Communique and Resolutions of the Inaugural Meeting of the Secretariat
September 21, 2023

The Inaugural meeting of the Secretariat of the Parliamentarians’ Consultative Meeting on Darfur was convened at the Seacliff Hotel in Dar es Salaam on 21st and 22nd September 2007 in line with the Follow-Up Mechanism generated by the First Consultative Meeting that took place in 26-28 May 2007. The Secretariat comprises of Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of Tanzania (Chair), Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, Sudan, Pan African Parliament (PAP) representatives of the Darfur Consortium and staff of the Tanzanian parliament. 

The meeting gathered to deliberate and decide on, inter alia, the role & responsibility of the Secretariat as put forward in the Follow-Up Mechanism. It also received updates on developments post May 2007, and then deliberated on the next Consultative Meeting.

Of particular note the members deliberated on the role of the Secretariat and the Consultative Committee in general and the limited context of Darfur. The possibility of other conflict zones being included was tabled. Of interest was the role of non African states in African conflicts with particular focus placed on the role of China in Sudan. The Secretariat pondered the issue of parliamentarians’ engagement in continental peace and security and how best to utilise the Consultative Mechanism as a process towards good governance. In their deliberations the Secretariat concluded and adopted the following resolutions:

1. The role of the Secretariat is to oversee the implementation of the Follow-Up Mechanism.
2. Secretariat will be made up of members of parliament supported by experts/functionaries made up of parliamentarian and Darfur Consortium experts.
3. The Secretariat will, through its support functionaries, ensure that Steps 1- 4 of the Follow-Up Mechanism be implemented without delay, starting with the notification letters to all parliaments of AU member states and the dispatch of the report of the inaugural meeting.
4. Functionaries of the Secretariat establish a research mechanism to provide the Secretariat with comprehensive and current information and data on the conflict.
5. Step 4.3 – a mission to the AU Commission should take place in the month of October 2007 (save for 6-10 October), with Kenya, Tanzania and PAP.
6. The next Consultative Meeting will take place between 19-25 November 2007 in Dar es Salaam, with the Secretariat meeting a day before the actual meeting.
7. The title of the Consultative meeting to remain as: African Parliamentarians Consultative Meeting on Darfur. The role, mandate and capacity of the Consultative meeting be discussed at its next meeting.   
8. Report of the May meeting of the First Consultative Meeting was corrected and made ready for circulation to the national parliaments of all 53 AU member states and PAP.

In addition, the Secretariat would like to highlight the following:

1. The Secretariat appreciates the UN Secretary General’s visit to Sudan to discuss the Darfur conflict and working out the modalities for the follow up peace negotiations in Libya.
2. The Secretariat commends the government of Sudan for accepting UNAMID and urges it to expedite action and giving access to the peacekeeping troops.
3. Also, the Secretariat commends the efforts of the AU/UN envoy in organising the Arusha talks in August 2007 and urges all parties to the conflict to attend the Libya meeting.
4. The Secretariat is happy to note the emergence of the group of African Elder State-Persons and commends their resolve to throw their weight and wisdom behind the resolution of the conflict in Darfur. 

In conclusion, the Secretariat expressed hope that, having being initiated, this Parliamentarian mechanism will become a beacon of hope for Africans and demonstrate African solidarity to the world.

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Hon. Anna Abdallah