Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Partnership Agreement concluded between the Members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part — Minutes of the sitting of Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Date: 2014-12-03
Institutions: ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
Subjects: ACP countries, Africa, epidemic, peaceful co-existence, private sector, settlement of disputes, sustainable development, terrorism, undernourishment








C_2015160EN.01000901.xml










13.5.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 160/9





JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC GROUP OF STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS MEMBER STATES, OF THE OTHER PART
MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2014
(2015/C 160/03)
Contents







1.

Urgent topic No 2: the expansion of terrorism in Africa
9










2.

The challenge of national reconciliation in post conflict and post crisis countries
10










3.

Vote on the motions for resolutions included in the reports submitted by the three standing committees
10










4.

Vote on the urgent motions for resolutions
11










5.

Approval of the minutes of the afternoon sitting of Monday, 1 December 2014 and of the morning and afternoon sittings of Tuesday, 2 December 2014
11










6.

Any other business
11










7.

Date and place of the 29th Session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly
11










Annex I

Alphabetical list of the members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly
12










Annex II

Record of attendance at the session held in Strasbourg (France) from 1 to 3 December 2014
17










Annex III

Accreditation of non-parliamentary delegates
21










Annex IV

Texts adopted
22










—

Resolution on the challenge of national reconciliation in post conflict and post crisis countries (ACP-EU/101.715/14/fin.)
22










—

Resolution on private sector development strategy, including innovation, for sustainable development (ACP-EU/101.700/14/fin.)
26










—

Resolution on the social and economic consequences of malnutrition in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.717/14/fin.)
32










—

Resolution on the Ebola outbreak (ACP-EU 101.727/14/fin.)
37










—

Resolution on the expansion of terrorism in Africa (ACP-EU/101.728/14/fin.)
42




MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2014


(The sitting opened at 9.05 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Fitz A. JACKSON

Co-President

The Chair recalled that owing to an important vote in the Italian parliament, the Italian President-in-Office was not able to attend the session, and therefore all items requiring the presence of the EU Council had been taken off the agenda.
1.   Urgent topic No 2: The expansion of terrorism in Africa

Claude Moniquet, Director of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Centre, referred to the most recent terrorist attacks in Africa and stressed that there were about ten organisations aiming to increase their impact and geographical scope in Africa and that were able to draw on the lack of opportunities for young people.
Speakers: Michael Gahler, Abadula Gemeda Dago (Ethiopia), Kashetu Kyenge, Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Ahamada Soukouna (Mali), Co-President Louis Michel, Mohamed El Moctar Zamel (Mauritania), Mohamed Ben Oumar (Niger), Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Ignazio Corrao, Adjedoue Weidou (Chad), Jeanne d’Arc Uwimanimpaye (Rwanda), Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, Joachim Zeller, Joyce Laboso (Kenya), Mariya Gabriel and Musa Hussein Naib (Eritrea).
Members stressed that both long-term action to tackle the root causes and an urgent stepping-up of international efforts were necessary to deal with the increasing threats from terrorist networks. They underlined the linkages with organised crime and the increasing efforts of African countries to combat terrorism, which required coordination and support from the international community in order to appropriately deal with a globalised problem.
Claude Moniquet wound up the debate. Kristin de Peyron (EEAS) made concluding remarks.
2.   The challenge of national reconciliation in post conflict and post crisis countries

Committee on Political Affairs
Co-rapporteurs: Komi Selom Klassou (Togo) and Joachim Zeller
Komi Selom Klassou (Togo) and Joachim Zeller presented the report
Speakers: Boniface Yêhouétomè (Benin), Mariya Gabriel, Mo-Mamo Karerwa (Burundi), Laurent Ngon-Baba (Central African Republic), Co-President Louis Michel, Bodil Ceballos, Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Ignazio Corrao, Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, Michael Gahler, Ahamada Soukouna (Mali), Kashetu Kyenge, Davor Ivo Stier, Jeanne d’Arc Uwimanimpaye (Rwanda), Francesc Gambús, Adjedoue Weidou (Chad) and Sangoné Sall (Senegal).
Members emphasised that failing reconciliation after a conflict would result in repeated and renewed conflict. They agreed that finding a fair balance between transitional justice and reconciliation, memory and social peace was a precondition to achieving lasting and sustainable reconciliation. Members stressed that specific national and local aspects needed to be taken into account and that it was not sufficient to work on reconciliation at national level only, but that all groups needed to be included at local level, in particular women and young people.
The co-rapporteurs wound up the debate.

(The sitting adjourned at 11.05 and resumed at 12.10.)

IN THE CHAIR: Louis MICHEL

Co-President

3.   Vote on the motions for resolutions included in the reports submitted by the three standing committees

The Co-President reminded the Assembly of the voting procedures.






—


The challenge of national reconciliation in post-conflict and post-crisis countries (ACP-EU/101.715/14/fin)
Committee on Political Affairs
Report by Komi Selom Klassou (Togo) and Joachim Zeller
Amendment adopted: oral amendment 1
Amendment fallen: 1 and paragraph 17
The resolution thus amended was adopted with 55 in favour and 1 against.










—


Private sector development strategy, including innovation, for sustainable development (ACP-EU/101.700/14/fin)
Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
Report by Arnaldo Andrade Ramos (Cape Verde) and Bogdan Brunon Wenta
Amendments adopted: 1 and oral amendment 1
Amendment fallen: 2
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.










—


The social and economic consequences of malnutrition in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.717/14/fin)
Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment
Report by Alban Bagbin (Ghana) and Nobert Neuser
Amendment rejected: 1
A vote by separate houses was requested by the EPP group on paragraph 32, paragraph 33 and recital Aa, resulting in their rejection. A split vote was requested by the S&D and ALDE groups on recital N and all parts were adopted.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.




4.   Vote on urgent motions for resolutions







—


The Ebola outbreak (ACP-EU/101.727/14//fin)
Amendment adopted: 1
Amendment rejected: 3
Amendment withdrawn: 2
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.










—


The expansion of terrorism in Africa (ACP-UE/101.728/14/fin)
Amendments adopted: 1, 2, 3
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously with 1 abstention.




