THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, JUSTICE DR PATRICK MATIBINI, SC, MP, ATTENDS THE 9^TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF SPEAKERS OF AFRICAN PARLIAMENTS, 10 -11^TH AUGUST, 2017

The Rt. Hon Speaker, Justice Dr Patrick Matibini, SC, MP, is in Johannesburg, South Africa attending the 9th Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments which begun on 10^th August, 2017 and will close on 11^th August, 2017. The conference theme is , ‘’Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth: Role of National and Regional Parliaments in Africa.’’ The conference was officially opened by His Excellency Honourable Roger Nkodo Dan, President of the Pan African Parliament.

The conference theme is premised on the African Union (AU) theme for 2017, ‘’Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth,’’ adopted by the Heads of State at the 28^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa in January, 2017. Therefore, the Speakers’ conference is aimed at exploring a Parliamentary dimension to the AU theme for 2017, as epitomised by its objectives which include, among others, the following:

1. Enable Speakers and Secretaries-General and Clerks of Parliaments in Africa to acquaint themselves with the theme of the African Union for 2017 and the roadmap for its implementation;
2. Discuss the role of national and regional parliaments in harnessing the demographic dividend through investment in the youth, and the related challenges and opportunities; and
3. Share best practices and successes and devise joint strategies for making parliamentary action more efficient, towards the swift ratification, acceptance and implementation of the African Union treaties and policy frameworks, including in the area of youth empowerment.

The Speakers’ conference comes at the backdrop of the acknowledgement that Africa’s youthful population of today as well as that of the future is the continent’s most valuable resource. The African Youth Charter states that active and full participation of the youth in the political, economic and social spheres can empower Africa to surmount current challenges and those that lie ahead.

The conference is being attended by Speakers or their representatives from national and regional parliaments across Africa. These include countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon and many others.

Notable at this conference is the fact that Zambia has been mentioned as a shining example in carrying out a study on demographic dividend which was used in the formulation of the 7^th National Development Plan. The study was undertaken by the Ministry of National Development Planning in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2015.

The Speaker’s delegation comprises Hon Richard Musukwa, MP, Chief Whip and Mrs Cecilia Mbewe, the Acting Clerk, who is attending both the Association of Secretaries General/Clerks of African Parliaments and the Speakers’ conference. The Association of Secretaries General/Clerks Meeting came up with recommendations on the role of national and regional parliaments in Africa in harnessing demographic dividend which it presented to the Speakers’ conference and has been adopted by the conference.