Kick-off of the Meetings of APF’s Network of Women Parliamentarians and Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
The seat of the Parliament was stage on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, to the kick-off of the proceedings of the first day of the meetings of the Network of Women Parliamentarians and the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs under the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF). The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Khadija Zoumi, chaired the inaugural session that featured the participation of Mr. Joël Godin, the Chairperson of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, and Ms. Chantal Soucy, the Chairperson of the Network of Women Parliamentarians.
In her address on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Deputy Speaker of the House stressed the importance of the francophone space in gathering the Member States and the opportunities it offers to exchange and bring views closer. Rep. Zoumi also noted the imperative of giving parliamentary action a democratic dimension, urging the members of the APF to work together in elaborating ideas to serve all Member States.
On the same occasion, Rep. Zoumi underscored the African component in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, where she considered that the Assembly must take into account the peculiarities of each country and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, and the unity of their peoples.
For his part, Mr. Joël Godin, the Chairperson of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, commended the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Moroccan Parliament and their serious engagement in adding value to parliamentary francophonie.
In this respect, he noted that the House of Representatives previously hosted three important gatherings, namely the 28th Session of the African Regional Assembly of the APF in June 2022, the General Assembly of the Association of Secretaries-General of Francophone Parliaments, in addition to the proceedings of the Network of Women Parliamentarians and the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs currently hosted by the House of Representatives. In the same vein, he praised the organization by the House of Representatives of the meetings of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs for the third time after 2006 and 2010.
Mr. Joël Godin also noted that the Parliament has become a platform for gathering and exchange within the francophone space that features the representation of the four parties of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie in this meeting. Such diversity would allow for an open and comprehensive debate and exchange of views.
The Canadian official expressed his desire that this event would be a new opportunity for the Assembly to gain knowledge of the developments of the priority questions, such as consolidating the democratic choice and the State of Law and its relation to parliamentary action, promoting the culture of equality, in addition to the cultural radiance of French.
During the same meeting, the Chairperson of the Network of Women Parliamentarians, Ms. Chantal Soucy, commended the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco with regard to empowering women and engaging them in politics. She also praised the political reform process over the years, noting that the Kingdom has managed to merge authenticity and modernity. Ms. Chantal Soucy also gave a brief overview of the work program of the Network of Women Parliamentarians for the next period and its main projects, namely the reinforcement of women’s position in politics.
The proceedings of the Network of Women Parliamentarians and the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs will continue on Thursday, March 2, 2023, as they will hold simultaneous events followed by a workshop of the Network and presentation of reports on its activities for 2023, the policy adopted by parliaments in fighting violence against women, and other themes related to women's rights and gender equality.
On the other hand, the agenda of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs includes the change in the formation of the Committee’s Bureau, the presentation of reports on the impacts of “disinformation” in the parliamentary sphere, and the evaluation of the cooperation activities organized by the APF in 2022.