The Pan-African Parliament adopts a Model Law on Cooperatives

Midrand, South Africa. The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has adopted a Model Law on Cooperatives for Africa during the Third Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa. 

The PAP’s Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs presented the draft Model Law after extensive engagements and active support of stakeholders, particularly from FAO and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).  

The Model Law will serve as a guide and an advocacy tool for the development and review of legislation on cooperatives. For countries without cooperative legislation, the Model Law can inspire the adoption of new laws, and for those with existing laws, the Model Law can serve as a tool to improve them in line with current demands and trends. The Model Law aims at harmonizing cooperative legislation and practice across Africa, providing a reference point for those looking to incorporate best practices in their cooperative laws. 

FAO supports and promotes the unique contributions that cooperatives bring as crucial partners in the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, the reduction of rural poverty and the sustainable management of natural resources. Cooperatives are also key to implementing the pillars of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019-28), as they play a fundamental role in supporting family farmers and promoting the shift towards more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

FAO’s engagement with the Pan African Parliament and parliamentarians across the world 

FAO and the PAP signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016, and additionally collaborate within the PAP’s Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN). The partnership between FAO and the PAP recently resulted in the launch of the first ever Pan-African Model Law for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa, in which FAO's technical assistance was pivotal. 

By forming alliances, fronts and networks, parliamentarians can effectively facilitate interest and parliamentary actions on food security and nutrition, ultimately contributing to a more coordinated and effective response to critical challenges.   

FAO, through its Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division and decentralized offices, will continue to explore partnerships and closer collaboration with parliamentary networks in Africa and at global level in support of the implementation of the Global Parliamentary Pact against Hunger and Malnutrition. The Pact represents a historic milestone in the fight to end hunger and achieve food security for all, as the first global parliamentary pact on the progressive realization of the right to adequate food and the transformation of agrifood systems.