move that the motion be heardI thank you.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.C’est le travail de tout le monde.May I second Mr. President?MR. PRESIDENT:Yes you are the second? Yes I agree please. One minute.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je voudrais qu’on soit conséquent.L’Union africaine est en Éthiopie et quand nos chefs, ils ont un agenda. Il faut les préparer à partir du départ de chez nous. Donc, chacun d’entre nous doit être ambassadeur de tout ce que vous avez dit ici pour que, quand ils se réunissent à Addis-Abeba, qu’ils aient déjà des choses qui ont été proposées par nous.Donc, comme vous le dites, je suis entièrement d’accord mais travaillons nos États parce que, cet Accord de Paris, cela va encore venir. Tous les Chefs d’États africains sont partis le 22 avril dernier.L’Accord a été signé par tous les Chefs d’États africains. Le problème ne se pose pas de notre côté. Le problème se pose du côté de ceux-là qui polluent.Mais, si maintenant le Sénat américain dit qu’il ne ratifie pas, la Chine refuse, quelle sera notre marge de manœuvre? C’est cela le problème qui se pose. Donc, moi je crois que ce qu’on doit faire, tu vas seconder, ce qu’on doit faire chers collègues, c’est de soutenir une initiative qui peut, peut-être voir le jour et qui peut-être utile pour notre continent.Oui, seconder la motion!Honorable member, you have the floor!REFERENCE: 1105-154002EHON. ABDULAZIZ ABDULAHI MOHAMED [SOMALIA]:Thank you, Mr. President. I think the Hon. Member Jawla from Gambia has a very brilliant point. I would want to say that when we designated Hon. Amadi, we did not say we should also designate another former president like Hon. Mandela. Now we should move with only Hon. Dr. Gayo. If there is another motion for another member we can consider it in the future.Mr. President moreover, if we designate Hon. Gayo, he will not ask for money from PAP. He is a PanAfricanist. That we know. When he was in Addis Ababa he was well conducted and has his own influences.I would like to mention that the AU electronic passport that we have today is because of Dr. Gayo. It would have been very difficult to have that electronic passport had he not pushed for us. I think he should also advocate for our institution which is the Pan-African Parliament. It will be very important and very useful. That is why I support the motion.Thank you very much.REFERENCE: 1105-154137FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Cher collègue, chers collègues, suivez-moi!Je crois qu’il faut harmoniser tout ce que nous faisons. Une décision du Bureau avait été prise le 1er mars pour dire que désormais, seront considérés comme suit:Tous les anciens Vice-présidents seront les Vice-présidents honoraires;et tous les Présidents, les Ambassadeurs; parce que justement quelqu’un vient de le soulever ici.On a fait de l’Honorable AMADI, Ambassadeur, on n’a pas pensé à l’Honorable MONGELA, mais quand elle vient ici, on est obligé de la prendre en charge.Je crois que pour harmoniser, une décision a été prise et sera soumise demain comme résolution. Je crois que c’est plus juste. On a là des anciens Vice-présidents Loïde KASINGO, VANDUNEM. S’il faut qu’à chaque fois que quelqu’un soulève une motion, je pense que ce ne sera pas juste.Je crois que nous essayons de voir la décision du Bureau et qu’on harmonise à ce à ce point.Je crois qu’à ce niveau, la discussion générale est close.(Coup de maillet)Je soumets à la Chambre le rapport portant sur le changement climatique.Pas d’observation!Pas d’amendement!Adopté!Chers collègues,Je voudrais qu’on reconnaisse que notre Chambre a enregistré une très bonne participation aux travaux cette session-ci et je voudrais vous inviter à faire davantage pour que nous travaillions tous en grand nombre pour prendre les décisions communes.Je voudrais donc au regard de la pression dans laquelle on a travaillé pendant deux jours, vous annoncer que nous allons clôturer notre session demain et je souhaiterais que tous les députés qui sont encore, ici, viennent participer à la clôture de nos travaux et voter les résolutions qui vous seront présentées.L’ordre du jour, étant épuisé, la séance est suspendue et elle reprendra demain à 9 heures.(Coup de maillet)La séance est suspendue à quinze heures quarante-troisminutes quarante-trois secondes. Elle reprendrademain jeudi 12 mai 2016 à neuf heures.
Thursday, 12th May, 2016
[THE President in the Chair]A Moment of Silence for Prayers and Meditationwas observedLa séance est ouverte!Chers collègues,Je vous souhaite la bienvenue dans cet hémicycle.Je voudrais, comme par le passé, reconnaître la présence parmi nous des interprètes et des hommes des médias à qui nous souhaitons également la bienvenue.Nous aurons une journée de travail assez longue et j’invite, tout de suite, Monsieur le Secrétaire général à lire le premier point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux.Monsieur le Secrétaire général, veuillez donner lecture du premier point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de nos travaux.English: 08:59:38 - 09:00:10M. LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Merci Excellence.Présentation et débats sur le thème de l’Union africaine pour l’année 2016: Année de droits humains en Afrique avec un accent particulier sur les droits de la femme.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Honorables membres,Conformément aux dispositions de l’article 38.1(h) du Règlement intérieur, j’ai le plaisir d’inviter à entrée dans la Chambre:Monsieur Abdelslam Aomar Lahsen, Président de l’Association Sahraouie des familles des prisonniers et des disparus;Madame Mahawa Kaba Wheeler, Directrice Femme, Genre et développement de la Commission de l’Union africaine; etDocteur Seynabou Tall, Conseillère régionale sur le Genre et du Fonds des Nations-Unies pour la Population, Bureau régional pour l’Afrique Australe et Afrique de l’Est, à entrée dans la Chambre.L’ordre du jour appel la présentation et débats sur le thème de l’Union africaine pour l’année 2016: année de droits humains en Afrique avec un accent particulier sur les droits de la femme.J’invite monsieur Abdelslam Aomar Lahsen, Président de l’Association Sahraouie des familles des prisonniers et des disparus, à fait sa présentation.REFERENCE: 1205-090234FM. ABDESLAM AOMAR LAHSEN [PRÉSIDENT DE L’ASSOCIATION SAHRAOUIE DES FAMILLES DE PRISONNIERS ET DES DISPARUS (AFAPREDESA)]:Honorable Président,Honorables députés,Mesdames et Messieurs,C’est avec un grand honneur et un plaisir que je m’adresse aujourd’hui à vous pour parler de la situation des droits de l’homme dans la dernière colonie d’Afrique qu’est le Sahara occidental.J’éprouve une grande émotion de me retrouver aujourd’hui avec vous, mes sœurs, mes frères d’Afrique pour incarner les espoirs et les aspirations des peuples africains, pour la paix, la démocratie et pour le respect des droits de l’homme.Je vous remercie également d’avoir inclus dans vos débats cette question cruciale des droits de l’homme et des droits de la femme en Afrique, pour cette année 2016. Je vous exprime également la gratitude et la reconnaissance de mon organisation, l’Association des Familles des Disparus et Prisonniers Sahraouis (AFAPREDESA), pour les nombreuses résolutions que vous avez déjà adoptées en faveur de la paix et des droits de l’homme dans cette partie d’Afrique, toujours soumise au joug colonial marocain.Je ferai ma présentation accompagnée d’une présentation vidéo que vous êtes en train de visualiser, qui démontre l’ampleur et les graves violations des droits de l’homme commises par les autorités d’occupation à l’encontre de l’ensemble des populations et particulièrement les femmes sahraouies. Le conflit du Sahara occidental qui perdure depuis plus de 40 ans a déjà causé de milliers de victimes, d’énormes souffrances et des déplacements en masse.Ces graves et systématiques violations des droits de l’homme ont un nom: génocide. En effet, le 9 avril 2015, l’audience nationale espagnole le plus haut tribunal d’Espagne a émis une sentence reconnaissant cet état de fait et a initié la poursuite judiciaire contre 12 hauts responsables militaires et civils marocains impliqués. C’est un pas important pour mettre fin à l’impunité dont jouissent les responsables de graves violations des droits de l’homme au Sahara occidental.En effet, et bien que le Royaume du Maroc ait reconnu en décembre 2010, que 351 disparus sahraouis seraient décédés, il n’a toujours pas apporté la moindre preuve de ce qu’il avance. Les autorités marocaines n’ont pas restitué les corps des victimes à leurs ayants-droit. Elles continuent d’empêcher les enquêtes sur les crimes commis et n’ont toujours pas facilité le travail d’exhumation et d’identification de nombreuses fosses communes découvertes tout au long de ces dernières années.D’autre part, la plupart des détenus politiques sahraouis sont emprisonnés dans différentes prisons à l’intérieur du Maroc, en violation flagrante des conventions internationales et des conventions de Genève. Parmi eux, 20 civils condamnés par des tribunaux militaires après le démantèlement violent du camp Gdeim Izik le 8 novembre 2010 par les forces d’occupation.Le 15 avril 2016, le champ du Calife sahraoui, Ibrahim SIKA, 32 ans, est mort dans un hôpital à Agadir au Maroc. Ibrahim avait été arrêté le 1er avril en sortant de son domicile pour participer à une manifestation pacifique. Il a été amené au poste de police où il a été torturé pendant des heures. Dès les premiers jours, Ibrahim a alors décidé de mener une grève de la faim pour protester contre les mauvais traitements.Un autre Sahraoui, le berger Ahmed Bad Amadi plus connu sous le nom de Chamad Pajouli est abattu le 27 février 2016, sous les tirs de l’armée marocaine près du mur de la honte, alors qu’il cherchait ses chameaux égarés dans la région.Le 2 mai 2016, le corps sans vie d’Hamed ARAHARI de 22 ans, est retrouvé auprès de l’Université d’Agadir. Il avait été séquestré par des éléments des services secrets, 5 mois auparavant.Deux autres sahraouis sont également morts suite aux mines antipersonnel, depuis le début de cette année. Quatre (4) autres en étaient blessés. À elles seules, les mines ont causé plus de 2.500 victimes le long de ces 40 années, selon le dernier rapport du Secrétaire général de l’ONU sur le Sahara occidental.Tout cela s’est produit alors que la seule présence internationale réside dans la MINURSO (la Mission des Nations-Unies pour le Référendum au Sahara Occidental) qui n’a pas de mandat en matière des droits de l’homme. Aucune autre agence de l’ONU et d’organismes humanitaires n’a de présence dans les territoires occupés, même pas le Comité International de la Croix-Rouge.La Commission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, les ONG de défense des droits de l’homme, les organes de presse ne sont pas les bienvenus. Depuis le début de cette année, les autorités marocaines ont expulsé plus de 120 observateurs internationaux de plusieurs pays européens, du Canada et des États-Unis. Même l’envoyé spécial du Secrétaire général de l’ONU, Monsieur Christopher Ross a été déclaré persona non grata par les autorités marocaines.Quant à la situation dans les territoires sous contrôle dans la République arabe sahraouie démocratique et en dépit de la précarité et de manque de moyens, les autorités sahraouies s’efforcent de garantir le respect de tous les droits de l’homme aussi bien civil, politique, économique, social et culturel. Aucune personne n’est détenue pour ses opinions ni soumise à la torture et de mauvais traitement. C’est d’ailleurs le constat du rapport du Secrétaire général, dans son rapport S/2016/355, paragraphe 77.Dans le même paragraphe, le Secrétaire général de l’ONU, Monsieur Ban Ki-moon, juge que, je cite:« La situation humanitaire catastrophique associée à l’absence d’accès aux richesses et aux ressources naturelles à l’ouest du mur du sable empêchait les Sahraouis vivant dans les camps de jouir de leurs droits économiques, sociaux et culturels ». Fin de citation.Notre Organisation suit de près la situation en République sahraouie et se félicite que nous sommes l’unique pays au monde, aujourd’hui, où aucune femme n’est détenue, même pas pour des délits de droit commun.Honorable Président,Honorables députés,Mesdames et Messieurs,Après 40 ans, il est grand temps que les parents de plus de 400 disparus sahraouis obtiennent leurs droits à la vérité, à la justice, à la réparation. Il est grand temps de libérer tous les prisonniers politiques sahraouis qui croupissent dans les geôles marocaines. Il est grand temps d’ouvrir le territoire aux observateurs internationaux et que la MINURSO soit dotée d’un mandat sur les droits de l’homme au Sahara occidental.Il est grand temps que l’Afrique se mobilise davantage pour faire prévaloir la légalité internationale et la paix au Sahara occidental. Les États africains, dont 52 sont signataires de la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, ont le devoir de solidarité avec le peuple sahraoui pour assurer notamment le respect des articles 19, 20, 21 et 22 de la Charte. C’est seulement de cette manière que l’Afrique sera libre et qu’ensemble on pourra mettre fin à l’anachronisme du colonialisme dans notre continent.Vive l’Afrique!Merci beaucoup pour votre attention.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1205-091229FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Merci!J’invite maintenance Madame Mahawa Kaba Wheeler, Directrice Femme, Genre et Développement de la Commission de l’Union africaine à faire sa présentation.(S’adressant au premier présentateur)Cher Monsieur, vous pouvez regagner votre place!Merci.REFERENCE: 1205-091311FMME MAHAWA KABA WHEELER [DIRECTRICE FEMME, GENRE E TDÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA COMMISSION DE L’UNION AFRICAINE]:Honorable Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain,Honorable Madame la Présidente du Caucus des Femmes du Parlement panafricain,Honorable Madame la Présidente de la Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes handicapées;Honorables Parlementaires,Distingués Invités,Mesdames et Messieurs,Tous les protocoles sont respectueusement observés.Au de Son Excellence Docteur Nkosazana DLAMINI-ZUMA, Présidente de la Commission de l’Union africaine.Je souhaite vous remercier, pour m’avoir conviée à notre illustre Assemblée. C’est un honneur et un privilège de pour pouvoir partager avec vous mes aspirations et préoccupations sur la condition de la femme et de la jeune fille sur le continent.Je ne saurais commencer cette adresse, cependant, sans vous remercier et féliciter les efforts conjugués qui ont permis à notre continent d’être le leader incontesté de la représentation des femmes dans les parlements nationaux et la promulgation des lois les plus avancées sur la protection et la promotion des droits humains et ceux de la femme en particulier.En effet, grâce à nos efforts concertés, l’Afrique est à la tête du classement mondial de la participation des femmes au Parlement et au moins quatre de nos pays ont rejoint le rang des dix pays les plus avancés sur les questions de l’égalité de genre et de la promotion de la condition de la femme.Grâce à vous, nous sommes également nantis d’instrument légaux les plus avancés dans le monde. Le Protocole sur la Charte africaine des droits humains et des personnes sur les droits de la femme communément appelé le Protocole de Maputo, est considéré comme l’un des instruments juridiques le plus complet et dont la mise en œuvre garantirait aux femmes africaines, non seulement le respect de leur droits humains de base, mais aussi leur permettra de s’autonomiser sur le plan économique; donc, contribuer davantage au développement social et économique de notre continent.