Luanda - The creation of an association of secretaries-general or an Executive Committee to provide technical support to the permanent secretariat of the Parliamentary Forum of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR) dominated Sunday, in Luanda, the meeting between the heads of the regional organization.

Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, Pedro de Neri, on the Angolan side, said that the intention is to give better quality to the issues discussed by the Members of the Parliament of the institution.

He said that Angola, during the forum, will present as a suggestion the creation of the Executive Committee of Secretaries-General, looking at the model of the Parliamentary Forum of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

He said that the lack of payment of dues by some member states of the FP-ICGLR was another issue addressed, noting that the concern will be addressed, in order for everyone to comply with the obligation.

'Without the payment of dues, the secretary-general of the forum has difficulty working, so financial resources are necessary for the execution of the activities programmed by the organization,' he argued.

For the secretary general of the National Assembly, the member countries of the ICGLR have to honor this commitment, in order to make the secretariat itself more dynamic, more proactive.

He made it known that the possibility of increasing the number of Angolan staff in the secretariat was also discussed, in the presence of the interim secretary general of the FP-ICGLR, Ronald Tembo.

Ronald Tembo said that the forum depends on the annual contributions of member parliaments, calling on his colleagues to point out strategies that lead to the fulfillment of the institution's dues.

The 15th Session of the ICGLR Parliamentary Forum, which began today, will run until the 25th, under the motto 'Analysing the Political, Security and Humanitarian Situation in the Region'. Angola will assume the rotating presidency of the organization, replacing Zambia.

The Angolan State was officially invited to join the organization in January 2013, having joined the Forum in November 2014. LDN/VIC/DOJ