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

Declaration on the attempt by the NGO, “Zoe’s Ark”, to abduct children in Chad

ACP PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

The ACP Parliamentary Assembly,

Meeting in its 10 th Session in Kigali, Rwanda, on 16 November 2007,

Having Heard a detailed statement from the representative of Chad, Mr. Kaguer DARBO, on the operation conducted on 25 October 2007 by a French non-governmental organization known as Zoe’s Ark (Arche de Zoé), to abduct about one hundred children from Chad, allegedly on humanitarian grounds;

Informed that the 103 children concerned, almost all of whom are Chadian and not Sudanese, as claimed by the officials of the NGO, were neither orphans nor street children and that the operation was conducted without the authorisation or approval of the Chadian authorities;

Stressing the unlawful nature of the operation and its non-conformity with international law for the protection of children and international stardards governing humanitarian rescue operations;

Having Regard to chapter 6 of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement relating to humanitarian and emergency aid;

Having Regard to the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Hereby:

1. Condemns in the strongest terms this operation which seriously undermines human dignity and fundamental human rights;
2. Affirms its solidarity with the children and families that were the victims of this illegal operation carried out in flagrant disregard for international law for the protection of children and international standards for humanitarian rescue operations;
3. Calls on the French and Chadian Governments, as well as the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to conduct a full enquiry into this affair and take all the necessary steps to ensure that justice is done;
4. Requests all non-governmental organisations and humanitarian associations to abide strictly by the relevant national legislations in force, as well as the international instruments for the protection of children; and
5. Instructs its President to forward this declaration to his counterpart, the Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Kigali , 16 November 2007