The 250 deputies of the Assembly of the Republic (AR), the Mozambican parliament, began their general training seminar yesterday (27) in Maputo. The seminar aims to introduce parliamentarians to the organization and functioning of the Assembly.

The inducted deputies took office in mid-January, as a result of the 7th legislative elections that took place on October 9.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, the president of the HR, Margarida Talapa, said that the mission of MPs will only be complete if the functioning of the HR is organized to guarantee the role of representation, legislative production and parliamentary oversight, quotes AIM.

"We will be empowered with the appropriate tools to fulfill our mission, which requires us to have the decorum for which we have the right to disagree without hurting," he said.

According to Talapa, the MPs will come away from this seminar with lessons on how relationships should be with other sovereign bodies and other national and international institutions, with other parliaments and between MPs from different caucuses.

For this reason, the President of the HR urged MPs to make the most of the training and to discuss ideas so that the Tenth Legislature would be full of success.

"As you can see, these two days are going to be about collective learning, producing knowledge and skills that are essential for the full exercise of the MP's mandate," he said.

For his part, the head of Advocacy, Communication and Partnerships at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Mozambique, Guy Taylor, said that the start of the 10th Legislature is not only a political milestone, but also opens up an opportunity to strengthen the partnership in defending children's rights, as well as in building a more just, equitable and prosperous Mozambique.

UNICEF, according to Taylor, has the privilege of maintaining a strong partnership with parliament, working hand in hand to ensure that legislation and public policies respond to the needs of children, women, including the most vulnerable groups.

With the partnership between the HR and UNICEF, "we have made significant progress, such as strengthening the Economic, Financial and Budgetary Studies Unit, which supports MPs in making informed, evidence-based decisions".

UNICEF celebrates the opening of the AR, particularly the Planning and Budget Committee, the 2nd Working Committee, to promote mechanisms for dialogue and public participation in the debate on national policies and investments.

"Continuing this practice in this Legislature will be essential to ensure more inclusive and transparent legislative processes," he said. The seminar ends on Friday. (Source: AIM)