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

Thursday, 21 June 2007, Wiesbaden, Germany

 

The ACP Parliamentary Assembly will commence its 8th session in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Friday 22 June 2007, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. René RADEMBINO CONIQUET, President of the Senate of the Republic of Gabon and Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

The Standing Committees established by the Parliamentary Assembly to assist it in its task met in Wiesbaden on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 June.

The Co-Chairs and Co-Rapporteurs of the various Committees (Political Affairs; Economic Development, Finance and Trade; Social Affairs and the Environment) will report to the plenary session of the Assembly.

Important issues on the agenda and work programme for the 13th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will be at the centre of the discussions. 

They concern mainly the political situation in ACP and EU countries, and elections and electoral processes in ACP countries. Urgent and topical issues, as well as the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and the ACP countries will also be discussed.

Regarding the EPA negotiations, a detailed report on the negotiations between the European Union and the different ACP regions involved in the negotiations will be presented to the parliamentarians.

The major challenges facing the EPAs remain linked to the ACP objective in the area of sustainable development, the ACP-EC partnership with its objectives of eliminating poverty, promoting and accelerating economic, cultural and social development in ACP States, as well as the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the global economy.

The ACP-EU Cooperation Programme for Higher Education (EDULINK) will also be presented to the ACP parliamentarians. The programme, which is financed from the EDF resources and implemented by the ACP Secretariat, aims to enhance the effectiveness of ACP-EU cooperation in the area of higher education.

Three Workshops will be held on Wednesday 27 June 2007 on the following themes:

-         "Migration";;

-         "Monitoring climate change" in collaboration with the European Space Agency (Darmstadt); and

-         Health.

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Wiesbaden, 22 June 2007