5.   Approval of the minutes of the afternoon sitting of Monday, 1 December 2014 and of the morning and afternoon sittings of Tuesday, 2 December 2014

The minutes were approved.
6.   Any other business

Catherine Bearder and Co-President Louis Michel informed the Assembly that the film ‘Virunga’, about the national park in the east of the DRC, had just been nominated for an Oscar in the category ‘Best Documentary’.
7.   Date and place of the 29th Session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The next meeting will take place from 15 to 17 June 2015 in Port Vila (Vanuatu).

(The sitting closed at 12.30.)



Fitz A. JACKSON
Louis MICHEL

Co-Presidents



Alhaj Muhammad MUMUNI and
Luis Marco AGUIRIANO NALDA

Co-Secretaries-General





ANNEX I

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY








ACP representatives




EP representatives





JACKSON (JAMAICA), Co-President


MICHEL, Co-President




 


 




ANGOLA


ADINOLFI




ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA


AGEA




BAHAMAS


ALIOT




BARBADOS (VP)


ARENA




BELIZE


BAY




BENIN


BEARDER




BOTSWANA


BUONANNO




BURKINA FASO


CAMPBELL BANNERMAN




BURUNDI


CASA




CAMEROON


CEBALLOS




CAPE VERDE


CHRISTENSEN




CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC


CORRAO




CHAD (VP)


DANCE




COMOROS


DELAHAYE




CONGO (Democratic Republic of) (VP)


DE SARNEZ




CONGO (Republic of)


DUDA (VP)




COOK ISLANDS


DUNCAN




CÔTE D’IVOIRE


ENGSTRÖM




DJIBOUTI


ESTARÀS FERRAGUT




DOMINICA


FERRARA




DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


FERREIRA (VP)




EQUATORIAL GUINEA (1)



FLAŠÍKOVÁ BEŇOVÁ




ERITREA


FLORENZ




ETHIOPIA (VP)


GABRIEL




FIJI


GÁL




GABON


GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL




GAMBIA


GEBHARDT




GHANA


GERICKE




GRENADA


GERINGER DE OEDENBERG




GUINEA


GIRAUTA VIDAL




GUINEA-BISSAU


GIUFFRIDA




GUYANA


GOERENS




HAITI


GRIESBECK




JAMAICA


GUERRERO SALOM




KIRIBATI


HANNAN (VP)




LESOTHO


HERRANZ GARCÍA




LIBERIA


HETMAN




MADAGASCAR


HEUBUCH




MALAWI (VP)


ITURGAIZ




MALI


KARSKI




MARSHALL ISLANDS (Republic of the)


KYENGE (VP)




MAURITANIA


LÓPEZ AGUILAR (VP)




MAURITIUS


LÖSING




MICRONESIA (Federated States of)


MCAVAN




MOZAMBIQUE (VP)


MANSCOUR (VP)




NAMIBIA


MARUSIK




NAURU


MIZZI




NIGER


MUSELIER (VP)




NIGERIA (VP)


MUSSOLINI




NIUE (VP)


NART (VP)




PALAU


NEGRESCU




PAPUA NEW GUINEA


NEUSER




RWANDA


NOICHL




SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS


OMARJEE




SAINT LUCIA


PAPADIMOULIS




SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES


PEDICINI (VP)




SAMOA


PHILIPPOT




SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE


POGLIESE




SENEGAL (VP)


RIVASI (VP)




SEYCHELLES


ROLIN




SIERRA LEONE


ROSATI




SOLOMON ISLANDS


RUAS (VP)




SOMALIA


SALVINI




SOUTH AFRICA


SARGENTINI




SUDAN (VP) (1)



SCHREIJER-PIERIK




SURINAME (VP)


SENRA RODRÍGUEZ




SWAZILAND


STOLOJAN




TANZANIA


THOMAS




TIMOR-LESTE


VAIDERE




TOGO


WENTA




TONGA (VP)


WERNER




TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO


WIELAND




TUVALU


WIŚNIEWSKA (VP)




UGANDA


ZÁBORSKÁ




VANUATU


ZELLER




ZAMBIA


ZORRINHO




ZIMBABWE


ZWIEFKA








COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS








ACP Members




EP Members





HLONGWANE (ZIMBABWE), Co-Chair
BURKINA FASO, VC
WAIS (DJIBOUTI), VC


GOERENS, Co-Chair
ZELLER, VC
GUERRERO SALOM, VC




 


 




ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
YEHOUETOME (BENIN)
GBERI (CAMEROON)
N’GON-BABA (CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC)
DJABIR (COMOROS)
CONGO, REPUBLIC OF
DACOURY-TABLEY (CÔTE D’IVOIRE)
FIJI
SEERAJ (GUYANA)
PRIVERT (HAITI)
PHILLIPS (JAMAICA)
LABOSO (KENYA)
LIBERIA
MUNTHALI (MALAWI)
SOUKOUNA (MALI)
MARSHALL ISLANDS
SITHOLE (MOZAMBIQUE)
NAURU
ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
NDUGAI (TANZANIA)
SANTOS (TIMOR-LESTE)
KLASSOU (TOGO)
TAUSI (TUVALU)


ADINOLFI
CASA
CEBALLOS
CORRAO
DANCE
DUDA
ENGSTRÖM
GABRIEL
GAL
GEBHARDT
KARSKI
KYENGE
LEWER
LÖSING
LÓPEZ AGUILAR
MICHEL
PHILIPPOT
POGLIESE
RUAS
WERNER
WIELAND
ZORRINHO
ZWIEFKA








COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE AND TRADE








ACP Members




EP Members





TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, Co-Chair
KING-ROUSSEAU (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO), VC
TONGA, VC


FERRARA, Co-Chair
ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, VC
MANSCOUR, VC




 


 




WORRELL (BARBADOS)
BOTSWANA
KARERWA (BURUNDI)
CAPE VERDE
WA BASHARA (DRC)
EQUATORIAL GUINEA (2)

