Minutes of the sitting of Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Date: 2012-05-23
Institutions: ACP–EU Joint Assembly
Subjects: European Parliament, parliamentary debate








C_2012145EN.01000701.xml










23.5.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 145/7





MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2011
2012/C 145/03
Contents






1.

Urgent Topic No 2: The impact of the Arab Spring on neighbouring Sub-Saharan states …









2.

Summary reports from the workshops …









3.

Report of the economic and social partners …









4.

Statement by Oryem Henry Okello, Minister of State for International Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Uganda), President-in-Office of the ACP Council …









5.

Statement by Krzysztof Stanowski, Under-Secretary of State for Development Cooperation (Poland), President-in-Office of the EU Council …









6.

Question Time to the Council …









7.

Debate with the Council – catch-the-eye …









8.

Approval of the minutes of Tuesday, 22 November 2011, morning and afternoon …









9.

Vote on the motions for resolutions contained in the reports presented by the three standing committees …









10.

Vote on the urgent motions for resolutions …









11.

Vote on the amendments to the JPA Rules of Procedure …









12.

Other business …









13.

Date and place of the 23rd Session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly …









Annex I

Alphabetic list of members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly …









Annex II

Record of attendance at the 22nd session from 21 to 23 May in Lomé (Togo) …









Annex III

Accreditation of non-parliamentary delegates …









Annex IV

Texts adopted …









—

Resolution on the impact of the Treaty of Lisbon on the ACP-EU Partnership (ACP-EU/101.082/11/fin.) …









—

Resolution on the impact of debt on development financing in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.079/11/fin.) …









—

Resolution on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in developing countries (ACP-EU/100.954/11/fin.) …









—

Resolution on the impact of the Arab Spring on neighbouring Sub-Saharan States (ACP-EU/101.111/11/fin.) …









—

Resolution on the food crisis in the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia (ACP-EU/101.112/11/fin.) …




MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2011


(The sitting opened at 9.00 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Assarid IMBARCAOUANE

Co-President

1.   Urgent Topic No 2: The impact of the Arab Spring on neighbouring Sub-Saharan states

José Costa Pereira (EEAS) introduced the debate.
Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Mariya Nedelcheva, Teshome Toga (Ethiopia), Véronique De Keyser, Olle Schmidt, Gabriele Zimmer, Francesco Enrico Speroni, Edit Bauer, Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), Zita Gurmai, Frank Engel, Younoussa Tondy (Niger), Edward Scicluna, Zuzana Roithova, Makhosini Hlongwane (Zimbabwe) and Sérgio de Sousa Mendes dos Santos (Angola).
The 2011 developments in North Africa and the Middle East had political, economic and social repercussions in the ACP countries and Europe. Support was expressed for the ongoing process of democratic transition in the region.
2.   Summary reports from the workshops

The rapporteurs presented their reports on the three workshops:






 


Eleni Theocharus: Energy challenges to developing countries: future prospects











 


Energy access in developing countries was crucial for successfully achieving the MDGs as well as for implementing development strategies at national and international levels.










 


Attiat Mustafa Abdelhaleim Ahmed (Sudan): Public health problems: malaria and its socio-economic impact











 


A great effort was made to prevent malaria, but it was still necessary to distribute impregnated nets more widely; women and children remained the priority.










 


Zita Gurmai: Participative approach of young people to development process: strategy of poverty reduction and reduction of youth unemployment











 


The Arab Spring had shown the importance of responding to the legitimate aspirations of youth.










 


Speaker: Patrick Gamedze (Swaziland).




3.   Report of the economic and social partners

Brenda King, Chair of the ACP Follow-up Committee of the European Economic and Social Committee, made a presentation.
Speakers: Domenico Rosa (European Commission), Michael Gahler, Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Ali Soubaneh Atteye (Djibouti), Michèle Striffler, Boniface Yehouetome (Benin), Ibrahim Bundu (Sierra Leone), Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez, Véronique De Keyser and Brenda King.
The development of a social dialogue, women's rights, food security and access to energy should be placed at the top of the agenda.
4.   Statement by Oryem Henry Okello, Minister of State for International Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Uganda), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

Oryem Henry Okello addressed the Assembly, focusing on the ongoing negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreements, ratification of the second revision of the Cotonou Agreement, the plan of the European Union to eliminate the sugar quotas for the ACP countries and the Durban COP 17 UNFCCC meeting.
5.   Statement by Krzysztof Stanowski, Under-Secretary of State for Development Cooperation (Poland), President-in-Office of the EU Council

Krzysztof Stanowski addressed the Assembly, focusing on the role of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly as a platform for North/South and South/South dialogue, the Durban meeting, the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, and the commitment of the European Union, despite the economic and financial crisis, to cooperation with the ACP partners.
6.   Question Time to the Council

Oryem Henry Okello responded to the following questions and supplementary questions:






 


Question No 1 by Norbert Neuser on the universal energy access.










 


Question No 2 by Olle Schmidt on Dawik Isaak, ten years imprisoned.










 


Question No 3 by Michael Cashman (replaced by Jutta Haug) on the ratification of the second revision of the Cotonou Agreement.










 


Question No 4 by Catherine Bearder (replaced by Olle Schmidt) on Unsustainable and Illegal Hunting of Wildlife.




Krzysztof Stanowski responded to the following questions and supplementary questions:






 


Question No 13 by Filip Kaczmarek on the universal energy access.










 


Question No 5 by Assarid Ag Imbarcaouane (Mali) on the future of the next EDF or the financial protocol.










 


Question No 6 by Amadou Ciré Sall (Senegal) on the WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2011 and concrete results for the LDCs.










 


Question No 7 by Olle Schmidt on the human rights situation in Eritrea.










 


Question No 8 by Horst Schnellhardt on politicisation of humanitarian aid.










 


Question No 9 by Michael Cashman (replaced by Jutta Haug) on the ratification of the second revision of the Cotonou Agreement.










 


Question No 10 by Gabriele Zimmer on land acquisition and lease in developing countries.










 


Question No 11 was not responded to as the author was not present.










 


Question No 12 by Catherine Bearder (replaced by Olle Schmidt) on Illegal Toxic Waste Shipments from the EU to ACP Countries.










 


Question No 14 by Fiona Hall (replaced by Olle Schmidt) on COP17 in Durban.










 


Question No 15 by Jo Leinen (replaced by Jutta Haug) on climate negotiations in Durban.




7.   Debate with the Council – catch-the-eye

Speakers: Musikari Kombo (Kenya), Alfred Sanou (Burkina Faso), Hamadaou Sylla (Mali), Ismael El Hag Musa (Sudan), Eunice Kazembe (Malawi), Musa Hussein Naib (Eritrea), Charles W. Kakoma (Zambia), Patrick Gamedze (Swaziland), Makhosini Hlongwane (Zimbabwe), Mohammed Mukhtar Ahmed (Nigeria) and Michèle Rivasi.
Oryem Henry Okello and Krzysztof Stanowski responded to the questions on subjects as varied as the Economic Partnership Agreements, energy access, climate change and the emergency situation in the Horn of Africa.

(The sitting adjourned at 12.30 p.m. and resumed at 3.00 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Louis MICHEL

Co-President

8.   Approval of the minutes of Tuesday, 22 November 2011, morning and afternoon

The minutes were approved.
9.   Vote on the motions for resolutions contained in the reports presented by the three standing committees

The Co-President reminded the Assembly of voting procedures.






—


The impact of the Treaty of Lisbon on the ACP-EU partnership (ACP-EU/101.082/11/fin.)
Report by Raphael Mangouala (Gabon) and Mariya Nedelcheva
Committee on Political Affairs
Amendment adopted: 1.
Amendments rejected: 2, 3 and recital O.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.










—


Impact of debt on development financing in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.079/11/ fin.)
Report by Amadou Ciré Sall (Senegal) and Robert Sturdy
Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
Amendments adopted: 1, 2, paragraph 9 (first part)
Amendment rejected: paragraph 9 (second part)
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously with one abstention.










—


The inclusion of persons with disabilities in developing countries (ACP-EU/100.954/11/fin.)
Report by Musikari N. Kombo (Kenya) and Catherine Bearder
Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment
Amendments adopted: 1, paragraph 4 (first and second parts), 2 and 3.
Amendment rejected: paragraph 4 (third part).
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.




