The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

Brussels, 10 February 2006

3^rd meeting of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly

21 February 2006

ACP House, Brussels

The 3^rd meeting of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly will be held in Brussels on 21 February 2006 under the presidency of Mr. Georges Rawiri (Gabon), to prepare the meetings of the Bureau and Standing Committees of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.  

At that meeting, the Assembly will designate two ACP Vice-Presidents in charge of finance, and contact with civil society, respectively.

Assembly Members will also hold an exchange of views on the upcoming Standing Committee reports, namely: "The role of regional integration in the promotion of peace and security " (Committee on Political Affairs), " The problematics of energy in the ACP countries " (Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade) and, finally "Fisheries and their social and environmental aspects in developing countries " (Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment).

The Parliamentarians will hear a report from the Working Group on Conflict management and will discuss preparations for the Workshop on Economic Partnership Agreements organised on 23 and 24 February 2006 for members of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly.  

• Mr. Georges Rawiri succeeds Mrs. Sharon Hay Webster (Jamaica) as President of the ACP Assembly Parliamentary.

• The ACP Parliamentary Assembly was created in Bamako, Mali, on 15 April 2005. It defines the common positions of ACP Parliamentarians with a view to contributing to the work of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and fostering intra-ACP parliamentary cooperation. The Assembly is made up of ACP Parliamentarians and meets twice per year before every session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.