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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe will next week host the 20th edition of the Association of the Parliamentary Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa (APLESA) conference in the resort city of Victoria Falls.
The conference will run from May 27-31 at the Elephant Hills Hotel under the theme, “Parliament Library and Research Services: An Interface for Knowledge-Driven Macro-Economic Growth.”.
Parliament of Zimbabwe confirmed the development in a statement yesterday.
“The conference will take place from the 27th to the 31st of May 2023 at the Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
“The Cabinet’s approval to host this year’s edition of the conference represents yet another parliamentary diplomatic initiative that aligns with the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1’s focus on image building and engagement. This comes hard on the heels of the African Parliamentary Union Conference that Parliament of Zimbabwe successfully hosted in November, 2022 in Victoria Falls,” reads part of the statement.
Over 100 participants from the Eastern and Southern African Region, and beyond, are expected with 51 representatives from 12 member nations, including four Secretary Generals (Clerks) of Parliament, having already confirmed their attendance.
APLESA was established in 1994 in Harare, where representatives from 11 countries in the region convened.
The countries involved were Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
APLESA’s membership now comprises 15 Parliaments with the coming on board of Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
“APLESA’s vision is to be an association of excellence advancing inter-parliamentary library cooperation within Eastern and Southern Africa. Its mission is to enable Parliaments to make informed decisions through networking and sharing information resources.
As part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, and as per usual practice, APLESA shall make donations to two charitable organizations in the host city of Victoria Falls,” reads the statement.
Online Reporter