10.   Vote on the urgent motions for resolutions







—


Motion for a resolution on the food crisis in the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia (ACP-EU/101.112/11/fin.)
Amendment adopted: 1.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.










—


Motion for a resolution on the impact of the Arab Spring on neighbouring Sub-Saharan States (ACP-EU/101.111/11/fin.)
Amendments adopted: 1, 2, 3, 5 (with oral amendment), paragraph 9 (with oral amendment), 7.
Amendments rejected: 4, paragraph 13)
Amendment withdrawn: 6.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.




11.   Vote on the amendments to the JPA Rules of Procedure

Assarid Imbarcaouane (Co-President) formally requested on behalf of the ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly that the vote should be postponed so that the content of the amendments could be better analysed. After an exchange of views between the two Co-Presidents, the vote was postponed.
12.   Other business

The Co-President announced that Musikari Kombo (Kenya) had been appointed the next ACP Co-President of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly with effect from 24 November 2011.
Speakers: Musikari Kombo (Kenya).
The Co-President informed the Assembly of two joint statements by the Co-Presidents adopted further to decisions by the Bureau: one on the situation in Somalia, the other on the human rights situation in Eritrea.
Speakers: Mussa Hussein Naib (Eritrea), Zuzana Roithová and Louis Michel.
Assarid Imbarcaouane (Co-President) announced that the ACP Assembly had adopted a statement of support for Louis Michel following attempts to distribute a defamatory note from the National Alliance for Change (ANC).
Speakers: Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez, Jutta Haug and Louis Michel.
13.   Date and place of the 23rd session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The Co-President thanked the Togolese authorities for their hospitality and excellent organisation. Komi Selom Klassou (Vice President of the National Assembly of Togo) thanked the Members for their active participation.
The Assembly observed a minute’s silence in honour of Danielle Mitterrand, who had died on 22 November 2011.
The 23rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly would take place from 28 to 30 May 2012 in Horsens (Denmark). Camilla Sørensen (representative of the Danish Government) informed the Members about the current status of preparations.
Rabindre T. Parmessar (Suriname) informed the Assembly that the Caribbean region would take a decision on the venue for the 24th session in the third week of December.

(The sitting closed at 4.00 p.m.).


Assarid Ag IMBARCAOUANE and
Louis MICHEL

Co-Presidents



Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS and
Luis Marco AGUIRIANO NALDA

Co Secretaries-General





ANNEX I

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY








ACP representatives




EP representatives





ASSARID IMBARCAOUANE (MALI), acting Co-President


MICHEL, Co-President




BOTSWANA (VP)


ARIF (VP)




BURUNDI (VP)


ŠŤASTNÝ (VP)




CAMEROON (VP)


HOARAU (VP)




CONGO (Democratic Republic of) (VP)


KLAß (VP)




GUYANA (VP)


McAVAN (VP)




COOK ISLANDS (VP)


NICHOLSON (VP)




JAMAICA (VP)


RONZULLI (VP)




LESOTHO (VP)


GOERENS (VP)




LIBERIA (VP)


SPERONI (VP)




TANZANIA (VP)


ROITHOVÁ (VP)




TUVALU (VP)


OUZKÝ (VP)




ZAMBIA (VP)


RIVASI (VP)




SOUTH AFRICA


ALFONSI




ANGOLA


ALVES




ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA


BAUER




BAHAMAS


BEARDER




BARBADOS


BOVÉ




BELIZE


BULLMANN




BENIN


CALLANAN




BURKINA FASO


CARVALHO




CAPE VERDE


CASA




COMOROS ISLANDS


CASINI




CONGO (Democratic Republic of)


CASPARY




COTE D'IVOIRE


CASTEX




DJIBOUTI


CHRISTENSEN




DOMINICA


COELHO




ERITREA


DE KEYSER




ETHIOPIA


DE MITA




FIJI


DE SARNEZ




GABON


DELVAUX




GAMBIA


DURANT




GHANA


ENGEL




GRENADA


ESTARÀS FERRAGUT




GUINEA


FERREIRA, Elisa




GUINEA-BISSAU


FERREIRA, João




EQUATORIAL GUINEA


FORD




HAITI


GAHLER




MARSHALL ISLANDS (Republic of the)


GRIESBECK




SOLOMON ISLANDS


GUERRERO SALOM




KENYA


HALL




KIRIBATI


HÄNDEL




MADAGASCAR


HANNAN




MALAWI


HAUG




MAURITIUS


JENSEN




MAURITANIA


JOLY




MICRONESIA (Federal States of)


KACZMAREK




MOZAMBIQUE


KIIL-NIELSEN




NAMIBIA


KORHOLA




NAURU (Republic of)


KUHN




NIGER


LE PEN




NIGERIA


LEGUTKO




NIUE


LÓPEZ AGUILAR




UGANDA


MANDERS




PALAOS


MARTIN




PAPUA NEW GUINEA


MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ




CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC


MATO ADROVER




DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


MAYER




RWANDA


McMILLAN-SCOTT




ST. KITTIS-NEVIS


MITCHELL




ST. LUCIA


MOREIRA




ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES


NEDELCHEVA




SAMOA


NEUSER




SAO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE


ROSSI




SENEGAL


SCHLYTER




SEYCHELLES


SCHMIDT




SIERRA LEONE


SCHNELLHARDT




SOMALIA


SCICLUNA




SUDAN


SCOTTÀ




SURINAME


SENYSZYN




SWAZILAND


STRIFFLER




CHAD


STURDY




EAST TIMOR


TIROLIEN




TOGO


TOIA




TONGA


VLASÁK




TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO


WIELAND




VANUATU


ZANICCHI




ZIMBABWE


ZIMMER





COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS








ACP Members




EP Members





JEAN MARIE (SAINTE-LUCIE) Co-President


CASA, Co-President




TAMAPUA (SAMOA), VC


KORHOLA, VC




YEHOUETOME (BENIN), VC


CASTEX, VC




ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA


ALFONSI




IBOVI (CONGO, Democratic Republic of)


CALLANAN




COTE D'IVOIRE


CASINI




ATEYE (DJIBOUTI)


DE KEYSER




TOGA (ETHIOPIA)


DURANT




FIJI


FERREIRA, Elisa




ROGOMBE (GABON)


GAHLER




GUINEA-BISSAU


GRIESBECK




GUYANA


HANNAN




BEAUPLAN (HAÏTI)


HÄNDEL




LEBAJOA (LESOTHO)


KACZMAREK




KOLLIE (LIBERIA)


LE PEN




SERAMILA (MADAGASCAR)


LÓPEZ AGUILAR




IMBARCAOUANE (MALI)


MANDERS




VAN DER WALT (NAMIBIA)


MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ




NAURU


MOREIRA




NIUE


NEDELCHEVA




PAPUA NEW GUINEA


NICHOLSON




CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC


ROITHOVÁ




MUSA (SUDAN)


SCHMIDT




PARMESSAR (SURINAME)


SPERONI




KLASSOU (TOGO)


STRIFFLER




HLONGWANE (ZIMBABWE)


WIELAND





COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE AND TRADE








ACP Members




EP Members





CONGO (Democratic Republic of), Co-President


CARVALHO, Co-President




OULANYAH (UGANDA), VC


LEGUTKO, VC




SIERRA LEONE, VC


ALVES, VC




KLOPPER (SOUTH AFRICA)


ARIF




DE SOUSA MENDES DO SANTOS (ANGOLA)


BOVÉ




BAHAMAS


BULLMANN




BELIZE


CASPARY




NAIB (ERITREA)


ENGEL




BANDUA (GHANA)


FORD




EQUATORIAL GUINEA


GOERENS




COOK ISLANDS


GUERRERO SALOM




JAMAICA


HOARAU




KAZEMBE (MALAWI)


JENSEN




DEERPALSING (MAURITIUS)


KUHN




OULD GUELAYE (MAURITANIA)


MARTIN




MUKHTAR AHMED (NIGERIA)


MATO ADROVER




PALAOS


MAYER




POLISI (RWANDA)


McMILLAN-SCOTT




ST. KITTIS-NEVIS


MICHEL




SLATER (SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES)


