The Pan-African Parliament will push for integration of the African continent through the adoption of laws that will facilitate free movement across the continent. 

This was announced by Roger Nkodo Dang, the president of the Pan-African Parliament, during a visit to the Rwandan Senate on Thursday.

The visit was organised on the sidelines of 27th African Union summit that is taking place in Kigali.

But the parliament will do that after getting the authority to exercise legislative power which it is yet to get.

"The Parliament seeks to adopt laws that facilitate travel on the continent. Once the Pan-African Parliament begins to exercise legislative power, we will enact laws that will apply to the whole continent and will facilitate the integration of the continent,” he said. 

The 23rd AU summit in 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea recommended that the Parliament should work as a legislature with permanent Members of Parliament.

It highlighted the urgent need for the signing and ratification of the revised Protocol that will enable the PAP to make model laws on continental issues and submit to AU Member states for adoption.

Nkodo said Rwanda would become the 10th country to fully ratify the 49 legal instruments of the Pan-African Parliament of which Rwanda has ratified 31.

"We hope that Rwanda will ratify the rest in the days ahead,” he said.

Bernard Makuza, the president of Rwandan Senate said integration should not always be something easier said than done, explaining that words should go hand in hand with actions.

"We should not always talk about the benefits of integration but rather execute our statements,” he noted.

The Pan African Parliament was established as an organ of the African Union (AU) to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the continent.

The first Parliament was inaugurated on March 18, 2004 in Ethiopia and its headquarters are in Midrand, South Africa.

Its objectives include the promotion of the principle of human rights and democracy in Africa, encourage good governance, transparency and accountability in Member States, and facilitate cooperation and development in Africa, among others.

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