The Secretary General of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL), Ambassador Dapo Oyewole, has advocated for increased multilateral participation in global governance processes as well as parliamentary collaboration.
Speaking in Geneva, Switzerland, at the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, Oyewole underlined the critical necessity for ongoing legislative cooperation, particularly in a world that is becoming more divided and unpredictable.
With the theme “A World in Turmoil: Parliamentary Cooperation and Multilateralism for Peace and Justice for All,” the international summit brought together speakers and presiding officers from national parliaments worldwide to discuss ways to promote inclusive development, justice, and peace.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, PhD; Nigerian Senate President Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio; and CoSPAL Chairman and Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin were among the high-ranking African delegation.
The growing impact of African legislative bodies on the international scene is reflected in CoSPAL’s strong participation in the conference, according to Oyewole. African parliaments must speak with one voice on common continental issues and concerns, he emphasized.
Read Also: WAEC Temporarily Shuts Down Result Checker Portal
The parliamentary leadership must be strong and visionary in this time of global disintegration. Oyewole stated that such gatherings offer a unique and tactical chance for national speakers to network, build agreement, and develop cooperative answers to global problems.
For African legislators in particular, these platforms are essential since they provide a forum for promoting the continent’s shared interests. The purpose of CoSPAL was to allow Africa’s parliamentary leadership to communicate clearly and cohesively in the international legislative system,” he continued.
During the conference, Ambassador Oyewole commended the involvement of several African leaders, highlighting the powerful comments given by Bagbin, Akpabio, and Abbas in particular. He cited measures being implemented to modernize parliamentary procedures and boost public participation, highlighting Speaker Abbas’s speech on the digital transformation of Nigeria’s legislative traditions as being especially progressive.
The Geneva conference provided parliamentary leaders with an important forum to restate their dedication to legislative collaboration and multilateral discourse in addressing global issues, particularly as CoSPAL prepares for its third General Assembly later this year.
Oyewole said, “As we broaden CoSPAL’s reach globally, we also hope to draw global engagement with our platform.” This statement reaffirmed CoSPAL’s commitment to advancing inclusive and resilient democratic institutions throughout Africa and forming significant alliances with the worldwide community.
