Recommendations on the free movement of people and the new African passport

Jurisdiction
African Union (AU)
Date
18 October 2016
Language
Type
Recommendation

African Union

Recommendations on the free movement of people and the new African passport

Considering Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament;Considering Article 3 of the Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating to the Pan-African Parliament, and Rule 3 (a) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament;Concerned by the challenges posed by immigration on the African continent;Considering that Chapter VI of the Abuja Treaty is devoted to issues related to free movement of people, the right of residence or establishment;Considering also that free movement of persons is a cross-cutting issue in the African Union Agenda with regard to integration and human rights on the continent and that the idea is also linked to the issuance of the African passport;Recalling Decision EX.CL/197(VIII) on freedom of movement in Africa, adopted by the African Union Executive Council at its Seventh Ordinary Session held in June/July 2005 in Sirte, Libya, by virtue of which the Council agreed in principle on the issuance of an African diplomatic passport;Recalling also Agenda 2063, Aspiration 2: "an integrated continent, politically united and founded on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s renaissance", a continent where free movement of persons, capital, goods and services will significantly increase trade and investment among African countries thus helping the continent to attain unprecedented levels and strengthen its place in world trade;Welcoming the Agenda 2063 flagship project on: "an African passport issued by the Member States, building on migration worldwide through the issuance of electronic passports, with the abolition of visa requirements for all African citizens in African countries by 2018";Welcoming also the Act of Pan-Africanism, adopted by the Twenty-Seventh Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government with the launch of the African Union electronic passport (e-passport) to facilitate free movement of persons within the continent;Expressing its profound gratitude to the African Union for all its efforts towards developing a protocol on free movement of persons on the continent;Commending all initiatives by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community in the framework of implementing Agreements on Free Trade Areas and free movement of goods and persons;In accordance with Rule 5(d) of the above-mentioned PAP Rules of Procedure, which empowers the PAP to, inter alia, make recommendations and take resolutions on any matters relating to the African Union and its organs, to Regional Economic Communities and their respective organs, and to Member States and their organs and institutions;
THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT,Recommends that:
1.The other RECs expedite their processes on free trade areas and free movement of persons within their regions in order to facilitate regional economic integration which will contribute to economic growth across the continent;
2.All Member States and RECs support the idea of free movement of persons on the continent and that of the African passport, and work actively on developing and adopting the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.
Done at Sharm El Sheikh on 18 October 2016
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