DAGO (ETHIOPIA)
SYLLA (GUINEA)
MANI (GUINEA BISSAU)
KIRIBATI
RAZAFIMBELO (MADAGASCAR)
NAMIBIA
NIGERIA
NIUE
SÃO TOMÈ AND PRÍNCIPE
SALL (SENEGAL)
SOLOMON ISLANDS
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
ST. LUCIA
MAGID (SUDAN) (2)

PANKA (SURINAME)
DLAMINI (SWAZILAND)
OULANYAH (UGANDA)
HAMUDULU (ZAMBIA)


ARENA
BAY
CAMPBELL BANNERMAN
DE SARNEZ
DELAHAYE
FLAŠÍKOVÁ BEŇOVÁ
FLORENZ
GIRAUTA VIDAL
GRIESBECK
HANNAN
MIZZI
MUSELIER
NEGRESCU
OMARJEE
PAPADIMOULIS
PEDICINI
ROSATI
SALVINI
SARGENTINI
SCHREIJER-PIERIK
STOLOJAN
THOMAS
WENTA








COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND THE ENVIRONMENT








ACP Members




EP Members





GABON, Co-Chair
BALDEH (GAMBIA), VC
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, VC


RIVASI, Co-Chair
AGEA, VC
MUSSOLINI, VC




 


 




PEREIRA (ANGOLA)
BAHAMAS
PEYREFITTE (BELIZE)
ADJEDOUE (CHAD)
COOK ISLANDS
DOMINICA
NAIB (ERITREA)
ASAMOAH (GHANA)
GARRAWAY (GRENADA)
SOFONIA (LESOTHO)
ZAMEL (MAURITANIA)
MAURITIUS
MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES OF)
OUMAR (NIGER)
KAWAI (PALAU)
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
UWMANIPAYE (RWANDA)
HUNT (SAMOA)
POOLE (SEYCHELLES)
LEWALLY (SIERRA LEONE)
SOMALIA
DUNJWA (SOUTH AFRICA)
LENGKON (VANUATU)


ALIOT
BEARDER
BUONANNO
CHRISTENSEN
FERREIRA
GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL
GERICKE
GERINGER DE OEDENBERG
GIUFFRIDA
HERRANZ GARCÍA
HETMAN
HEUBUCH
ITURGAIZ
MARUSIK
McAVAN
NART
NEUSER
NOICHL
ROLIN
SENRA RODRÍGUEZ
VAIDERE
WIŚNIEWSKA
ZABORSKA






(1)  With observer status.

(2)  With observer status.



ANNEX II

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE AT THE SESSION HELD IN STRASBOURG (FRANCE) FROM 1 TO 3 DECEMBER 2014







JACKSON (Jamaica), Co-President


MICHEL, Co-President




 


 




PEREIRA (Angola)
WORRELL (Barbados) (VP)
YEHOUETOME (Benin)
KARERWA (Burundi)
GBERI (Cameroon)
ANDRADE RAMOS (Cape Verde)
DJABIR (Comoros)
NGON-BABA (Central African Republic)
WEIDOU (Chad) (VP)
NSIMBA MWANDO (Congo, Democratic Republic of) (VP)
NDOU ANE (Congo, Republic of)
DACOURY-TABLEY (Côte d’Ivoire)
WAIS (Djibouti)
JIMENEZ (Dominican Republic)
NAIB (Eritrea)
DAGO (Ethiopia) (VP)
ASANGONO (Equatorial Guinea) (2)

MILEBOU (Gabon)
BALDEH (Gambia)
ASAMOAH (Ghana)
GARRAWAY (Grenada)
SYLLA (Guinea)
MANE (Guinea-Bissau)
SEERAJ (Guyana)
PRIVERT (Haïti)
PHILLIPS (Jamaïca)
LABOSO (Kenya)
SOFONIA (Lesotho)
MUNTHALE (Liberia)
RAZAFINDRAVELO (Madagascar)
MUNTHALI (Malawi)
SOUKOUNA (Mali)
ZAMEL (Mauritania)
SITHOLE (Mozambique)
NAHOLO (Namibia)
OUMAR (Niger)
ATOSE (Nigeria)
KANAI (Palau)
KOMUN (Papua New Guinea)
UWMANIPAYE (Rwanda)
LONG (Saint Lucia)
HUNT (Samoa)
SALL (Senegal) (VP)
POOLE (Seychelles)
BUNDU (Sierra Leone)
DUNJWA (South Africa)
AMIR (Sudan) (2)

PANKA (Suriname) (VP)
DLAMINI (Swaziland)
NDUGAI (Tanzania)
SANTOS (Timor-Leste) (1)

KLASSOU (Togo)
KING-ROUSSEAU (Trinidad and Tobago) (1)

TAUSI (Tuvalu)
OULANYAH (Uganda)
LENGKON (Vanuatu)
HAMUDULU (Zambia)
RUKOBO (Zimbabwe)


AGEA
BEARDER
CEBALLOS
CORRAO
FERREIRA (3)
 (4)

GABRIEL
GAHLER (for GAL, K.)
GAMBUS (for HERRANZ GARCIA, E.)
GERICKE
GIRAUTA VIDAL (3)
 (4)

GUERRERO SALOM (3)
 (4)

HEUBUCH (3)
 (4)

KYENGE (3)
 (5)

LÓPEZ AGUILAR (3)
 (4)

MARTIN (for MANSCOUR L. J.) (3)
 (4)

McAVAN
NART (3)

NEUSER
PEDICINI
PONGA (for DELAHAYE, A.)
RIVASI (3)

SCHAFFHAUSER (for ALIOT, L.)
SENRA RODRÍGUEZ (3)
 (4)

SILVA PEREIRA (for THOMAS, I.) (3)
 (4)

STIER (for CASA, D.)
STOLOJAN
TELICKA (for DE SARNEZ, M.) (3)
 (4)

THEOCHAROUS (for MUSSOLINI, A.)
WENTA (3)
 (5)

WIELAND (3)

ZELLER
ZORRINHO (3)
 (4)






Also present:


ANGOLA

TEIXEIRA
PEDRO
JAIME
PEDRO
ANDRÉ
SALAKIAKU

BARBADOS

BRATHWAITE

BENIN

DAYORI
HOUNGNIGBO
AGNIDOZAN

BOTSWANA

MATAMBO

BURUNDI

MWIDOGO
HABONIMANA
NIYUBAHWE
NDAYIRORERE

CAMEROUN

AWUDU MBAYA
OWONA KONO
NGOUNGOURE SAMBA

CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.

