Luanda: More than 140 parliamentarians and representatives from the member states of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) will meet in Luanda from July 22 to 24 to analyze measures to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation, democratic governance, and institutional resilience in the Lusophone space.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the 15th Interim Session of the CPLP Parliamentary Assembly (AP-CPLP), organized by the National Assembly of Angola, will include the participation of more than 14 parliamentary delegations, including representatives from associate observer countries and invited organizations. The announcement was made at a press conference by the president of the National Monitoring Group for the Parliaments of the CPLP, Virglio de Fontes Pereira, who stressed that the meeting will have a predominantly working character.
He also stressed that the deputies "will not come only for protocol sessions or speeches of circumstance," but to approve resolutions with a practical impact on the functioning of the organization and on the lives of citizens. According to the official, the First Standing Committee, dedicated to the areas of Politics, Strategy, Legislation, Citizenship and Circulation, will consider the proposal to extend the legal capacity of the Permanent Secretariat of the AP-CPLP with the host State, the Republic of Angola.
He explained that the measure will allow the Secretariat, whose headquarters are in Luanda, to enter into contracts, manage its assets autonomously and represent itself before national and international institutions, constituting a relevant step towards the institutional strengthening of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CPLP. Virglio de Fontes Pereira also announced that the committee will launch the debate on the creation, in the medium term, of a Lusophone Center for Parliamentary Cyber Resilience, intended to strengthen the protection of parliaments against cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and other hybrid threats.
However, he clarified that the initiative does not correspond to a definitive decision, but represents a strategic vision to consolidate digital security mechanisms in the CPLP parliamentary space. He also mentioned that the Second Standing Committee, focused on Economy, Environment and Cooperation, will assess the impacts of the CPLP Mobility Agreement on the economies and security of the member states. The committee will also discuss parliamentary mechanisms that strengthen the technical oversight of public finances and promote greater efficiency in budget management.
The Third Standing Committee, dedicated to Language, Education, Science and Culture, will analyze proposals related to education for citizenship and equality, as well as the creation of a Lusophone Scientific Mobility Program, aimed at facilitating the movement of researchers, students and teachers between the countries of the community. As part of the work, the Network of Women Parliamentarians will address the strengthening of female leadership in good governance, while the Network of Young Parliamentarians will discuss strategies for preventing and combating digital disinformation among young people.
According to the deputy, Luanda will receive the Speakers of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique and current leader of the AP-CPLP, Margarida Adamugi Talapa, of Cape Verde, Janira Hopffer Almada, and of the Senate of Equatorial Guinea, Teresa Efua Asangono. From Portugal, the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic, Jos© Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the Speaker of the National Assembly of So Tom© and Prncipe, Celmira Sacramento, and Timor-Leste, Maria Fernanda Lay. Joining the speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, Ado Francisco Correia de Almeida, host of the session, accompanied by a delegation of Angolan deputies.
Virglio de Fontes Pereira stated that, for three days, Angola will be "the meeting point of the highest parliamentary magistracies of the Lusophone space" and added that the event goes beyond the protocol dimension to affirm the country as a platform for political dialogue and multilateral cooperation. He also indicated that the session will include parliamentary delegations from Turkey and Serbia, as invited participants, in addition to representatives of the CPLP Business Confederation and the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Angola, giving the meeting a greater international dimension. During the proceedings, participants will analyze matters related to strengthening democratic governance, security, integrity and institutional resilience, as well as initiatives aimed at deepening parliamentary cooperation mechanisms within the CPLP.
The agenda also includes consideration of proposals to strengthen the oversight function of parliaments and good governance, considered essential to promote sustainable development and improve the living conditions of citizens in the member countries of the community. Created in 2007, the Parliamentary Assembly of the CPLP is the parliamentary body of the Community and its mission is to promote political dialogue, strengthen cooperation between national parliaments, and contribute to the consolidation of the rule of law and democratic values in the Portuguese-speaking world.
