Ghana's Parliament Hosts Conference to Champion African Family Values

“Our laws must look like the people they are written to protect. A law that does not resonate with the spirit, history, and moral conscience of the citizenry is a dead law.”

Ghana's Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin delivered a keynote address at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty, and Values on Wednesday in Parliament House, Accra. Over 300 delegates from more than 30 African countries attended the conference, hosted by Ghana's Parliament from Wednesday, June 3 to Saturday, June 6. Bagbin, the Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, urged African legislatures to defend the family as the foundation of national sovereignty, as the family is the smallest unit of governance on Earth and plays a crucial role in the structural integrity of the state.

Bagbin argued that laws failing to reflect African values risk becoming ineffective and disconnected from the people they serve. He rejected the Western nuclear family model, describing it as too narrow, and instead highlighted the African family as an intergenerational web of mutual responsibility that has served as the continent's oldest social safety net through economic crises and conflicts. This family model has provided care for the elderly and protection for all family members, making it a vital institution on the continent.

Bagbin proposed actions to support this model, including tax incentives for households caring for the elderly and budget priority for affordable housing, child nutrition, and maternal healthcare. He also called for laws that combat domestic violence, end harmful practices against girls and women, and protect widows and orphans. In this regard, Bagbin referenced the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which places the family at the center of rights protection.

He proposed a unified response through an “African Family Values Charter” adopted by regional bodies, including the Pan-African Parliament, ECOWAS Parliament, and East African Legislative Assembly. A harmonised continental standard, Bagbin said, would prevent “forum-shopping” and resist external legal pressures. By adopting a continental standard, African countries can ensure that their laws reflect the continent's shared values and promote a unified African identity.

### African Family Values Charter: A Pan-African Approach

The 4th Conference aims to produce a draft charter and legislative recommendations for African parliaments to domesticate. The charter is linked to the Africa Union's Agenda 2063 Aspiration 5, which envisions “an Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values, and ethics.” Bagbin called for laws that combat domestic violence, end harmful practices against girls and women, and protect widows and orphans.

The Africa Union aims to create an African family that values children, parents, and grandparents, while promoting mutual respect, care, and support among family members. A harmonised continental standard would ensure consistency in laws regarding family values across African countries. This standard would help African countries to adopt and implement policies that support the family as the foundation of national sovereignty.

### Ghana's Parliament to Champion African Family Values

Ghana's Parliament is expected to play a key role in championing African family values. The parliament has a history of promoting family values and has recently passed laws to protect women and children. Bagbin has called on African parliaments to domesticate the African Family Values Charter, which was proposed during the conference. Ghana's Parliament is hosting the conference, providing a platform for African leaders to share best practices in promoting family values and support the development of a unified African family model.

Ghana's Parliament expects to produce a draft charter and legislative recommendations for African parliaments to domesticate. This outcome is crucial in promoting the African Family Values Charter, which would help to protect the rights of all family members and promote a unified African identity. Ghana's Parliament is committed to championing African family values and will continue to promote the importance of the family in African societies.

Key Facts

  • Over 300 delegates from more than 30 African countries are in attendance at the conference.
  • The conference aims to produce a draft charter and legislative recommendations for African parliaments to domesticate.
  • Ghana's Parliament is hosting the conference.
  • The conference is linked to the Africa Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 Aspiration 5.