PAP Should Make African Voice Engine of Continent Moving Forward in Serenity (Ambassador)

The nobility of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) lies in its ability to make the African voice the engine of a Continent that moves forward in serenity, dialogue and sharing, said Friday the Moroccan Ambassador to South Africa, Youssef Amrani.

Speaking during the PAP virtual Ambassadors’ Conference, Amrani said that the pan-African institution must not suffer any breach or neglect of the very democratic principles that underpin its core identity.

Believing that Covid-19 has forced a renewal of the African approach, the ambassador offered to share a modest reflection on how to initiate the necessary change to strengthen the PAP.

The requirement for Amrani is to ask the real questions to address the real issues.

“Fuzzy operating modes, diffuse ambitions and timid actions do not reflect the demands of the moment,” he added, arguing that the Covid pandemic has shown that African institutions need a strong and decisive operating arm.

Noting that the PAP will be able to pass the legislative stage, as provided by the Malabo Protocol, only by demonstrating the necessary political will and operating methods, the diplomat underlined that transforming this institution into a place of power would allow Africa to boost its continental policy.

He argued that more than ever, Africa must take charge of its destiny through a renewed commitment that places human development at the center of its priorities. “In all lucidity and responsibility, we must carry out a work internally, in depth and by our own means to review the realities that are now outdated,” said the ambassador.

He added that expectations are still moderate, but this does not prevent us from engaging now in this institutional renewal that would allow the institution to provide concrete responses to the ambitions of African youth, the requirements of democratic representation and the prospects of African positioning on the international scene.