MITCHELL




SAO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE


SCHLYTER




SALL (SENEGAL)


ŠŤASTNÝ




POOL (SEYCHELLES)


SCICLUNA




TONGA


STURDY




LEVELU (TUVALU)


TIROLIEN




KAKOMA (ZAMBIA)


ZANICCHI





COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND THE ENVIRONMENT








ACP Members




EP Members





SITHOLE (MOZAMBIQUE), Co-President


RIVASI, Co-President




KOMBO (KENYA), VC


BAUER, VC




NOEL (GRENADA), VC


SCHNELLARDT, VC




THOMPSON (BARBADE)


BEARDER




MOTSHOME (BOTSWANA)


CHRISTENSEN




SANOU (BURKINA FASO)


COELHO




KARERWA (BURUNDI)


DELVAUX




HAMATOUKOUR (CAMEROON)


DE MITA




CAPE VERDE


DE SARNEZ




COMOROS ISLANDS


ESTARÀS FERRAGUT




DOMINICA


FERREIRA, João




BALDEH (GAMBIA)


HALL




GUINEA-BISSAU


HAUG




MARSHALLTOWN


KILL-NIELSEN




SOLOMON ISLANDS


JOLY




KIRIBATI


KLAß




MICRONESIA (Federal States of)


McAVAN




TONDYI (NIGER)


NEUSER




JÍMENEZ (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)


OUZKÝ




SOMALIA


RONZULLI




GAMEDZE (SWAZILAND)


ROSSI




NDUGAI (TANZANIA)


SCOTTÀ




WEIDOU (CHAD)


SENYSZYN




EAST TIMOR


TOIA




TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO


VLASÁK




BUTUSOL (VANUATU)


ZIMMER







ANNEX II

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE AT THE SESSION FROM 21 TO 23 NOVEMBER


IN LOMÉ (TOGO)







ASSARID IMBARCAOUANE (MALI), acting Co-President


MICHEL, Co-President




KLOPPER (South Africa) (1)

DOS SANTOS (Angola)
THOMPSON (Barbados)
YEHOUETOME (Benin)
MOTSHOME (Botswana) (VP) (1)

SANOU (Burkina Faso)
KARERWA (Burundi) (VP)
HAMATOUKOUR (Cameroon) (VP)
MBUKU LAKA (Congo, Democratic Republic of)
IBOVI (Congo, Republic of) (VP)
SOUBANEH ATTEYE (Djibouti)
NAIB (Eritrea)
TOGA (Ethiopia)
VOCEA (Fiji) (1)

ROGOMBE (Gabon)
BALDEH (Gambia)
BANDUA (Ghana)
NOEL (Grenada)
BEAUPLAN (Haiti)
KOMBO (Kenya)
LEBAJOA (Lesotho) (VP)
KOLLIE (Liberia) (VP)
KAZEMBE (Malawi)
ASSARID IMBARCAOUANE (Mali) (VP)
DEERPALSING (Mauritius)
OULD GUELAYE (Mauritania)
SITHOLE (Mozambique)
VAN DER WALT (Namibia)
AHMED (Nigeria)
OULANYAH (Uganda)
JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic)
POLISI (Rwanda) (VP)
JEAN MARIE (Saint-Lucia)
SLATER (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)
TAMAPUA (Samoa)
SALL (Senegal)
POOL (Seychelles)
BUNDU (Sierra Leone)
MUSA (Sudan)
PARMESSAR (Suriname)
GAMEDZE (Swaziland)
NDUGAI (Tanzania) (VP)
WEIDOU (Chad)
SANTOS (East Timor)
KLASSOU (Togo)
BAKER (Trinidad and Tobago)
LEUELU (Tuvalu) (VP) (1)

BUTUSOL (Vanuatu)
KAKOMA (Zambia) (VP)
HLONGWANE (Zimbabwe)


ATTARD-MONTALTO (2) (For MARTIN)
BAUER
BEARDER (2), (3)

BINEV (for LE PEN)
CHRISTENSEN
DE KEYSER
ENGEL
FERREIRA, João (2), (3)

GAHLER
GURMAI (for FERREIRA, E.)
HAUG
KACZMAREK
KIIL-NIELSEN (3), (4)

KLAß (VP)
LEGUTKO
LÓPEZ AGUILAR (3), (4)

MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ (3), (4)

MORGANTI (3), (4) (for ROSSI)
NEDELCHEVA (3), (4)

NEUSER
PONGA (For CARVALHO)
PROTASIEWICZ (For KORHOLA)
RIVASI (VP)
ROITHOVA (VP)
SCHMIDT
SCHNELLHARDT
SCICLUNA
SPERONI (VP) (3), (4)

STRIFFLER
THEOCHARUS (For CASINI)
WŁOSOWICZ (For NICHOLSON)
ZIMMER





OBSERVERS:






CUBA

REGUEIFEROS LINARES





MADAGASCAR

SERAMILA





NIGER

TONDYI





INVITED:






SOUTH SUDAN

GARANG DEG
ABYEI
AJONGO
BAYEH
DERE
VUGA





Also present:


SOUTH AFRICA

MANAMELA
MULDER
SOOKLAL

ANGOLA

DA SILVA

BARBADOS

CHANDLER

BENIN

DAYORI
HOUNGNIGBO
AKPOE
FIODENDJI

BURKINA FASO

OUEDRAOGO

BURUNDI

NIYUNGEKO

CAMEROON

DAOUDA
KOMBO GBERI
OWONA KONO

DJIBOUTI

OMAR ABDI SAID

ERITREA

TEKLE

ETHIOPIA

DABA
SEID

FIJI

VOCEA

GABON

MILEBOU
MABEDI
MANGOUALA

GHANA

ANTWI

HAITI

RICHE
LOUIS-JEUNE
DOLE
DENIUS
CHERY
DOREUS

KENYA

AFFEY
KEMBI-GITTURA
LABOSO

LIBERIA

DUNAH

MALAWI

CITEYEYE

MALI

BA
SYLLA

MAURITIUS

KOONJUL

MAURITANIA

ABDELLA
BILAL
GUELADIO
OULD HAMOUD
OULD ZAMEL

MOZAMBIQUE

MALENDZA
MANUEL

NAMIBIA

NAHOLO

NIGERIA

BARAYA
IBRAHIM
MADWATTE
OKORIE
HAMZA
ESEDEME
BUKUOLA

UGANDA

AKOL
BIHANDE-BWAMBALE
MUJUNGU
KATENTA-APULI

RWANDA

MUKANKUSI

SAMOA

CHAN TUNG

SENEGAL

SOW

SEYCHELLES

FOCK TAVE

SIERRA LEONE

KAMARA
TORTO

SUDAN

ABDEL MAGID AMIR
ABEL HALIM
OMER
OSMAN

SURINAME

CASTELEN
WANGSABESARI
ASABINA
SOMOHADJO

TANZANIA

MWANJELWA

CHAD

ADJI
TEKILIO
DINGAOMAIBE
MOG-NANGAR
AFFONO

TOGO

AHOLOU
KPOYI
PENN
MENSAH
TSIMESSE
SOMENU
DRAMANI
AMEGNONAN
ANANI
GBONE
SAGBO
BEDABA

VANUATU

JOY

ZIMBABWE

MLOTSHWA
MNKANDHLA
MUCHADA

ACP COUNCIL

OKELLO, Minister of State for International Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Uganda), President-in-Office of the ACP Council.

EU COUNCIL

STANOWSKI, Under-Secretary of State for Development Cooperation (Poland), President-in-Office of the EU Council

COMMITTEE OF ACP AMBASSADORS

KATENTA-APULI

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

PIEBALGS, Member of the Commission with responsibility for development

EEAS

COSTA PEREIRA

EESC

KING
FORNEA

COMESA

NKANAGU

ACP SECRETARIAT

CHAMBAS, Co-Secretary-General

EU SECRETARIAT

AGUIRIANO NALDA, Co-Secretary-General


(1)  Country represented by a person who is not a parliamentarian.

