MBABANE – The Pan-African Parliament has called for Africa to translate its long-standing integration ambitions into tangible progress for ordinary citizens.
The call was made by Pan-African Parliament President Dr Fateh Boutbig in his message marking African Union Day, commemorated today across the continent.
Boutbig said the vision of a united Africa remained as relevant today as it was when African leaders adopted the Sirte Declaration on September 9, 1999.
The declaration called for the establishment of the African Union (AU) and accelerated political and economic integration across the continent. The AU was officially launched in Durban, South Africa, in 2002.
Boutbig said the continent’s strength lay in unity and the collective determination of Africans to shape their own destiny.
He said the Pan-African Parliament had a critical role in ensuring that African citizens were more closely involved in the continent’s development, integration and decision-making processes.
As the parliamentary arm of the AU, the institution was established to give effect to the vision of an integrated and people-centred Africa.
Boutbig said the Seventh Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament remained committed to strengthening this mandate and advancing the objectives of Agenda 2063, the AU’s blueprint for ‘The Africa We Want’.
He said the Parliament would work with national and regional parliaments, AU organs, member states and citizens to advance integration, good governance, peace and security, sustainable development and shared prosperity.
“The vision proclaimed at Sirte remains as relevant today as it was in 1999. Our responsibility is to translate that vision into tangible progress for the people of Africa,” Boutbig said.
His message comes as African countries continue to pursue deeper continental integration, with the AU seeking greater economic and political cooperation among its member States.
Boutbig urged Africans to use African Union Day to renew their commitment to Pan-Africanism and the building of a united, peaceful, prosperous and people-driven continent.
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