À ce jour, le Protocole de Maputo est ratifié par trentesept (37) pays et un nombre assez modeste ont déjà promulgué des lois nationales telle que la poursuite judiciaire à l’encontre de ceux qui commettent des violences sexuelles, l’interdiction des mutilations génitales féminines, la criminalisation du viol conjugal et la reconnaissance des droits liés à la santé de la reproduction et sexuelle.Le Protocole de Maputo a également permis dans certains pays la révision des lois qui imposaient aux femmes l’obtention du consentement du mari ou un parent de sexe masculin, pour l’accès aux soins chirurgicaux.En effet, l’histoire nous rappelle le rôle clé que la femme africaine a toujours joué dans l’émancipation de notre continent.L’Organisation des Femmes panafricaines est née en 1962, voire avant la création de l’Organisation de l’Unité Africaine et dont les actions multiples ont contribué à la décolonisation, la reconnaissance des droits et à l’émancipation de la femme africaine.Il est à rappeler que l’un des membres fondateurs, Hadja Jeanne Martin Cissé, fut la première femme au monde à présider le Conseil de Sécurité des Nations-Unies en 1972.D’autre part, l’histoire nous rappelle également que Mme Aoua KEÏTA du Mali, fut la première femme élue députée en Afrique et militante infatigable contre l’administration coloniale, elle s’assura dans son rôle de sage femme d’une meilleure prise en compte des besoins médicaux des femmes et enfin dans les zones rurales.La Reine Yaa Asantewaa menant la guerre du tabouret d’or contre les Anglais, pour avoir voulu s’approprier du tabouret traditionnel des Ashantis en 1900. Considérant cela comme un sacrilège, elle mena une résistance acharnée contre le colonisateur.Ici en Afrique du Sud, Madame Charlotte MAXEKE, fut la première Présidente de la Bantu Women’s League en 1918, la plus grande Association politique féminine d’alors et Madame Gisèle RABESAHALA, qui a rejoint la lutte pour l’indépendance de son pays, le Madagascar, et dont les actions ont permis d’obtenir du Parlement français, l’amnistie pour de milliers des prisonniers politiques malgaches. En 1956, elle créa déjà son propre parti politique, l’Union du peuple malgache.Et finalement, Madame Funmilayo Kuti de Lagos a rassemblé vingt-mille (20.000) femmes dans les rangs de l’Union des Femmes d’Abéokuta, pour dénoncer les abus de l’administration coloniale. En 1953, elle fut le seul membre féminin de la délégation nigériane chargée de négocier l’indépendance de son pays.Bien sûr, le Libéria est aujourd’hui dirigé par la première femme, Chef d’État et j’en profite pour saluer toutes les femmes qui ont eu l’audace de se battre d’élan présidentiel et grâce auxquelles nos sœurs et filles osent espérer aujourd’hui.Honorables députés,Distingués participants,L’histoire nous rappelle également que ce sont nos ministres des Affaires étrangères, en majorité hommes qui ont inscrit dans l’Acte constitutif de l’Union africaine, le principe de parité à tous les niveaux. Et ce sont également eux qui ont permis l’adoption du Protocole de Maputo.Notre continent regorge d’un bon nombre de champions de la cause féminine, dont les efforts multiples nous permettent de faire avancer la cause de la femme et l’égalité de genre.Il est alors de notre devoir, de continuer à faire avancer les questions liées aux droits des femmes car contribuant non seulement, intimement au développement du continent, mais encrées dans nos coutumes même si cela a toujours revêtu de formes diverses.L’agenda 2063 nous enjoint à passer à l’action. Reconnaissons que notre continent est doté de tous les outils nécessaires pour justifier nos actions. La lenteur de la mise en œuvre de nos engagements, demeure une préoccupation majeure.Du 7 au 8 mai 2016, lors de la retraite portant sur la préparation du Sommet des Chefs d’États et de gouvernements qui aura lieu en juillet prochain, nos ministres des Affaires étrangères ont une fois de plus fait appel à nos efforts conjugués afin de réaliser les objectifs de l’Agenda 2063 et 2030, y compris leurs projets principaux.Il m’incombe en effet de rappeler que l’Union africaine s’est engagée à faire taire tout son de fusil d’ici 2020.D’autre part, notre politique continentale du Genre a prescrit 2015 et 2020, comme date butoir de ratification et de mise en œuvre universel du Protocole de Maputo.La pendule est donc en marche très rapide et l’histoire sera notre témoin si nous manquons à nos engagements.L’Afrique, aujourd’hui, reconnaît qu’il n’est plus acceptable que les femmes meurent par manque de soin de santé de la reproduction. Que de nombreuses filles vivent dans l’incontinence et le rejet de leur communauté suite aux fistules liées au mariage précoce. Que nos mères et sœurs soient victimes de violence sexuelle et contraintes de vivre sous le silence de leur voile.Que l’enseignement supérieur demeure un cercle privilégié pour les quelques personnes.Autant nous nous réjouissons du nombre de femmes dans les parlements, ces efforts doivent se concrétiser au sein de toute l’administration et davantage, des pays devraient rejoindre les rangs.Notre jeunesse nous interpelle également, de créer des conditions favorables à leur émancipation.Il est incompréhensible que pour plus d’un, que nous soyons le continent le plus nanti et que nos jeunes vivent dans le dénouement et la précarité.En plus des inégalités liées au genre, ces genres d’inégalités aussi profondes existent entre les différentes générations.Il est aussi difficile d’accepter que nos océans, ce trésor qui n’attend que d’être mis en œuvre soit devenir le cimetière de nos plus braves. Il est vrai que ce sont les coups, les cœurs les plus vaillants qui osent braver ces conditions inconnues et tout simplement à la recherche souvent de leur premier emploi. Il est d’autant plus triste de voir de jeunes femmes, et parfois enceintes parmi les sinistrés.Honorables députés,Distingués participants,Aussi bien que nous avons pu presque éliminer les inégalités dans l’accès à l’éducation primaire, nous pourrons également dans un avenir prochain, garantir à nos femmes, filles et jeunes l’attente de leurs aspirations telles que répertoriées dans l’Agenda 2063.En tant que pouvoir législatif, vos actions sont incontournables dans la création des conditions favorables à la mise en œuvre de programmes de développement, le respect des droits humains et la promotion de la bonne gouvernance.Je fais ainsi appel avec soutien, afin de nous aider à atteindre l’objectif de ratification et de promulgation des lois nationales portant sur le Protocole de Maputo d’ici 2020, et que le son des fusils ne soit plus qu’un souvenir lointain à cette date butoir également.En plaçant l’année 2016 sous le signe des droits de l’homme et de la femme, nos Chefs d’États nous ont ainsi lancé un défi dont vous êtes un des garants les plus importants.Honorables députés,Distingués participants,Je ne saurais clore ce discours sans remercier l’Honorable Président de l’Assemblée et la Présidente du Caucus des Femmes pour m’avoir invitée à prendre part à cette session ordinaire du Parlement panafricain.Je vous remercie.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1205-092300FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, Madame.J’invite le Dr SEYNABOU TALL, Conseillère Régionale sur le Genre du Fonds des Nations-Unies pour la population, Bureau Régional pour l’Afrique Australe et l’Afrique de l’Est à faire sa présentation.REFERENCE: 1205-092327EDR SEYNABOU TALL [REGIONAL ADVISER ON GENDER, UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR POPULATION - SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA REGIONAL BUREAU]:Good morning. Hon. President of the PAP, Honourable Chair of the Women Caucus of PAP, hon. Members, distinguished participants and co-panellists, it is my pleasure and privilege to bring you the warm greetings from Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, the UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa as well as greetings from Ms Justine Carlson, the Deputy Regional Director who is participating in these deliberations this morning.UNFPA is grateful to the Pan-African Parliament for this invitation and opportunity. PAP has given us the chance to be part of this important Assembly. UNFPA is proud of the partnership with PAP and we are looking forward to strengthening the partnership.Exactly twenty-two years ago, you and other Members of Parliament from around the world gathered in Cairo for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 1994.You made History. By so doing, you changed the lives of millions of women and girls. As a result, today, more women and girls are going to school. More women and girls have access to better health care and are planning their families. They are more aware of their rights and they are rejecting abuse and protecting themselves from HIV and gender based violence.As a result, more women are in leadership positions shaping the future of their communities, countries, continents and the World. Let us celebrate some of their achievements.Gender parity in primary education is a success story. In 2000 we had 64 per cent and in 2009 we had 84%. I am sure if we have the data for today, we will be close to 90.We have a reduction in maternal mortality rates and we have a substantive political representation that is on the rise. My colleague mentioned it. Rwanda is one of the success stories when it comes to parity in politics. We have women presidents in Africa, prime ministers and vice-presidents. The Chairperson of the AU is a woman. In twelve countries, we have 30% of women in decision-making positions.HIV is reducing in most of our countries. Over 90 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV received treatment in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland and over 70% in Zimbabwe, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia. We have access and we use contraceptives.We have strong partnerships with civil society organisations, faith based organisations, parliamentarians, youth networks and public and private sector. We have helpers who domesticate global and regional legal frameworks but we have an unfinished agenda.From the reviews from Beijing and from Cairo, we have received strong calls to do more and so we are already aware of where we should be doing more. We have many commitments to eliminate discrimination, violence against women and girls and harmful practices but we still have limited funding for programmes when it comes to gender equality.We still have issues when it comes to the secondary and tertiary levels of education due to poverty, early marriages, cultural issues and patriarchy. My colleague mentioned it. Though we have some reduction when it comes to maternal health and maternal mortality, we could do more.Today, the most striking example of violation of human rights is child marriage. Most of those girls that are poor and less educated are living in rural areas. If nothing is done, 14.2 million girls under 18 will be married. It affects girls everywhere in Southern African countries. It has adverse health outcomes and other diseases including obstetric fistula, premature births, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, violence and domestic violence.We have alarming and shocking data as well. This data speaks to hundreds of speeches. Let me just mention few of them here: When it comes to child marriage, Burkina Faso has 48 per cent; Sierra Leone has 48 per cent; Madagascar has 48 per cent; Malawi has 50 per cent; Mozambique has 52 per cent; Mali has 55 per cent; Central African Republic has 61 per cent; Guinea has 63 per cent; Chad has 72 per cent while Niger has 75 per cent. I will stop here. It is not like the others are not involved when it comes to child matters but I will just stop here because of time.If these trends continue, the number of girls under 15 years old giving birth is expected to rise from 2 million today to 3 million in 2030. Imagine a girl of 15 years giving birth. On female genital mutilation, 60 countries worldwide have legislation. We should celebrate that achievement but the current rate of reduction is quite slow at 1 per cent.Hon. Members, when it comes to human rights and gender equality, there is a clear link. Gender equality is a human right. Women are entitled to live with dignity, with freedom and free from violence and fear. Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of the whole family and communities and they improve prospects for the next generation.UNFPA’s core business is sexual reproductive health and rights, meaning that the ability of women to control their own fertility is fundamental to women’s empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of her life. Protecting and promoting women’s reproductive rights, including the right to decide the number, the timing and spacing of her children, is essential for ensuring freedom to participate more fully and equally in society.In addition to both physiological and social reasons, we know that women are more vulnerable than men to reproductive health problems. Collectively, pregnancy or childbirth-related complications are the number two killer of women of reproductive age. Failure to provide information, services and conditions to help women protect their reproductive health constitutes genderbased discrimination and it is a violation of women’s right to health and life.We are looking at the normative prospects when it comes to reproductive health. We are looking at availability of those services in sufficient number throughout the country not only in capital cities. We are looking at accessibility, meaning that nobody should be discriminated on any basis be it economical or physical. Everybody should get the information.On acceptability, we are looking at not only compliance when it comes to medical ethics but it should also be culturally appropriate and sensitive. We are looking at quality. We should not get poor standards when it comes to health commodities just because Africa is poor.Are we meeting these norms in our countries - availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (the three “As” and a “Q”)? I will leave it to you and you can think about it.So, what do we do at UNFPA? For more than 30 years, UNFPA has advanced women’s and girls’ rights, promoting legal and policy reforms, gender-sensitive data collection and supporting initiatives that improve women’s health and expand their choices in life.UNFPA aims at responding to the needs of the most marginalised and vulnerable, including adolescent girls, persons living with disabilities, indigenous peoples, migrants, women refugees, female heads of households and those living in extreme poverty. In 2013, an evaluation showed that UNFPA supported gender equality-related legislation policy reform and development in more than 40 countries.UNFPA works to empower individuals and communities to claim their rights through various strategies, including awareness raising, trainings and life-skills projects.What do concrete programmes mean? In terms of concrete programmes in all our countries and regional offices, we are in partnership with Governments and institutions like yours as well as other organisations which are in strategies to remove legal and other barriers to access sexual and reproductive health services enabling choices among the widest possible range of contraceptive, including emergency contraceptive and other sexual and reproductive health services.We also do training and supervision of health workers in both technical skills and human rights skills, advocating for the allocation of adequate human and financial resources in compliance with human rights standards and providing comprehensive sexuality education for all, including young people.We have strong accountability mechanisms. We are taking action in accountability through the Universal Periodic Review which is a unique mechanism that was established in 2006 by the UN General Assembly. The mechanism facilitates the review of the fulfilment of each member States in its human rights obligations and commitments.The outcome of the review is a set of recommendations made to the member state under review. Each recommendation as well as any voluntary commitment will be reviewed during the process. It is periodic and it takes place every four to five years and it is universal, which means that all countries will submit reports.For us, it is a fantastic opportunity and we really invite you to look into that opportunity to see if your country is progressing as planned when it comes to human rights.After the review, the state under review has the primary responsibility to implement the recommendations. So, it is another avenue for you to support the women rights realisation. Due to its comprehensive scope and the full range of human rights, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) provides the opportunity to contribute to the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights.An assessment of the first cycle, 2008 - 2011, was conducted looking at all the recommendations related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.The key findings were that the largest proportion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)-related recommendation pertains to human rights instruments where you find gender equality, gender based violence and women’s rights.Twenty six per cent of all recommendations were sexual and reproductive health-related which means that the importance of sexual and reproductive health recommendations and voluntary commitment has increased from 20 per cent in the very first session to 33 per cent at the eleventh session. This shows that sexual and reproductive health and rights issues receive great attention during the first cycle of the UPR.Despite the common perception that the UPR is a review process taking place at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the truth is that it is essentially a national process. It is happening in countries with national stakeholders. The review is based on information contained in national documents.The implementation phase, which is an important phase for us, is another opportunity to advance the realisation of reproductive health. At national level, it allows a multi-stakeholder dialogue. It allows exchange of information and concern with the government, with national human rights institutions and civil society organisations. This cannot be done without Parliament. So, this is your time. Please grab it.Mr. President and hon. Members, in conclusion, I would like to reiterate that in many of our international agreements affirming human rights, women are still more likely to be poor and illiterate than men. They have less access to property, credit, training and employment. They are far less likely than men to be politically active and far more likely to be victims of gender based violence.Still, despite solid evidence demonstrating the centrality of women’s empowerment to reducing poverty, promoting development and addressing the world’s most urgent challenges, gender equality remains an unfulfilled promise if nothing is done quickly.Gender equality will be achieved only when women and men enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life. This means sharing power and influence equally and having equal opportunities for financial independence, education and the realisation of personal ambitions.Gender equality demands the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and addressing power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. When women are empowered, the whole families benefit and these benefits often have a ripple effect on future generations.Gender equality cannot be achieved without the backing and enforcement of institutions but too many social and legal institutions still do not guarantee women equality in basic legal and human rights, in access to or control of resources, in employment or earnings, or in social or political participation.I thank you for your kind attention.ApplauseREFERENCE: 1205-094345FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup Madame.Je voudrais maintenant donner la parole à l’Honorable Maria Ivone RENSAMO BERNARDO SOARES, Vice-présidente du Caucus sur la Jeunesse du PAP à faire sa présentation.Vous avez cinq minutes!REFERENCE: 1205-094432PHON. MARIA IVONE RENSAMO BERNARDO SOARES [MOÇAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigada Senhor PresidenteBom dia Caros CoelgasSua Excelência Presidente do Parlamento Pan-AfricanoSuas Excelências Vice-PresidentesSuas Excelências Membros do Secretariado do Parlamento Pan-AfricanoSuas Excelências Senhoras e Senhores DeputadosCaros Jovens Deputadoslimaos e IrmasDecidí começar esta comunicaçao, dizendo que as liberdades do cidadao e da cidada, o respeito pelos seus direitos, respeito pelos direitos humanos, quando casados com o respeito pelo princípio da organizaçao e realizaçao de eleiçoes justas, livres, transparentes e periódicas, aí estamos perante a democracia.A democracia é promotora dos direitos humanos, direitos da mulher e dos direitos das raparigas em particular.Onde a democracia é efectiva reduzem-se os conflitos, as violares dos direitos humanos, das mulheres e das raparigas em particular.A justiga funciona para reprimir qualquer tentativa de opressao do povo, dos homens e das mulheres.A democracia é a base para estabilidade sócio-política e cultural, e a representatividade, pois com ela a soberania está no povo e o povo é quem manda e nao os seus servidores.A Declarado Universal dos Direitos Humanos diz que como direito humano existe principalmente o direito à vida; existe o direito à paz; existe o direito ao meioambiente saudável.Cada qual pode valer-se de todos os direitos e de todas as liberdades, proclamadas na presente Declarado sem distingo nenhuma, nomeadamente de ra$a, de cor, de sexo, de língua, de religiao, de opiniao, quer seja ela política ou de outra índole, ou pode ser de origem nacional, social, de fortuna, de nascimento ou de qualquer outra situado.Além disso, nao se fará qualquer distingo fundida no estatuto político, jurídico ou internacional de país ou de território que pertencer qualquer pessoa, quer este país ou território seja independente, sob tutela, nao autónomo ou submetido a uma limitado qualquer de soberania.Entao, eu pergunto a esta augusta Assembleia: será que nos nossos países, nos vossos países é respeitado este princípio universal dos direitos humanos?Que cada um faga a sua pròpria reflexao.Na Agenda 2063, diz que África vai ter a paridade de género com quota, as mulheres a ocuparem pelo menos 50% dos lugares públicos elegíveis e metade dos cargos de gestao nos sectores públicos e privados.A Mesa do Parlamento Pan-Africano mostra que ao nível de direcgao desta Casa já ultrapassamos os 50% pelo menos no Bureau.Estao de parabéns minhas manas, minhas maes!E o que irá acontecer se com estes esfor^os para que as mulheres ocupem mais de 50% ou tenham igualdade em 50%, se estas mesmas mulheres depois de empoderadas ultrapassarem a fasquia dos 50%?Teremos que fazer uma agenda para que o homem também volte a ocupar o seu espado que estamos a tentar equlibrar?