(2)  Present on 21 November 2011

(3)  Present on 22 November 2011

(4)  Present on 23 November 2011



ANNEX III

ANNEX TO THE SITTING OF MONDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2011

Accreditation of non-parliamentary delegates
1.   Botswana
Ms Tebogo Lily MOTSHOME
Deputy Ambassador
Embassy of Botswana
Head of Delegation
2.   Fiji
H.E. Mr Peceli V. VOCEA
Ambassador
Embassy of Fiji
Head of Delegation
3.   South Africa
Mr Lorenci KLOPPER
Political adviser
Embassy of South Africa
Head of Delegation
4.   Tuvalu
H.E. Mr Tine LEUELU
Ambassador
Embassy of Tuvalu
Head of Delegation



ANNEX IV






—


Resolution on the impact of the Treaty of Lisbon on the ACP-EU partnership (ACP-EU/101.082/11/fin.)










—


Resolution on the influence of debt on development financing in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.079/11/fin.)










—


Resolution on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in developing countries (ACP-EU/100.954/11/fin.)










—


Resolution on the food crisis in the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia (ACP-EU/101.112/11/fin.)










—


Resolution on the impact of the Arab Spring on neighbouring Sub-Saharan States (ACP-EU/101.111/11/fin.)





RESOLUTION (1)

on the impact of the Treaty of Lisbon on the ACP-EU Partnership

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Lomé (Togo) from 21 to 23 November 2011,










—


having regard to Article 17(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Partnership Agreement’),










—


having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),










—


having regard to the Georgetown Agreement, which formally established the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States,










—


having regard to Article 208 of the TFEU,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Political Affairs (ACP-EU/101.082/11/fin.),










A.


whereas the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement is still the best example of a comprehensive approach to cooperation, whose added value must be safeguarded, and whereas this partnership should be strengthened, rather than weakened, by increasing its value as a mutual political commitment;










B.


whereas the ACP countries have long been privileged partners of the European Union and whereas, in the Treaty of Lisbon, solidarity with, and support for, the countries of the South are for the first time treated as an essential aspect of the identity of the European Union;










C.


whereas the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon gives the European Parliament greater powers, with shared responsibility with the European Council, in forty essential new areas of the European Union’s policies and actions,










D.


whereas the removal of the explicit reference to the ACP countries in the Treaty of Lisbon means that both parties must redefine their common interests so as to ensure that the value of the partnership that has existed since 1975 is strengthened;










E.


whereas the Treaty of Lisbon provides for greater coordination of the EU’s external action;










F.


whereas the Treaty of Lisbon has brought changes in the operational manner in which the EU, through its European External Action Service (EEAS), now interacts with the ACP group; whereas those changes, in particular the absence of an ACP unit within the EEAS and the internal structure of the Commission's new Directorate-General for EuropeAid Development and Cooperation, will have an impact on the special partnership with the ACP countries;










G.


whereas ACP-EU relations are founded on a whole range of elements, from development to conflict prevention, from security and stability to the defence of human rights;










H.


whereas the rise of the emerging economies, the shift in the balance of power within the international system and the increasing number of policy frameworks such as the G77 and the G24 have revealed the need to analyse how the ACP Group could best achieve its political and economic objectives in parallel with the policy framework provided by EU-ACP relations;










I.


whereas the JPA’s influence on political decisions and strategic choices relating to development at national, regional and international level continues to be very limited, despite its unique role in the North-South dialogue;










J.


whereas the ACP Group represents almost half the world's states but does not have a voice in global governance fora such as the G20, which exclude the poorest countries;










K.


whereas although the support received from the EU has been vital, the ACP countries must also embrace the opportunities offered by South-South cooperation and partnerships with the emerging economies of China, India and Brazil in order to capitalise on their huge markets as a means of trading out of poverty;










L.


whereas, as far as the ACP countries are concerned, the diversity of partners is irreversible and generally beneficial, but whereas the export of raw materials without value added, even to a range of partners, slows down the diversification and real development of the ACP economies;










M.


whereas the EU has developed regional strategies with each region of the ACP Group which are at different stages of development, two of which, continuing in the Cotonou tradition, have evolved into joint strategies; whereas these strategies could become three separately managed relationships when the Cotonou Partnership Agreement expires in 2020;










N.


whereas the future of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement will also be determined by the negotiations contributing to the forthcoming Multiannual Financing Framework for 2014–2020, through which the European Union must provide the funding for its external policy;










1.


Recalls that the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which has just been revised for the second time, has as its primary objectives the eradication of poverty, the promotion of sustainable development and the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the global economy;










2.


Calls on the ACP Group and the European Union to take the opportunity offered by the removal of the explicit reference to the ACP in the Treaty of Lisbon to revitalise their partnership; calls, therefore, for the definition of areas of common interest, such as energy, climate change and migration;










3.


Recognises the Treaty of Lisbon as a positive step forward in the democratic process, which allows the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to be more effective in bringing about positive changes for both parties;










4.


Hopes that the EU’s external policy, of which poverty eradication, and thus development policy, are an integral part, combines all the instruments it has available to promote a policy of peace;










5.


Takes the view that the ACP Group needs to strengthen itself politically, while the EU must be prepared to review and renew its partnership with the ACP countries, taking it beyond the donor–recipient relationship and into a partner–partner relationship;










6.


Welcomes the appointment of an Ambassadorial Working Group on the Future Perspectives of the ACP Group after 2020;










7.


Welcomes the creation of an informal working group between the EEAS and DG DEVCO with the aim of strengthening the ACP-EU partnership; calls for this group to keep the members of the JPA regularly informed of its work;










8.


Calls on the EU to help strengthen intra-ACP cooperation among the different regions in areas such as food security, technology transfer, infrastructure, climate change, migration, trade, science, peace, security and democratisation;










9.


Believes that monitoring the reports adopted is an important work tool for strengthening the JPA as regards the implementation of decisions; suggests in this regard that the two co-rapporteurs monitor the resolutions and regularly inform their respective committees of the progress made and any difficulties encountered;










10.


Believes that, ultimately, the ACP countries need to enter into international partnerships that are in tune with their development aspirations and capacities;










11.


Recalls that the group of ACP countries represents 40 % of the members of the United Nations; stresses, therefore, the need for the ACP Group to strengthen its identity in order to make its presence felt on the international stage;










12.


Shares the view that both the ACP and the EU are far from reaching the full potential their privileged partnership offers in order to exert influence on issues such as the reform of the UN, the World Bank and the IMF, the G20, and the UNFCCC negotiations, and they should make every effort to move forward in that direction;










13.


Invites the ACP Group countries to make extensive use of Article 12 of the Cotonou Agreement to make the most of the possibility of influencing those Community policies that have an impact on their development; to that end, invites the ACP parliamentarians to establish closer links with their EP counterparts;










14.


Calls for a central and strategic role to be given to the Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) and Regional Strategy Papers (RSPs) in the work of the JPA committees so that they can participate in the preparation and achievement of the goals laid down in those documents;










15.


Takes the view that, as with the reinforced role of Europe’s national parliaments provided for by the Treaty of Lisbon, the national parliaments of the ACP countries should assert themselves more in order to strengthen their influence in the national decision-making processes;










16.


Believes the ACP would be strengthened as a bloc by promoting its members’ common interests in the World Trade Organisation, since a stronger bloc could influence commodity and food prices, secure the protection of important markets and demand measures against European and US subsidies;










17.


Recalls that the three EU regional strategies for the African, Caribbean and Pacific Regions and that for South Africa should aim at strengthening the key pillars of the ACP-EU Partnership as defined in the Cotonou Partnership Agreement;










18.


Calls on the European Union to provide its delegations in the ACP countries with the human and financial resources needed for the exercise of their new competencies;










19.


Recalls that, when it comes to trade, the European Parliament’s approval is now needed for the adoption of trade agreements; suggests, therefore, that serious consideration be given to the possibility of including in the JPA agenda debates on the trade agreements under negotiation;










20.


Recalls that the ACP group should assert itself as a global player on the basis of its collective human and natural resources, its historical links with the EU and its proximity to emerging economies.










21.


Stresses that the new competences conferred on the European Parliament by the Treaty of Lisbon must be used to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of ACP-EU relations, of which the Joint Parliamentary Assembly is the cornerstone; hopes that this parliamentary dimension will be reflected in the EDF budget and in better information for ACP parliamentarians on the national and regional strategies implemented by the European Union and on the use of the EU’s other financial instruments in ACP countries;










22.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the European Commission, the Commission of the African Union, and the Pan-African Parliament.






