Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has urged African countries in the Commonwealth to harness their numerical strength to advance their African values and aspirations.
Among made these remarks during the 86th Executive Committee Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) at the Protea Hotel in Entebbe on Monday.
While presiding over the meeting, Among emphasized that the CPA Africa Region serves as a strategic vehicle for uniting African nations towards unity, sustainable growth, and development. She highlighted the global challenges and historical colonial distortions that continue to divide, exploit, marginalize, and abuse African people.
Among expressed confidence that the meeting would act as a catalyst for positive change.
“To achieve this positive change, we must work together as a united team in our negotiations within the wider Commonwealth,” she stated.
Among also stressed the need to reject the status of the CPA as a charity organization in the UK, citing Africa’s disproportionate burden of charitable causes resulting from colonialism, imperialism, unfair trade, and climate change disasters. She urged African countries to advocate for the independence of the CPA from the UK.
“We need to remain a member of the CPA, but as an international parliamentary organization, not a charity,” Among asserted. She called for collective action among African nations and cooperation with other Commonwealth regions to rescue the CPA from UK government control.
The CPA is an organization of the international community of Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures dedicated to promoting good governance, democracy, and human rights.
The CPA Africa Region, a subset of the CPA, was established to champion the interests and perspectives of African regional parliaments and countries within the Commonwealth and beyond, with a focus on gender equality, women’s emancipation, and respect for human rights, democracy, and good governance.