É um desafio!É um desafio também, nao porque temos “maminhas”, passo a expressao, nao porque temos o corpo desenvolvido, nao porque temos o sexo feminino, é preciso que o desafio dos casamentos e relacionamentos prematuros sejam combatidos porque o facto de verem as raparigas com o corpo já desenvolvido nao pode ser motivo para as suas famílias, para os seus companheiros de jornada julgarem que esta rapariga, esta jovem, esta futura mulher madura já está pronta para contrair casamento.Na Declarado Universal dos Direitos Humanos, ninguém pode ser submetido a tortura, nem a castigos ou tratamentos cruéis, desumanos ou degradantes.Nao pode haver imposi^ao de dor física, psicológica. No entanto, notamos nalgumas situares em que as raparigas sao submetidas a crueldade, em que a mulher é submetida a crueldade, a intimidado, a punido, estas violades acontecem as vezes porque alguem quer obter informado ou só porque alguém quer obter prazer, torturando a mulher, torturando a rapariga.Eles esquecem-se que causam danos físicos ou mental porque muitas vezes estas actua^oes sao levadas a cabo ou pelos governos, ou pelas sociedades em que elas estao inseridas, ou pelos familares, ou por indivíduos que aterrorizam-nas, castigando-as sem motivo plausível.O artigo da Convendo das Nades Unidas contra a tortura e outros tratados que penalizam os actos cruéis desumanos ou degradantes também repudiam que a rapariga seja submetida à violencia sexual.Nenhum Estado poderá, tomando conhecimento de que no seu territòrio existam raparigas, mulheres, crianzas, em autentica situado de tortura psicológica ou estando a fugir de tortura psicológica, dor física ou actos desumanos e degradantes, nenhum estado deverá expulsar, devolver, extraditar quem esteja nessa situado de perigo ou quem tenha sido submetido a tortura.Todas as formas de violencia e de discriminado social, económica, política ou de outra ordem contra a mulher e a rapariga, baseadas no género devem ser eliminadas.A mulher e a rapariga gozarao todos os seus direitos, caso nós todos nos comprometamos em cumprir com a Agenda 2063.Serao eliminadas todas as práticas sociais, nocivas à saúde da mulher, práticas como a mutilado genital, práticas como os casamentos prematuros, assim como todas as outras barreiras para uma saúde, educado de qualidade, que possa garantir que esta futura mulher tenha um crescimento sadio.Qualquer acto de violencia contra a rapariga, contra a mulher deve ser denunciado.A mutilado genital, que nós muitas vezes temos acompanhado, tem que ser denunciada. Conhecendo casos de mutilado genital, as pessoas podem recorrer a Amnistia Internacional ou ao ACNUR que lidam com as questoes dos direitos humanos, sem deixar de lado as estruturas competentes dos países em que isso acontece.A partir da idade média, o homem e a mulher, sem nenhuma restrido tem direitos iguais de contrair matrimónio.Este direito de constituir família deve ser um direito que cada um, em sa consciencia, dele goza.A mulher nao pode casar por imposido, a rapariga nao pode casar por imposido.Toda a pessoa quer sozinha, quer em colectividade tem direito à propriedade. Este direito consagrado na Declaraçao Universal dos Direitos Humanos foi aplamente debatido, discutido nesta Assembleia ao longo destes dias, onde falamos em particular do direito de acesso à terra.A mulher sofre de restriçoes ou de exclusao de direito de propriedade, sofre de restriçao ao financiamento, o que tem que ser severamente punido, para isso aqui estamos a discutir essas matérias.Um desafio que se coloca tem a ver com a participaçao política, tem a ver com a participaçao económica e nos processos de tomadas de decisoes, pois aí podemos eliminar o papel secundário a que a mulher está, muitas vezes, relegada.A Declaraçao Universal dos Direitos Humanos diz ainda no seu artigo 21° que toda a pessoa tem o direito a tomar parte na direcçao dos negócios públicos do seu país quer directamente, quer por intermédio de representantes.A mulher tem também direito ao acesso em condiçoes de igualdade às funçoes públicas do seu país.A vontade do povo é o fundamento da autoridade dos poderes públicos, esta vontade deve exprimir-se por eleiçoes honestas que devem ter lugar periodicamente por sufrágio universal, igual e voto secreto.A nossa Agenda 2063 fala da criatividade, da energia e da capacidade inovadora da juventude africana que será a força dinamizadora da transformaçao política, social, cultural e económica de África, o que nos irá ajudar a ultrapassar os grandes desafios que neste momento, nós mulheres, temos estado sempre a margem dos estados, em particular no que se reflecte na desiguladade de oportunidade nesses mesmos estados.Para a rapariga, o grande desafio que se coloca para que haja maior respeito pelos direitos humanos tem a ver com a superado do flagelo dos casamentes prematuros e forjados.Acredito que temas como este, nao sao temas que nós podemos dizer que chegamos a uma conclusao.Eu tenho consciencia de que temos longa caminhada a percorrer para atingirmos o ideal que a Agenda 2063 promete.Algumas de nós, se vivermos até 2063, poderemos erguer a bandeira branca da vitória sobre todos os males que hoje nos preocupam.As mulheres e crianzas em particular sao as mais afectadas pelas calamidades, guerras, pobreza, discriminafao, emprego, analfabetismo, imposifóes culturais, religióes, mortes, mortes também pós-parto, assédio, violencia, casamentos prematuros, acesso ao transporte público, preconceitos, falta de assistencia médica e medicamentosa e falta de educafao de qualidade.Minhas IrmasMeus IrmaosAo iniciar com a lei que o princípio...(inaudível) nos ajudaria a resolver este problema.Mesmo a terminar, permitam-me que diga: democracia pressupóe liberdades civis, pressupóe separafao de poderes, alternancia de poder, transparencia na gestao de coisa pública, igualdade de todos perante a lei, participafao popular, respeito pela diversidade de opiniao, distribuifao equitativa de verbas, tolerancia, o poder subordinar-se as leis, direitos humanos e liberdades fundamentais, respeito pelas...(inaudível) com direito a identidade.Quando o nosso continente, o continente Africano, respeitar a democracia e os seus princípios e aceitar a democracia, acreditem que os direitos das raparigas, os direitos da mulher serâo também respeitados porque a democracia pressupoe a existência de respeito pelos direitos humanos.Muito obrigada pela vossa atençao.AplausosREFERENCE: 1205-100047FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable HASNA HOUMED BILIL, Présidente de la Commission Permanente du Genre, de la Famille, de la Jjeunesse et des Personnes [vivant avec un handicap] - le collègue l’a corrigé hier bien que ce ne soit pas encore entré en application - et des Personnes handicapées du PAP à faire sa présentation.Vous avez cinq minutes!REFERENCE: 1205-100124FHON. HASNA HOUMED BILIL [DJIBOUTI]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, de me donner la parole.Bissimilah Rahamani Rahim.Excellence Honorable Président du PAP,Excellences Messieurs et Mesdames les Viceprésidents,Chers Collègues,Distingués Invités,Mesdames et Messieurs,La situation de la femme, sur le plan continental, est une question du genre aujourd’hui, repose sur l’analyse et la mise en cause du processus d’autonomisation et de renforcement de pouvoirs qui différencient et hiérarchisent les individus en fonction de leur sexe.Dans cette optique, le rapport de pouvoirs basés sur l’assignation des rôles socialement construits, au-delà des rôles biologiques, constitue l’essentiel. Cependant, c’est ce qui permet de rendre visiblement des inégalités à relever selon des critères quantitatifs et qualitatifs l’ordre systématique.Cependant, il est également très significatif de constater que les questions ayant trait aux femmes ne sont plus, non seulement du ressort seul d’un département dans un pays donné, mais de plus en plus prises en compte de façon systématique et transversale de tous les secteurs d’activités de la nation.L’on peut, à ce sujet, féliciter la Communauté internationale pour ses engagements pris à l’égard des femmes sur l’égalité de sexe dans la détermination des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD).Ainsi, le choix du thème de l’année 2016 qui met l’accent sur les droits de la femme africaine peut être traduit par la volonté de nos États membres de porter un regard lucide et réaliste sur l’évolution de la place des femmes dans la société africaine. Sans doute, les bénéfices à atteindre des investissements en faveur de la scolarisation des femmes dans les services de santé reproductive ou dans les financements de l’activité productive des femmes par la voie du microcrédit, etc., nous permettront également d’évaluer le niveau d’autonomisation de la femme africaine au cours de la décennie 2010-2020.Mesdames et Messieurs,Chers Collègues,Les efforts du Parlement panafricain en faveur de la femme.Le PAP en tant que représentant des peuples africains a donné à la femme la place qu’elle mérite à travers la Commission Permanente de l’Égalité en Genre, de la Famille, de la Jeunesse et des Personnes [vivant avec un handicap].Ainsi, chaque délégation du PAP est constituée d’au moins une femme parlementaire, et l’on peut constater que la tendance est d’augmenter ce nombre au moins à deux. Nous pouvons ainsi citer comme exemple Djibouti, Burundi, Kenya, Cameroun, etc., bien plus, d’autres Parlements nationaux tels celui du Rwanda, du Kenya dont le nombre de parlementaires est de trois. C’est un exemple!Chers Collègues,Mesdames et Messieurs,Je voudrais vous citer un exemple de la situation de la condition de la femme à Djibouti. Depuis une quinzaine d’années, la République de Djibouti, malgré son jeune âge, s’est engagée dans une démarche résolue pour promouvoir la situation de la femme et renforcer ses droits et lui offre une [10:05:08 donne] de possibilités afin d’en créer sa place davantage au sein de la société.En tant que parlementaire femme, je peux citer avec fierté tous les acquis politiques socioéconomiques engagés grâce à la promotion de la politique du genre.Sur le plan politique, il existe depuis 1999 un Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme et du Planning familial et spécialement dédié à la cause féminine. Ce département ministériel a pour pouvoir d’élaborer et la mise en œuvre de la politique du gouvernement pour favoriser l’intégration de la femme dans le processus de développement du pays et de participer à la cohésion du tissu social, particulièrement au bien-être de la cellule familiale.Trois ans plus tard, une loi a été adoptée en 2002 qui institue un système de quota en faveur des femmes dans les fonctions électives et dans l’administration de l’État. Ainsi, il n’existe plus aucune discrimination fondée sur le sexe dans les sphères politico-administratives. L’accès à tous aux plus hauts postes de l’État est seulement conditionné par le mérite et les compétences.À ce titre, je précise que le principe de l’égalité de traitements prévaut, puisque hommes et femmes perçoivent les mêmes rémunérations [Micrcphone éteint].Par ailleurs, dans les ministères et dans l’administration publique, il est aisé de constater que les femmes sont représentées de façon proportionnelle parfois plus même, à l’instar du Ministère de la Justice où on trouve une très forte proportion des femmes magistrats au détriment de leurs collègues masculins.Autre fait révélateur des actions engagées en faveur de la promotion de la femme, est le prix annuel du Chef de l’État qui récompense chaque année trois femmes lors de la journée internationale de la femme, le 8 mars, lesquelles se sont illustrées dans des domaines précis pour leur courage et leur succès, leur réussite pouvant servir d’exemple à la génération future. Cette distinction du Président de la République est une sorte de discrimination positive reconnue à l’échelle de la plus haute autorité du pays qui traduit le souci permanent de renforcer l’autonomisation de la femme, tout en saluant les efforts de celle-ci qui se distingue.Sur le plan social, une loi interdisant depuis 2009 la violence faite contre les femmes, notamment la pratique de mutilation génitale féminine des femmes, des petites filles. Cette initiative parlementaire a été adoptée dans le strict respect de la convention sur l’élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l’égard des femmes, et la Charte africaine des Droits de l’homme et des Peuples, en particulier son Protocole relatif aux droits des femmes.Je tiens à préciser que c’est après un long combat sur le terrain mené par les femmes députés que cette proposition de loi a vu le jour.En effet, nous ne savons à quel point le poids des coutumes et les traditions culturelles ont la peau tenace.Aujourd’hui encore, nous continuons inlassablement notre politique de sensibilisation indispensable pour changer les mœurs de notre société. Au quotidien, nous menons nos actions au sein du Centre de l’Union nationale des Femmes djiboutiennes. Ce Centre accueille des jeunes déscolarisés en leur offrant une palette de formations en cuisine, couture, puériculture, etc. L’objectif est double: il s’agit de favoriser leur insertion socioprofessionnelle pour leur permettre de gagner décemment leur vie. Un centre similaire d’autonomisation de la femme existe aussi dans la banlieue de Djibouti.Par ailleurs, on peut noter le Centre communautaire de Santé assurant la gratuité des méthodes contraceptives en faveur des jeunes filles et des femmes, et ce afin d’éviter les grossesses non désirées ou trop rapprochées.Sur le plan économique, des avancées ont été réalisées en faveur des femmes. Nous le savons tous, la femme est le socle de la société et le pilier du foyer, et une femme qui a des revenus assure le plein épanouissement de sa famille. En premier lieu, le secteur informel étant dominé par la gente féminine, le gouvernement a mis en place un programme de micro-finance assurant le financement de microprojets, générateurs de ressources. Ainsi des caisses d’épargne et de crédit ont été implantées un peu partout sur le territoire et prêtent aux femmes de petites sommes d’argent à un taux d’intérêt minime pour démarrer leurs activités économiques. Cette initiative prônait l’esprit entrepreneurial des femmes issues des milieux défavorisés qui n’ont pas droit au système classique bancaire.Une initiative couronnée de succès.Dans la pratique, on constate que les femmes remboursent leurs prêts tout en menant en parallèle leurs activités.Par ailleurs, pour pallier à la précarité du secteur informel, en 2014 une loi sur l’assurance-maladie universelle a été adoptée.Voilà, Mesdames et Messieurs, quelques exemples dans divers domaines où sur le plan juridique les droits de la femme ont connu une évolution significative dans mon pays. Bien entendu, il faut nuancer, car l’évolution n’est pas la même selon les secteurs, mais l’optimisme est permis. Donc, les choses sont en train de bouger et dans le bon sens.Mesdames et Messieurs,Chers Collègues,Il nous revient à nous, Parlementaires, de mettre un accent sur la mise en œuvre effective du Protocole de Maputo, instrument légal et légitime qui détermine les droits de la femme en Afrique de façon transversale.Je vous remercie de votre aimable attention.REFERENCE: 1205-101105FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je vous remercie Honorable.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Ignatienne NYIRARUKUNDO, Vice-présidente du Groupe des Femmes parlementaires du Parlement panafricain à faire sa présentation.Vous avez cinq minutes!REFERENCE: 1205-101750FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Toutes les présentations sont terminées.Le débat général est ouvert!(Coup de maillet)Chers collègues,Je voudrais attirer l’attention des femmes et demander aux femmes d’ovationner les hommes qui sont dans la salle aujourd’hui, parce que si on compte le nombre d’hommes, ils sont plus nombreux que les femmes. Cela signifie que les hommes soutiennent les femmes et comme disait un collègue dans cette salle, « nous aimons les femmes ». Donc, je crois que depuis le matin, on ne fait que parler « femmes », « femmes », « femmes » et les hommes sont là pour entendre.Il faut vraiment les applaudir.