Pan-African Parliament launches 3 model laws to advance continental legislative harmonisation

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has launched three Model Laws to help African Union Member States harmonise national legislation and advance the implementation of Agenda 2063. The instruments cover gender equality and equity, labour migration and sustainable soil management, and were unveiled during the two-day Conference of Speakers of African National and Regional Parliaments, which ended on August 1, 2026, in Midrand, South Africa. Dr Fateh Boutbig, President of the Pan-African Parliament, said the Model Laws were practical legislative tools designed to support Member States while respecting their sovereignty and diverse legal systems.

He said the instruments were developed through extensive consultations involving African Union organs, Member States, parliamentarians, academia, civil society organisations and development partners to reflect the continent’s priorities and aspirations. Describing the initiative as the beginning of “a new era in legislation-making,” Dr Boutbig urged Member States to adopt and implement the frameworks to support legislative reforms. “Those laws are not merely legal texts.

We do not work on Model Laws to archive them. We develop them so they can be applied to improve the lives of Africans,” he said. Madam Dao Miriam Gabala, Chairperson of the Committee on Gender, Youth, Family and People with Disability, said the Model Law on Gender Equality and Equity sought to promote equal opportunities, increase women’s participation in governance and economic empowerment, and address gender-based discrimination and violence.

She said the framework also encouraged the inclusion of young people and persons with disabilities in national development and decision-making through legislative reforms. Presenting the Model Law on Labour Migration, Mr Senator John Bonds Bideri, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters, said it provided a harmonised legal framework for safe, orderly and regular labour migration across Africa. He said the instrument promoted fair recruitment, equal treatment of migrant workers, social protection, labour mobility and stronger regional cooperation in line with African Union priorities and international labour standards.

Euphrème Outata, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, said the Model Law on Sustainable Soil Mana…