NHON-BABA
NOUGANGA

CHAD

ADJI
MOG-NANGAR
GUELPINA

CONGO, Republic of

TSATY MABIALA
INGANI
MVOUAMA
BANDOUBOULA
MADZOU
DOUMA
MENGA

CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF

BASIALA MAKA
MOLEKO MOLIWA
MUKALAY
LUKUKA
MABAYA

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

S. TOURE

DJIBOUTI

GOUMANEH

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

NGUEMA MANANA
NCHAMA ELA MENGUE
ENGOGA MBO NCHAMA

GABON

MANGOUALA
NDONG NZONG
RISSONGA
NZEH ELLANG

GAMBIA

SILLAH
NJIE
CAMARA

GHANA

ALIFO
NSIAH

GUINEA

SYLLA
DIALLO
SOUMAH

GUINEA-BISSAU

MANE
DIAS

JAMAICA

PHILLIPS

KENYA

KEMBI GITURA
OCHIENG
SIALAI
MBAYA
NDINDIRI
CHEBET
KARWITHA

MADAGASCAR

VANOVASON
LEVAO
RAHARINIRINA
LIAHOSOA
RAZAFINDRATASY

MALAWI

KAPHAMTENGO YONA
LIPANDE
CHITEYEYE
MAKANDE
PATEL

MALI

CISSE
M. DIALLO

MAURITANIA

EL MOKHTAR
SAMBA
WANATY MARRAKCHY
MOKHTAR
MINT HAMA OULD GHRIB

MOZAMBIQUE

NEMBA UAIENE
DAVA
MATE

NIGER

TIEMOKO
CHEGOU
FOUKORI
TONDY
MAINA
ILLO
MCAZALICA

NIGERIA

ALHASSAN
AKPAN
TILLEY-GYADO

SENEGAL

SECK
LO
TALL

SIERRA LEONE

KUYEMBEH
LEWALLY
SORIE
KOROMA

SOUTH AFRICA

STEENHUISEN
L.M. NZIMANDE
L. NZIMANDE
ROTHKEGEL
MADLALA
PAULSEN

SURINAME

NELSON
VISHNUDATT

TANZANIA

MWANJELWA
YAKUBU
MAKWAI

TOGO

AZILAN

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

JOSEPH
EDWARDS

UGANDA

AKOL OKULLU
BAKO
TANNA
KIBIRIGE
KAWEESA
KAGORO

ZAMBIA

KABWE
MUBANGA
MUMBA
NGULUBE

ACP COUNCIL

MOHAMED DIARÉ, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Finance (Republic of Guinea), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

EU COUNCIL

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

NEVEN MIMICA, Member of the Commission with responsibility for international cooperation and development

EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE

DE PEYRON, Head of Division, Pan-African Affairs

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

VERBOVEN

AFRICAN UNION

IGUEH

ACP SECRETARIAT

MUMUNI, Co-Secretary-General

EU SECRETARIAT

AGUIRIANO NALDA, Co-Secretary-General


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

(2)  With observer status.

(3)  Present on 1 December 2014

(4)  Present on 2 December 2014

(5)  Present on 3 December 2014



ANNEX III

ACCREDITATION OF NON-PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATES

Timor-Leste
Nelson SANTOS
Ambassador
Embassy of Timor Leste
Trinidad and Tobago
Margaret Allison KING-ROUSSEAU
Ambassador
Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago



ANNEX IV

TEXTS ADOPTED


RESOLUTION (1)

on the challenge of national reconciliation in post-conflict and post-crisis countries

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,







—


meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 1 to 3 December 2014,










—


having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 2 and Article 21(1) and (2) thereof,










—


having regard to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the ACP and the EC, and in particular Article 11 thereof,










—


having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,










—


having regard to Resolution 235 on transitional justice in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, meeting at its 53rd Ordinary Session in Banjul (The Gambia) from 9 to 22 April 2013,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 1 June 2006 on the situation of women in armed conflicts and their role in the reconstruction and democratic process in post-conflict countries (2005/2215(INI)),










—


having regard to the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Protocols additional thereto of 8 June 1977,










—


having regard to the report by the United Nations Secretary-General on the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies (S/2004/616), including the relevant recommendations in it; having regard to the reports by the United Nations Secretary-General on Uniting our strengths: enhancing United Nations support for the rule of law (A/61/636-S/2006/980) and on Enhancing mediation and its support activities (S/2009/189),










—


having regard to the resolutions of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on human rights and transitional justice (2005/70 of 20 April 2005), impunity (2005/81 of 21 April 2005) and the right to the truth (2005/66 of 20 April 2005),










—


having regard to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/147 of 16 December 2005 on the basic principles and guidelines on the right to a remedy and reparation for victims of gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law, and to Human Rights Council Resolutions 9/10 and 9/11 of 24 September 2008 on human rights and transitional justice and on the right to the truth respectively,










—


having regard to Resolution 12/12 of 12 October 2009 of the United Nations General Assembly’s Human Rights Council on the right to the truth,










—


having regard to the statement of 16 April 2010 by the President of the United Nations Security Council on post-conflict peacebuilding,










—


having regard to the statement of 29 June 2010 by the President of the United Nations Security Council on the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security,










—


having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000 on women and peace and security,










—


having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2122 of 18 October 2013, which seeks to strengthen the role of women at all stages of conflict prevention,










—


having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2151 of 28 April 2014 on the maintenance of international peace and security: Security sector reform: challenges and opportunities,










—


having regard to the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict adopted at The Hague in 1954, its first protocol of 1954 and its second protocol of 26 March 1999,










—


having regard to the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, which sought to catalogue all human rights violations committed in the country since the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, with a view to national reconciliation between the victims of acts of violence and their perpetrators,










