African Interparliamentary Network to Codify Core Values

Entebbe, Uganda – UPF-Africa participated in the Third African Regional Interparliamentary Conference in Entebbe from May 9-11, 2025. This high-level regional forum, co-hosted by the State House and the Parliament of Uganda, featured discussions on legislative collaboration to deal with pressing continental issues.

Held under the luminous chandeliers of the State House, and graced by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni, this year’s conference united over 30 African nations, alongside international delegates from Hungary, the Netherlands and the United States.

Core topics included family values, educational sovereignty, local health solutions, and food security. There was unanimous emphasis on African unity and caution regarding external ideological influence.

In her speech, the first lady expressed concern that global powers are dressing ideological impositions in the robes of development assistance, reshaping educational curricula, family models, and health policies in ways that threaten Africa’s cultural survival.

Perhaps the most poignant moment came during the thematic debate on respect, protection, and promotion of the African family and cultural values. From Senegal to South Sudan, parliamentarians agreed: the assault on the African family is an assault on African sovereignty. The family is not merely a private unit; it is the nucleus of the nation. Undermining it with foreign ideologies – particularly the normalization of non-traditional sexual relations and the sexualization of children – destabilizes the moral order and threatens national cohesion.

Parliamentarians called for the rejection of external influence – be it from donors, treaties, or multilateral agencies – that seeks to reshape African society in its own image.  

One of the most strategic outcomes was the proposal to create an African Interparliamentary Organization on Family Values and Sovereignty, with President Museveni as its continental champion and State Minister Sarah Opendi, a member of his cabinet, appointed to lead its development. This organization will serve as the institutional engine for the African Charter on Values and Sovereignty, currently in its draft phase.

Tentative plans were made for the next conference in May 2026, either in Ghana or Kenya.

This gathering reflects a strong pivot from grassroots to governance-level advocacy for family and traditional values, two of UPF’s key areas of focus. The involvement of multiple governments and regional MPs signals a shift in continental policymaking, which may lead to binding collaborative frameworks or legislative instruments.

By Dr. Paterne Zinsou, Secretary General, UPF-Africa and Africa Coordinator, IAPP May 11, 2025