Commonwealth Parliament : Official Opening Today

The 18th conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers whose official opening ceremony is slated for today July 18, 2023 is holding under the theme, "African Parliaments and the Agenda 2063." Four main thematic areas are being handled during the Conference that will be presided at by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute on behalf of the Head of State, Paul Biya who by regulation is the Honorary President. They include the role of Parliaments in strengthening openness, transparency and accountability; African Parliaments in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area; addressing the challenges of food security in Africa by promoting investments in agriculture; and the devastating impact of climate change on humanity with a call for more intervention by these Parliaments. With the upsurge of contemporary challenges, confronting them from a joint front is imperative. The Commonwealth Parliament is meeting to collectively analyse these challenges and chart a way forward.
Ahead of today’s opening, various delegations of the 21 African countries who are in Cameroon for the 18th Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers meeting for nine days (July 13 to 22, 2023) are holding bilateral meetings and exchanging view points on jointly handling issues of common interest. Cameroon’s House Speaker, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, who also doubles as Chairperson of the Conference was at the Yaounde-Nsimalen International Airport and received some of the personalities. Accompanied by Senator Tabetando and Hon. Tabot Lawson, all Deputy Chairpersons, Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril received the Speakers of Zambian, Uganda, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. He had brief audiences with each of the delegations. The Chairperson of the Organising Committee and Deputy Speaker of Cameroon’s National Assembly, Hon. Mary Muyali Meboka equally received some Speakers and Presiding O...