(Applaudissements)J’ai devant moi une liste de quarante-deux (42) personnes. Cela démontre que le sujet est intéressant. Mais malheureusement, nous avons limité le temps. Essayez de poser des questions, s’il y a des questions à poser. S’il y a une remarque, la remarque et question suffisent pour une durée de deux (2) minutes. Pas plus que deux (2) minutes. Il n’y aura même pas une minute additionnelle. Même si c’est Mamar Mahamat qui veut parler, elle aura droit à deux (2) minutes. Pas plus! Elle a eu le bonus lors de son anniversaire.Aujourd’hui, c’est deux (2) minutes pour tout le monde.Je ne vais pas lire les noms. Si quelqu’un se rend compte que son nom n’est pas sur la liste, quand on aura appelé tout le monde, il peut demander la parole en levant le bras.Le premier inscrit sur ma liste est l’Honorable Domai Gatpan KULANG du Sud Soudan.C’est un homme!Bravo, vous avez la parole!REFERENCE: 1205-101937EHON. DOMAI GATPAN KULANG [SOUTH SUDAN]:Thank you, Mr President.The topic is so interesting. The list is so long for the rights of women in particular. My country South Sudan ratified the Maputo Protocol early last year. Now our women are so active in their caucus in the national Parliament. They attend all types of fora, be it international or continental.The legislation was even made for the age of marriage. Before a girl reaches the age of 22 years, she cannot be married. That legislation is there. It was passed in 2013, if I remember correctly. We have a long list of women’s rights such as the right to education and the right to choose who to marry when they reach 22 years, what to own and their career. You know, so many men are driving cars and our poor women are...REFERENCE: 1205-102216ETHE PRESIDENT:Excuse me.Yes, you have the Floor.HON. AGNES KWAJE LASUBA (MRS.) [SOUTH SUDAN]:Thank you, Mr President.First and foremost, I wish to congratulate the three ladies who gave us the presentations. I think they covered most challenges and problems faced by women on our continent.My colleague said something about South Sudan but I am going to say that we have not done most of the things. Yes, we have adopted the Maputo Protocol but there is still a lot for us to work on. Some of the issues that have been said like the FDN and what the gentleman there mentioned are very productive. To achieve all that is in the Maputo Protocol, we need to work together with our Ministry of Gender because we have that ministry which deals with women affairs. I can assure you that some of the things we hear as Members from South Sudan we will go and make sure that we share them with our Parliament.Thank you Mr President.REFERENCE: 1205-102345EHON. MILLIE GRACE AKOTH ODHIAMBO-MABONA (MRS) [KENYA]:Mr. President, I thank you for giving me this opportunity. Even as we speak about women’s rights in Africa, I want to say that I am a very passionate defender of women’s rights both in my country and in Africa. Therefore, today is a very special day for me.I want to speak in respect to Kenya. A lot has been done in Kenya in respect to protecting women’s rights. Kenya is one of the few countries that have done a lot in ratifying international and regional treaties on women’s rights. At the national level, we have done an excellent job in terms of the laws. The constitution is very positive. We have very excellent provisions in relation to women’s rights. In terms of political participation of women, our constitution provides that no less than one third of either gender shall be in any elective position. Economic and social rights of women are very heavily protected. The challenge for us as a country is moving from rhetoric to action and moving from the laws to actual implementation of the laws.We have a case which I indicated here earlier. Last week, most of us from Kenya were not able to come because we have an anomaly in the constitution. Although we have a one-third representation enshrined in the constitution, we did not provide a formula for realising the same. We are seeking to do an amendment to the constitution to realise this. We failed but we have not given up as women of Kenya. We are still fighting. I know the East and Southern African Regions are not doing very well.Thank you.REFERENCE:1205-102553PHON. VERÓNICA NATANIEL MACAMO DLHOVO (MRS.) [MOÇAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigada Senhor PresidenteLamentar a situaçao das nossas irmas no Sahara, esperar que efectivamente o mundo resolva o problema de Sahara.ExcelênciasO problema de equidade de género nao é um problema de mulheres é um problema das sociedades.Com efeito, a populaçao do nosso continente é constituída maioritariamente por mulheres e se as sociedades nao aproveitarem integralmente a energia, capacidade e inteligência das mulheres é a própria sociedade que perde ou seja a integraçao da mulher na vida política, económica e sócio-cultural é uma necessidade das nossas sociedades e dos nossos países.Em Moçambique, homens e mulheres sao iguais perante a lei, a nível da Constituiçao e a nível das leis ordinárias.Nós tivemos que aprovar uma política de género, mas também adoptar mecanismos de sua implementaçao.A mulher moçambicana está representada em todos os órgaos do poder. Só para citar um exemplo nesta Câmara, Moçambique é representado por três mulheres e dois homens.Para lograr os avanços estabelecemos mecanismos institucionais e instrumentos que promovem o avanço da mulher:Aprovamos a política de género e estratégia da sua implementaçao;Aprovamos a Lei de Terra que estabelece direitos iguais entre homens e mulheres, incluindo o direito ao título de propriedade e de herança.Senhor PresidenteNo ámbito da promoçâo da familia e na prevençao e combate à violência baseada no género aprovamos a Lei da Família, a Lei contra a Violência Doméstica e a Lei Contra o Tráfico de Pessoas, especialmente de mulheres e crianças, instrumentos legais de defesa dos direitos da mulher e das crianças.Em Moçambique, a violência doméstica é crime público, qualquer pessoa pode denunciar.Estamos agora a rever a Lei das Sucessoes para protegermos a mulher e a criança em caso de morte de marido.Muito obrigada.REFERENCE: 1205-102812FHON. DJANTOU TRAORÉ [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, de m’avoir accordé la parole.À mon tour, je joins ma voix à celles de mes prédécesseurs pour féliciter les intervenants pour la qualité de leurs présentations, et surtout les efforts déployés en faveur des femmes africaines.C’est dans cette optique que l’Union africaine a déclaré la décennie de la femme africaine de 2010 à 2020.Mes questions sont les suivantes:Quels sont les principaux acquis de la décennie depuis son lancement en 2010? ça c’est ma première question.Deuxièmement, quelles stratégies avez-vous mises en place pour la domestication du Protocole de Maputo et sa mise en œuvre dans tous les pays d’Afrique?Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1205-102915EHON. PATRICIA UMU DANCAY-BANGURA (MRS) [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you, Mr President for giving me the Floor. I will go straight to the point because there is no enough time. Hello Honourable Members. I wish to limit my intervention to the subject of violence against women in Africa, especially as 2016 has been designated as Africa’s Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on the rights of women.Mr President and Honourable Colleagues, violence against women in Africa has been very prevalent, although great efforts have been made towards ending of this violence. However, those efforts in the form of policies passed in various assemblies are most likely on paper sitting on shelves accumulating dust somewhere.Mr President and Honourable Members, Africa has a long standing tradition of inequality between men and women which has led to a high rate of violence against women. Violence against women comes in many forms; domestic violence, which is part of spousal abuse and other male abuses; sexual abuse which happens between known and unknown partners and raping of women with impunity. For example, everywhere in Africa where there is a conflict, raping of women is used as a weapon of war. Women are raped and impregnated and sometimes families reject these women and children within their community and they become stigmatised.Domestic violence is the biggest threat in West Africa. Violation of African women’s rights is an epidemic in West Africa. Women in Africa are most likely to experience violence than women in Europe. How do we end such...REFERENCE: 1205-103125FHON. NOÉ MBONIGABA [BURUNDI]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, de me donner la parole.Et je remercie vivement les oratrices pour leur présentation très enrichissante.La mise en exergue du rôle de la femme dans la promotion du développement dans notre continent est indéniable. Cependant, de nombreux défis restent à relever. En guise d’exemple, le cadre légal dans certains pays est discriminatoire vis-à-vis de la femme tandis que dans d’autres malgré le fait que le cadre légal consacre et promeut les droits de la femme, le poids de la culture reste un défi.Je citerais l’exemple de mon pays. Tous les textes juridiques qui régissent notre pays ne discriminent pas la femme. L’exemple de la Constitution qui prévoit 30 % des femmes dans les institutions. Cependant, je tiens à souligner que le poids de la culture pose, encore une fois, des difficultés à la succession de la femme en matière foncière. Jusque-là, la loi en la matière n’est pas encore votée. Mais ce n’est pas par manque de volonté politique, mais c’est beaucoup plus surtout le problème de l’évolution des mentalités surtout dans les zones rurales.Cependant, l’effort est en train d’être fait pour que cette situation soit changée.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1205-103330FHON. EVELYNE BUTOYI [BURUNDI]:Merci, Honorable Président, de m’accorder la parole.Je dois d’abord féliciter les présentateurs, et en plus de ce que mon collègue du Burundi a dit, je dois ajouter certains mécanismes et/ou actions ou mesures qui ont été pris, notamment l’adoption d’une loi portant prévention et répression de violences faites aux femmes. Sinon chez nous, les femmes, par rapport à leurs compétences, elles ont accès à beaucoup de postes, beaucoup de responsabilités.Il y a aussi la gratuité des études pour toutes les femmes, les enfants, je veux dire, mais aussi il y a le Réseau des femmes qui a été mis en place, justement, pour mobiliser les femmes. Mais ce qu’il vient de dire, c’est ça au fait, il y a beaucoup à faire surtout pour la femme rurale.Merci Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 1205-103435FHON. AMINA ABDOU SOUNA [NIGER]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais, à mon tour, remercier les différents intervenants pour la qualité de leurs présentations.Je vais parler de mon pays, le Niger, où le droit civil est principalement coutumier, ce qui perpétue des discriminations envers les femmes, notamment en ce qui concerne l’accès à la terre, l’héritage, le mariage précoce et même forcé, la claustration, la répudiation, la garde des enfants et la défense face aux violences.En outre, par manque d’information, les femmes ne jouissent pas pleinement des droits qui leur sont reconnus par l’État.Conscient des inégalités de genre dont souffrent les femmes au Niger, le gouvernement a adopté en 1996 une Politique nationale de Promotion de la Femme. L’un des premiers résultats concrets de cette politique est l’instauration d’une loi sur le quota qui donne 30 % aux femmes dans les postes nominatifs et 15% aux postes électifs.Dans le même esprit, il a ratifié plusieurs conventions et traités internationaux visant l’amélioration des conditions de vie des femmes au Niger.L’école des maris, une initiative créée en 2008 par l’UNFPA était un exemple réussi car à travers cette initiative, les hommes sont impliqués dans la promotion de la santé maternelle pour favoriser un changement positif de comportement au niveau communautaire; ce qui a entrainé une amélioration des indicateurs d’accouchements assistés ainsi qu’une augmentation de la demande en services de planification familiale.Malgré tous ces efforts, beaucoup reste à car les femmes demeurent largement sous-représentées dans nos instances publiques de décision.Les violences, à leur égard, prospèrent souvent à raison des obstacles à l’accès des [Temps de parole épuisé]M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Thank you very much. I now have to give the floor to Honourable AHAMAT TAHIR AHAMAT from ChadREFERENCE: 1205-103644FHON. AHAMAT TAHIR AHAMAT [TCHAD]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, pour l’opportunité que vous me donnez, pour participer à ce débat relatif aux droits humains.Je voudrais juste poser une question, celle de savoir quel est l’état de ratification de la Charte de Maputo? C’est-à-dire, quels sont les États, le nombre des États qui ont ratifié jusqu’à ce jour la Charte de Maputo?Merci beaucoup.REFERENCE: 1205-103715EHON. BONGANI MDLULI [SWAZILAND]:Thank you, Mr. President.May I withdraw it.REFERENCE: 1205-103727FHON. ZALIKATOU DIALLO [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci Monsieur le Président.À mon tour, je voudrais bien féliciter les différentes présentatrices qui se sont succédé pour la qualité de leurs présentations et féliciter aussi le Bureau et le Président du PAP pour avoir choisi une journée du PAP sur les droits de la femme.Mon intervention s’articule au tour de deux points, sur la Guinée mon pays.Premièrement, il s’agit des Mutilations Génitales Féminines (MGF). Notre pays bat un record triste de pratiques de mutilations génitales féminines, ceci en dépit de toutes les stratégies mises en place: la loi votée et promulguée sur la répression contre les pratiques de ce genre. Mais une étude a montré qu’entre 2005 et 2012 le taux de MGF est passé de 95,5 % à 96,9 %.Ma question est de savoir quelles sont les stratégies, selon vous, qu’on pourrait vraiment mettre en place?Qu’est-ce que vous nous recommandez pour pouvoir inverser la tendance?Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1205-103856AHON. SULTAN HASHIM IDRIS [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكراً سيدي الرئيس.نظرا لضيق الوقت سأطرح على مسامعكم سؤالين:السؤال األول: ما هو الدور الذي يرجى من البرلمان األفريقي القيام به تجاه قضية الصحراء الغربية على الصعيد األفريقي و الدولي؟السؤال الثاني: موجه لتجمعات النساء و الشباب: هل هناك دراسة تفصيلية حول تطبيق بروتوكول مبوتو و حقوق المرأة الوارد في مواثيق األمم المتحدة؟وأخيراً، الدين الحنيف دين الإسلام كرم بني أدم إجمالا و"لقد كرمنا بني أدم و يقول النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام النساء شقائق الرجال" هذه كلمة جامعة تعزز حقوق المرأة وحقوق الإنسان بشكل عام.وشكراً أخي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1205-103956KSMHE. DAVID ERNEST SILINDE [TANZANIA]:Asante sana Mheshimiwa Rais, mimi nina mambo mawili tu. Pamoja na mada hii kuwa nzuri kuna mambo makubwa mawili ambayo sisi kama Afrika ni lazima tukubali kuyafanya. Jambo la kwanza ni kwamba mataifa sasa yawe tayari kubadilisha mtazamo (change the mind set), na kuona kwamba wanawake wana haki sawa na wanaume.Jambo la pili, kama tuko tayari, ni lazima tukubali kubadilika, kwamba twende kinyume na imani zetu pamoja na mila na desturi ambazo zimekuwa zikikandamiza haki za mwanamke.Mheshimiwa Rais, leo tunaweza tukajadili sana kuhusu suala hili lakini ukifika mwisho wa siku linapokuja suala linalohusu imani ya mtu utakuta mtu anasita kufanya uamuzi. Wanawake wamepewa elimu; wanawake wanapewa mali, lakini inapofika kwenye imani ya dini husika; cha kwanza kabisa ambacho tunatakiwa tuanze kukipigania ni suala hili ukandamizaji wa haki za wanawake ambalo linaanza kwenye imani za dini pamoja na mila na desturi.Kwenye upande wa Serikali haya mambo yamekuwa yakiwezekana kutokana na utayari wa sisi viongozi. Kwa hiyo, mimi niseme kabisa kwamba tunapompa elimu mwanamke ni lazima sasa hivi tuanzishe program maalumu. Kwamba kwenye kila familia inayosomesha mwanamke, Serikali ziwe zinatoa motisha (incentives) kwa kila msichana anayesoma. Serikali zihamishe wanawake, kwa mfano, zimtoe mwanamke kutoka Tanzania aje asome katika mazingira mengine ili kumbadilisha katika ule mtazamo. Lakini tukiendelea na taratibu hizi hizi kwamba wanawake tutawawezesha kwenye elimu; tutawapa madaraka; tutawapa fedha kwa maana ya mitaji ya biashara, kama tutashindwa kubadili mtazamo wetu katika mila, desturi pamoja na dini zetu kukubali nguvu ya mwanamke katika jamii, hilo jambo halitatokea. Mwisho, Serikali ziwezekeze katika maendeleo, maana yake maeneo yote yaliyoendelea, mataifa!REFERENCE: 1205-104245EHON. EUGENE FALLAH KPARKAR [LIBERIA]:Mr. President, thank you very much.I thank all the presenters for having underscored the importance of this topic and for their heroism and observance of the rights of women in Africa. In my country, we have domesticated a number of instruments regarding the rights of women. We are currently debating the Domestic Violence Bill. We are looking at all the nuances with a possibility of passage. The sentiments in the National Legislature point to the fact that that instrument will be passed. I also abhore all types of discrimination against women in Africa. At the same time, I urge my African women not to discriminate one another. Whether you have a difference of tribe, religion or geography, I urge you not to discriminate one another. If you discriminate against one another, then you are defeating the purpose of this advocacy.Besides that, I also want to use this platform to wish the mothers of Africa a happy mothers’ day.Thank you very much.ApplauseTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much. Now, I want to give the Floor to Hon. Salah Afifi Abd El Zaher from Egypt.REFERENCE: 1205-104435AHON. SALAH AFIFI ABD EL ZAHER [EGYPT]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكراً السيد الرئيس، وشكر خاص للمنصة الكريمة، فقراراتنا الأفريقية تحتاج منا رؤية صادقة تتواكب مع معطيات العصر، و قد وفق الاتحاد الأفريقي في اختياره عام 2016 عامل للسنة الأفريقية لحقوق الإنسان، وبالتركيز بشكل خاص على حقوق المرأة، لابد أن تكون المرأة الأفريقية من الأولويات، و علينا السعي قدما من أجل مناصرتها، و العمل سويا للقضاء على جميع أشكال العنف ضدها و تمكينها من الحصول على كافة حقوقها الإنسانية و الاجتماعية و السياسية و الصحية و الاقتصادية، ففي مصر و بعد ثورتين عظيمتين كان للمرأة دور فعال في العراك السياسي، الأمر الذي حذى بالدستور المصري لوضع قوانین تنصفها و تصونها ضد أي نوع من أنواع العنف و جميع القوانين المصرية تسعى إلى تمثيل المرأة في كافة المجالات والوزارات و الأعمال الحكومية، فنسبة 14% من نواب البرلمان المصري كانت من نصيب النساء، كذلك في المحليات قدرت نسبة تمثيل المرأة بنسبة 25% على الأقل، كما أن القيادة السياسية في مصر الآن تعتز بدور المرأة المصرية في المجتمع المصرى وتسعى دوما نحو تمكينها من الحصول على كافة حقوقها في كافة المجالات.