NEPAD urges MPs to focus on regional integration

NEPAD urges MPs to focus on regional integration
By Florence Bupe
Tue 17 May 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development has urged parliamentarians to focus on strategies that will promote regional integration.

Speaking at the fourth ordinary session of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand, New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) chief executive officer Dr Ibrahim Mayaki said African parliamentarians needed to develop synergies that would foster regional integration.

“As law makers, parliamentarians are key to facilitating major national, regional and continental reforms. Our parliamentarians are key to championing those policies that foster regional integration,” Dr Mayaki said.

Dr Mayaki called for the establishment of a joint PAP-NEPAD technical committee for the purpose of identifying activities and initiatives relevant to the continent’s social and economic growth.

He said NEPAD was making steady progress, particularly on issues of food security and infrastructure, and working closely with regional economic communities to roll out programmes centred on food security.

“So far, 26 countries have signed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) compacts and one regional compact by the Economic Community of West African States, thereby highlighting the rollout of Africa’s blue print for agriculture-led development,” said Dr Mayaki.

And chairperson of the NEPAD committee on health Nguini Effa called for the enhanced harmonisation of drug regulation in order to reduce barriers to research, registration, production and access to safe essential medicines in Africa.