Pan-African Parliament to hold Seventh Legislature's First Ordinary Session in South Africa

Africa

MIDRAND, South Africa (NPA) — The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) will convene the First Ordinary Session of its Seventh Legislature from July 17 to August 1, 2026, bringing together lawmakers and policymakers from across Africa to deliberate on key issues affecting the continent’s development, governance and regional integration.

The session will be held at the Pan-African Parliament Headquarters in Midrand, South Africa, with proceedings scheduled to begin daily at 9:00 a.m. South African Standard Time (SAST).

According to the Parliament, the meeting will attract African Heads of State and Government, members of the Pan-African Parliament, Speakers and members of national and regional legislatures, government officials, representatives of African Union institutions, civil society organisations, academia, the diplomatic corps, and officials of the United Nations.

The session will be conducted in four phases designed to strengthen legislative cooperation and advance the African Union’s continental agenda.

The first phase, scheduled for July 17 and 18, will comprise preparatory meetings involving the PAP Bureau, ambassadors, committee bureaux and parliamentary caucuses. The closed-door meetings are expected to harmonise priorities and finalise work programmes ahead of the plenary.

The second phase, from July 20 to 26, will feature meetings of the Parliament’s Permanent Committees and caucuses. The sessions will be open to the media and will include interview opportunities.

Discussions during the committee meetings will focus on the African Union Theme of the Year 2026: “Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

Lawmakers are also expected to deliberate on peace and security, trade and economic integration, gender equality, youth development and other cross-cutting continental issues before submitting their reports to the plenary.

The plenary session of the Seventh Legislature will take place between July 27 and 30.

Activities will include the President’s opening address, the swearing-in of new members, solidarity messages from partner institutions and the presentation of the State of the African Union by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Members will also debate committee reports, review the Women’s Caucus report, deliberate on the AU Theme of the Year and adopt resolutions before the formal closing ceremony.

The final phase, scheduled for July 31 to August 1, will feature the Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments, which will provide a platform for dialogue between the Pan-African Parliament and legislative institutions across the continent.

According to PAP, the conference is expected to strengthen cooperation among African legislatures and promote the harmonisation of laws and policies among African Union member states.

The Parliament noted that its Rules of Procedure require at least two plenary sessions each year, during which members consider committee reports and make recommendations to African Heads of State and Government on continental policies and legislation.

It added that the upcoming session will further strengthen the Parliament’s legislative, advisory and oversight functions while supporting the implementation of African Union priorities and Agenda 2063.

The Pan-African Parliament said the session would also serve as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with regional and international partners and reinforce the role of parliamentary diplomacy in advancing Africa’s development agenda.