—


having regard to the handbook entitled ‘Reconciliation After Violent Conflict’ produced by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA),










—


having regard to the ‘OECD DAC Handbook on Security System Reform (SSR): Supporting Security and Justice’ published in 2007,










—


having regard to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly resolution on the global spread of terrorism: the role of the Internet and social media, adopted in Strasbourg on 19 March 2014,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Political Affairs (ACP- EU/101.715/14/fin.),










A.


whereas there are, or have been, internal armed conflicts in many ACP and European Union countries which have been generated by political, social, economic, ethnic or religious tensions;










B.


whereas the creation of basic socio-economic conditions is essential in order to ensure a truly inclusive process of consolidating stability and development, and of reconciliation, and whereas such a process is the only way to prevent conflicts from occurring over and over again;










C.


whereas conflicts reinforce the phenomena of famine and absolute poverty and block development over long periods, creating, at the same time, many very difficult and long-lasting situations;










D.


whereas the duration of conflicts, the scale of acts of violence and the number of victims determine how difficult it is to resolve conflicts and achieve genuine reconciliation;










E.


whereas the adverse impact of conflicts on women and children, and hence on peace and reconciliation, is a threat to stability and development;










F.


whereas some conflicts may trigger major population movements and hence contribute to disrupting the economies and demographic make-up of entire regions;










G.


whereas it is important to combat racist drifts and tendencies towards discrimination and intolerance;










H.


whereas safeguarding the rights of women and girls and their full and constant involvement in conflict resolution and national reconciliation processes are key to establishing lasting peace and security;










I.


whereas reconciliation is both an objective and an aspiration and therefore genuine reconciliation is an extremely complex and protracted process which may extend over several generations, requiring shared and persistent determination to succeed and the involvement of independent organisations trusted by all parties;










J.


whereas there can be no reconciliation without a minutely detailed catalogue of the violations and crimes committed by all parties, a serious-minded and just investigation into those actions, acknowledgement of actions and their circumstances by perpetrators and victims, and fair reparation in some form;










K.


whereas reconciliation measures can be effective only if they comply with international law, in particular human rights law;










L.


whereas a number of crimes come under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which, in some cases, is the only authority capable of judging, punishing and prosecuting crimes, preventing impunity and deterring criminals;










M.


whereas the crimes and offences committed are, in the majority of cases, the extreme expression of intense resentment within a broad swathe of the population, and the root causes of that resentment should therefore be tackled;










N.


whereas reference has been made in some instances to tacit complicity on the part of a large section of the population and indeed international co-responsibility;










O.


whereas, in tandem with the courts, another approach has developed, involving the setting-up of more than 20 ’truth and reconciliation’ commissions around the world, in particular in Africa, with South Africa’s commission being the most renowned;










P.


whereas, while truth is the first condition for justice, the links between justice and reconciliation, memory and social peace are complex; whereas impunity is often at the heart of the debate between the logic of ‘forgetting’, which sustains former oppressors, and the logic of justice to which victims aspire;










Q.


whereas the socio-political circumstances which have caused a given crisis, and those which have brought about its end, are unique to that crisis, and an appropriate and targeted strategy leading to reconciliation should therefore be adopted fully and fairly recognising internal and external responsibilities;










R.


whereas, since reconciliation is a long-term commitment, it is crucial to consolidate principles of justice, the rule of law and political stability, ensuring that the process of restoring and boosting confidence is accompanied by specific social, education, economic integration, development and reconstruction measures with the aim of poverty eradication;










S.


whereas a high-quality, non-discriminatory education system can be a positive force for peace and can help prevent further conflicts;










T.


whereas during conflicts, cultural heritage belonging to different ethnic or religious communities is often targeted by opposing factions, and whereas the destruction of these symbols of shared history and tradition leads to the perpetuation of rancour and resentment between the parties concerned, resulting in the phenomenon known as damnatio memoriae;










1.


Strongly encourages all actors involved in a post-conflict process, and political leaders in particular, to help national reconciliation through constructive, inclusive, open and ongoing dialogue, since restoring peace and stability in one country also means eliminating a potential risk to an entire subregion;










2.


Stresses the importance of national parliaments in the process of reconciliation and democratisation as they reflect national diversity and facilitate dialogue between the different communities;










3.


Impresses upon those actors the importance, by means of a vigorous awareness-raising and information drive, of reinforcing reconciliation messages in such a way as to secure strong public backing for, and involvement in, reconciliation work;










4.


Recommends that, where the courts system is unable to cope, judicial and non-judicial mechanisms for transitional justice could be set up with the participation of all groups including women, young people and community and religious leaders, paying attention to the fact that such mechanisms should never translate into abuses or distortions of the overall judicial action;










5.


Underscores the important role of the international community, and particularly the International Criminal Court, in combating impunity;










6.


Stresses the need to give ‘truth and reconciliation’ commissions complete independence, sufficient resources and the powers needed to discharge their remit properly;










7.


Encourages in each parliament the establishment of a committee in charge of dealing with issues related to human rights;










8.


Urges peace negotiators to resist the temptation to include amnesty clauses in comprehensive agreements, since impunity, while it is an enabler in the short term, may contain the seeds of fresh conflict;










9.


Emphasises that every effort must be made to make sure that a ‘peace dividend’ is generated as a result of national reconciliation processes and that it benefits society as a whole, including those who are most vulnerable;










10.


Stresses in particular the importance of recognising the non-applicability of statutory limitation to crimes against humanity and war crimes;










11.


Underscores the role which the international community ought to play in maintaining the right balance between the need for peace and the need for justice in post-conflict situations, and calls for impartial facilitation accompanied by sufficient technical assistance;










12.


Calls on international and regional organisations, including the European Union, to adopt a comprehensive and gender-sensitive approach in their support for the normalisation process in fragile states; stresses, however, that each situation is unique and points up the need to identify strategies, instruments and methods to create a climate of mutual trust between the institutions and the people, and between the people themselves, while fully respecting diversity; also calls for support for peace-building education programmes and social protection systems aimed at those who are most vulnerable;










13.