وأخيراً، أتمني التوفيق للمرأة الأفريقية بصفة عامة و المرأة المصريةبصفة خاصة نحو تحقيق مستقبل أفضل.السالم عليكم و رحمة هللا.REFERENCE: 1205-104616EHON. SEHARLA ABDULAHI (MRS) [ETHIOPIA]:Thank you, Mr President. I would like to congratulate all the presenters.I would like to speak in respect of my country. Ethiopia. In Ethiopia the commitment is based on each and every aspect of the Protocol. Our Deputy Prime Minister made a commitment at the first government summit to end child marriage in Ethiopia so that a girl can only be married at the age of twenty or twenty-five years. So, this is one step in working with the national platform. The national policy and women’s development package are the most useful tools in our country’s perspective. If we can take the national policy, the penal code, female genital mutilation (FGM) and drug trafficking...MR PRESIDENT:Thank you...Oh. Finish.HON. SEHARLA ABDULAHI:Okay.Otherwise one can be charged with a crime.Thank you.REFERENCE: 1205-104731FHON. ROUAMBA WORKYA [BURKINA FASO]:Merci Monsieur le Président. Je voudrais préciser que mon nom, c’est ROUAMBA Workya, et non Workaya.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:C’est Workya?D’accord!HON. ROUAMBA WORKYA [BURKINA FASO]:Je suis Workya ROUAMBA du Burkina Faso et je voudrais également remercier les présentatrices pour le choix pertinent du thème et je voudrais, ici, dire que mon pays, le Burkina Faso, vient d’amorcer la démocratie vraie et qui a porté à sa tête le Président Roch Marc Christian KABORÉ et notre Président de l’Assemblée nationale qui ne ménagent aucun effort pour la promotion de la femme et surtout, cette promotion prend une place de choix dans leur programme.Je voudrais dire que ces maux existent, parce que nos politiques manquent de sincérité.Monsieur le Président,Tous ces maux que je ne pourrais pas citer, ici, sont une réalité, une réalité immorale qui heurte notre sensibilité et notre sentiment naturel de justice et d’équité.Alors, je trouve que c’est inacceptable, parce qu’ils empêchent nos pays d’aller réellement de l’avant en créant de l’emploi et en stimulant la croissance économique et surtout offrant à tous les peuples la possibilité de bâtir un avenir meilleur, car voyez-vous, Monsieur le Président, aucun pays ne peut avancer, quand la moitié de sa population est laissée pour compte.Pour finir, Monsieur le Président, je dirais que lorsque les femmes obtiennent le pouvoir d’exercer leurs droits fondamentaux et bénéficient de l’égalité de chance, il se produit un résultat stupéfiant. Alors, je pense que ces avantages s’étalent à l’ensemble des collectivités et du continent africain tout entier.Je demande alors aux politiques d’être sincères dans la prise en compte des droits fondamentaux des femmes.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1205-104929EHON. LOIDE L. KASINGO [NAMIBIA]:Thank you, Mr. President. I believe that there is positive correlation between the empowering of women at all levels, that is political and socioeconomic as well as the democratisation in development of the continent.Once you empower women at all the three levels, then everything will go smoothly. Women are the people who carry babies for nine months. If they are carrying babies, they are the people who are right at the centre to make sure that babies live.In Namibia, we have got a liberal position backed by local law to protect women. Regardless of the international convention we ratified and the local law we have, we have challenges with regard to domestic violence. We have a domestic violence law but women are beaten and violated every time. I think that the solution is within us women. The law cannot find the solution to child marriage as well as the beating of women. We are the people who must bring up our children into responsible citizens.Next time, I would like the researchers and the resource persons to consider these issues. What are our constitutions doing in terms of brining up our children, and also for the effective implementation of our local law and the conventions?REFERENCE: 1205-105147FHON. ELHADJ DIAO KANTE [GUINÉE CONAKRY]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Monsieur le Président, je remercie également les exposants parce que^ habituel de le faire.Mais si j’ai demandé à prendre la parole, c’est parce que c’est un thème qui me pose beaucoup de problèmes.J’avoue que je ne comprends pas. L’année 2016, année des droits de l’homme de l’union africaine avec un accent particulier sur les droits de la femme.Monsieur le Président, nous avons... depuis 1945, on a adopté la déclaration universelle des droits de l’ homme, Homme majuscule, Homme/Femme; nous avons les droits de l’homme et des peuples adoptés par les États africains en 1981, comprenant donc hommes et femmes, et il y a la conférence de Begin qui a revendiqué les 25 % de quota des femmes; ces 25 % — ça c’est depuis 2003 — on ne sait pas exactement où nous en sommes aujourd’hui; et je sais que dans la pratique, beaucoup d’États sont entre 45 et 50 % de nomination de ces femmes aux différents postes. Et aujourd’hui, 2016, année des droits de l’homme et de la femme, avec quel bilan? Qu’est-ce que nous entendons faire en 2016? Nous sommes déjà au cinquième mois de 2016.Monsieur le Président, je crois qu’il y a des thèmes qu’on inscrit uniquement pour faire des discours, et moi je suis gêné à mon âge de faire des discours qui ne servent pas à grand-chose.Je voudrais que nous ayons un bilan; qu’est-ce que nous avons fait de ce qui avait été décidé? Qu’est-ce que nous allons faire en 2016 pour donner ces droits aux femmes?Dans mon pays, nous reconnaissons effectivement les violences à l’endroit des femmes, mais toute violence à l’endroit d’une femme est considérée comme un crime dans le code pénal qui a été adopté en 1958. C’est un crime pour nous, en Guinée.Nous reconnaissons des violences, mais les mutilations génitales, c’est de la part des femmes; aucune femme ne veut avoir sa fille qui, à un certain âge, n’est pas excise dans des pays, parce qu’on suppose que son comportement n’est pas maîtrisable. Ça ce n’est pas une affaire des hommes, c’est une affaire...M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup, cher Honorable.REFERENCE: 1205-105414EHON. LAURA VEENDAPI MCLEOD-KATJIRUA [NAMIBIA]:Mr President, thank you for giving me the Floor. Let me also thank the presenters for their well articulated presentations.Let me just quickly sort my papers. By taking the Floor I am not going to ask questions or be critical. I want to share the position of my country and our experiences regarding women empowerment in relation to education.Mr President, two minutes is just not enough to talk about a country’s progress but basically to just maybe give the highlights. Namibia gained its independence almost 26 years back, having been oppressed for almost 100 years. Due to our Apartheid background, our country’s education system was most vulnerable and the illiteracy rate very high among our people. The empowerment and inclusion of women was nearly none in the Apartheid era.Mr President, after independence we now pride ourselves in the following achievements or highlights: establishment of two universities in the Republic of Namibia, based in the capital city and branches in other regions and one medical school. The Republic of Namibia has allocated a lion’s share of our budget to education as the country’s priority. As a result, we have introduced free education at primary and secondary levels, we have a free feeding programme at primary school, we established literacy classes for formal school dropouts...REFERENCE: 1205-105616FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Non, vous ne pouvez plus parler. Vous avez présenté. Hein!Je donne la parole à l’honorable MAI ABDULLAH de l’Egypte.REFERENCE: 1205-105633AHON. MAI MAHMOUD EBRAHIM (MS) [EGYPT]:شكرأ سيادة الرئيسشكراً كافة الزملاء،أود بادئ ذي بدء أن أتوجه بالشكر الجزيل إلى كل رجل داخل هذه القاعة أو خارجها استطاع أن يمكن إمرأة من الحصول على مكانتها سواء كانت سياسية أو اجتماعية أو اقتصادية، الشكر موصول إلى الرئيس المصري عبد الفتاح السيسي، الذي ارتفعت في عهده نسبة تمثيل المرأة في البرلمان من نسبة %6 إلى نسبة ،%02 ونحن نعرف جميعا أن هذه النسبة غير كافية لتمثيل المرأة داخل المواقع المختلفة، و لكنها البداية فقط لتمكين المرأة في كل المجاالت في مصر، و من خاللها تمكينها في كامل القارة األفريقية،احتوى البرلمان المصري على 89 إمرأة ممثلة للشعب المصري، استطعن أن يحصلن على رئاسة لجنتين داخل البرلمان المصري، وأمانة سر أربع لجان، وعلى وكالة ثماني لجان من لجان البرلمان المصري، و أعيدها مرة أخرى هي ليست كافية ولكنها البداية التي يخوضها المواطن المصري و الشعب المصري و المواطن الأفريقي و الشعب الأفريقي، وهنا لست أطالب الرجل فقط بمساعدة المرأة بل أطالب المرأة أيضابمساعدة المرأة، و لكن لألسف الشديد في الكثير من األحيان تكون المرأةهي من تقف ضد المرأة في الحصول على حقوقها، و هي ذاتها التي التثق بالمرأة.REFERENCE: 1205-105841FHON. AMOUSSOUVI KPADENOU [TOGO]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.J’ai écouté religieusement toutes les communications, mais il y a deux communications qui ont retenu mon attention.La toute première et celle présentée par Docteur Seynabou Tall.J’avoue que les statistiques qu’elle a avancé en ce qui concerne le mariage précoce, ces statistiques-là, j’ai été ahuris en entendant de telle statique. Parce que dans mon pays, ce n’est pas la situation.Si je pose la question de savoir quelles sont les raisons? On va me dire que c’est la tradition, c’est la religion.Alors, je me pose une question, si la situation est-elle, au niveau des gouvernements puisque le FNUAP travaille avec les gouvernements, quelle stratégie est-ce que le FNUAP pense mettre en place pour qu’on remédie à une telle situation? Parce que si, nous ne remédions pas à cette situation, la situation de la femme ne va jamais changer en Afrique. Parce que les jeunes, c’est l’avenir de demain. Si elles ne peuvent pas progresser, si 75% doivent être mariées très précocement, on ne pourra jamais avancer. Je dis au niveau de ce Parlement que nous avons de lourde responsabilité. Nous sommes des parlementaires, nous sommes issus de la population et nous avons un très grand rôle a joué pour pouvoir inverser la tendance.Je vous remercieREFERENCE: 1205-110045PHON. FRANCISCA DOMINGOS TOMÁS (MRS) [MOZAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigada Senhor PresidenteEm Moçambique, no dominio dos avanzos políticos referidos pela minha Presidente, quero acrescentar que nós temos uma Presidente da Assembleia da República, duas chefes de Bancadas Parlamentares, das tres existentes no nossso Parlamento, uma Procuradora-Geral da República de Mozambique, além de envolvimento de mulheres nos domínios técnicos, outrora considerados domínios masculinos.Quando avaliamos a classe empresarial do nosso país, constatamos que na pirámide, poucas mulheres empresárias ocupam posizoes cimeiras.Estamos a fazer esforzos para assegurar, cada vez mais, uma maior equidade de género e empoderamento económico da mulher, pois nao queremos que a mulher continue a ser a “cara da pobreza”.Neste domínio, foi criado um Fundo de Desenvolvimento Agrário que privilegia o finaciamento em condizoes preferenciais, iniciativas de mulheres empreendedoras. Por isso, Senhor Presidente, na área económica defendemos que homens e mulheres, jovens e adultos devem, de maos dadas, impulsionar o desenvolvimento dos nossos países.Muito obrigada pela atenzao dispensada.REFERENCE: 1205-110214FHON. RABETAFIKA NOROVELOMAPIONONA ROBETHINE [MADAGASCAR]:Merci, Monsieur le Président, de me donner la parole.Tout d’abord, je voudrais féliciter les intervenants.J’ai une question: Quelles sont les dispositions de l’Union africaine par rapport aux États membres qui n’ont pas appliqué les articles 19, 20, 21 et 22 de la Charte, qu’on ne veut pas de Sahara Occidental.Merci Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 1205-110547EHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI (MRS.) [SIERRA LEONE]:Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let me thank the presenters for their presentations.Mr. President, Honourable Members, we have stressed education, as very important for women’s liberation and I do agree. We have stressed economic emancipation for women’s liberation, I agree. We have stressed lots of things. What we may not have stressed is the changing of the mindset because even when we are educated our rights are violated; when we are economically empowered our rights are violated; when we live in rural or urban areas our rights are violated. So, it does not matter what status a woman has, her rights still continue to be violated.So, I think all the issues have to do with the mindset. Let us change our mindsets, not only of men but also of women. It is the mindset that may be perpetuating these things.When my father had a good mindset, he gave me and my brother the same treatment. So, let us cultivate positive mindset from socialisation, in our curriculum in schools, fraternity and everywhere else. Let us go on massive education to change the mindset. I think it is the mindset that is going to be the key, because if we are educated and we are violated, we have money and we are violated, what will be the underlying factor of our violation other than our cultural mindset, socialisation and inculcation that women are seen not toTHE PRESIDENT:Thank you very much. Now I want to give the Floor to Hon. Thandi Cecillia Memela from South Africa.REFERENCE: 1205-110807EHON. THANDI CECILLIA MEMELA (MRS) [SOUTH AFRICA]:Mr. President, thank you. May I be allowed...THE PRESIDENT:Go on.HON. THANDI CECILLIA MEMELA (MRS) [SOUTH AFRICA]:May I be allowed to quote the speech that was made in 1973 by a former president of Mozambique, President Samora Machel? He said:“The emancipation of women is not an act of charity, the result of a humanitarian or compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for the revolution, the guarantee of its continuity and a precondition for its victory.”These words were relevant in 1973 and are still relevant for the women. It might be a bitter pill for some of the people but I will say that the fence of the truth has sharp edges. Women are still oppressed by the government systems even in emancipated Africa. As women, we do not need favours because we have the same capacity, if not better than that of other counterparts, but the playing field must be levelled to enable us to reach our full potential.While we appreciate some progress made in many parts of the continent, a lot still needs to be done.THE PRESIDENT:You have one more minute.HON. THANDI CECILLIA MEMELA (MRS) [SOUTH AFRICA]:Let us not be seen as people who are crying out for charity but recognised as the leaders. Remember that we are the pillars of a nation. To the people of Saharawi, the walk is coming to your place.Aluta continua.REFERENCE: 1205-111112FHON. PAULETTE MOUNGUENGUI [GABON]:Merci Monsieur le Président.Je voudrais, tout d’abord, féliciter les intervenants pour la qualité de leurs communications.Mon interrogation concerne la notion genre.Mesdames, pardonnez-moi mon ignorance, mais pour ma gouverne, je voudrais que Madame la Directrice Femmes, Genre et développement revienne sur cette notion qui, quelquefois, prête à confusion.En termes plus clairs, c’est quoi le genre?Quelles sont les cibles concernées en dehors de la femme?Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1205-111155EHON. MALINI SEWOCKSINGH (MRS) [MAURITIUS]:Thank you, Mr President.I would like to thank the speakers. Mauritius has gone a long way concerning gender equality. We have signed many treaties as Parliament to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.However, Mr President we still have some problems that we face. For example, the health gap, employment gap, leadership gap, investment gap and so on. But our government has a very strong willpower to reduce the gaps. We are taking firm actions, includingstrengthening laws to deal with domestic violence.Mr President, let me emphasise domestic violence today in this august Assembly. I would like to say that we should stop domestic violence. It is high time we got rid of domestic violence. We cannot accept that we are living in the 21st Century and women are still being violated, beaten, ill-treated and somewhere in some places women are still suffering and sometimes very often quietly.We say that if we educate one woman we educate the whole nation. In the same way, if one woman is suffering, the whole nation suffers. We are talking about human rights focused on women. As human beings, let us stop domestic violence. We are no lesser human beings. As Africans we are very powerful and can stop domestic violence if we speak with one voice and change the whole mindset as Ms Honourable Lahai just said.Mr President, in my own country we just came up with the National Women Council Bill. We are also talking about the Gender Equality Women Empowerment Award that the government is bringing...REFERENCE: 1205-111405EHON. HLATSHWAYO PHESHEYA VICTOR [SWAZILAND]:Thank you, Mr. President. Special thanks go to the presenters this morning.Mr. President, the liberation of women and respect of the rights of women, I believe, can be used as a vehicle to develop Africa. If we liberate our women from all spheres, Africa would be liberated from all angles.Mr. President, it is time women believed in themselves - that is very fundamental in this endeavour to liberate women. I personally believe that a man without a woman or an institution or a community without a woman is not a real community. So, we believe in women but we also note on a daily basis that the women do not believe in themselves and we want to urge women today to start believing in themselves.Precisely, Mr. President, we take pride in the manner we treat the issue of women. For example, Mr. President, you will be impressed to know that we, as a country, have taken a position that every child, regardless of gender, must go to school to access free education. We are very proud in Swaziland, and if girls are not going to school, it is because of other social reasons and we are proud of that.Currently, Mr. President, as a country, we are working on a new piece of legislation that seeks to enhance respect of the rights of a girl child in Swaziland and I am very happy to state here that a number of positions in Swaziland are being held by women.We want to encourage Africa, especially the men who are here in PAP to start looking at this issue from amore critical policy position. We have to advocate for the rights of women. Unless we take a stand -a good position and condemn...REFERENCE: 1205-111618SPHON . SUILMA HAY EMHAMED ELKAID (MRS.) [SARAWI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]Gracias Sr. Presidente. Quiero aprovechar para felicitar a los tres presidentes por sus exposiciones, han sido muy interesantes y nos han puesto al día de cómo está la situación de la mujer en África; le pido al Presidente que me dé un minuto más, pues voy hablar un poco sobre la situación de la mujer en África. Por el momento por lo menos como mujer africana me sienta contenta al descubrir que muchas veces nos dicen que somos las mujeres más atrasadas. Las mujeres menos emancipadas, y menos emprendedoras del mundo, sin embargo, últimamente en una exposición que tuve hacer en Europa, en el día de la mujer, investigando he encontrado que las mujeres africanos, el número, el por ciento de mujeres en los parlamentos es mucho mayor; en África que en muchos otros países del mundo; el segundo país en mujeres con cartera en ministerios, en gobiernos después de Finlandia esta Cabo Verde. He visto que las mujeres en los gobiernos, en los parlamentos, en las diferentes instituciones de nuestros respectivos estados hay muchas representación de mujeres, muchos más que muchos países en Europa que se considera como el primer mundo, por lo tanto, quiero felicitar a las mujeres africanas que vamos por el buen camino. Voy situarles un poco sobre la situación de la mujer en el Sahara, quiero compartir con vosotras hasta donde han llegado las mujeres en el Sahara, después de la retirada de la colonia española... interrupción.REFERENCE: 1205-111838AHON. KALTOUM ABDELKARIM SULEIMAN (MRS.) [SUDAN]:بسم هللا و الحمد هلل،سيدي الرئيس،شكراً على هذه الفرصة السانحة، وعبرك أحيي عارضى الأوراق وأقول لهم شكراً، نحن اليوم نتحدث عن موقف المرأة في قارتنا أفريقيا، وإذا أردنا أن نقوي موقف المرأة في أفريقيا علينا الاهتمام بالتعليم الأساسي و الثانوي، والاهتمام يكون بالكيف وليس بالكم، فنجد مثلا السودان بلدي في موضوع بتر الأعضاء التناسلية للمرأة قد تقدم كثيراً، فلقد قمنا ببرنامج سميناه دعوها تعيش (سليمة)، هذا الأخير أخذ نصيبه من الإعلام منذ سنين، والحمد الله أنهينا هذا البرنامج بنسبة %80% منه، أما في موضوع الميراث فللمرأة الحق أن ترث كأخاها الرجل، وفي المشاركة في الحكم نجد كثير من النساء اعتلين مناصب قيادية عليا من محاكم نيابية إلى وزارات إلى العديد من مواقف الحياة، كما شاركت المرأة في صنع القرار، فنجد أن برلماننا الوطني فيه حوالي 170 من النساء أي بنسبة.