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African Parliamentarians Talk Peace, Democracy and Trade

19 August 2004

King Mswati III
HM King Mswati III of Swaziland opened the conference
The role of parliament in preventing and combating international terrorism was among the topics on the agenda of a conference of Commonwealth African parliamentarians, which ended recently.  

The 35th African Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) brought together more than 100 members from 28 African national, state and provincial legislatures. They met in Swaziland from 7 to 15 August 2004 to confer on the theme of 'Peace, Sovereignty and Democracy'.  

At the opening ceremony, HM King Mswati III of Swaziland called for the continuation of preferential access to markets for African goods. He warned that the removal of such access would cause major loan repayment problems, impede economic growth and force African nations to rely on aid instead of trade. 

"African states must be given a chance to grow from small economies to a stage where they can compete fairly with the developed world. It is necessary that the preferential markets that have been afforded to us must be continued," said the King. 

The European Commission has been providing African, Caribbean and Pacific countries with preferential trade concessions and financial aid through four successive Lomé Conventions and the 2000 Cotonou Agreement. Negotiations are ongoing to replace the Cotonou Agreement with reciprocal trade deals or Economic Partnership Agreements. 

Francis Kaparo, Speaker of Kenya's National Assembly and outgoing Chairman of the CPA Africa Region, said that the CPA in Africa must strive to achieve the Association's traditional goal of strengthening the parliamentary democratic system, while also improving economic development; conflict resolution; access to low-cost HIV/AIDS drugs; and the representation of women in Africa's Parliaments. 

Delegates at the conference also discussed the role of electoral systems in the promotion of democracy in Africa; women in politics; the progress Africa has made in transforming 'warfare states' to 'welfare states'; and education for peace.  

The 2005 African Regional Conference will be in Cameroon.

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