RESOLUTION (2)

on the impact of debt on development financing in ACP countries

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,







—


meeting in Lomé (Togo) from 21 to 23 November 2011,










—


having regard to Article 17(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and revised in 2005 and 2010, and in particular Articles 60 and 66 thereof,










—


having regard to the UN Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000, which sets out the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as objectives established jointly by the international community for the elimination of poverty and hunger,










—


having regard to the Monterrey Consensus, adopted at the International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey, Mexico, on 18–22 March 2002,










—


having regard to the Conference on Innovative Financing held in Paris on 28 and 29 May 2009 and the International Conference on Development Financing held in Doha between 28 November and 2 December 2008,










—


having regard to the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative launched in 1996 by the IMF and the World Bank with the aim of ensuring that no poor country faces a debt burden it cannot manage,










—


having regard to the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) launched in June 2005 by the G8,










—


having regard to the draft UNCTAD principles on promoting responsible sovereign lending and borrowing of 26 April 2011,










—


having regard to the European Consensus on Development (3),










—


having regard to the Commission Staff Working Paper entitled ‘Supporting developing countries in coping with the crisis – Where does the EU go from Doha? What prospects for meeting the EU targets of 2010 and 2015?’ (Supporting developing countries in coping with the crisis – Where does the EU go from Doha? What prospects for meeting the EU targets of 2010 and 2015?) of 15 April 2009,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 8 March 2011 on Tax and Development – Cooperating with Developing Countries on Promoting Good Governance in Tax Matters (2010/2102(INI)) (4),










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade (ACP-UE/101.079/fin.),










A.


whereas the global crisis has led to increased sovereign debt levels in many countries around the world and whereas one third of ACP countries are either in debt distress or at high risk of debt distress;










B.


whereas servicing high levels of debt can become an obstacle to development by diverting significant budgetary resources and/or decreasing investment in public social services and poverty-related spending; whereas debt servicing could also reduce the investment needed to stimulate economic growth;










C.


whereas 1 % of economic growth in trade is three times greater than public development assistance;










D.


whereas donors should assist ACP countries in reaching and maintaining a sustainable level of debt in the long term, thus reinforcing their efforts to reduce poverty and promote growth; whereas, this being the case, it is commendable that the Paris Club of creditors cancelled in July 2010 a second tranche of debt owed by the Seychelles in order to help that country to put its debt on a sustainable footing;










E.


whereas debt relief is one of the targets of Millennium Development Goal 8, which aims specifically to deal comprehensively with developing countries’ debt problems through national and international measures to make debt sustainable in the long run;










F.


whereas currently the most significant international debt relief instruments for developing countries are the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI); whereas, as of December 2010, debt reduction packages under the HIPC Initiative have been approved for 36 countries, 32 of them in Africa, providing USD 72 billion in debt-service relief over time; whereas the European Commission and the EU Members States bear the bulk of the cost of HIPC and MDRI;










G.


whereas HIPC and MDRI are coming to an end, and policy reforms and new international mechanisms dealing with loan contraction and debt management and resolution are therefore needed;










H.


whereas future debt management and sustainability mechanisms should not only be based on financial considerations, but need to factor in the spending needs of the indebted developing countries for the achievement of the MDGs;










I.


whereas ACP countries’ oversight bodies such as supreme audit institutions, parliaments and civil society organisations should play a major role in monitoring government use of budgetary resources, thus reducing mismanagement of public funds;










J.


whereas good governance, the rule of law and transparency are indispensable for the proper management of public funds and debt sustainability;










K.


whereas responsible behaviour by all lenders is crucial to the promotion of sustainable, good-quality finance;










L.


whereas, in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, the ACP countries should pay increased attention to domestic mobilisation of resources as a palliative for a possible reduction in foreign aid and foreign sources of finance for the implementation of their poverty-reduction strategies;










1.


Calls on the EU and other donors to enact a set of guidelines on responsible financing, especially in times of a global financial crisis which is aggravating the debt situation in developing countries through its spillover effects, notably a contraction in global trade and a related collapse in commodity exports;










2.


Calls on the EU, the ACP Group and the ACP regional organisations to work out jointly, in cooperation with relevant international bodies, a model for an appropriate debt-offsetting mechanism for indebted countries, based on independent impact assessments of their socio-economic situation, thus reducing the scope for over-politicisation of decision-making on debt relief, including possible corruption on the donor’s side (retro-commissions); takes the view that this will enable the donors, on a case-by-case basis, to take into account the particular situation of the partner ACP country and its overall development level; is of the opinion that the debt-offsetting mechanism could take the form of debt cancellation, debt rescheduling, debt repayment, or a mix of these options;










3.


Calls on donors to define jointly with the partner ACP country the specific conditions attached to its debt-offsetting scheme, in order to strike the right balance between the obligation to service the debt and the obligation to provide for the population’s basic needs, as sound debt management is a precondition for sustainable development;










4.


Takes the view that any additional funds obtained by ACP governments through debt cancellation should be allocated to increasing social expenditure in areas such as basic education, primary health care and HIV/AIDS, thus contributing to the attainment of the MDGs; calls on the Commission, therefore, to explore with partner ACP countries the possibility of debt transformation into public investment in social services and public goods as part of their particular debt relief scheme or in combination with other schemes;










5.


Takes the view that when debt cancellation is considered in a particular ACP country, it could also be with the aim of allocating the benefits of debt cancellation to funding the creation of SMEs, whose establishment and growth is a necessary precondition for the emergence and development of a middle class in ACP countries; therefore invites the Commission to explore, in cooperation with the ACP partner countries, the possibility of transforming and refocusing, where appropriate, ACP debt-offsetting strategies towards public investment in SMEs, taking into account that these types of local enterprise can greatly contribute to job creation and domestic growth, and therefore to debt alleviation in ACP countries;










6.


Considers it necessary to promote access to credit so as to guarantee a viable entrepreneurial climate; invites, therefore, the ACP countries and private partners to take measures to respond to this requirement;










7.


Calls on the Commission and donor countries to assist the ACP countries with designing national debt strategies within the context of their national development strategies, with the participation of civil society, promoting in particular the healthy restructuring of their economy and the internal formation of capital and savings










8.


Calls on the EU and the OECD not to broaden the definition of official development aid (ODA) and to end the practice of counting debt relief as aid spending; calls on the EU, however, to consider debt relief in combination with other debt-offsetting schemes as part of a comprehensive effort to address the needs of developing countries;










9.


Calls on the Commission to monitor closely (with the assistance of relevant international institutions such as the UN agencies, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the Association of European Development Finance Institutions) the evolution and development impact of the indebtedness rate of ACP countries, with special focus on the situation of the Least Developed Countries and the Small Island Developing States;










10.


Calls on the Commission to regularly inform, via a report, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the debt-offsetting schemes in place with the partner ACP countries and of their impact on the countries’ capacity to meet the MDGs, especially with regard to the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and provision of health services;










11.


Urges the ACP partner countries to take seriously the due servicing of both their foreign and their domestic debt;










12.


Takes the view that policy coherence for development, particularly among policies on trade, development and financial transparency, should be a guiding principle of EU development cooperation and should inform the development of standards for responsible lending and borrowing;










13.


Calls on the ACP partner countries to step up their domestic efforts with respect to sound financial management, budgetary control and the fight against corruption, fraud and tax evasion, and to sustain their long-term efforts to create the stable economic environment required in order to be able to better develop their domestic financial markets and banking sectors;










14.


Is of the opinion that the ACP countries should focus on designing and implementing sustainable taxation systems, including the creation of a robust tax collection body empowered to defend the essential interest of the state in accessing what should be the primary source of state funding;










15.


Recognises the important role of international cooperation in combating illicit financial flows and building sound rules for finance and investment at global level; recalls EU commitments to policy coherence for development, and calls on the EU to support the ACP countries in their fight against illicit outflows and capital flight, as these are identified as a major obstacle to mobilisation of domestic revenue for development;










16.


Takes the view that the ACP countries must seek to create a climate that is favourable to investment by establishing laws guaranteeing that investors have the legal certainty they need to invest;










17.


