Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has criticised the growing practice of linking development assistance and international cooperation to the adoption of legal and cultural norms that he says do not reflect African values and traditions.

Speaking at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Sovereignty and Values in Accra, Bagbin argued that African countries must be allowed to develop laws based on their own heritage, culture and constitutional frameworks without external pressure.

According to him, African parliaments have a constitutional responsibility to bridge traditional values and modern legal systems.

“Our constitutions empower Parliament to act as the bridge between traditional heritage and modern statutory law. When African parliaments legislate on the family, we fulfil a direct legitimate constitutional command,” he told delegates.

Bagbin expressed concern over what he described as a troubling trend where development assistance, trade agreements, natural resource deals and bilateral cooperation are increasingly tied to the adoption of legal and cultural frameworks that may not align with African societies.

“Development assistance, trade agreements, natural resource agreements and bilateral cooperation have been made contingent upon the adoption of legal and cultural paradigms alien to our socio-cultural fabric,” he stated.

The Speaker maintained that African lawmakers must play a leading role in safeguarding the continent’s values while ensuring legislation reflects the aspirations and realities of their people.

He further argued that making aid conditional on changes to domestic laws undermines the principle of national sovereignty and self-determination.

Bagbin also referenced the principles of the United Nations Charter, insisting that countries should be treated as equal partners regardless of their economic status.

“I want to emphasize that conditioning aid on the alignment of domestic laws to the disadvantage of beneficiary countries violates the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” he said.

The Speaker made the remarks while addressing legislators and policymakers gathered in Accra for the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Sovereignty and Values, which is focused on governance, cultural preservation and the role of family values in national development.