Abidjan: Moroccan Parliamentary Delegation Takes Part in 80th Meeting of APU’s Executive Committee
A Moroccan parliamentary delegation is participating in the proceedings of the 80thmeeting of the Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union (APU), which kicked off on Monday in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
The Moroccan delegation attending this two-day meeting includes members from the House of Representatives and the House of Councilors, namely Rep. Zineb Simou and Rep. Hatim Ben Rkia (Group of the National Rally of Independents), Rep. Nadia Bouzandoufa (Group of Authenticity and Modernity), Rep. Madiha Khayir and Rep. Abdelilah Amehdi (Istiqlali Group of Unity and Egalitarianism), Rep. Cherkaoui Znaydi (Socialist Group - Ittihadi Opposition), and Cllr. Elgarch Khalihana (Democratic Confederation of Labor – CDT).
The order of business for this meeting includes the examination and adoption of the Executive Committee's 2024 annual work program, the examination and approval of the 2024 budget, the examination and adoption of the order of business for the 45th APU Conference, as well as the order of business, date, and location for the 81st meeting of the Executive Committee.
Following this 80th session, the 45th Conference of the African Parliamentary Union will take place on December 14 and 15 in Abidjan. The discussions during the conference will focus on: “Combatting insecurity and terrorism as factors of political instability and recession,” and “Developing intra-African trade for the effective implementation of the African Regional Integration Agenda.”
Additionally, the APU Committee of Women Parliamentarians will meet on December 13. The meeting will cover the theme: “Promoting the role of African women in stimulating intra-African trade.”
The opening ceremony of the meeting was attended by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire, Hon. Adama Bictogo, and the Speaker of the Senate of Zimbabwe and incumbent chair of the APU Executive Committee, Hon. Mabel Memory Chinomona.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Adama Bictogo emphasized that these APU meetings are taking place amidst a peculiar context, noting that Africa needs peace and stability to continue its determined journey towards development.
He also added that the changes the world has been witnessing in the last ten years, mainly the conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, impact African economies heavily and add to the repercussions of COVID-19 that have overwhelmed the continent. In the same regard, he underscored, “To address these challenges, we must act together in this regional perspective through more solidarity and the pooling of our efforts.”
Established in Abidjan on February 13, 1976, the African Parliamentary Union is a continental inter-parliamentary organization that targets the promotion of coordinated action among parliamentary institutions of African States, the establishment of a forum for African national Parliaments and an instrument for parliamentary dialogue and cooperation in the service of peace, democracy, good governance, and sustainable development.
The APU also works towards the progressive establishment of a true African legal community based on the political, economic, social, and cultural realities of the continent. It also aims to foster contacts between African parliamentarians and those from the rest of the world.
On the sidelines of these meetings, the Moroccan parliamentarians will engage in a series of talks with counterparts from other countries to strengthen bilateral and multilateral parliamentary cooperation.
(Translated and adapted from MAP)