%25REFERENCE: 1205-112050EHON. BILLOW KERROW [KENYA]:Thank you, Mr President.I want to make three points. Firstly, the rights that we seem to be talking about in all these countries that we have achieved are those rights that the liberation feminist movements in the West have been fighting for, for some time now. These are the gender activism, sexual rights, political rights - these kinds of things. However, the African woman in terms of literacy, poverty, daily bread winner; in terms of the woman who is out there in the streets struggling to get food, water, to be the mother, to send the children to school, and so on, I think the lives of our African women have not changed. What we seem to be celebrating here in many of our countries whether rhetorically or in practice are appointments in public services, to parliaments, sexual rights and whether to marry at what age. I do not thinkthat those are the challenges. The challenges women face in Africa have not changed. Poverty and illiteracy are still the highest challenges among women in Africa. That is where we need to focus.The other point is about gender violence and violence during conflicts. I cannot imagine, a Member of Parliament standing here and saying we have got rights while in his country there are conflicts. In the last one year over 15 - 20,000 women have been raped. You cannot talk about women and their rights in your country when the UN soldiers have raped thousands of women and those who are doing that are not being condemned. There are challenges that we need to deal with regard to the fundamental rights of the ordinary African woman who is suffering out there and not the elitist women in town who get the benefits, the jobs, contracts and appointments. We need to focus our attention on the rights of women out there who have been ignored.Thank you!REFERENCE: 1205-112304AAN HONORABLE MEMBER [SUDAN]:بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيمشكرا سيدي الرئيس،شكراً الأخوة الأعضاء،نحن على قناعة تامة سيدي الرئيس، األخوة األعضاء الكرام، أنه إذا لم تعط المرأة حقوقها كاملة فلن يكون هناك تطور ونمو في هذه القارة، ألن المرأة الكريمة السوية غير المضطهدة و السليمة نفسيا تستطيع أن تنجب جيال مستقيما قويا يحافظ ويناضل من أجل وطنه ويحافظ عليه و العكس صحيح، فكما يقول المثل: وراء كل رجل عظيم إمرأة،سيدي الرئيس،أخوتي األعضاء،بدأنا نحن معشر الرجال في السودان بالتفكير في المستقبل، بتكوين روابط أو منظمات للحفاظ على حقوق الرجال، خوفا من المكاسب و الحقوق التي تعطيها الدولة للمرأة في السودان، و التي أصبحت تزيد يوما بعد يوم، أكثر من %21 من موظفي الخدمة المدنية من النساء بل أنها تتبوء كل الوظائف دون أي سقف، وأكثر من %21 عضوات في البرلمان بل أن أثنين من نواب رئيس البرلمان من النساء وأكثر من %22 منهن عضوات في مجلس الواليات أو مجلس الشيوخ، وللمرأة سيدي الرئيس.REFERENCE: 1205-112547SPHON. SUILMA HAY EMHAMED ELKAID (MRS.) [SAHARAWI DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC]:Gracias sr, Presidente por darme la palabra, quería hablar un poco sobre situación de la mujer en el Sahara Occidental, he dicho que después de la descolonización de nuestro territorio de la colonia española; las mujeres eran el 99% que no sabían ni leer ni escribir, sin embargo después de nuestra revolución, después de proclamación de la Republica Árabe Saharaui Democrática, actualmente el número de mujeres que saben leer y escribir es mayor del 99%, miles y miles de mujeres que han hecho universidades, la escuela es mixta en el Sahara, es gratuita y es obligatoria. El resultado en estos 40 años es en el Parlamento un 26% de mujeres, en el gobierno 15% de mujeres, en la educación y en la enseñanza 87%, en la salud 83%; como gobernadora un 40%, en los ayuntamientos más del 90%, en la diplomacia 20%, están en el ejército. Estos es manos o menos lo quería decir son los resultados de la participación y la emancipación durante esto 40 años y estamos en este camino, pero desgraciadamente no es el caso de nuestras hermanas que están en las zonas ocupadas, que se privan de todas estas posibilidades y son perseguidas... hay persecuciones... interrupción.REFERENCE: 1205-114127FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup.Je donne la parole à l’Honorable Mme MAHAWA KABA WHEELER pour ses réponses.REFERENCE: 1205-114152FMME MAHAWA KABA WHEELER [DIRECTRICE FEMME, GENRE ET DEVELOPPEMENT DE LA COMMISSION DE L’UNION AFRICAINE]:Je vous remercie.Monsieur le Président, tous les protocoles sont observés.Je vais essayer de parler lentement cette fois-ci afin qu’on puisse mieux me suivre.Pas mal de questions ont été posées, je vais essayer de les aborder par rapport à la définition du concept genre.En effet, il y a assez de confusions dans la définition de ce concept. C’est une approche d’analyse entre les rapports sociaux qui sont construits. Et l’approche genre a été mise en place pour, en fait, remettre en cause l’état actuel des rapports sociaux entre homme et femme, de la condition de la femme vis-à-vis de celle de l’homme. Et donc, je vous encourage vraiment à prendre davantage connaissance de ce que ce concept signifie. On n’a pas assez de temps, sinon Monsieur le Président, je me serais fait vraiment un plaisir de rentrer dans les détails. Et, malheureusement ou heureusement, le concept, a priori, a d’origine anglophone et donc, de par sa traduction, a tendance à perdre les intentions d’origine.Je me suis également réjouie d’écouter, en fait, les États membres présentant les acquis dans leur pays.Mais, Monsieur le Président, je peux vous assurer également, comme vous l’avez constaté, qu’il est très difficile d’obtenir des données sur ce qui ne va pas. Il est très facile d’obtenir des données sur ce qui va; et nous, à la Commission de l’Union Africaine, cela rend notre travail d’autant plus difficile que si nous présentons la vidéo du Saharawi, on aurait reçu des critiques par contre. Et on aurait également remis en question la validité, la crédibilité de ce que nous partageons. Et donc, nous dépendons énormément de la bonne volonté des États membres, de non seulement bien sûre célébrons nos acquis, mais également avoir saisit l’opportunité de présenter ce qui ne va pas. Parce qu’effectivement, nous avons réalisé des acquis, mais il y a pas mal de choses qui ne vont pas. Nous essayons également de travailler sur le comportement en général, le changement des comportements. Il y a beaucoup de concepts.Je peux vous dire, Monsieur le Président, il est vrai, on dit les femmes ne s’entendent pas, mais ce ne sont pas les femmes qui vont à la guerre, ce ne sont pas elles qui déclarent les guerres; ce ne sont pas elles qui se battent dans les hémicycles, autant qu’on le voie à l’étranger.Et souvent, ce concept de dire, les femmes sont à la base de pas mal de problèmes. Il est vrai, on pourrait mieux faire, mais l’attribution de tel ou tel rôle effectivement fait partie de cette problématique de genre dont nous voulons une meilleure prise en compte.Nous avons des soucis par rapport aux contradictions qui ont lieu dans les États membres. J’ai pris bonne note de plusieurs États membres qui ont fait état^ qui ont rapporté des données qui, malheureusement, ne sont pas toujours très bien fondées. Mais je vais m’abstenir de rentrer quand même dans les détails, et je pourrais les approcher pour en discuter.Nous avons également beaucoup de défis par rapport aux conflits d’intérêts, aux contradictions entre les lois nationales et les réalités coutumières et culturelles qui sont souvent régies par des droits patriarcaux dans la plus part de nos pays. Et donc, quelque soit en fait le degré de perfection de nos lois, tant qu’il n’y a pas cette prise en compte, même une harmonisation de nos réalités culturelles et traditionnelles, la mise en œuvre devient très, très difficile.Par rapport à l’année 2016, en fait la Commission de l’Union Africaine chaque année promulgue un thème. Et l’objectif primaire, c’est de réveiller les consciences, de focaliser les efforts. En fait, nous avons des priorités dans tous les domaines, mais on ne peut pas s’attaquer à toutes les priorités. Et donc, en accordant un thème bien précis, on se dit qu’on a ainsi l’occasion de favoriser sa prise en compte.Le projet 2016, il y a un cadre de mise en œuvre du projet 2016.Et, Monsieur le Président, je me ferai le plaisir de vous l’envoyer. Et dans ce projet, les rôles et les responsabilités de chacun sont définis, et nous faisons appel aux États membres de mettre en place des activités au niveau de leur pays.Monsieur le Président, comme vous l’avez constaté, les États membres sont davantage parfois mêmes mieux informés sur les réalités de leur pays que nous. Ils ont les informations, mais ils ont également les stratégies qu’il faut. Nous pouvons partager ce qui se passe ailleurs, mais déjà les États membres sont dans une très bonne position de pouvoir mettre en œuvre, comme on l’a dit, ces politiques qui sont déjà mises en place.Finalement, je voulais également me prononcer sur la question des droits. Tous nos droits sont importants. Et ici, j’aimerais citer notre Présidente, Docteur NKOSAZANA DLAMINI ZUMA, qui a dit qu’en fait, lorsque nous parlons des droits, il ne s’agit pas effectivement, comme vous l’avez dit, que des droits politiques mais tous les droits. Mais cependant, les droits politiques ne doivent pas être conçus comme le privilège des femmes venant d’une partie du Monde et non pas l’autre. Et lorsque nous fuyons, je le dis dans ma présentation, sans citer de données, et je le fais exprès. Dans notre travail, on vit effectivement de nos collaborés; on a tendance à ne pas vouloir trop mettre de pesanteur sur des données dans ce genre de rencontre. Mais, prochainement, Monsieur le Président, j’en tiendrai compte.Néanmoins, les femmes, bien qu’elles soient présentes grâce au quota, et je le répète, avant le quota on n’avait même pas les 30 %; grâce à la mise en place de ce quota, on a fait des progrès. Il y a des pays qui n’ont même pas encore atteint le seuil de 4 %. Mais ça, c’est au niveau peut-être exécutif; mais allez au niveau décentralisé, vous verrez très peu de femmes. Allez dans des institutions scolaires, vous verrez très peu de femmes dans le leadership; allez dans les hôpitaux, vous les verrez peut-être en masse comme infirmières; allez dans les bureaux, comme secrétaires. Mais vous ne les retrouverez pas ailleurs. Faites le décompte du nombre de gouverneurs, du nombre de maires, du nombre de préfets, du nombre de sous-préfets que vous retrouverez. Mais, néanmoins, nous célébrons les acquis que nous avons, parce qu’il faut commencer de quelque part. Sinon, on a encore du chemin à faire, et nous voulons vraiment mettre un accent, comme vous l’avez dit, le fait qu’il y a beaucoup de travail à faire. Ce paiement, l’Afrique est quand même le leader dans la représentation au niveau exécutif, et c’est là que nous nous tenons à nous en féliciter. Souvent, nous sommes, nous faisons la une à la télévision, à la radio, pour des choses qui ne vont pas. Mais pour une fois que, quand même, nous, nous avons le leadership dans quelque chose, je pense qu’il nous revient de le célébrer.Donc, Monsieur le Président, avec votre permission, je tiens une fois de plus à vraiment remercier le Parlement pour nous avoir donnés l’occasion de nous adresser à cette auguste Institution, mais également de la qualité du débat. J’ai pris très bonne note des commentaires, des suggestions et des questions qui ont été posées, et ce sera vraiment avec plaisir que nous reviendrons une prochaine fois et avec des délais beaucoup plus précis.Je vous remercie.REFERENCE: 1205-114945FLE PRESIDENT:Merci madame. Vous êtes la bienvenue à tout moment.Merci. Je donne la parole au Docteur Seynabou Tall pour quelques réponses, si elle en a.REFERENCE: 1205-115003FDR. SEYNABOU TALL [CONSEILLERE REGIONALE SUR LE GENRE DU FONDS DES NATIONS UNIES POUR LA POPULATION, BUREAU REGIONAL POUR L’AFRIQUE AUSTRALE ET L’AFRIQUE DE L’EST]:Merci beaucoup Monsieur le président.Merci beaucoup pour les commentaires, les informations sur les différents pays. J’ai appris beaucoup de choses. Je voulais simplement revenir sur deux préoccupations.La première, je pense, a été posée sur la table par la Guinée qui demandait quelles sont les stratégies à mettre en œuvre pour accélérer l’élimination de la mutilation génitale féminine. Je pense que c’est une préoccupation pour le MFPA et pour le système des Nations Unies.Aujourd’hui, nous avons un programme conjoint avec l’UNICEF que nous mettons en œuvre dans dix-sept pays en Afrique, en l’Égypte. Ce programme est destiné à accélérer effectivement l’élimination de la mutilation génitale féminine. Mais je pense que ce qui est plus important ici c’est l’approche multisectorielle que ce programme prend en amenant différentes partieprenantes et surtout en travaillant avec les organisations basées sur la foi, en travaillant avec les parlements, mais aussi en travaillant avec les réseaux de jeunes et les réseaux d’hommes. Donc, je pense que de ce.. nous pourrons avoir quelques.. parce que je vous ai dit que soixante pays avaient eu législation mais le taux de recul de mutilation génitale est de 1 %. Ce qui est vraiment un peu petit.L’Honorable Député du Togo a été ahuri par les statistiques. Je suis désolée pour cela mais je suis contente aussi de savoir que certains d’entre vous ont été ahuris. Nous ne sommes pas ahuris mais il faut que nous soyons outrés pour que ce genre de préoccupation ne soit plus sur la table en ce qui concerne le mariage des enfants. Quelles sont les stratégies que nous essayons de mettre en œuvre? Nous essayons de travailler à trois niveaux. Au niveau microéconomique avec les gouvernements, les parlements, nous essayons de mettre en place mais aussi de mettre en œuvre les lois que nos pays pratiquement, très peu de pays n’ont pas de moyens en ce qui concerne le mariage des enfants mais la mise en œuvre est en souffrance. La même chose que sur les questions de mutilation génitale féminine.Nous essayons de travailler aussi avec les réseaux des parlementaires, les réseaux religieux ou d’organisations basées sur la foi, les réseaux des jeunes et de façon aussi multisectorielle en amenant le département de la justice, le département de l’éducation, tous les départements concernés par la question de la jeunesse et la question de la petite enfance.Effectivement, ce que nous devons comprendre c’est que cette question de mariage de la petite fille n’est pas seulement une question culturelle et elle s’arrête là mais elle contribue énormément à la mentalité maternelle. Une fille de douze ans, une fille de treize ans qui donne naissance. Quelqu’un a parlé de fistule vésico-vaginale ce matin. Je pense que nous avons aussi encore beaucoup de problèmes.Sans vraiment dire que le budget ou les ressources qui vont servir à réparer ces femmes qui souffrent de fistule, les budgets qui vont nous servir à prendre en compte les femmes qui sont victimes de violence. Ce sont des budgets que nous aurons pour utiliser de façon positive à l’éducation des filles, à la santé des femmes et à la santé des hommes. Je pense qu’on devrait réfléchir un peu plus sur ces questions-là. Je ne peux pas trop parler. Nous essayons de travailler dans le plaidoyer.Dans la formation en ce qui concerne le changement des membres sociales, on en a parlé ce matin, des changements en ce qui concerne les membres sociales, on les appelle changements sociaux ou changements culturels, mais, en fait, ce sont des membres sociales qui sont ici, qui sont imposées. On ne sait même pas quelques fois d’où elles viennent et pourquoi elles sont là, mais tout le monde doit y obéir et puis ne pas risquer d’être ségréguer, on.. sans réfléchir.Nous, africains, ont lancé la campagne contre le mariage des enfants. Les buts de nos pays sont sans pilote c'est-à-dire que ce sont