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Resolution on the African Continental Free Trade Area and the free movement of persons, rights of residence and right of establishment

Resolution on the African Continental Free Trade Area and the free movement of persons, rights of residence and right of establishment
Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · African Union (AU)
Regional Body / Author
Pan-African Parliament
Date
17 May 2018
Language
English
Publication
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African Union

Resolution on the African Continental Free Trade Area and the free movement of persons, rights of residence and right of establishment

THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT,CONSIDERING Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which establishes the Pan-African Parliament (PAP);CONSIDERING ALSO Article 3 of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Pan-African Parliament, and Rule 4 (a) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament;CONSIDERING FURTHER Chapter VI of the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty), devoted to the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment;RECALLING Recommendation PAP.4/PL/Recom.02(III) of the Pan-African Parliament on the Free Movement of People and the new African Passport and Resolution PAP.4/PLN/RES/02/MAY.17 of the Pan-African Parliament on the Free Movement of People in Africa and the African Passport;RECALLING ALSO the African Union Agenda 2063, which envisions Africa as a continent where the free movement of people, capital, goods and services will significantly increase trade and investments amongst African countries and improve Africa’s situation in global trade;RECALLING FURTHER AU Decision Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1(X) adopted in March 2018, in Kigali, Rwanda on the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);NOTING WITH CONCERN the huge income inequalities and deepening poverty levels across the continent, which have lent fertile ground for social, economic and political instability, clandestine migrations and the use of unemployed and marginalised youth by armed and terrorist groups;NOTING WITH APPRECIATION the adoption by the AU Assembly of the Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment ("Protocol on Free Movement of Persons") and its Draft Implementation Roadmap, in March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda;IN ACCORDANCE WITH Rule 5(b), (c) and (d) of the Rules of Procedure of the Pan-African Parliament, which empowers the PAP to, inter alia, organize debate, discuss, express an opinion, make recommendations and take resolutions on the objectives and on any matters relating to the African Union and its organs, Regional Economic Communities, Member States and their organs and institutions;
NOW HEREBY RESOLVES TO:
1.Initiate advocacy activities to expedite the signature, ratification, domestication and implementation of:
(i)The Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area; and
(ii)The Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of establishment;
2.Urge the Members of PAP to popularize the AfCFTA to the Members of their respective national Parliaments and Communities in order to promote national ownership of, benefits of the AfCFTA and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in the socio-economic development of Africa.
3.Work in collaboration with National Parliaments and their Members to urge their respective Governments, where applicable, to sign, ratify, domesticate and implement the AfCFTA and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons;
4.Regularly monitor progress on, and encourage domestic parliamentary oversight over, AU Member States’ signature, ratification and implementation of the AfCFTA and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons;;
5.Work towards the harmonization of Member States’ laws, policies and structures in order to facilitate the implementation of the AfCFTA and the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons;
6.To provide the Committee on Trade Customs and Immigration with adequate support for its activities aimed at advancing regional and continental integration.Midrand, South Africa17 May 2018
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