Luanda — The Speaker of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, stressed Tuesday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the role of parliamentary diplomacy regarding resolution of conflicts, through dialogue, tolerance and African solidarity.
Carolina Cerqueira who was speaking in the Parliament Speakers' meeting and Sections of the Africa Region of the Parliamentary Association of the Francophonie, said that on its 5th legislature the Angolan National Assembly is proud of being representative of different political options, generational and gender balance and being the only representative of the people who, through fair, democratic and transparent elections, elected their representatives in Parliament.
On the occasion, she appealed for African parliamentarians in the francophone zone to make efforts for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the demilitarization and the end of hostilities of the rebel groups that create instability, heinous crimes against defenceless civilian populations and sow the seeds of terror and insecurity.
Carolina Cerqueira recalled the mediating role played by the Angolan President, João Lourenço, for an urgent and effective solution in the Great Lakes Region.
In this regard, she informed that the National Assembly of Angola recently authorized the sending of 500 soldiers and logistical material to verify the quartering of the rebel forces of M23 and their families.
The Angolan parliamentary leader reaffirmed that these are peace and deterrence forces, whose objective is to protect the civilian populations and promote the conditions for security and stability, so that the populations can enjoy peace, its gains, in a common effort of reconciliation and national reconstruction.
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Carolina Cerqueira supported the proposal for discussion at the next meeting to be held in Nyamry, Republic of Niger, of the climate change issue and energetic transition that is a fundamental condition to set strategies in order to face the challenges due to natural disasters and spread of conflicts that have cause increased poverty and vulnerability of the most disadvantaged populations.
The National Assembly Speaker also mentioned women's autonomy, youth empowerment, and the promotion of human rights and strengthening of democracy as fundamental to sustainable development, social justice and peace.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie aims to represent the interests and expectations of the people of the francophone community with francophonie, promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights, especially within French- speaking community in order to bring a political perspective to the francophone authorities and convey opinions in agreement with the francophone authorities.
Meanwhile, other objectives of the organization are to promote cooperation and strengthen solidarity within the French-speaking community while respecting the right to development, to publicize and promote the international role of parliamentarians, to contribute to the development and mutual knowledge of the cultures and civilizations of the peoples who regularly use the French language, to contribute to the influence of the French language.
