[This is the version of this document from 17 October 2019.]
THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT,CONSIDERING Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union establishing the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to ensure the "full participation of the African people in the development and economic integration of the continent";CONSIDERING ALSO Article 3 (a), (f) and (k) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union outlining the objectives of the Union to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the people of Africa, to promote peace, security and stability on the continent and to promote co-operation in all fields of human activities to raise the living standards of African peoples;CONSIDERING FURTHER that Article 3 of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Pan-African Parliament, which facilitates the effective implementation of the policies and objectives of the African Union; the promotion of the principles of human rights and democracy in Africa; and promotes peace, security and stability;RECALLING Article 20 of the Constitutive Act also referred to as Article 9 of the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act 2003; and Article 2 of the 2002 Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union as "the standing decision-making organ for prevention, management and resolution of conflicts’;RECALLING Aspiration 4 of Agenda 2063, which envisages a fully functional and operational African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) for the preservation of peace, security and stability in Africa;NOTING that Article 18 of the Protocol relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union prescribes for a close working relation with the Pan-African Parliament in the furtherance of peace, security and stability in Africa and mandates it to submit to the Pan-African Parliament reports that will enable the latter to discharge its responsibilities relating to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in Africa;NOTING WITH CONCERN that terrorism and radicalisation continue to be fuelled by illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons, which threatens peace and security in the continent and undermines efforts to improve the living standards of African peoples;MINDFUL that the African continent has a long history of armed conflicts and the commitment of the African Union Member States to silence the guns by 2020;APPRECIATING the efforts and collaboration of the Peace and Security Council with the PAP to end conflict on the African continent;CONVINCED that the challenges of peace and security can only be resolved through collective efforts by all Organs of the African Union;IN ACCORDANCE WITH Rule 5 (b), (c) and (d) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament, which empowers the PAP to, inter alia, organize debate, discuss, express an opinion, make recommendations and take resolutions on the objectives and on any matters relating to the African Union and its organs, Regional Economic Communities, Member States and their organs and institutions;NOW HEREBY RESOLVES TO:5.REQUEST the Bureau of Pan African Parliament through the President of the PAP to engage with the Peace and Security Council to strengthen collaboration and cooperation on peace and security issues, including the undertaking of joint fact-finding missions with the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution to conflict areas;6.REQUEST ALSO the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution to undertake independent fact-finding missions to enrich their understanding of the causes of conflict on the continent.7.REQUEST FURTHER the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution to undertake activities aimed at promoting the silencing of guns by the African Union Member States;Done in Midrand, South Africa17 October 2019