Stresses the importance of taking concrete action at local level to promote reconciliation at the heart of society, and especially among the young, by means of information campaigns and joint projects that can bridge the ethnic, religious and political divisions at the root of conflicts;










14.


Encourages the international community and all the actors involved to ensure that people in need, especially those who belong to the defeated side, are not deprived of humanitarian aid during the reconciliation process;










15.


Calls on states to back local peace initiatives and factor women’s needs into post-conflict rehabilitation, reintegration and reconstruction processes;










16.


Calls on international organisations, and in particular on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to support governments in adopting and implementing action plans for children affected by armed conflict;










17.


Calls on all states to sign, ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which will enter into force on 24 December 2014, in order to ensure:






—


that transfer authorisations may only be issued upon the presentation of a permit or of a specific authorisation;










—


that obligations arising from applicable international law are respected;










—


that embargoes decided by the United Nations Security Council are respected and implemented; and










—


that permits and authorisations are not issued if there is a risk of perpetration of serious violations of human rights or international humanitarian law, and, in particular, if there is a risk that such arms will end up in the hands of unauthorised users such as terrorists, mercenaries or guerrillas, thereby jeopardising internal and/or regional security and stability;














18.


Calls on states to support all initiatives and programmes designed to ensure that victimised women are, as a matter of course, gradually reintegrated into society as active and constructive people;










19.


Points to the essential role which civil society could play as an interface between the authorities and reconciliation bodies;










20.


Points up the importance of pluralist, free and independent media, which are an essential vehicle for raising awareness of reconciliation processes, and making the case and securing backing for them, and also help exercise democratic oversight and make processes transparent;










21.


Acknowledges that reparation for crimes and violations is an important aspect of any reconciliation process, and calls therefore for a specific heading to be incorporated into states’ budgets for that purpose;










22.


Emphasises the significance of promoting the rule of law and ensuring justice for all, including through the development of effective, accountable and transparent institutions;










23.


Emphasises the importance of protecting and safeguarding material and immaterial cultural heritage, especially that which is symbolically relevant to the various ethnic and religious communities involved;










24.


Strongly recommends that state structures and institutions, in particular in connection with the courts system, be strengthened; calls on national authorities to devote the necessary resources to do this;










25.


Emphasises the fact that there is no development without peace and stability; welcomes the inclusion of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) in the outcome document of the UN Open Working Group on the global development framework after 2015, which encompasses the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies; calls on the ACP countries, the EU Member States and the international community to insist on keeping SDG 16 as a stand-alone goal in the new framework and to embrace a rights-based approach as the core of the global development strategy;










26.


Notes the significance of supporting and respecting the independence and impartiality of the judiciary as a pre-condition for justice and fair trial, and as a democratic instrument of reconciliation;










27.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the institutions of the African Union and of the European Union, the ACP Council, the ACP Group’s regional integration organisations and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.






RESOLUTION (2)

on private sector development strategy, including innovation, for sustainable development

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,







—


meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 1 to 3 December 2014,










—


having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (3) (the ‘Cotonou Agreement’), as first amended in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005 (4) and as amended for the second time in Ouagadougou on 22 June 2010 (5),










—


having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which states: ‘Union development cooperation policy shall have as its primary objective the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty. The Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries’ (6),










—


having regard to the ‘Roadmap 2014-2017’ arising from the Fourth EU-Africa Summit held in April 2014 in Brussels, and especially to its paragraphs 30 to 32 emphasising the importance of science, technology and innovation as key areas of cooperation (7),










—


having regard to the Commission communication of 13 October 2011 entitled ‘Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’ (COM(2011)0637), which emphasises the need for the EU to support competitive local private sectors in developing countries and to develop new ways of engaging with the private sector,










—


having regard to the Commission communication of 13 May 2014 to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Stronger Role of the Private Sector in Achieving Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Developing Countries’ (COM(2014)0263) (8),










—


having regard to the Strategic Framework for ACP Private Sector Development (ACP/85/004/14) adopted in April 2014, which aims to provide the ACP group with principles and general guidelines that would steer future actions with regard to private sector development,










—


having regard to the Joint ACP-EU Cooperation Framework for Private Sector Development Support in ACP countries (ACP-EU 2119/14 — decision 7 of the 99th session of the ACP Council of Ministers, 16—18 June 2014),










—


having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 1 September 2009, on ‘Cooperation between the United Nations and all relevant partners, in particular the private sector’ (9),










—


having regard to the United Nations Development Programme’s ‘Strategy for Working with the Private Sector’ (July 2012) (10),










—


having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000, and especially to its paragraph 20 underlining the need to ‘develop strong partnerships with the private sector and with civil society organisations in pursuit of development and poverty eradication’ (11),










—


having regard to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2 March 2005 and to the Accra Agenda for Action of 4 September 2008, the latter of which refers to the need to ‘take the lead in coordinating aid at all levels in conjunction with other development resources in dialogue with donors and encouraging the participation of civil society and the private sector’ (12),










—


having regard to the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation agreed on 1 December 2011 and especially to its paragraph 32 referring to the need to ‘recognise the central role of the private sector in advancing innovation, creating wealth, income and jobs, mobilising domestic resources and in turn contributing to poverty reduction’ (13),










—


having regard to the report of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development for the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development of 20—22 June 2012 (14),










—


having regard to the European Consensus on Development (15),










—


having regard to the EU’s Europe 2020 Strategy, and especially to its target of investing 3 % of GDP in R&D, which focuses attention on the need for both public and private sectors to invest in R&D and on its targets (COM(2010)2020) (16),










—


having regard to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (17),










—


having regard to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (18),










—


having regard to the United Nations Global Compact (19),










—


having regard to the OECD’s ‘Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Complementarities and Distinctive Contributions’ (20),










—


having regard to the integrated World Bank Group approach to private sector development in international development association (IDA) countries (21),










—


having regard to the African Development Bank Group’s Private Sector Development Strategy 2013-2017 ‘Supporting the transformation of the private sector in Africa’ (22),










