The African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security has appealed to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Legislators to encourage member states to sign, ratify and domesticate the instruments presented by the African Union.
Commissioner Smail Chergui addressed the Permanent Committees of the fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament that took place in Midrand, South Africa.
Putting emphasis on the Protocol on Prevention and Combatting Terrorism, Commissioner Chergui, underscored that other instruments that need urgent attention include the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the African Union Non-Aggression and Common Defence Pact, the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced people (Kampala Convention), the African Union Convention on Preventing and combating corruption as well as the Niamey Convention on Cross Border Cooperation.
The Commissioner urged PAP to encourage member states to work with the African Union Commission (AUC) to build their national peace architecture such as the National Early Warning Systems. While some countries have reportedly benefited from the assistance of the AU, the Commission believes that the PAP could play an important role in encouraging countries to take advantage of the Country Structural Vulnerability and Resilience Assessment/Mitigation Strategy (CSVRA/MS).
The Commission is currently working with the government of Ghana on Mitigation strategies, following the process of identification of the country’s vulnerabilities that was performed last year.
PAP has also been urged to support efforts to ensure that women and young people play an active role in the prevention and mediation of conflicts. “Support to our efforts to operationalize FemWise and the Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa would go a long way in preventing and resolving conflicts,” he said.