les pays sur lesquels les plus importants que sur.. un peu plus tôt. Vous devez peut-être vous approcher des différents pays pour savoir où on en est avec le lancement de cette campagne mais vraiment l’idée c’est d’avoir l’appui politique, c’est d’avoir l’appui des^et de parler de ces questions-là. Parce que ce qui se passe aussi ces questions ne sont pas débattues, ce sont des questions qui sont presque taboues. On considère qu’on peut prouver jusqu’à ce que ça prenne des intérêts qui sont ingérables.Pour conclure Monsieur le président.Je voudrais juste informer cette auguste Assemblée que le MFPA a un grand programme qu’on appelle le programme d’implication des hommes au niveau régional et au niveau de tous nos pays parce que non seulement je vais paraphraser le président Votre Excellence, non seulement nous aimons les hommes mais nous pensons que les hommes font partie des problèmes que nous sommes en train de soulever. Donc, il est simplement normal et légitime que les hommes fassent partie de cette mission. Donc, vraiment j’invite mes frères et mes oncles dans cette auguste assemblée. Il ne faut pas qu’ils considèrent que les questions que nous débattons sont toujours des questions des femmes. Ce sont des questions d’hommes et ce sont des questions de société et nous les invitons à rejoindre les rangs pour l’élimination de tous ces problèmes que nous avons soulevés.En remerciant encore le Parlement panafricain pour cette opportunité, je suis contente.Merci.REFERENCE: 1205-115634FLE PRESIDENT:Merci beaucoup. Vous êtes toujours la bienvenue au Parlement panafricain.Je donne la parole à l’honorable Maria Ivone Bernado Soares, pour les réponses, si vous en avez reçu de questions.Merci!Il n’y a pas de réponse?REFERENCE: 1205-115704PHON. MARIA IVONE RENSANO BERNADO SOARES [MOÇAMBIQUE]:Muito obrigadaSenhora PresidenteMuito obrigada Estimados ColegasEm particular os meus agradecimentos vâo para todos os irmaos e todas as irmas que participaram neste debate de forma tao proficua, tao quente e tao calorosa.Eu retive algumas questoes que acho que sao extremamente importantes, por exemplo, esta questao de que a tradifao de África é de desigualdade perante homens e mulheres. Esta é uma realidade que nós temos que admitir, mas também quero reconhecer que é chegada sim, a hora de as mulheres acreditarem mais nelas próprias como também aqui foi vincado.A vida da mulher, foi dito aqui pelo nosso colega do Quénia, nao melhorou continua a ter alguns desafios, apesar de estar representada em alguns órgaos como no Parlamento, como nos governos aos vários níveis, mas há algumas situafoes que continuam a ser um grande constrangimento, mormente a questao de comida na mesa e de educafao para os seus filhos.A questao da mulher ser igual ao homem é uma realidade, somos iguais perante a lei. Todos os protocolos, todas as convenfoes, mesmo as leis de alguns países africanos colocam o homem e a mulher como sendo iguais perante a lei.Mas a mulher continua sim a ser oprimida como aqui também foi dito.É muito interessante este apelo que é feito pela nossa segunda Vice-Presidente, quando ela diz, se os homens de viva voz disserem que nao querem se casar com uma mulher mutilada genitalmente, de certeza absoluta que o problema da mutilafao genital vai acabar.Entao, temos que apostar nisto, vamos todos trabalhar neste sentido.Senhor Presidente do Parlamento Pan-Africano, Sua Excelencia Roger DangSua Excelencia Vice-Presidente do Parlamento PanAfricano, Dr. Eduardo Mulémbwe, representante do meu paísSuas Excelencias nossas Vice-Presidentes aqui presentes, donas de casa, donas do Parlamento PanAfricano, as mulheres que fazem todas nós sentirmonos orgulhadas e orgulhosasMuito obrigada por estarem a ser o exemplo que sao.Dizer que a educa^ao que é dada a rapariga e ao rapaz desde tenra idade, também contribui bastante para a forma como este futuro homem, esta futura mulher irá se comportar na sociedade.A mulher pode tornar-se audaz, autónoma, independente, confidente ou entao tornar-se submissa, acanhada, insegura, tudo depende da educado que ela receber na sua família.Apostemos no respeito pelos direitos universais e liberdades fundamentais dos nossos povos.A Agenda 2063 de que tanto fiz men^ao esta manha é um farol, é uma luz para melhorarmos a vida dos nosso povos, das mulheres e em particular das raparigas.No Sahara Ocidental, no Djibouti, em Mozambique ou em qualquer outro país africano há desafios e temos que todas trabalhar de brazos dados para ultrapassar estes desafios.A África é nossa terra e depende de nós fazer desta nossa terra amada, o melhor lugar para se viver sem precisarmos de emigrar a procura de melhores condi^oes de vida nos outros continentes.Eu sou chefe de uma das Bancada Parlamentares que a minha colega de Mozambique falou, portanto, em Mozambique realmente estamos a empoderar a mulher, a dar espado a mulher e como veem eu sou muito jovem, mas fui confiada a tarefa de representar 89 Deputados num universo de 250 deputados que o Parlamento mozambicano tem. Portanto, vamos trabalhar para empoderar as raparigas, vamos trabalhar pelos direitos das mulheres, vamos respeitar os direitos humanos.O meu muito obrigadaShukranHasanti sanaThank youMerci BeaucoupKanimambo a todosREFERENCE: 1205-120155FL’HON. HASNA HOUMED BILIL [DJOBOUTI]:Merci, Monsieur le Président.Moi, je n’ai pas eu de question mais je voulais remercier les différents collègues et les représentants surtout, remercier les représentants qui sont là, le Président Abdeslam Aomar Lahsen, la directrice du genre et développement de l’Union Africaine et la directrice du bureau régional du..Donc, je vous remercie pour tout ce que vous avez pu informer et rappeler ici. Et, je voulais rappeler à tous les collègues que nous devons nous impliquer tous et toutes pour la mise en œuvre du Protocole de Maputo.Merci, Monsieur le Président.REFERENCE: 1205-120305FHON. IGNATIENNE NYIRARUKUNDO (MRS) [RWANDA]:Merci, monsieur le Président de m’accorder la parole. Je n’ai pas de réponse à donner. J’ai un message à adresser aux collègues et c’est à propos de la mutilation. Mon pays ne connait pas la pratique, on n’a jamais connu ça.(Applaudissements)On a mis une loi en place qui punit des pratiques comme ça, au cas où il y a un Africain qui oserait venir dans notre pays pratiquer un tel acte.Monsieur le Président, franchement c’est... et puis ça concerne nous les parlementaires. Mettons en place des lois. Normalement pour changer la mentalité, en suppliant les gens en disant, s’il vous plait ne faites pas ça, je pense que ce temps est révolu. Il faut le code pénal en place. Notre frère l’a dit, que les gens qui la pratiquent soient traduits devant leur justice. Ce n’est pas si compliqué. Même si les parlementaires ne veulent pas, ça alors on ne va pas venir dire que c’est la faute des hommes, c’est la faute des femmes, non, demain on va dire que c’est la faute des enfants, d’un enfant d’un an, qui devrait se défendre. S’il vous plait, les collègues mettez en place des lois et protéger les populations.Pour l’adjectif, ce qui a dit qu’ils ont des difficultés à obtenir les chiffres, je pense que vraiment que c’est le rôle de l’Union africaine. En entendant parler des collègues, on se dirait qu’il y a des avancées formidables qui ont été faites. Personne d’entre nous ne doit aller dans le pays de l’autre. C’est vous qui devriez obtenir, vous avez droit. C’est une obligation d’obtenir les chiffres pour savoir ce qu’on a fait et où on est et ce qu’on va faire demain. Il faut qu’on finisse avec ce débat. On a des problèmes en Afrique de droit en général on a parlé de l’éducation, de la nutrition, des droits basiques ensemble on ne va pas perdre le temps en parlant des droits d’une partie de la population. Il faut que ça finisse vite et puis qu’on attaque autre chose qui concerne tout le monde.Je vous remercie.(Applaudissements)REFERENCE: 1205-120532FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Merci beaucoup cher collègue.Le débat général est clos.Je soumets à la Chambre entière les différents Rapports soumis sur le thème de l’Union africaine pour 2016: Année des droits humains en Afrique avec un accent particulier sur les droits de la femme.Pas d’observation!Pas de remarque!Le Parlement prend note.Monsieur le Secrétaire Générale, je vous donne la parole pour quelques annonces.MONSIEUR LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Monsieur Excellence, comme annoncé hier par son Excellence Monsieur le Président du Parlement panafricain, la séance de clôture de notre session aura lieu cet après-midi et s’agissant d’une cérémonie solennelle, je voudrais respectueusement rappeler aux honorables membres du Parlement panafricain que le port de l’Écharpe est obligatoire conformément à l’Article 10 du Règlement Intérieur du Parlement panafricain.Merci Excellence.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Suspension. Nous sommes arrivés au terme des travaux de ce matin. La séance est suspendue. Nous reprenons à 14.30 heures.REFERENCE: 1205-145106FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Veuillez vous asseoir. La séance est reprise. Je donne la parole au Secrétaire Général pour nous donner l’ordre du jour de nos travaux. Monsieur le Secrétaire Général, vous avez la parole.MONSIEUR LE SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL:Merci Excellence. Présentation, débat et adoption des résolutions et recommandations de la deuxième Session ordinaire de la quatrième Législature.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Je donne la parole à l’Honorable SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL pour la lecture des résolutions et recommandations.REFERENCE: 1205-145202FEHON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Bon après midi, monsieur le Président. Mesdames et messieurs les vice-présidents, chers collègues. L’honneur m’échoit et l’immense plaisir de vous lire les résolutions et les recommandations issues de la 2e session de la 4e législature du Parlement panafricain, qui s’est tenue ici même du 02 au 13 mai 2016.Je vais commencer par les projets de résolution. Je tiens à vous dire que je ne vais pas lire l’ensemble du texte, mais ce sera le titre et directement nous allons passer aux recommandations, puisque vous avez tous les documents à votre disposition, si vous me le permettez. Merci.Projet de résolution pour la tenue de la 3e session ordinaire de la 4e législature du Parlement panafricain dans un Etat membre.Le Parlement panafricain décide de tenir la 3e session ordinaire de sa 4e législature, dans un Etat membre de l’Union africaine, autre que la République d’Afrique du sud, son pays hôte.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.(Applaudissements)M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas d’amendement? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Deuxième résolution.Projet de résolution portant statut des anciens présidents et vice-présidents du Parlement panafricain.Le Parlement panafricain décide:Premièrement, d’accorder les titres et avantages suivants aux anciens membres du bureau du Parlement panafricain.1.1Ambassadeurs de bonne volonté du Parlement panafricain aux anciens présidents du Parlement panafricain;1.2Vice-présidents honoraires du Parlement panafricain aux anciens vice-présidents du Parlement panafricain;Deuxièmement, ces titres leur droit, lorsqu’ils seront en mission, pour le compte du PAP, à un véhicule et à des per diem.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pasd’amendement? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Troisième résolution.Projet de résolution pour la mise en place de points focaux relatifs aux femmes au sein des structures du Parlement panafricain.Le Parlement panafricain décide de la mise en place au sein du Parlement panafricain, de points focaux, responsables de la question femme dans toutes les structures du Parlement panafricain, à savoir, bureau du PAP, caucus et groupes, commissions et secrétariat.Deuxièmement, l’intégration de la problématique femme dans toutes les politiques et dans tous les fonctionnements quotidiens du parlement.Troisièmement, les points focaux sont chargés d’encourager les attitudes plus favorables aux questions affectant les femmes, de soutenir les procédures qui permettront de prendre en compte les questions relatives aux femmes dans l’exercice de leurs fonctions, d’accroître la sensibilisation sur les questions de femmes et de plaider pour la réduction des écarts entre les sexes.D’évaluer régulièrement les questions sur les femmes afin de renforcer la coordination des actions à l’intérieur ou à l’extérieur du PAP et de fournir un appui technique ainsi que de conseil pour qu’à compétences égales, égalité de chances.De faire un rapport détaillé sur la situation des femmes dans les organes du PAP à chaque réunion statutaire du réseau des femmes parlementaires du PAP.Fait à Midrand le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HONOURABLE MEMBER:On a point of order!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Les documents en arabe?(murmures)HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:C’est les résolutions qu’on n’a pas. On a les recommandations, mais les résolutions ne sont pas disponibles.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Just one moment! On va vérifier.Nous étions à la troisième résolution ou à la quatrième.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:A la quatrième.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Attendez qu’on essaie de voir. Chers collègues comme il y a une traduction simultanée est-ce qu’on peut avancer? Oui, Madame la viceprésidente.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Projet de résolution sur la création d’un point focal NEPAD au sein du Parlement panafricain.Le Parlement panafricain décide que:Premièrement, qu’un point focal du NEPAD est créé au sein du Parlement panafricain.Deuxièmement, le point focal est désigné par le bureau du Parlement panafricain parmi les membres de la commission permanente de la coopération, des relations internationales et des règlements des conflits sur la base des connaissances techniques et d’une expérience dans le domaine du mandat et du fonctionnement de l’agence du NEPAD;Troisièmement, le point focal aura pour mandat de:a)Assurer les liens, la coordination et les synergies entre les commissions du PAP qui traitent des questions liées au NEPAD,b)Servir de point focal politique et stratégique pour les questions liées au NEPAD au sein du Parlement panafricain,c)Identifier et proposer de nouveaux domaines de coopération et de collaboration pour le partenariat PAP/NEPAD,d)Exercer toutes autres fonctions qu’elles soient d’importances ou auxiliaire à l’exécution de son mandat, étant donné que le NEPAD est le modèle de développement socioéconomique de l’Union africaine, en ce qui concerne la mise en œuvre de ses objectifs.Quatrièmement, le point focal du NEPAD présente un rapport au bureau du Parlement panafricain.Adopté à Midrand le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pasremarque? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Projet de résolution sur le sommet des parlementaires africains sur les changements climatiques.Le Parlement panafricain décide par la présente de:Premièrement, élaborer un plan de travail concret en vue de la participation annuelle de la commission permanente de l’économie rurale, de l’agriculture, de l’environnement et des ressources naturelles ainsi que les commissions concernées aux prochaines conférences des parties sur les changements climatique Coop.Deuxièmement, mobiliser des ressources financières suffisantes pour garantir la participation aux réunions annuelles sur les changements climatiques;Troisièmement, créer un comité ad hoc pour coordonner et organiser les participations du PAP et de la commission de l’agriculture aux prochaines Coop.Quatrièmement, assurer la coordination avec les organes pertinents de l’Union africaine (UA) en vue d’organisation la participation des organes de l’Union africaine aux prochaines Coop.Adoptée à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.LE PRESIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:SixièmementProjet de résolution sur les réunions non statutaires des commissions permanentes du Parlement panafricain.Le Parlement panafricain décidé de:Premièrement, encourager toutes les commissions permanentes du PAP à tenir leurs réunions non statutaires en dehors du PAP.Deuxièmement, élaborer des politiques et stratégies appropriées en vue de renforcer les capacités des commissions permanentes, en matière de création et de diffusion du savoir et des informations.Troisièmement, appuyer l’organisation des réunions ordinaires des commissions permanentes avec les départements compétents de la Commission de l’Union africaine.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Septièmement.Projet de résolution sur la gouvernance électronique en Afrique.Le Parlement panafricain décide de:Premièrement, plaider auprès des Etats africains pour la signature et la ratification de la Convention de l’Union africaine sur la cyber sécurité et la protection des données à caractère personnel.Deuxièmement, sensibiliser les parlements nationaux, pour l’adoption des lois sur la cyber sécurité et la création, au niveau national, régional et continental, d’équipes d’interventions informatiques d’urgence et/ou d’équipes de sécurité et d’intervention pour les incidents informatiques.Troisièmement, exhorter les parlements nationaux et régionaux à mettre en œuvre une véritable politique de communication parlementaire afin de renforcer, l’accès par les citoyens, à l’ensemble des institutions gouvernementales y compris le parlement d’une part, et promouvoir la transparence, l’efficience et la recevabilité des institutions étatiques, d’autre part.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.LE PRESIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas deremarque? Adopté.(Applaudissements)HONOURABLE MEMBER:Mr President, small correction.THE PRESIDENT:You can give to the secretary, please.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Merci, monsieur le Président. Je passe aux différentes recommandations issues de la 2e session ordinaire de la 4e législature du Parlement panafricain, du 03 au 13 mai.Projets de recommandations.Premièrement, projet de recommandation pour l’adoption du budget de l’Union africaine, pour l’exercice 2017.Le Parlement panafricain recommande l’adoption par la Conférence de l’Union africaine, du budget de l’Union pour l’exercice 2017, tel que soumis à son examen.