By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, June 5, GNA – Members of African Parliaments, leaders, and civil society groups have adopted a communiqué in Accra calling for stronger protection of the African family, national sovereignty, and cultural values against external pressures.
The declaration came at the close of the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values held in Accra from Wednesday, June 3, to Friday, 5, 2026.
The conference built on three previous conferences and advanced work toward an African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values.
Mr Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff, who represented President John Dramani Mahama, opened the conference with a call to place families at the center of policy.
He said the family remained “the fundamental building block of society” and urged family-centered policies in maternal health, social protection, employment, and inclusive economic growth.
President Mahama, through his representative, reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to international cooperation while insisting on the continent’s right to chart its own development path. He urged delegates to translate the principles of the African Charter into practical action.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, in his keynote compared the Accra conference to the 1958 All-African Peoples’ Conference.
He said Africa had won political independence but now faced a “new struggle to preserve cultural identity, family values, and sovereignty.”
“Weakening family structures directly undermines national stability,” the Speaker cautioned, warning against external pressures imposing foreign legal and cultural paradigms.
Mr Bagbin also the Chair of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (COSPAL), called for practical action on affordable housing, child nutrition, maternal healthcare, and elderly support.
Delegates resolved to pursue consensus across seven thematic areas: African family systems, sovereignty and cultural preservation, values-based education, gender and marriage, technology and media, comparative legislation, and drafting the African Charter.
They agreed that Africa’s sovereignty, cultural identity, and value systems were “non-negotiable” and must not be traded for foreign aid or political influence.
The conference also stressed the need to integrate African languages, indigenous knowledge, and moral education into school curricula and digital platforms.
On technology, participants called for data localisation, protection of children online, and development of African AI systems to safeguard digital sovereignty.
The Malabo Convention on Cybersecurity was highlighted for ratification and implementation.
The conference adopted recommendations for COSPAL to establish a Committee on Family, Sovereignty and Values with a dedicated Secretariat to coordinate advocacy, research, and annual conferences. Member states were urged to set up national parliamentary caucuses to support implementation.
African Parliaments and civil society were tasked to consult widely on the draft Charter ahead of the 5th Inter-Parliamentary Conference scheduled for May 2027.
Delegates expressed appreciation to President Mahama for his support and to Speaker Bagbin for hosting the conference.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Elsie Appiah-Osei, GNA
[email protected]