ACP PRESS RELEASE

ADDIS ABABA 16 FEBRUARY 2004

No. 2

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Opening of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary session in Addis Ababa

ACP States stress their desire for development-oriented EPAs

The ACP representatives who addressed the audience at the opening of the 7^th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Addis Ababa, 16 February 2004), the JPA Co-President, Mr. Ramdien Sardjoe (Suriname) and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Ato Meles Zenawi, placed special emphasis on the ACP’s desire for development-oriented EPAs rather than free trade agreements.

Mr. Ramdien Sardjoe, ACP Co-President of the JPA :

“The Joint Parliamentary Assembly must ensure that development remains the central theme of the negotiations... Trade liberalization alone will not suffice in achieving that goal”

Mr. Ramdien Sardjoe, the ACP Co-President, stressed the need to strengthen ACP-EU cooperation and intra-ACP cooperation. He underscored the example of the Peer Review mechanism of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which demonstrated the willingness of African Heads of State to make good governance a central element of their development strategy.

No sustainable development without peace and stability. The ACP Co-President stated that there could be no real prospect for sustainable development in the absence of peace and stability. That is why the issue of conflict prevention and peaceful conflict resolution remains central to the JPA discussions.

Mr. Sardjoe welcomed the adoption of new Rules of Procedure by the JPA, which effectively completes its transformation into a Parliament better-suited to the new tasks assigned by the Cotonou Agreement. In this context, he considered the restoration of peace in Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi as a promising prospect looming in other countries. He applauded the peace progress made in Sudan and in Somalia.

Strong appeal for a solution in Haiti The ACP Co-President called for a speedy solution to the continuing crisis that has bedeviled Haiti in this year of the bicentennial anniversary of its independence. He appealed to all parties involved to put an end to the violence and embark on constructive dialogue. He expressed the ACP Group’s support for the initiatives taken by CARICOM, the OAS, and the Governments of the United States of America and Canada, to assist in resolving the conflict in Haiti.

Development has to remain the central theme of the EPA negotiations. According to Mr. Sardjoe, the Joint Parliamentary Assembly must ensure that development remains the central theme of the negotiations because trade liberalization alone will not suffice in achieving that goal; it must be accompanied by substantial improvement in production and supply capacities. He recalled the JPA’s Declaration adopted at Cape Town on the need for a permanent follow-up of the negotiations to enable the EPAs to contribute effectively to the fight against poverty, which is the principal objective of the ACP-EU partnership. Mr. Sardjoe added that the Assembly hopes the WTO negotiations will be re-launched in the spirit of the Doha Development Programme.

Still much to be done about the Millenium Development goals Mr. Sardjoe expressed regret that four years after the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals, there was still much to be done to halve the number of the poor in the world by 2015, particularly in areas such as health. He made specific reference to the recent report of the World Health Organization on the increase in the propagation of AIDS in developing countries. The international community must continue, he said, to be further mobilized to help stem this scourge, as well as the devastating effects of yellow fever, tuberculosis and other contagious diseases, by facilitating access to all drugs regardless of profit, so as to enable every human being to enjoy his fundamental right to life. He hopes that the JPA will put forward recommendations to enhance the consideration of the health sector in the use of the resources of the European Development Fund.

As regards the functioning of the JPA, the ACP Co-President welcomed the creation of three Standing Committees to strengthen the working structures necessary for the effective involvement of Parliamentarians in the ACP-EU partnership. In that regard, he hoped that, during the Caribbean region’s Co-Presidency, the issue of regional assemblies will be examined by the JPA with a view to further strengthening intra-ACP parliamentary cooperation and cooperation with the European Union.

Mr. Ato Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia : “It would be unrealistic to expect the EU-ACP partnership to be free from the effects of… asymmetry. But …we managed in the past to overcome some of those effects…”

In his speech at the opening of the session of the JPA in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Mr. Ato Meles Zenawi, began by stressing that the session was taking place at a time when global developments are exerting a lot of pressure on all institutions such as the ACP-EU partnership. He reminded the gathering that this partnership is an example but must evolve, and could not but evolve in response to global developments since what happens in one part of a village cannot but directly affect the interests of the inhabitants of other villages as the events of September 11, or the continued challenges of immigration in Europe, demonstrate.

Need for improvement in the quality of cooperation. As regards the ACP-EU partnership, the Prime Minister felt that while there is no denying the generosity of the development assistance that the EU has given to ACP countries, there is need for improvement in the quality of that assistance.

Global trading regime is neither free not fair. As regards the trade negotiations, Mr. Zenawi stressed that the global trading environment is inimical to the development objectives of developing countries and that the global trading regime is neither free not fair. He called for the evolution of the ACP-EU partnership towards a fairer global trading regime, “While the EU has traditionally provided preferential access to its market to ACP countries, and while the EBA (Everything But Arms) is a most welcome development, the position it took in the latest round of WTO negotiations has been a source of disappointment to all of us.” He concluded that the ACP-EU partnership, which has development at the center of its agenda, cannot but create a fairer global trading environment.

Overcoming the asymmetry. Prime Minister Zenawi concluded that while it would be unrealistic to expect the EU-ACP partnership to be free from the effects of asymmetry in partnerships between rich and poor, donor and recipients countries, it has managed, in the past, to overcome some of those effects and make significant progress towards mutual accountability.

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Contact : Hegel Goutier Addis Abeba +251 9 64 02 38