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Il en est ainsi recommandé.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Deuxième recommandation. Recommandation sur la mission d’information effectuée par le Parlement panafricain en République du Burundi, du 23 au 27 novembre 2015.Le Parlement panafricain recommande que:Premièrement la Communauté internationale, en particulier les Nations unies et l’Union africaine prennent toutes les mesures nécessaires pour assurer une résolution rapide du conflit au Burundi, notamment en encourageant et en soutenant le dialogue entre toutes les parties prenantes.Deuxièmement, l’Union africaine et les Nations unies soutiennent les principales institutions nationales burundaises créées pour trouver des solutions aux conséquences des conflits, en particulier la Commission nationale sur le dialogue inter burundais, la Commission vérité et réconciliation, ainsi que les systèmes judiciaires du Burundi.Troisièmement, l’Union africaine, les Nations unies et la communauté internationale œuvrent de concert sous la conduite de l’Union africaine pour négocier un accord acceptable entre le gouvernement burundais, l’ensemble des partis d’opposition et d’autres parties prenantes tant au Burundi qu’en dehors du pays.Quatrièmement, la Commission de l’Union africaine accélère la finalisation du Protocole d’accord avec le gouvernement burundais et détermine les domaines qui nécessitent d’être soutenus par l’Union africaine et le Parlement panafricain.Cinquièmement, le gouvernement burundais garantisse un dialogue national inclusif, prenne des sanctions contre les auteurs des graves violations des droits de l’homme et assure le retour en toute sécurité des personnes déplacées et des réfugiés.Sixièmement, l’Union africaine joue un rôle plus dynamique dans la prévention et le règlement des conflits lors des prochaines élections dans les pays africains.Adopté à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Il en est ainsi recommandé.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Projet de résolution de création d’une Assemblée parlementaire des Nations unies, qui sera connue sous l’appellation APNU.Le Parlement panafricain, en conséquence recommande de lancer un appel aux Etats membres de l’Union africaine afin qu’ils appuient la création d’une APNU et prennent les mesures nécessaires pour faire avancer cet objectif à l’ONU, en suscitant et en amorçant un processus intergouvernemental préparatoire en vue de la création d’une APNU.Deuxièmement, recommande que l’Union africaine mette au point et fasse progresser une position africaine commune sur la question.Troisièmement, demande au Président du Parlement panafricain de prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires pour soumettre et défendre cette recommandation auprès des organes délibérants de l’Union africaine et de lancer un appel pour qu’elle soit pleinement soutenue par les Etats membres de l’Union africaine et par la Présidente de la Commission de l’Union africaine.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Il en est ainsi recommandé.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Projet de recommandation sur la gouvernance électronique en Afrique.Le Parlement panafricain recommande que:Premièrement, l’Union africaine encourage et soutienne la coopération bilatérale et multilatérale, pour l’apprentissage et l’échange des expériences pratiques en matière de E-gouvernance, afin d’aider les pays en retard dans ce domaine à développer des outils analogues, pour l’administration électronique et moderne.Deuxièmement, l’Union africaine relance le projet sur la création de l’Université virtuelle africaine étant donné que beaucoup de pays africains ont... -je crois qu’il y a quelque chose qui manquedéveloppé les infrastructures sur les TIC.Troisièmement, l’Union africaine demande aux gouvernements africains d’assister les entreprises locales, pour leur permettre de passer à l’économie numérique.Quatrièmement, l’Union africaine demande aux gouvernements de faciliter et encourager la promotion des produits africains, par la création de places des marchés en nombre pour les produits made in Africa.Cinquièmement, les parlements nationaux se dotent d’un portail numérique pour une communication parlementaire efficace et pour une meilleure visibilité de leurs activités parlementaires au terme de l’année 2016.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Remarque; à l’alinéa 2 je demande au Secrétariat de mettre ça en forme, d’écrire en bon français.UN INTERVENANT:De nos jours.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Ah de nos jours? Merci beaucoup. Ont de nos ¡ours...Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Il en est ainsi recommandé.HON. SAFIA ELMI DJIBRIL [DJIBOUTI]:Projet de recommandation sur le renforcement du droit d’accès des femmes à la terre, une réponse des parlementaires pour combler l’écart entre les hommes et les femmes, en vue du développement économique grâce à l’agriculture.Le Parlement panafricain recommande de:Premièrement, mobiliser les parlements nationaux, les organisations de la société civile, les organisations des femmes, les législateurs, les ministres chargés des affaires féminines et les commissions parlementaires, en vue de promouvoir la ratification, la domestication et la mise en œuvre effective du Protocole de Maputo et d’autres instruments ¡uridiques de l’Union africaine sur l’autonomisation des femmes, en vue de garantir leur accès à la terre.Deuxièmement, accroître la sensibilisation à la domestication du Protocole de Maputo, dans les Etats membres auprès des parlementaires, des ministres chargés de la mise en œuvre du Protocole de Maputo, de la commission parlementaire compétente, ainsi que des groupes régionaux des femmes au sein des parlements nationaux, en vue d’harmoniser les lois de succession, conformément au Protocole de Maputo.Troisièmement, encourager les Etats membres à éliminer les clauses lourdes des conséquences dans leurs législations nationales, qui entravent la mise en œuvre effective des droits garantis par le Protocole de Maputo, notamment les droits liés à l’accès à la terre, à l’éducation, à la santé, à l’eau en particulier pour les femmes et les filles des zones rurales.Quatrièmement, élaborer un cadre destiné à orienter le dialogue entre le PAP et les parlements nationaux pour contrôler les progrès réalisés dans les domaines de la ratification, de la domestication et de la mise en œuvre des instruments de l’Union africaine, en vue de promouvoir l’accès et le contrôle de la terre par les femmes.Cinquièmement, créer un sous comité de l’égalité en genre et de l’agriculture pour contrôler et évaluer les progrès réalisés concernant les 30% des terres réservés pour les femmes tels que convenus par les Etats membres.Fait à Midrand, le 12 mai 2016.M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de remarque? Il en est ainsi recommandé.Je donne la parole à l’honorable Bernadette LAHAI, pour qu’elle nous présente une dernière résolution.Honorable, vous avez la parole.REFERENCE: 1205-151226EFAN MEMBER:On a point of order, Mr President!THE PRESIDENT:Yes!What is your point of order?AN HON. MEMBER:A copy of the resolutions has not yet been distributed.We do not have the English copy here. I have asked for it several times.Thank you, Mr President.THE PRESIDENT:Excuse me. We are now continuing for you have the copy.Yes, Hon. Bernadette.HON. DR BERNADETTE LAHAI [SIERRA LEONE]:Draft resolution of Western Sahara.I am reading this draft resolution in English because...InterruptionsHON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI:What is it?THE PRESIDENT:Please!M. LE PRÉSIDENT:Cette résolution nous a été transmise ce matin par l’honorable Charumbira. Et, nous soumettons à votre appréciation. Si cela ne va pas, on va réétudier. Il a fait la proposition ce matin et les résolutions ont été déjà établies et il y a des signataires dedans. On voudrait vous la présenter. Si cela ne marche pas, on va étudier la prochaine fois.Madame, vous avez la parole.HON. DR. BERNADETTE LAHAI:Draft resolution on Western Sahara.(i)The Pan-African Parliament condemns the Moroccan persistent occupation of Western Sahara.(ii)condemns the Moroccan expulsion of eighty-four staff from the civilian component of the UN mission for the Referendum of the Western Sahara that is MINURSO.(iii)expresses its support to the African Union and its special envoy for Western Sahara, Mr Joachim Chissano,(iv)urgently calls on the Security Council to fulfil the mandate of MINURSO and to extend it to monitor human rights violations committed by the Moroccan occupation in Western Sahara.(v)demands the unconditional release of the Saharawi political prisoners in Morocco prisons; and(vi)calls upon Morocco to stop the exploitation of Western Sahara natural resources.I thank you.ApplauseM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Pas d’observation, pas de Remarque, la résolution est adoptée.Merci beaucoup, chers collègues...REFERENCE: 1205-151504FM. LE PRÉSIDENT:Mesdames et Messieurs les Vice-présidents,Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Commissions Permanentes,Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Caucus régionaux,Madame la Présidente du Caucus des Femmes,Monsieur le Président du Caucus des Jeunes,Honorables Parlementaires,Mesdames, Messieurs,Après deux semaines de dur labeur, nous voilà réunis pour clôturer la deuxième Session ordinaire de la 4ème Législature du Parlement Panafricain.Nous ne saurions néanmoins nous séparer sans que je ne puis m’acquitter de deux agréables devoirs:Le premier est de féliciter, au nom du Bureau et en mon nom personnel, tous ceux qui, à l’issue de cette session, ont été élus à différents postes.Mes félicitations s’adressent tout d’abord à Son Excellence Madame Safia ELMI DJIBRIL, brillamment élue au poste de deuxième Vice-présidente représentant la région de l’Afrique de l’Est.(Applaudissements)Madame la Vice-présidente, c’est avec plaisir que nous vous accueillons au Bureau, et nous espérons vivement pouvoir compter sur votre sagesse agissante pour aider notre Bureau à atteindre ses objectifs.Mes félicitations vont ensuite à tous ceux et celles qui ont bénéficié des voix des Commissions Permanentes ou des Caucus pour accéder à des postes en leurs seins. La confiance placée en eux par leurs pairs est signe de l’estime que ces derniers leurs portent. Qu’ils sachent la mériter en œuvrant pour le bien des peuples africains dont ils sont les dignes représentants ici à Midrand, et partout où ils seront envoyés en mission pour le compte du Parlement Panafricain.Le second devoir consiste à exprimer, au nom du Bureau et en mon nom, toute notre gratitude à tous celles et ceux qui ont, par leurs contributions multiformes, permis à cette session ordinaire de connaître un plein succès.Qu’il s’agisse en effet des invités spéciaux à cette session, dont les plus illustres étaient Son Excellence Monsieur BAI KOROMA, représenté personnellement par son Vice-président, Monsieur Victor BOKARIE FOH, et Son Excellence Monsieur Joaquim CHISSANO, ancien Président du Mozambique et actuel envoyé spécial de l’Union Africaine au Sahara Occidental, ou encore des Présidents d’Assemblées Nationales ou de Sénat et des Parlements régionaux, des Ministres qui nous ont gratifié de messages de solidarité, leur présence parmi nous a donné du sens au combat qui est celui du Parlement Panafricain: faire parler l’Afrique d’une seule et même voix, pour un meilleur futur de ses peuples.Nous avons été sensibles à leurs encouragements et les en remercions.Le Gouvernement Sud-Africain, qui a mis un point d’honneur à faciliter le déroulement de cette session, a vu ses efforts récompensés par le succès qu’elle a connu et nous lui en savons gré.Et que dire de l’Union Africaine, qui nous a gratifiés de son expertise et de ces fonds nécessaires à l’organisation de cette session, malgré une situation financière particulièrement difficile, si ce n’est que nous lui en sommes infiniment reconnaissants.À tout le personnel administratif du Parlement Panafricain, qu’il soit permanent ou ponctuel, nous rendons un vibrant hommage. Nous l’avons vu sacrifier ses week-ends avant et pendant la session, arriver au Parlement aux aurores et repartir après la tombée de la nuit, pour faire de cette session une réussite. Nous avons été sensibles à son dévouement et témoins de son engagement, nous lui en savons gré.Grâce au dévouement des Parlementaires panafricains, le programme a pu être bouclé dans le temps imparti. Les yeux fixés vers les objectifs à atteindre, ils ont accepté les changements de dernière minute imposés par ceux dont les agendas particulièrement chargés voulaient faire le déplacement de Midrand pour permettre à cette session de connaître des sujets que le règlement lui impose de connaître au mois de Mai. Je tiens à les en remercier.Les questions ont fusé de toute part, les débats ont été houleux à certains moments. Ils témoignent de l’intérêt porté par les Parlementaires aux problèmes de l’Afrique parfois, à ceux du Parlement Panafricain souvent.S’agissant du Parlement Panafricain, nous sommes reconnaissants à ces collègues qui, par leurs questionnements, nous ont permis de leur donner des éclairages sur les sujets, objets de leurs préoccupations, de dissiper les malentendus, parfois de communication tout simplement sur les points qui leur tenaient à cœur et sur lesquels nous n’avions pas ressenti jusqu’alors la nécessité de communiquer ou même de remettre en question. Nous avons pris bonne note et sommes déjà en train de modifier ce qui méritait de l’être.Le prochain rapport d’activités sera, je puis vous l’assurer, une réponse à encore plus de questions que celui que nous avons présenté lors de cette session, notamment celles relatives à la suite réservée aux résolutions que vous avez votées, à la situation financière de votre Parlement, et aux rapports d’audit.Toute œuvre humaine est perfectible, vous le savez aussi bien que moi, chers Collègues. Les Parlementaires constituent un maillon essentiel du fonctionnement du Parlement Panafricain et c’est avec vous, chers Collègues, que nous voulons et devons réaliser les ambitions du Parlement Panafricain. C’est pourquoi vos observations et remarques seront toujours les bienvenues lorsqu’elles seront constructives et fondées sur des faits réels.N’hésitez pas à demander des informations, mais faitesle auprès des personnes qui détiennent la bonne information. Méfiez-vous des rumeurs, elles sont source d’égarement, de division et souvent d’erreurs monumentales.Chers Collègues, au moment où nous allons nous séparer, vous allez me manquer, je vais vous manquez. Nous aurons toujours envie d’être ensemble avec tout ce que cela comporte comme diversité d’opinion et de comportement. Vous aurez besoin de me voir en colère, comme je souhaiterais vous entendre. Notre Parlement vit, et cette vitalité se traduit par l’effervescence observée lors de notre session qui s’achève.Parlant de la vitalité de notre Parlement, je voudrais vous inviter à oublier les sujets qui veulent nous diviser. Parmi ces sujets, les élections. Les élections sont l’expression de la maturité démocratique. On vient exprimer son opinion sans passion. Mais la dernière élection au sein du Caucus des Jeunes a failli nous diviser pour rien. Notre Règlement Intérieur est muet en ce qui concerne cette élection. Il est d’autant plus muet en ce qui concerne le dépôt des candidatures pour les Caucus des Jeunes et des Femmes. En tant que Commission ad hoc, l’élection de son Bureau doit se tenir au cours de sa réunion. Mais considérant les précédents, j’ai renvoyé cette question à la Commission Permanente de Règlement pour avoir la bonne décision et la bonne procédure en la matière. C’est pourquoi, nous avons différé cette élection jusqu’à la prochaine session ordinaire du mois d’Octobre 2016. Cependant, le 1er Vice-président va gérer les affaires courantes.Evitons les divisions internes, les rumeurs, la démagogie de certains agents dont l’incompétence est avérée et qui jouent les troubles fêtes; laissons la politique aux politiciens et l’administration aux administrateurs compétents. Je souhaite vivement que ce genre d’incident ne puisse plus perturber la sérénité de nos travaux à l’avenir.Le bilan de nos travaux est satisfaisant, à en croire la qualité des différents sujets abordés, la richesse des débats et enfin les résolutions prises.Nous devrons, à l’instar de notre devise: « Une Afrique, Une Voix!», donner l’image d’une équipe soudée. La performance découlera naturellement de cette union. Faisons converger nos intelligences pour que sorte de cette convergence ce que le peuple africain aura produit de mieux pour leur continent.Chers Collègues, vous allez repartir dans les heures qui suivent. Je vous souhaite à toutes et à tous un bon retour, mais n’oubliez pas que dans vos pays d’origine, vous êtes des ambassadeurs extraordinaires et plénipotentiaires du Parlement Panafricain, dont la mission est d’abord, en 2016, la ratification du Protocole de Malabo.Chers Collègues, Mesdames, Messieurs, conformément aux dispositions de l’article 34 de notre Règlement Intérieur, je viens de recevoir la lettre d’invitation de la République Arabe d’Egypte dans laquelle elle souhaite abriter notre session d’Octobre 2016. Cette lettre a connu une réponse positive de ma part.Je voudrais donc annoncer ici que la prochaine session d’Octobre 2016 aura bel et bien lieu en République d’Arabe d’Egypte.(Applaudissements)Chers Collègues, cette session a connu une participation moyenne de cent vingt (120) membres à toutes nos plénières, participation que nous voudrons qu’elle soit beaucoup plus croissante.C’est sur ces informations que je déclare clos les travaux de la 2ème Session ordinaire de la 4ème Législature du Parlement Panafricain, ouverte à Midrand en République Sud-Africaine, le 03 Mai 2016, pour que vive le Parlement Panafricain, vive l’Afrique, Une Afrique, Une Voix!Je vous remercie.Asante sana.Shucran.Karibu.(Applaudissements)Veuillez-vous lever pour l’exécution de l’hymne de l’Union Africaine(Exécution de l’hymne de l’Union Africaine)Veuillez-vous asseoir.Je mets aux voix l’ensemble des recommandations et résolutions de notre session.Pas d’objection, pas de remarque, il en est ainsi adoptéLa séance est close.
