The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union. It held its inaugural session in March 2004. The Parliament exercises oversight, and has advisory and consultative powers, having lasting for the first five years. Initially the seat of the Pan-African Parliament was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but was later moved to Midrand, South Africa. The goal in establishing the parliament was creating a space where people from all states of Africa could meet, deliberate, and pass some policy on issues that affect the entire continent of Africa.
Gertrude Ibengwe Mongella is a Tanzanian politician who was the first president of the Pan-African Parliament and was president of the African Union Commission from 2003 to 2008.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), formerly known as the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative (IORI) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), is an international organisation consisting of 23 states bordering the Indian Ocean. The IORA is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them. It is based on the principles of for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on Trade Facilitation and Investment, Promotion as well as Social Development of the region. The Coordinating Secretariat of IORA is located at Ebene, Mauritius.
The Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the organ of the African Union in charge of enforcing union decisions. It is patterned somewhat after the United Nations Security Council. The PSC is also the main pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), and works with other pillars of the APSA in order to promote "peace, security and stability in Africa". The specific goal of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the "prevention, management and resolution of conflicts". To achieve these goals, it involves subsidiary organizations such as the Military Staff Committee and the Committee of Experts.
To help coordinate efforts in dealing with issues on the continent the Pan-African Parliament created eleven permanent committees:
- Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment
- Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs
- Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration Matters
- Committee on Cooperation, International Relations, and Conflict Resolution
- Committee on Transport, Industry, Communication, Energy, Science, and Technology
- Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs
- Committee on Gender, Family, Youth, and People with Disabilities
- Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism, and Human Resources
- Committee on Justice and Human Rights
- Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Discipline
- Committee on Audit and Public Accounts
The Committee on Rural Economy Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is one of the ten Permanent Committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Committee on Trade, Customs, and Immigration Matters, is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Committee on Cooperation, International Relations, and Conflict Resolution is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Committee on Health, Labour, and Social Affairs is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
The Committee on Justice and Human Rights is one of the eleven permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. It is in charge of law and justice issues in Africa.
The Committee on Gender, Family, Youths and People with Disabilities is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. It concentrates on issues concerning women, family and people and children with disabilities.
The Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament.
A continental union is a regional organization which facilitates pan-continental integration. Continental unions vary from collaborative intergovernmental organizations, to supranational politico-economic unions. Continental unions are a relatively new type of political entity in the history of human government. Throughout most of human history, political organization has been at the local level and in more recent centuries, the sub-regional ("regional")/sub-continental level ; however, starting with the advent of better transportation, weapons and communication there was for the first time the ability for a union of member states to organize at the continental level. After the devastation of the First and Second World Wars in the middle of the twentieth century, Europe began to slowly integrate with the founding of the "European Community", which became a political union covering much of the European continent.
The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament is the essential leadership of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), consisting of one President and four Vice-Presidents.
The Secretariat of the Pan-African Parliament provides administrative support to the Pan-African Parliament.
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The bloc was founded on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and launched on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa. The intention of the AU was to replace the Organization of African Unity (OAU), established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa by 32 signatory governments; the OAU was disbanded on 9 July 2002. The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states.
Scottish Parliament committees are small groups of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) who meet on a regular basis to scrutinise the work of the Scottish Government, conduct inquiries into subjects within their remit and examine legislation. Much of the everyday work of the Scottish Parliament is done by these committees.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, is a Ghanaian politician who serves as Ghana's minister for foreign affairs and regional integration. She was appointed by Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 10 January 2017. She was a Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom from 2013 to 2021. and had served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing under John Kufuor. She is a member of the New Patriotic Party.
