From the 1st to the 7th of July 2024, the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Roger Mancienne in his capacity as President of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, led a delegation to the 55th Plenary Assembly of SADC PF hosted by the Parliament of Angola. Members of the delegation included Hon. Egbert Aglae, Hon. Regina Esparon, Hon. Kelly Samynadin, Hon. Richard Labrosse, Hon. Rocky Uranie and Clerk to the National Assembly Mrs. Tania Isaac.
The 55th Plenary Assembly Session was highly attended, with delegations led by Speakers and Presiding Officers from 13 out of the 15 Member Parliaments. The theme for this Session was “The role of Parliaments in promoting renewable energy policies in the SADC Region and establishing a single regional energy market”. Delegates were enlightened by presentations from various Research Institutions, Government Officials from Angola, and members of academia from across the region on renewable energy and the ways in which parliaments are instrumental in the promotion of effective national and regional policies.
Speaker Mancienne presided over the swearing in of new Members of SADC PF, including Hon. Kelly Samynadin, and chaired the deliberations and resolutions of the Plenary. These forums included the adoption of Reports submitted by the Forum’s Organs including Executive Committee, Standing Committees, Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) and Regional Parliamentary Model Law Oversight Committee. The Seychelles delegation actively participated in the deliberations, which included the elections of Office Bearers for two Standing Committees.
The Plenary Assembly culminated with an announcement that the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Zambia have both signed the Agreement to amend the SADC Treaty to establish the SADC Parliament. This Amendment, under Article 9(1) of the SADC Treaty, paves the way for the creation of the SADC Parliament as a regional institution, and is an incredible milestone in the ten-year transformative journey undertaken by SADC PF.
The 56th Plenary Assembly is scheduled for November 2024 in the Republic of Zambia, during which the National Assembly of Seychelles will relinquish the position as President of SADC PF as Hon. Roger Mancienne’s tenure comes to a close.