—


having regard to the East Africa Community’s private sector development strategy (30 July 2006) (23) and to its subsequent development strategy for 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 (24),










—


having regard to the EU Council conclusions on the role of the private sector in development (EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Luxembourg, 23 June 2014) (25),










—


having regard to the UN General Assembly’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and its proposals for Sustainable Development Goals,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade (ACP-EU/101.700/14/fin.),










A.


whereas it is widely acknowledged that the private sector is a key driver of economic growth, job creation, delivery of goods and services, trade and innovation and is vital in evolving more sustainable development solutions with a view to contributing to social, environmental and economic stability;










B.


whereas the international development community at large is increasingly focusing on the role of the private sector in boosting development, and underlining the importance of a sound and stable legal and regulatory environment for private sector growth, with a view to mutually reinforcing development and business outcomes;










C.


whereas the private sector in ACP countries faces challenges including: insufficient infrastructure (particularly in energy and transport); lack of access or no access to financing, including microcredits and seed capital, or to education and skills development; inadequate government regulation; restrictive policies; and a large informal sector;










D.


whereas the private sector in ACP countries can promote investment in low carbon emission solutions designed to ensure an efficient use of resources with a view to a transition to an inclusive green economy;










E.


whereas the private sector, including micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), is seen as a sine qua non for creating jobs, particularly in LDCs, and for generating public revenue, boosting incomes, stimulating goods and services, advancing innovation, and providing incentives for the transition from an informal to a formal economy;










F.


whereas in order to increase the effectiveness of states’ industrial policy, the potential of the private sector as a financing partner, implementing agent, advisor and intermediary should be harnessed;










G.


whereas support for private sector development should be focused on areas where the impact on poverty reduction is the highest, without creating further environmental pressures, through targeted, innovative and soundly-framed private sector engagements, including public-private partnerships;










H.


whereas collaboration between inter/transnational and regional/local private sector actors has been increasingly recognised as an effective tool to support private sector development and enforce corporate social responsibility;










I.


whereas it is necessary to place particular emphasis on women’s and young people’s entrepreneurship and employment and their access to resources, education and training and local/regional markets;










J.


whereas the Global Compact is an open and voluntary corporate citizenship initiative, engaging a wide spectrum of multi-stakeholder participants across the globe, that asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment and combating corruption;










K.


whereas according to the African Development Bank the private sector already generates two thirds of Africa’s investment, three quarters of its economic output, and nine tenths of its formal and informal employment;










1.


Underlines the importance of effective private-public collaboration and enhanced partnership and of the dialogue between national and local authorities and the private sector, in light of their joint responsibility in terms of achieving development objectives and more inclusive growth in ACP countries;










2.


Stresses that in the current context of global economic change and struggle for economic emergence, the growth of the private sector in ACP countries is essential in order to contribute to the emergence of the ACP economy and also to improve the living conditions of populations;










3.


Underlines that peace and stability are essential prerequisites for prosperity and economic growth; in this regard, insists that Sustainable Development Goal 16, which includes promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, as well as access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, proposed in the Outcome document of the UN Open Working Group, remains a stand-alone goal in the Global development framework after 2015;










4.


Encourages the participation of the private sector, and particularly of micro-, small and medium-sized local enterprises, in the implementation of development policies and strategies, with a view to favouring sustainable growth, job creation and poverty reduction;










5.


Believes that economic growth requires an enabling business environment based on pillars such as a clear-cut, stable and transparent regulatory framework, legal certainty, respect for the rule of law, access to financing, cutting unnecessary red tape, infrastructure development and promoting entrepreneurial spirit. Such an environment will encourage a competitive and innovative (local) private sector, including MSMEs, which is equipped to benefit from the opportunities offered by globally and regionally integrated markets and the banking and financial sectors;










6.


Underlines the importance of innovations in contemporary business realities and encourages support for enterprises investing in pioneering solutions or offering such solutions to others, which are key factors motivating them to operate in the private sector;










7.


Stresses the need for international cooperation and effective action to eradicate tax evasion in ACP countries;










8.


Believes that future economic growth in ACP countries and the path to sustainable development are closely bound up with the development of the local private sector, which can help diversify local economies and create decent jobs and reinforce the capacity of states to establish an effective framework for addressing the numerous challenges in those countries, such as infrastructure deficit, inadequate regulation, unsustainable resource management (in key areas such as extractive industries, forestry and fisheries) and severe skills shortages;










9.


Underlines the necessity of constant infrastructural development, both in the transportation and energy sectors, without which private sector activity is hindered or even, in some sectors of the economy, impossible;










10.


Stresses that the private sector needs an economically friendly environment that would allow businesses to operate in an efficient manner, as well as specific institutions and policies promoting development. To create such an attractive environment, ACP countries should ensure macroeconomic stability, establish an efficient financial system, promote and ensure competition, but also political and social stability, as well as the development of human capital by giving full attention to education and professional training;










11.


Stresses the need to strengthen institutions and governance with a view to supporting increased participation by the private sector in the formal economy and spurring the transition from the informal to the formal economy, and to introduce policies conducive to developing the local private sector and the social economy to provide basic services, and help mobilise domestic resources and develop infrastructure;










12.


Calls on the private sector and public authorities to implement an ambitious Europe-Africa programme which is based on a policy of mutual growth that contributes to energy security and access to energy for all;










13.


Encourages engagement and collaboration on the part of the private sector at European, international and local level with a view to development through the creation of alliances and joint actions, in order to mobilise private sector activities at the local level, including support for the creation of businesses by means of fiscal incentives, access to financing and risk sharing mechanisms;










14.


Stresses that reinforcing capacity-building and know-how are essential for a strong and innovative private sector and that this cannot be achieved without universal access to education, vocational training, development of entrepreneurial skills and increased mobility opportunities for professionals and students globally; would encourage mobility programmes for students, including between schools and universities in ACP countries; stresses the potential for the exchange of good practices between the EU and the ACP countries, including on the basis of Europe’s experience with Erasmus and Erasmus Plus;










15.


Underlines the need for ACP stakeholders to be closely involved in the programmes and projects implemented under the EDF in order to build ownership;










16.


