La Francophonie MPs to discuss ‘lasting peace’ at Kigali meet

Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) are convening in Kigali in order to discuss ways to lasting peace and tackle global issues, such as the Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war impacts, as well as insecurity in some of the organisations member countries. According to the conference organisers, the APF’s 47th Session is being held in Kigali, from July 5 to 9, 2022, under the theme “World governance: the role of parliaments for lasting peace.” During a press conference on Tuesday, July 5, Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Rwanda that, “During such conferences, we always discuss different issues of common interest in the countries making up La Francophonie world. There are consequences resulting from the problems that people face, Parliamentarians cannot meet and ignore to talk about the different effects including those of the Covid-19 economic impact,” Mukabalisa said. As per the event organisers, in recent years, the world, especially the French-speaking world, has faced a series of major crises of various natures. They include military coups leading to ruptures in the institutional order in some countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa; of the destabilisations caused by transnational terrorist organisations; the Covid-19 pandemic which made countries to impose drastic health prevention measures; and the Russia-Ukraine war. These tragic situations on a human level, they said, have directly affected the world by installing and generalising the fragility, instability and economic recession. “When we discuss all of those [issues], we also have an opportunity to make resolutions that we submit to the Heads of State and Government which compose La Francophonie [so that they are addressed],” she observed. As a legislative arm of International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), APF works in close collaboration with this organisation and its actions aim to strengthen solidarity between parliamentary institutions and to promote democracy and the rule of law, more particularly within the French-speaking community. It holds that in this particularly difficult period when peace and stability of the world are threatened, it is necessary to encourage joint multilateral actions to facilitate the peaceful settlement of conflicts between nations and to bring appropriate, innovative and sustainable solutions. Meanwhile, Mukabalisa said the meeting will be an opportunity for parliaments to share and learn good practices from one another, and that Rwanda will have an occasion to share experience on the resilience of Rwandans and transformational development in the last 28 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. About 300 delegates are gathering in Kigali for this conference including presidents, vice presidents of parliaments in La Francophonie countries as well as presidents of APF committees, and the APF secretariat team. The opening ceremony for the plenary session will take place on July 8, with speeches by Speaker Mukabalisa, Adama Bictogo, President of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF), and Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie. However, committee and network meetings are ongoing ahead of the actual plenary session.

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La Francophonie MPs to discuss ‘lasting peace’ at Kigali meet