The Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Martin Chungong, said on Friday (21 November 2025) in Kinshasa that when a parliament is strong, independent and dynamic, the entire population proclaims its victory.
The Secretary-General of the IPU was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 47th Conference of the African Parliamentary Union (APU), which took place from 21 to 22 November.
The IPU official said that reality teaches us that when institutions are weakened and countervailing powers are reduced, crises become inevitable and erupt, but when they are solid, their resilience immunises them and propels them forward even in times of tension.
He said he advocates strong institutions, but that they alone are not a panacea.
‘Institutions can only fully play their role if they are supported by a consensual civic culture, a collective will to give primacy and priority to the general interest, and a deep confidence in the future of our beloved continent, Africa,’ he said.
The Secretary-General said it was essential to cultivate this faith in Africans, including in young people, in talent, in creativity, in the age-old ability to innovate and transform reality according to the needs and desires of the people.
Finally, he declared that no one but Africans themselves would promote African values, a guarantee of respect from their interlocutors, because the continent would renew itself from within to have more weight abroad.