The office of the Forum of Presidents of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees in African Parliaments held a meeting today, Friday, at the House of Representatives in Rabat, dedicated to discussing several organizational issues, primarily the completion of the forum’s structure and arrangements for its upcoming session.
The meeting was chaired by Salma Benaziz, the head of the forum and the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs, and Immigration Committee in the House of Representatives.
During the meeting, members examined the final version of the forum’s bylaws, which were approved at the second meeting of the heads of foreign affairs committees in African parliaments held in Rabat on February 20, 2025. They also discussed the ongoing preparations for the next session of the forum, which will take place in the Kingdom of Morocco in 2026, focusing on the theme of “water, energy, and sustainable development.”
The office also deliberated on working mechanisms among members, alongside a proposal to establish five thematic working groups, which will be finalized in the next meeting. Additionally, they addressed a proposal to create a coordination mechanism aimed at introducing the forum to international parliamentary bodies and relevant African countries.
The meeting provided an opportunity to explore the current challenges facing the African continent and the roles of parliaments in contributing to addressing these challenges through cooperation and coordination among legislative institutions in various countries. The meeting was attended by representatives from several African parliaments, including the head of the Foreign Affairs and Malians Abroad and African Integration Committee of the Transitional National Council of the Republic of Mali, Kon Aboubacar Sidiki; the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Tanzania, Kiwawa Vita Rashid Mfum; and the chair of the Parliamentary Affairs and Foreign Policy Committee of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Erol Efina Isabel.
It is worth noting that the Parliamentary Forum of Presidents of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees in African Parliaments was established during the second meeting held in Rabat on February 20, 2025, where Salma Benaziz was elected as the head of the forum, along with the election of four vice presidents representing regions of West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.
