African Political Parties Summit Ends with a Call for Political Parties to Create Jobs and End Poverty.

The 3-Day African Political Parties Summit 2025 (APPS) has ended with a call to build Internal Capacity of Political parties to embark on reform and align electoral campaigns with long-term development planning and the urgent need for job creation, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.

The ten-point declaration dovetails the mechanisms to be adopted by African Political Parties in order to advance economic developments.

“We further resolve to mandate the Steering Committee of the 2025 African Political Parties Summit, working with the Africa Governance Centre, to consult all participating political parties to formulate an implementation framework for operationalizing the above principles”, the declaration emphasized.

The Chairman of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketiah who represented the President advised Political Parties to place the interest of the people above any other interest.

ACCRA DECLARATION ON THE AFRICAN POLITICAL PARTIES INITIATIVE
We, the leaders and representatives of political parties from Africa, in close deliberation with civil society organizations, international agencies, research and advocacy-based institutions in advancement of good governance, peace, regional integration and south-south solidarity, gathered at the inaugural African Political Parties Summit under the theme “From Politics to Prosperity: Integrating Inter-Party Collaboration for Africa’s Development and Economic Transformation” that was convened by the Africa Governance Centre in Accra, Ghana
Guided by universal, regional, and localized principles of peace, prosperity, justice, democracy and inclusivity.
Mindful of the obligations of political parties to uphold these principles both internally and in their engagements with other political parties and stakeholders.
Convinced that inter-party dialogue and consensus building are the bedrocks of the indivisibility between politics and Africa’s developmental and economic transformation.
Recognizing the multi-dimensional nature of historic and structural barriers that hinder exposure, access, and impact of political parties on women, youth and various marginalized groups, despite widescale adoption of formal laws and declarations.
Concerned about evolving threats to African democracy due to the multiple effects of poverty, inequality, youth unemployment, climate change, insecurity, underdevelopment, political instability, and mixed outcomes in efforts of political parties.
Recalling our respective and collective commitments of the “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want” of the African Union and the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda.
Recalling further the provisions of historic and longstanding ideals of South-South co-operation, non-alignment, sovereignty, and regional integration.
Affirming that while democratic aspirations are universal ideals, they must, in practice, be anchored in the diversity of history, culture, and people within various African countries.
Being aware that social media and new digital innovation tools have altered the landscape of political party development, with benefits, disruptions, and threats to democracy, development, and human rights.
Proclaim the following Guiding Principles in support of the African Political Parties Initiative:

1. To promote opportunities for political parties across Africa to collaborate voluntarily to advance the shared vision and values toward the collective development of the continent.
2. To commit to the establishment of a continental engagement framework that maintains neutrality and impartiality, despite ideological orientations, policy positions, and other socio-cultural categories.
3. To anchor programming of the African Political Parties Initiative on continental ownership, sovereignty, and in pursuit of Africa’s shared interests.
4. To take a more proactive, structured, intentional, and measurable approach to inclusivity and representation by nurturing political will and embarking on reforms that give more exposure and results for women and the youth.
5. To build internal capacity of political parties to embark on reform and align electoral campaigns with long-term development planning and the urgent need for job creation, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.
6. To foster inter-party dialogue and political maturity through mechanisms for structured, dignified and constructive engagements across the political spectrum to build shared development priorities.
7. To harness digital technology for inter-party engagement, civic education, policy innovation, and to safeguard electoral integrity.
8. To embrace evidence-based practices that integrate independent research and knowledge sharing into the parties’ policymaking and learning processes
9. To engage key stakeholders at the national and continental levels to rethink and redesign governance architecture to promote effective and people-centred governance.
10. To foster cooperation with other regional political party platforms, including the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL), to advance shared values and promote peer-to-peer exchanges.

We further resolve to mandate the Steering Committee of the 2025 African Political Parties Summit, working with the Africa Governance Centre, to consult all participating political parties to formulate an implementation framework for operationalizing the above principles.

Adopted on this day, 14th August 2025, in Accra, Ghana, in the spirit of unity, shared responsibility, and democratic renewal for Africa’s future.

source:www.senaradioonline.com