Joint Assembly of the Convention concluded between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) - Resolutions adopted on the situation in Southern Africa (ACP-EU/2132/97/fin.)

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Brussels from 17 to 20 March 1997,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the developments in the Southern African region,

A. concerned by the recent severe floods that occurred in Mozambique and Malawi which left over 400 000 people homeless,

B. noting the continuing efforts of the Government of Mozambique to rehabilitate the country's economy and consolidate democratic institutions,

C. noting that the mandate of UNAVEM III in the Angolan peace process expires on 31 March 1997,

D. deeply concerned at the second delay in the formation of the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation, as a result of the failure of UNITA to meet the timetable established by the joint Commission in the context of the Lusaka Protocol,

E. aware of the importance for the parties, in particular UNITA, to take urgent and decisive steps to fulfil their commitments in order to ensure the continued involvement of the International Community in the peace process in Angola,

F. noting the region's efforts at conflict prevention and resolution through the creation of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security, in Southern Africa as well as in other parts of Africa,

G. encouraged by the progress in the initiative by Swaziland to engage in a consultative process with a view to revising the constitution of the country,

H. welcoming the holding of peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in Zambia in November 1996,

I. noting the ongoing negotiations between the Government of South Africa and the European Union for a comprehensive Trade and Development Agreement, as well as South African qualified membership of the Lomé Convention,

J. welcoming the positive outcome of the 2nd SADC/EU Ministerial Conference held in Windhoek, Namibia on 14-15 October 1996,

K. noting the positive outcome of the 1997 SADC Annual Consultative Conference held in Windhoek from 9 to 10 February 1997,

L. welcoming the Commonwealth Heads of Government Round Table on democracy and good governance in Africa which was held in Kasane, Botswana, on 26-27 February 1997,

M. encouraged by the commitment of the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to build, consolidate and strengthen democratic institutions through accountability, transparency, good governance and the rule of law; and to the maintenance of political stability and the realisation of integrated sustainable economic development in the region,

N. further encouraged by the strong commitment of the SADC countries to respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the principles of democracy,

O. aware of the commitment of the countries of the southern African region to the promotion of regional cooperation and integration through duly mandated regional bodies such as SADC and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),

P. noting that Sub-Saharan Africa is extremely rich in biological diversity,

Q. accepting that there is a strong dependence on wild animal resources by rural people and that these resources have a potential to serve as an engine for sustainable rural development,

R. observing that the challenge of biodiversity conservation efforts lies in ensuring the survival of biodiversity while meeting the needs of rural people,

S. aware of the success that community-based natural resource management programmes are having in the region,

T. acknowledging the ability of such community conservation processes to provide real and tangible benefits to communities through the sustainable use of wild species,

U. considering that Zimbabwe will host the Global Biodiversity Forum and the CITES COP 10 in June 1997 and that several African nations are concerned with the listing of valuable wild species of flora and fauna,

V. welcoming the forth-coming EU-SADC Conference on the Management of Shared River Basins to be held in Lesotho on the 20-21 May 1997,

W. noting that Cape Town is the only city in Africa on the shortlist to host the 2004 Olympic Games,

X. concerned by the current classification of subsidised EU beef exports to South Africa,

Y. noting with appreciation the decision by the governments of South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique to prohibit the production, use and export of anti-personnel mines, and the recommendation to the same effect by a regional conference held in Maputo in March,

1. Calls on the EU to provide emergency assistance for victims of the recent floods in Mozambique and Malawi;

2. Reiterates its call to the European Union to continue its assistance for the reconstruction efforts and for the consolidation of democratic institutions in Mozambique and to increase its financial and technical assistance for the removal of land mines to enable demobilized soldiers and others to engage in expanded farming activities;

3. Urges the Government of Angola and in particular UNITA to solve the remaining military and other issues and to establish the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation;

4. Appreciates the assistance rendered by the EU and the international community in the implementation of the peace process in Angola and appeals to the EU to continue assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Angolan economy, demining and humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons after the withdrawal of UNAVEM III;

5. Appeals to the European Union and the international community to provide support for the process of democratization in Swaziland;

6. Congratulates the people of Zambia on the holding of peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections and urges the international community, the European Union Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament to assist the people of Zambia in their efforts to promote further the democratic process;

7. Re-emphasizes the need for the greatest possible compatibility between an EU-South Africa trade regime and the Lomé trade regime applied to other SADC countries, in order to promote greater intra-regional trade and cooperation in Southern Africa;

8. Continues to support South Africa's application for qualified membership of the Lomé Convention, bearing in mind the direct and indirect effects on other countries in the region and South Africa's regional Foreign Policy and urges the EU to complete the process of accession timeously in order to make use of Article 364 of the Lomé IV Convention;

9. Calls on the European Union to effectively address the question of regional cumulation under the Lomé rules of origin, by clarifying the ad hoc provision that could militate against the most effective utilization of this facility to promote regional cooperation and development;

10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that a proposed Trade and Development Agreement acknowledges the need to prioritize the processes underway to establish a Free Trade Area in SADC as envisaged in the SADC Trade Protocol signed in Maseru in August 1996;

11. Appreciates the European Union's acknowledgement that a trade agreement with South Africa should be asymmetrical in both timing and content, and calls on the European Union to produce concrete proposals to assist SACU and SADC neighbours to cope with any adjustment costs arising from a trade agreement with South Africa;

12. Requests the EU and the International Community to support the region's efforts to encourage mutually-supportive sustainable use of natural resources by rural communities;

13. Appeals to the European Union to assist SADC to strengthen the region's institutional structures at the national and regional levels to achieve the level of productivity necessary for sustainable development;

14. Urges the European Union and the international community, to increase its assistance to the Southern African region to deal with the emergency disaster situations such as the recent floods and also to strengthen effective long-term disaster preparedness and prevention mechanism in the region;

15. Appeals to the international community, and in particular the European Union, to make an additional allocation of resources to regional cooperation and integration activities in Southern Africa, especially through the duly mandated regional bodies of SADC and COMESA, with a view to combating poverty and fostering functional cooperation programmes;

16. Calls upon the international community, in particular the European Union, to continue supporting the democratic process in Southern Africa in the region's efforts to establish democratic institutions necessary for protecting and consolidating infant democracies in the region;

17. Requests the European Union to support financially and encourage at institutional level African community-based natural resource management programmes;

18. Requests the European Union to support in international fora all initiatives undertaken by African nations aiming at the effective and consistent implementation of the principles of the Rio Declaration and the Agenda 21;

19. Requests the international community to show solidarity and accountability when undertaking any international initiative which might affect the ability of African nations to derive benefits from the sustainable use of biodiversity resources;

20. Requests the Member States of the African, Caribbean, Pacific and the European Union to favourably consider proposals from African nations aimed at conserving wild species through sustainable use and responsible trade as an effective way of conserving wild ecosystems while contributing to the economic development of their poorest rural areas;

21. Commends the European Union for its assistance in the organization of the EU-SADC Conference on the Management of Shared River Basins aimed at the proper utilisation of scarce water resources in the region;

22. Requests Member States of the African, Caribbean, Pacific and the European Union to support Cape Town in her bid to become the first city in Africa to host the Olympic Games;

23. Calls upon the EU to address the distortions created on the South African market by securing a reclassification of South Africa for export refund purposes, and hence, a reduction in the levels of export subsidies being paid;

24. Calls on the governments of countries that continue to manufacture, use and export antipersonnel mines, particularly EU Member States, to match the initiatives of Southern Africa and work with the ACP countries towards making a comprehensive international ban a reality;

25. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, to the Commission, the Southern Africa Development Community and the South African Government.