Calls for enhanced cross-border cooperation between ACP countries in exchanging best practices regarding the preparation of their public budget and control of its use for the public welfare; recommends that under the 11th EDF the Commission earmark more funding for technical assistance and capacity building in ACP countries, to be used for budget setting and control and for debt management;










18.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the EU Member States.






RESOLUTION (5)

on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in developing countries

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Lomé (Togo) from 21 to 23 November 2011,










—


having regard to Article 17(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Agreement’) and in particular to Article 8(4) on non-discrimination,










—


having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted in 2006, and in particular to Article 32 thereof, which states that all parties must include disability and persons with disabilities in their international cooperation efforts,










—


having regard to UN Human Rights Council resolutions 7/9 of 27 March 2008, 10/7 of 26 March 2009, 13/11 of 25 March 2010 and 16/15 of 24 March 2011 on the human rights of persons with disabilities,










—


having regard to Article 19 of the TFEU, Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 14 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which prohibits all forms of discrimination, as well as Articles 21 and 26 thereof, which set out the rights of people with disabilities,










—


having regard to the resolutions of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on the rights of disabled people and older people in ACP countries of 1 November 2001, and on health issues, young people, the elderly and people living with disabilities, adopted at the Cape Town Assembly on 21 March 2002,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution on disability and development adopted on 19 January 2006,










—


having regard to the World Report on Disability published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank in June 2011,










—


having regard to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to the MDG 2010 Summit Outcome Document entitled ‘Keeping the Promise: United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals’ (Resolution 65/1),










—


having regard to the Beijing Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which calls for a higher standard of living, equal participation and the elimination of discriminatory attitudes and practices,










—


having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000, which sets out the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as criteria established jointly by the international community for the elimination of poverty,










—


having regard to United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolutions 65/186 and 64/131 on ‘Realising the Millennium Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities towards 2015 and beyond’,










—


having regard to the EU Disability Strategy 2010–2020, ‘A renewed commitment to a barrier-free Europe’ (COM(2010) 0636 final) and its initial implementation plan 2010 –2015 (SEC(2010) 1324 final),










—


having regard to the EU Guidance Note on Disability and Development for EU Delegations and Services,










—


having regard to the International Labour Office report entitled ‘The price of exclusion: the economic consequences of excluding people with disabilities from the world of work’ published in 2009,










—


having regard to Article 18(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981), which states that disabled persons have the right to special measures of protection, and to Article 16(1), which provides that every individual is to have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health;










—


having regard to the African Decade of Disabled Persons (2000–2009), the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993–2002), the New Asian Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (2003–2012) and the European Year of People with Disabilities (2003)










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment (ACP-EU/100.954/11/fin.),










A.


whereas more than one billion people in the world — 15 % of the population — live with some form of disability (6);










B.


whereas, according to the CRPD, ‘persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’;










C.


whereas disability tends to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, where the likelihood of disability increases with the incidence of poverty (WRD 2011); whereas disability is therefore a development issue;










D.


whereas the CRPD aims to ’promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity’;










E.


whereas the EU, 19 of its Member States and 48 ACP States have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and many more are signatories;










F.


whereas international legal commitments are only effective when they are backed up by national laws and policies;










G.


whereas the WHO and the World Bank list inadequate policies and standards, negative attitudes, lack of provision of services, inadequate funding, inaccessibility, lack of consultation and involvement, and lack of data and evidence as the causes of exclusion of persons with disabilities;










H.


whereas people with disabilities can experience exclusion from all aspects of life, including work, public services, transport, communication, education and information;










I.


whereas in countries where life expectancy is greater than 70 years people spend approximately 8 years of their lives coping with one or more disabilities;










J.


whereas many developing countries have made significant – though partial – progress on including people with disabilities in development projects;










K.


whereas it is estimated that, globally, employment rates of people with disabilities are half those of non-disabled people, and that the majority of disabled people in developing countries who are of working age are unemployed and live in poverty;










L.


whereas the exclusion of disabled people from work has significant economic consequences, which the ILO estimates as ranging from 3 % to 7 % of the GDP of African countries, and whereas the cost of inclusion is much lower than the cost of exclusion, since enabling people with disabilities to participate fully in society permits them to provide for themselves and others and to contribute to the economy;










M.


whereas associations for the disabled have a particular role to play in representing and communicating the specific interests of people with disabilities vis-à-vis politicians and the general public;










N.


whereas the exclusion of people with disabilities is the underlying factor in their inequality, whether in terms of discrimination in legislation, of physical and communication barriers or of social stigma or invisibility in policy processes and budgets, and whereas two of the greatest obstacles to the inclusion of disabled people in society are their invisibility and negative attitudes towards them;










O.


whereas women and girls with disabilities are particularly vulnerable and are three times as likely to experience gender-based violence as women without disabilities; recalling the dangerous trend whereby this violence is likely to go unreported (7);










1.


Urges all the ACP States and EU Member States who have yet to sign and ratify the CRPD and the Optional Protocol thereto to do so without reservations and to establish domestic mechanisms for their implementation and monitoring;










2.


Encourages parliamentarians to work together to ensure that national disability laws and plans are passed by their parliaments, including through scrutiny of budgets and the use of private members’ bills;










3.


Calls on national parliaments to establish committees to follow up the implementation of legislation addressing the needs of people with disabilities;










4.


Welcomes the fact that at the 2010 MDG High-Level Summit the rights of people with disabilities were recognised as crucial to achieving the MDGs; calls upon the international community, therefore, to design MDG initiatives in such a way that people with disabilities are among the main target groups;










5.


Recognises that special measures to achieve equality of people with disabilities, including quotas for elections where appropriate in the local context, have had positive impacts on the image of people with disabilities at national level, and urges the ACP and EU States to further the rights of people with disabilities;










6.


Stresses that the media should play a more active role in challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusion; calls upon international, national and local decision makers to ensure and promote awareness raising via the media, educational policies and public campaigns;










7.


Stresses emphatically the key role of associations for the disabled in promoting awareness of the inclusion problems of people with disabilities; calls on all the ACP and EU States to support the development of a movement for the disabled in the ACP and EU States;










8.


Stresses the need for accessible environments and learning materials in order to facilitate participation in educational activities by all children and adults with disabilities; points to the need to encourage and support the development of a teaching culture sensitive and reactive to the needs of young people with disabilities, notably through specialised training for support teachers; stresses the vital role of the donor community in supporting accessible educational infrastructure and ensuring that the EU includes disability commitments in its educational sector dialogues;










9.


Emphasises that 98 % of children with disabilities in developing countries have no access to free universal primary education; stresses that this will prevent the full achievement of the second Millennium Development Goal;










10.


Stresses the need to improve educational facilities further and to encourage the growth of a teaching culture geared to effectively meeting the needs of young people with disabilities;










11.


Requests that national and local governments include all aspects of accessibility in all new legislation and adapt existing legislation to meet accessibility requirements; calls upon the donor community to include all aspects of accessibility in its planning and implementation of development policy and in its contractual relations with others;










12.


Calls for an exchange of good practices among both developing and developed countries; asks the European Commission to develop a forum for exchange with other international donors on disability inclusion practices and calls upon it to fulfil better its commitments under Article 32 of the CRPD;










13.


Stresses the importance of data collection for effective implementation of the CRPD, and calls on the EU and ACP governments to work closely together with national statistics services to ensure that disaggregated data collection is improved and prioritised and that the latest and most comprehensive data form the basis of their work and policy implementation;










14.


Urges the ACP States to mainstream the inclusion of people with disabilities in their national development agendas, to adopt mechanisms for enhancing their representation at all levels of decision making, to provide specific and adequate budgetary allocations for people with disabilities and to ensure increased education for all on illnesses that give rise to disabilities;










15.


Urges the ACP States to promote inclusive attitudes towards, and perceptions of, disability and to promote dialogue between people with disabilities and government at all levels;










16.


Calls on the ACP and EU governments to put in place measures in correctional centres to ensure that offenders with disabilities are provided with facilities appropriate to their special conditions, when incarcerated and while in the community;










17.


Supports the ACP States in increasing access to education, micro-credit schemes and other income-generating opportunities;










18.


