The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has highlighted the importance of leveraging the numerical strength of African countries in the Commonwealth to promote African values and aspirations.
She conveyed this message during the 86th Executive Committee Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region), held at the Protea Hotel in Entebbe on Monday.
In her role as the meeting’s presiding officer, Among emphasized that the CPA Africa Region serves as a vital platform for uniting African nations and fostering sustainable growth and development.
She acknowledged the historical challenges and global issues that have divided, exploited, marginalized, and abused African people.
However, Among expressed optimism regarding Africa’s significant numerical strength within the Commonwealth, urging African countries to harness this advantage to advance their strategic interests.
Furthermore, Among called upon African nations in the Commonwealth to utilize the Association as a means to liberate Africa and overcome the major obstacles and challenges faced by its people.
She posed thought-provoking questions: “Can we advocate for and achieve fair, equitable, and sustainable trade, industrialization, and value addition? Can we prioritize sustainable extraction and processing of natural resources? Can we protect and uphold our cherished African values, including the importance of the African family as the foundation of human existence, equity, inclusivity, equality, shared prosperity, and the prevention of human tragedies caused by natural and human-made disasters?”
Among expressed confidence that the meeting would act as a catalyst for positive change and stressed the need for unity among African nations during negotiations with the broader Commonwealth.
Additionally, Among firmly voiced her opposition to the Charity Organization status of the CPA in the UK. She argued that Africa, with its history of colonialism, imperialism, unfair trade, and climate change disasters, should not be contributing resources in the form of subscription fees to a charity organization based in the UK.
She urged the meeting attendees to reject this status and work towards an independent CPA that operates as an international parliamentary organization.
“We should remain members of the CPA, but it should be an organization that represents our interests as an international parliamentary body, not a charity. If the UK is unwilling to change the CPA’s status, which it appears to be the case, Africa must collaborate with other Commonwealth regions to rescue the CPA from UK government control,” Among asserted.
The CPA is an organisation that brings together Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures to promote good governance, democracy, and human rights.
Similarly, the CPA Africa Region, as a subset of the CPA, focuses on safeguarding the interests and viewpoints of African regional parliaments and countries within the Commonwealth and beyond.
It also strives to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment, and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy, and good governance.
