No 1

Meeting of ACP members of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Addis Ababa, 14 February 2004)

Parliamentarians of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) adopt positions prior to ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly session (Addis Ababa, 16 to 19 February 2004).

Parliamentarians of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Sates, meeting in Addis Ababa on 13 February 2004 under the presidency of Mr. Ramdien Sardjoe (Suriname), to prepare the 7^th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, have adopted their positions on the important items on the agenda of the JPA. Among them are the draft resolutions arising from the reports of the Standing Committees, especially those relating to the negotiations of the ACP-EU Economic Partnership agreements. Furthermore, the ACP Parliamentarians, noting that the resolutions adopted by the JPA have remained a dead letter, are going to propose to the joint session the creation of a Working Group on the functioning of the Standing Committees, from which most of the motions for resolution emanate. Generally, they are advocating the creation of a mechanism for controlling the implementation of the resolutions. The meeting of the ACP members of the JPA also took stock of the preparatory work for the creation of an ACP consultative parliamentary assembly.

The other substantive items on the agenda of the meeting bore on: Statement from the president, and appointment of an ACP Vice President of the JPA responsible for Human Rights.

Statement from the President: President Sardjoe informed the meeting of the missions undertaken to Erythrea by the two Co-Presidents, Mrs. Glenys Kinnock and himself from 22 to 25 January 2004) and to Southern Africa by Mrs. Kinnock and the ACP Vice President, Mr. Y.M. Dawaleh, assisted by two parliamentarians on each side, from 2 to 5 February 2004. Information was also given on the preparation of a mission to the United Nations and to Equatorial Guinea, and on the possibility of a mission to Solomon Islands.

Draft resolutions and assessment of the work of the Standing Committees The ACP Assembly took note of the activities of the three Standing Committees of the JPA. (Political Affairs – Development, Finance and Trade – Social Affairs, and the Environment) established in March 2002, of which the respective reports adopted at the last session of the JPA in Rome in October constitute the bases for draft agendas to be discussed in Addis Ababa. Of the drafts coming from European parliamentary groups regarding the EPA negotiations, the ACP side noted significant divergences regarding, inter alia, the EPAs, and the transition period for the removal of tariff barriers. The divergence was more pronounced regarding the nature of the EPAs themselves, which must effectively focus – not only in theory – on development. They hope that the conciliation meetings between the two parties will help resolve the differences so as to avoid an impasse similar to what occurred in Rome on the Cancun issues.

Urgent resolutions. Urgent issues on which resolutions are expected to be tabled at the JPA session in Addis Ababa include: cotton and other commodities, the damage caused by hurricanes in the Pacific region, and the need for a rapid response to natural disasters. At the request of the Madagascar delegation, the ACP side will propose that the subject of hurricane-related damage be extended to the Indian Ocean countries.

Creation of an ACP consultative parliamentary assembly The ACP parliamentarians asked the Working Group (Chair: Mrs. Beatrice Kiraso, (Uganda); rapporteur: Mr. Assarid A.G. Imbarcouane, (Mali) responsible for this issue to prepare, in collaboration with the ACP Secretariat, a document on the implications of the creation of the ACP assembly in terms of financial, organizational and manpower resources. The document should enable ACP national parliaments to communicate their views as soon as possible. ACP Parliamentarians must take a decision regarding the creation of the assembly at their plenary session in Autumn 2004.

Appointment of an ACP JPA Vice-President for Human Rights.

Consultations with a view to designating an ACP JPA Vice-President for Human Rights (one of six ACP JPA Vice-Presidents). were conducted among the representatives of the various ACP regions. The new ACP Vice-President will be Mr. Rob Davis (South Africa).

Date and venue of the next meeting of ACP JPA members. Since the plenary session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly scheduled for Autumn 2004 is to be held in Europe, it fell to the European side to propose the relevant date and venue. It was decided the session will be held in the Hague in November 2004. The ACP side is expected to communicate its agreement.

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

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