Asks the EU and ACP States to increase HIV/AIDS education for all, including people with disabilities, who are often excluded from HIV/AIDS prevention and care services;










19.


Calls for the opportunities for disability inclusion to be audited when appropriate EU and joint projects are implemented;










20.


Calls for EU-funded infrastructure projects to be vetted in order to ensure that they are accessible to people with disabilities, and for EU delegations in third countries to be built or refurbished to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities;










21.


Calls on the EU to include the needs of people with disabilities and disabled people's organisations (DPOs) in its projects, including those which promote access to justice; requests that Country Strategy Papers take into account the needs of people with disabilities;










22.


Stresses that the EU and ACP should promote inclusion policies in all relevant UN and international fora, as the issue of disability is currently absent from many high-level international discussions (Rio+20, OECD agenda) and must be placed high on the political agenda;










23.


Stresses that the causes of disability are many and varied and must be met with a broad range of policy measures; calls upon the ACP States, therefore, to take road safety measures, to combat malnutrition as a risk factor for the development of disabilities, to improve access to clean drinking water, to address the disability-related impacts of conflict, and to ensure access to public health services and decent work by mainstreaming disability inclusion in their national development plans; calls on the EU to give priority to these considerations throughout its development cooperation with ACP States;










24.


Calls on the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to report on, review and highlight good practices and progress on inclusion in ACP countries on a two-yearly basis;










25.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament and the UN Human Rights Council.






RESOLUTION (8)

on the food crisis in the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Lomé (Togo) from 21 to 23 November 2011,










—


having regard to Article 17(2) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the Millennium Development Goals,










—


having regard to the statement of 24 August 2011 by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on the EU response to famine in the Horn of Africa










—


having regard to the Pledging Conference held by the African Union in Addis Ababa on 25 August 2011










A.


whereas the prolonged drought that is laying waste to the Horn of Africa – combined with conflicts in the region, high food prices and increasingly limited resources – has resulted in the world’s biggest humanitarian and food crisis, currently affecting, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 13,3 million people, of whom 840 000 are refugees, with tens of thousands of people, more than half of them children, already dead;










B.


whereas there is an emergency in the Horn of Africa, with the worst drought in 60 years and mass population displacement, a quarter of the Somali population of 7,5 million being displaced either internally or as refugees in neighbouring countries










C.


whereas malnutrition rates in most of the drought-stricken regions are above 30 %, i.e. more than double the internationally recognised emergency threshold level;










D.


whereas Somalia, where four million people are affected and famine has been declared in six regions, is the country hardest hit by the humanitarian disaster; whereas the circumstances there are aggravated by Somalia’s lack of natural resources and by the consequences of 20 years of conflict on its territory;










E.


whereas, week by week, the famine is causing thousands more people to become refugees and the humanitarian situation in the camps is worsening from day to day, with 30 % of children under five suffering from malnutrition, epidemics breaking out, including cholera and measles, and cases of rape being reported (9);










F.


whereas 80 % of the refugees are women and children, with many experiencing sexual violence and intimidation en route to refugee camps;










G.


whereas Dadaab, in Kenya, is currently the world’s largest refugee camp, with 463 710 (10) refugees living on a site designed for 90 000; whereas, at some point, more than 3 000 Somalians streamed across the country’s borders into Ethiopia and Kenya, seeking food and safety;










H.


whereas, to date, funding is in place for only 62 % of the USD 2,4 billion called for by the UN to combat drought in the region, and a further USD 940 million are needed in order to provide essential aid there;










I.


whereas access to the people concerned remains the main obstacle to relieving the food situation in the region; whereas Somalia is still one of the most dangerous countries for humanitarian aid workers;










J.


whereas the World Food Programme needs an additional EUR 250 million to supply the aid that will be needed over the coming six months;










K.


whereas, in response to the emergency in the Horn of Africa, the Commission has allocated EUR 97,47 million to the region and is preparing to step up its support, bringing its total humanitarian contribution to the drought-relief effort this year to EUR 158 million; whereas, at the Pledging Conference in Addis Ababa, the main African Union member states undertook to release almost USD 350 million for the countries affected by the drought;










L.


whereas the African Union Mission Somalia (AMISOM) is financed mainly from the African Peace Facility, which in its turn is financed from the resources of the long-term development section of the ninth European Development Fund (EDF)










M.


whereas the impact of climate change has seriously affected crop yields, which, along with rising food prices, has set back the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;










N.


whereas pastoralism, stock farming and water security (including dams and pipes) need to be supported; whereas the current situation of pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa is giving great cause for concern; whereas governments should build on the good work already done and institutionalise drought management in the areas concerned;










1.


Is acutely concerned at the unprecedented and still deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa and regards the famine death toll as unacceptable;










2.


Emphasises that no improvement in the situation is forecast before next year because harvests are expected to be late, with below-average yields, grazing and water sources have been exhausted and the prices of staple cereals such as maize, as well as water and fuel, have rocketed;










3.


Calls for better mobilisation by the international community, which should redouble its efforts to cope with this emergency so as to meet the growing humanitarian needs and prevent any further worsening of the situation;










4.


Underscores the need to control the aid effort by identifying reliable partners on the ground and improving coordination and distribution arrangements, thus preventing any diversion or pillaging of supplies;










5.


Welcomes the fact that the EU has mobilised (at both Commission and Member State level) and calls for the planned provision of aid to be stepped up; welcomes the African Union’s efforts to address the crisis and underscores the urgent need not only for food aid but also for improved health and sanitation on the ground;










6.


Condemns the role of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab in obstructing aid agencies and commends the World Food Programme on its efforts to deliver food assistance to as much of the population as is operationally possible;










7.


Reaffirms that the fight against terrorism should be a priority, but calls for solidarity among the neighbouring countries in order to avoid the outbreak of a war whose effects would be truly devastating;










8.


Emphasises that it is extremely difficult for people in Somalia to access food aid, especially in the centre and south of the country and the areas controlled by the al-Shabab militia; underscores the need to involve everyone affected by the conflict in Somalia at all levels; encourages the establishment of a national reconciliation regime so that the rebuilding of the country can begin;










9.


Calls on the authorities concerned to afford humanitarian aid organisations unhindered access and to ensure that civilians, especially women and children, are protected in all circumstances, in accordance with international humanitarian law; also firmly condemns the escalations of violence, including suicide attacks and kidnappings;










10.


Calls on the European Union and governments in the region to urgently improve the transition between humanitarian aid and development aid; calls on the Commission to support East African countries’ projects on famine prevention capacities and drought early warning systems;










11.


Emphasises that the African countries also need to take long-term measures, with the international community’s support, to ensure that drought does not inevitably mean famine; emphasises that, alongside the adoption of immediate measures, long-term support must be put in place to ensure that people have sustainable livelihoods;










12.


Calls on the African governments to meet their commitment to allocate at least 10 % of their national budgets to agriculture, with the aim of achieving a 6 % annual growth rate in the agricultural sector, to guarantee access to land for small farmers and investment in agriculture and trade to meet the daily nutritional requirements of their citizens;










13.


Welcomes, in this context, the Commission’s decision to commit more than EUR 680 million to the region by 2013 in the form of long-term aid for agriculture, rural development and food security and the creation of added value for its agricultural products; calls for an increase in the proportion of official development aid assigned to agriculture;










14.


Calls for greater transparency, better quality and timeliness of information on food commodity reserves and stocks, and price formation at international level, as requested in the recent Commission Communication entitled ‘Tackling the challenges in commodity markets and on raw materials’; demands that financial institutions engaged in speculation on food and agricultural commodity markets cease speculative activity, which drives high and volatile food prices, and to put tackling poverty and human suffering above profits;










15.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the European Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the UN Security Council and Secretary-General, the African Union institutions, the member governments and states of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly and the governments of the Member States.






RESOLUTION (11)

on the impact of the Arab Spring on neighbouring Sub-Saharan States

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Lomé (Togo) from 21 to 23 November 2011,










—


having regard to Article 17(2) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the resolution of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly of 18 May 2011 on ‘The democratic upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East: consequences for the ACP countries, for Europe and for the world’ (ACP-EU/100.958/11/fin.)










