Consultation with the Pan african Parliament and regional parliaments to promote constitutionalism and rule of law Midrand, South Africa

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

When: 25th- 27th November 2015

Where: Pan African Parliament Headquarters, Conference Hall

Who: Organized by the Department of Political Affairs of the African UnionCommission in collaboration with the Pan African Parliament (PAP) andInternational Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)

Objective: The meeting aims to:

Eengage relevant stakeholders to promote constitutionalism and rule of Law in Africa.

Engage African Parliaments on their responsibility to promote Constitutionalism and the Rule of law in Africa;

Identify strategy to promote signature, ratification and implementation of the AU Shared Values and particularly the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

Expected outcome: The main expected outcomes include;

Strategies and Capacity Building Programs identified

Coordination, collaboration and cooperation between national parliaments, regional and PAP strengthened;

A draft joint action plan to strengthen the role of parliaments in the area of Constitutionalism and the rule of law developed;

A draft capacity building program developed for parliamentarians.

Strategies to accelerate the signature, ratification and implementation of ACDEG in the sub-region are identified.

Participants: Representatives of Regional Parliaments, PAP, African Union Commission, Experts in Constitutionalism and Rule of Law, representatives of civil society, and other International organisations.

Background:

The Department of Political Affairs of the AUC in collaboration with the Pan African Parliament will convene a consultative meeting on the role of parliaments in strengthening constitutionalism. The consultation will form part of the action plan of the Constitutionalism and Rule of Law Cluster of the African Governance Platform. On 15 February 2012, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) entered into force. The ACDEG explicitly recognizes the links between democracy and human rights norms, which are the subject of precise obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Agenda 2063 in its aspiration 3, dreams of an "Africa that has implemented good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law to the 2063 horizon" through the consolidation of democratic gains of the continent and improving the quality of governance, the establishment of strong institutions, development oriented and the emergence of visionary leadership. To achieve this aspiration, Agenda 2063 identifies specific areas of interventions that reflect on the mandates of national parliaments, regional and continental. The Pan African Parliament (PAP), as an organ of the African Union enshrines Objective 3 of the Strategic Plan 2014-2017 which is "promoting human rights, democracy and good governance in Africa ".

In the recent past, the Pan-African Parliament and regional parliaments helped accelerate the signing and ratification of the legal instruments of the AU, especially with the campaign "11 by 2011" that allowed the ACDEG to enter into force in early 2012. It is vital that PAP is part of the dialogue on the roles that dynamic conceptions of constitutionalism require of African parliaments. The meeting is conceived as the first of a series of consultations to be undertaken with national and regional parliaments.

JOURNALISTS ARE INVITED TO COVER THE OPENING CEREMONY ON THE 25TH OF NOVEMBER AT 10:00AM AND THE CLOSING ON THE 27TH OF NOVEMBER AT 1:00 PM