Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt. Honourable, Justice, Dr Patrick Matibini, SC, FCIArb,  MP was among several Speakers who attended the 10th Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments, held on 6th and 7th August, 2019, in Midrand, South Africa.
The Conference hosted by the Pan African Parliament was held under the theme: Towards durable solutions to forced migration to accelerate integration and development in Africa: Role of National and regional Parliaments” This is line with the 2019 African Union theme.
In his welcome address, President of the Pan African Parliament, Hon Roger Nkodo Dang, MP, called on the Speakers to address the challenges being faced by their countries and take advantage of available opportunities through their Parliamentary mandates. He reiterated that development in Africa was only possible in an environment of peace, safety and stability.
In her key note speech, the Guest of Honour, Ms Gabriela Cuevas Barron, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union called upon African countries to work together to fight extremism, terrorism, climate change and youth unemployment.
Among the major issues discussed during the conference were the following:
i.    the role of national and regional parliaments in finding lasting solutions to the situation of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons in Africa, the silencing of the guns, and the realisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area;  and
ii.    progress made and the difficulties faced by Parliaments in their efforts towards ratification, reception and implementation of AU treaties relating to refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons in Africa, silencing of the guns, and the completion of the African Continental Free Trade Area, as well as the new PAP Protocol.
The Speakers’ Conference was preceded by a meeting of Clerks from African Parliaments from 5th to 6th August, 2019. Zambia was represented by Clerk of the National Assembly, Mrs Cecilia N Mbewe.
The conference was held on the sidelines of the August, 2019 Pan African Parliament Committee Meetings attended by Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, MP, Honourable Mutinta C Mazoka, MP, Honourable Margaret Miti, MP, Honourable Maxas B. J Ng’onga, MP and Honourable Anthony C Mumba, MP who represented the Zambian Parliament.
The outcome of the Conference was a set of resolutions which included a call on Pan African Parliament Member Parliaments to contribute effectively to the elimination of the structural causes of conflict, particularly corruption, extreme poverty, gender inequality and other forms of discrimination as well as the violation of human rights, poor management of resources and issues relating to the rights of the youth and youth unemployment.