The Parliament of Sierra Leone hosted a delegation from the Expertise France Group on Monday, December 9, 2024, to discuss strategic cooperation under the Parliamentary Cooperation Project (PACOP).

The project, supported by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Expertise France Groupe AFD, focuses on enhancing the constitutional functions of parliaments, gender equality, administrative organization, financial independence, international partnerships, and transparency.

In his welcoming address, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, expressed eagerness to engage in the initiative, highlighting its alignment with the Parliament’s Strategic Plan. Acknowledging the project’s ambitious timeline of two years, Speaker Thomas assured the delegation of the Parliament’s commitment to implementing the outlined components.

The Chief Project Lead, Jean Philippe Derosier, emphasized the project’s goal of fostering parliamentary cooperation between France and four African countries: Benin, Gabon, Botswana, and Sierra Leone. Activities will focus on legislation, oversight, and promoting open parliamentary practices. Derosier elaborated that the initiative began in September 2024 and will run through August 2026, with Sierra Leone and Botswana currently in the exploratory phase.

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Deputy Clerk Gilbert N’habay reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s readiness for the project, emphasizing the Parliament’s plans for a structured implementation approach to maximize impact. He noted that the Sixth Parliament is committed to ensuring the project’s sustainability and success.

Mohamed A. Jalloh, Director of Training and Strategy, presented the Parliament’s Strategic Plan, highlighting significant achievements, such as the launch of a Legislative Compendium cataloging laws and progress. He also emphasized Parliament’s ongoing commitment to transparency, evidenced by initiatives like a participatory budget process and collaboration with civil society organizations.

Clerk of Parliament Hon. Paran Umar Tarawalie provided insights into past challenges, including funding limitations that hindered the execution of previous strategic plans. Despite these obstacles, he commended Parliament’s strides in fostering transparency through initiatives like public access to sessions and publishing parliamentary proceedings.

Opposition Leader Hon. Abdul Kargbo welcomed the PACOP initiative, stressing its importance in building parliamentary capacity. He pledged bipartisan support for project implementation and assured robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure its success.

This engagement marks a significant step in strengthening Sierra Leone’s parliamentary functions and fostering international collaboration, setting the stage for impactful governance reforms.