Election of the House of Representatives as Member of the Advisory Committee of the Conference of Speakers of African Legislative Assemblies

The Ghanaian capital, Accra, witnessed the conclusion of the second General Assembly of the Conference of Speakers of African Legislative Assemblies, which took place on October 26 and 27, 2024. The Assembly featured the participation of more than fifteen African legislative institutions.

The session resulted in the ratification of the constitution of this newly established organization and the election of its leadership structures. In this regard, the House of Representatives was elected as a member of the Advisory Committee for the North African Group. The Committee gathers ten members: Five serving speakers of African legislative assemblies and five former speakers of legislative assemblies representing the five regions of the continent, for a mandate of three years. The Presidency of this organization was entrusted to Hon. Alban Sumana, Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament.

With regard to the discussion of the statute of this organization, the Algerian delegation put forward a proposal to delete the condition of “sovereign states” from the conditions for joining the organization. However, this proposal was prevented by the vigilance of Rep. Mohammed Ghayate, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who argued for the retention of this condition.

Besides, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives delivered a remarkable speech in which he emphasized the pivotal role played by the Moroccan Parliament within various international parliamentary fora, whether at the global, continental, or regional levels. He also praised the support of Moroccan parliamentary diplomacy to all efforts aimed at achieving development and progress in Africa and referred to the initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah protect him, to facilitate the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, expressing the appreciation of the House of Representatives for every initiative that contributes to the advancement of African countries and ensures the prosperity of their peoples.

On the sidelines of this session, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives held intensive bilateral meetings with the participating delegations, most notably with the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament, Hon. Alban Sumana. The two sides discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between the two countries and the possibility of unifying visions and coordinating positions on issues of common interest.

It is worth mentioning that the Conference of Speakers of African Legislative Assemblies, which was established in 2020 in Nigeria, is the first continental organization that brings together the speakers of African parliaments from across the continent.