—


having regard to the European Parliament’s resolutions of 3 and 7 February, 7 April and 7 July 2011 on, respectively, the situation in Tunisia and Egypt, European Union relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, the situation in Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, and the EU external policies in favour of democratisation,










—


having regard to the development of the European Neighbourhood Policy since 2004, and in particular to the Joint Communications of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 25 May 2011 entitled ‘A new response to a changing neighbourhood’ (COM(2011)0303) and of 8 March 2011 entitled ‘A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean’ (COM(2011)0200),










—


having regard to the goals of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 January 2000, and revised in 2005 and 2010,










—


having regard to the African Union’s Cairo Declaration on ‘Strengthening Political Governance for Peace, Security and Stability in Africa’ of 4–5 September 2011,










—


having regard to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance of 30 January 2007,










—


having regard to the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 16 December 1966,










—


having regard to the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 and the Protocol of 31 January 1967 relating to the Status of Refugees,










—


having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948










A.


whereas the victory of the Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan people represents a new wind of hope, freedom, solidarity, democracy and real change, desired by all three of those populations and by all oppressed peoples;










B.


whereas these upheavals have resulted in the loss of human lives and have left millions of displaced people and refugees both within and outside the countries concerned;










C.


whereas some problems highlighted by the Arab Spring are similar to those faced in a number of countries in the Sub-Saharan region: high youth unemployment, rising food and fuel prices, persistent corruption, violation of basic rights and limited participation in decision making;










D.


whereas, in the case of Libya, these upheavals have resulted in the lynching of numerous black Sub-Saharan Africans, who were wrongly regarded as mercenaries in the pay of Gaddafi, and whereas gangsters and other criminals have seized huge quantities of both light and heavy weapons; whereas these situations pose a threat to Libya’s neighbours (Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso);










E.


whereas the political unrest observed in a number of Sub-Saharan countries can be seen as echoing the Arab Spring, but has had a limited impact in terms of change;










F.


whereas, in this context, the risk of military weapons being taken into Sahelo-Saharan states and the resulting threats to the security of the bordering regions must be taken into account;










G.


whereas the Cairo Call for Peace reflected the AU’s common resolve to make peace in Africa a reality and set out certain concrete steps to be taken to this end, underlining the culture of peace, in particular through education, with a view to sparing future generations the scourge of war and violence;










H.


whereas despite the fact that the African continent is rich in oil, minerals and agricultural and other natural resources, the major part of the population is still very poor, which constitutes a violation of human dignity;










1.


Expresses its full and absolute support for the legitimate democratic aspirations of the people of the Middle East and North Africa, which could act as the inspiration for democratic change in the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and, potentially, contribute to democratic consolidation throughout the African continent;










2.


Calls on the authorities to refrain from the use of violence against demonstrators, to respect their freedom of assembly and expression, and to guarantee their safety; calls for independent inquiries into the events leading to the death, injury or imprisonment of peaceful protesters in the countries concerned and for those responsible to be brought to justice;










3.


Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all demonstrators who have been arrested and all political prisoners, human rights activists and journalists;










4.


Reiterates its solidarity with the Egyptian people and its support for the democratic transition; expresses its deepest concern about the recent violent clashes, in which many civilians were killed and hundreds injured by the security forces; calls for independent and transparent investigations and for those responsible to be held accountable; urges an end to the state of emergency and to military trials for civilians;










5.


Strongly condemns the continuing brutal repression by the Syrian regime and the violent crackdowns and human rights violations by security forces against the population; extends its condolences to the families of the victims and reiterates its solidarity with the Syrian people; calls for a rapid democratic transition to take place in Syria;










6.


Welcomes the progress made by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and encourages the continuation of efforts to implement a process of democratic stabilisation and to guarantee freedom, respect for fundamental and human rights, peace and justice;










7.


Notes that the recent developments in North Africa and the Middle East have political, economic and social repercussions, not only in the countries concerned, but also in the ACP countries and Europe;










8.


Calls on the European Union to firmly support the on-going process of political and economic reform in the region; stresses that, in order to support the process of democratic transition, all the instruments available within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and development policy must be mobilised;










9.


Calls on the Moroccan authorities to fully respect the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, as the only viable, just and lasting solution to the conflict; stresses the need to fully respect, and to proceed with, the negotiation process in the UN framework;










10.


Calls on the European Union, its Member States and the African Union (AU) to continue to show solidarity in dealing with the humanitarian emergency affecting hundreds of thousands of people who have fled from Libya to neighbouring Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Mali and Chad, and to Europe;










11.


Insists on the involvement of the EU Member States, the United Nations and specialist organisations in the process of receiving, caring for and reintegrating nationals of neighbours of Libya, who are arriving en masse, and in that of releasing the victims of wrongful arrest;










12.


Welcomes the African Union’s Cairo Declaration on ‘Strengthening Political Governance for Peace, Security and Stability in Africa’;










13.


Recalls that the AU has adopted several instruments on human rights, democracy and good governance; calls on all AU Members to adopt and implement those instruments, particularly the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and encourages the authorities in the African States to ratify the latter;










14.


Calls for strict adherence to the Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, including greater transparency as regards arms trading between the EU and Africa;










15.


Is of the opinion that elections are necessary, but not sufficient to create the conditions for a democratisation process, which goes beyond the simple fact of holding elections; takes the view that for democratisation to be successfully achieved, it is crucial to engage with the social and economic development of the country, with a view to respecting the population’s fundamental rights, such as education, health and employment, and to put a special highlight on youth unemployment;










16.


Emphasises the critical role of governance, respect for the rule of law, fair allocation of resources among all segments of the population and national leadership in preventing conflict and promoting sustainable peace; calls on the ACP countries and the EU to pay particular attention to developing and supporting civil society organisations, strengthening administrative capacity, the fight against corruption, and institutional capacity building;










17.


Calls on the Arab Spring countries to uphold equality between men and women and to encourage the latter to become involved in society and its decision-making and political bodies;










18.


Takes the view that an independent judiciary and media have an essential role to play in shaping and regulating democratic practices with the aim of reinforcing the rule of law and building democratic institutions, including functioning, pluralist parliaments;










19.


Highlights the role that modern technology and the social media played in mobilising public opinion in connection with the Arab Spring, and points out that the media coverage of these events overshadowed certain uprisings in Sub-Saharan Africa;










20.


Acknowledges that some Sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing difficulties with integrating certain ethnic groups and tribes into their democratic governance structures; urges those countries to learn from the experience of other African nations which have granted various forms of regional and cultural autonomy in order to avoid isolating certain groups in society;










21.


Calls on the European Union to take initiatives to strengthen trade relations with the Sub-Saharan states in an effort to mitigate the economic consequences of the Arab Spring;










22.


Calls on the European Union to consider a temporary suspension of debt repayments by the countries in democratic transition; calls for the assets of corrupt leaders to be frozen and returned to the countries concerned;










23.


Expresses concern about the logistical resources and weapons salvaged by members of the shadowy AQMI (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), which is rapidly leading to insecurity in the Sahelo-Saharan strip;










24.


Insists on the involvement of the EU Member States, the United Nations and specialist organisations in the process of recovering weapons from former combatants and from civilians and ensuring the security of Libya’s neighbours that are threatened by destabilisation;










25.


Points out that the massive stock of weapons held by the AQMI poses a threat not only to neighbouring countries, but to the entire world;










26.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States, the institutions of the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the General Assembly of the United Nations, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, the governments and parliaments of the countries of the Middle East and the countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, and the Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean.







(1)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 23 November 2011 in Lomé (Togo).

(2)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 23 November 2011 in Lomé (Togo).

(3)  OJ C 46, 24.2.2006, p. 1.

(4)  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2011-0082&language=EN&ring=A7-2011-0027

(5)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 23 November 2011 in Lomé (Togo).

(6)  World Report on Disability (WRD), World Health Organisation and the World Bank, June 2011.

(7)  Amnesty International Annual Report, 2011.

(8)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 23 November 2011 in Lomé (Togo).

(9)  OCHA situation reports for Somalia and Horn of Africa, from August to November 2011.

(10)  ECHO, crisis report on the Horn of Africa, No 6, 1 October 2011.

(11)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 18 May 2011 in Lomé (Togo).