tendai keith guvamombe (MIDRAND South African)
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the legislative arm of the African Union (AU), has announced that the 6th Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature will be held from November 1 to 15, 2025, at its Headquarters in Midrand, South Africa. This critical session aligns with the African Union Theme of the Year for 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”
As the final Plenary Session of the calendar year, it brings together 275 members from across the continent to review committee reports, debate policies, and draft recommendations for the AU Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Key Dates and Focus Areas
The two-week engagement is structured into preparatory and public sessions, covering a broad spectrum of continental issues:
Global Partnerships: Key diplomatic
dialogues include discussions on the Future of Africa-Europe Partnership and a PAP-EP Joint Parliamentary AU-EU Pre-Summit Dialogue.
Public Participation and Oversight
The session reinforces PAP’s mandate as a platform for popular participation. Public sessions, commencing on November 3, welcome the general public and stakeholders to observe debates.
Critical stakeholder consultations are scheduled, including a focus on the Model Law on the Right to Nationality and the eradication of statelessness in Africa, and a Third Civil Society Parliamentary Dialogue.
The PAP, through these sessions, exercises its vital oversight role, reviewing reports from other AU Organs and African Institutions to ensure collective efforts advance the continent’s development agenda.
The 5th Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament in July 2025 covered topics like the Draft Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity and the impact of US Visa Restrictions on Africa, showcasing the type of legislative work the PAP is currently undertaking.
Official Opening: The Ordinary Session will formally open on November 3, 2025 (9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. SAST), including the swearing-in of new members.
Plenary Debates: Plenary Sessions are scheduled from November 4 to 6, during which members will adopt final resolutions and recommendations to influence continent-wide laws and policies.
Thematic High-Level Meetings:
Reparations and Justice: The session will be anchored by the AU’s 2025 theme, ensuring discussions focus on equity and restorative justice for Africans.
Governance and Democracy: A joint committee meeting will address the “Impact of military coups and the militarisation of politics on constitutionalism and democracy in Africa.”
Youth Engagement: The 5th APRM Youth Symposium will be co-organized with the PAP, focusing on “Strengthening African Youth & Reimagining Activism for Equity & Restorative Justice in Democratic Governance.”
