Of all the organs of the African Union (AU), the Pan-African parliament stands out as one of the most important, since it will be a first for the African continent. This institution intends to play a key role in bringing together African parliamentarians to discuss common issues and take decisions; key political decisions therefore no longer being the responsibility of heads of state alone. In the light of these changes, the Africa Institute of South Africa has undertaken a study of selected countries' parliaments and their functions in order to extrapolate learning experiences for the planned Pan-African Parliament. The study further considers the parliaments of some of the sub-regional organisations to ascertain their effectiveness at national and sub-regional levels, and examines the implications of the Pan-African Parliament of the AU.