Stresses the importance for the various levels of action (National Indicative Programmes, Regional Indicative Programmes and Intra-ACP funds, etc.) to complement one another, so as to allow the value added at each level as regards development of the private sector in ACP countries to be harnessed;










17.


Encourages the private sector to make strategic use of the grants in support of infrastructure investments and access to credit by working more closely, particularly in the case of SMEs, with international commercial banks able to promote entrepreneurship among the young and among women and to create decent jobs;










18.


Emphasises the need to ensure better coordination in the field of private-public collaboration and a more coherent and integrated approach, with effective rules, between the EU and the ACP countries, to engaging with the private sector, and to develop responsible business practices in social, fiscal, environmental and budgetary terms, with the aim of helping to combat poverty and inequality;










19.


Emphasises the importance of National Indicative Programmes that are based on governments’ own policies and strategies and are tailored to country-specific situations and needs; stresses the need to enhance the operational effectiveness and impact of the private sector in implementation processes;










20.


Calls on the EU and its Member States to transfer to the ACP countries technologies that enable them to combat climate change more effectively;










21.


Emphasises the importance of intra-ACP cooperation for supporting private sector development (PSD) in ACP countries under the 11th EDF, as well as the need for the ACP countries to be better informed about the existing programmes, instruments and tools supporting PSD in the framework of the Cotonou Agreement;










22.


Insists on the importance of the existence and strengthening of mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of development aid in order to maximize the supportive role of existing instruments and tools supporting private sector development;










23.


Considers it vital for MSMEs in the ACP countries to work more closely with those in Europe through targeted public support programmes, such as those provided by the Enterprise Europe Network, which can serve as a model for fostering cooperation between SMEs and incorporating local level situations into European supply chains, especially in the field of agriculture, hence enabling the transfer of technologies and know-how;










24.


Underlines the role of the European Investment Bank in supporting private sector development in ACP countries under the Investment Facility;










25.


Hopes that a large proportion of the future European financial transactions tax will be earmarked for aid to developing countries;










26.


Emphasises that sub-Saharan Africa warrants special attention in terms of combined loans and grants and expresses support for the creation of a multi-sectoral facility that can finance projects on a national scale in sub-Saharan Africa, enabling in particular access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises;










27.


Stresses that optimal solutions will differ across ACP countries, given the presence to varying degrees of the necessary institutional capacity, transparency, accountability and enabling business environment; nevertheless encourages the exchange of good practices, including between ACP countries, and the advertising of success stories;










28.


Believes that in order to foster a climate of economic growth and social progress propitious to development, legislation responsive to gender issues must be adopted to enhance possibilities for women to launch productive activities, not only by means of judicial reforms enabling access to credit but also through specific training programmes that can translate the improvements in education in ACP countries into real economic opportunities;










29.


Calls for the implementation of the Busan commitments regarding cohesive development policies and private sector engagement for development, as well as those agreed in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action; stresses the need to take account of the role of the private sector in the design and implementation of a post-2015 global framework;










30.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Council, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament, the regional and national parliaments and the regional organisations relating to ACP countries.






RESOLUTION (26)

on the social and economic consequences of malnutrition in ACP countries

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,







—


meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 1 to 3 December 2014,










—


having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Agreement’), in particular Article 25(1)(b) thereof on improving nutrition and eliminating hunger and malnutrition,










—


having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2004 on food aid and food security (ACP-EU 3692/04fin.),










—


having regard to the 13-year World Health Organisation comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition (2012-2025),










—


having regard to the African Regional Nutrition Strategy (2005-2015),










—


having regard to the Commission Communication of 12 March 2013 entitled ‘Enhancing maternal and child nutrition in external assistance: an EU policy framework (COM (2013)0141),










—


having regard to the appeal that was launched by European and African parliamentarians on 8 June 2013 for action against child malnutrition to be stepped up,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment (ACP-EU/101.717/14/fin.),










A.


whereas malnutrition encompasses both overnutrition and undernutrition and has direct negative consequences in terms of disease and disability, brain development, educational attainment, job prospects and income potential for individuals and communities;










B.


whereas, according to the FAO, approximately 2 billion people do not consume enough micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which can lead to malnutrition;










C.


whereas malnutrition is influenced by a host of underlying factors related to poverty, food insecurity, poor water, sanitation and health services, the roots of which may be due to scarce natural resources, poor governance, conflict, climate change, demographic growth, export subsidies damaging local markets, high and volatile food prices and under-investment in family farms producing food for local consumption, and whereas in African ACP countries Sahel populations in particular are threatened by drought, desertification, lack of minimum education and health services and isolation and poor communications;










D.


whereas malnutrition leads not only to undernutrition but also to obesity, both affecting health and development negatively; whereas in sub-Saharan African countries the most prevalent issue is undernutrition resulting from food shortages, while in other ACP regions poverty-related unhealthy diets can lead to obesity occurring alongside undernutrition;










E.


whereas the most marginalised groups in society, such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, are more vulnerable to malnutrition and its negative consequences;










F.


whereas the causes and consequences of malnutrition are multifaceted and hence require multisectoral, inclusive responses which, in the short and longer terms, need to become part of broader strategies for securing the right to food (availability, accessibility and appropriateness) in order to scale up direct nutrition-specific interventions focusing on pregnant women and children under two years of age and broadening the scope of nutrition-sensitive development policies; whereas, although women are a particularly vulnerable group in which persistent undernourishment results in problems of low weight and nutritional deficiencies being handed down from one generation to the next, they play a key role in improving the diet of families, and thereby of children, when income levels rise;










G.


whereas long-term insufficient nutrient intake and frequent infections can cause stunting, the effects of which in terms of delayed motor and cognitive development are largely irreversible; whereas periods of food shortage and untreated common diseases, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, can lead to wasting and potentially even death and whereas malnourished women and girls of reproductive age have higher chances of giving birth to smaller babies (in terms of weight and height);










H.


whereas undernourishment is the root cause of 45 % of deaths in the under-five age group;










I.


whereas mortality and morbidity associated with malnutrition represent a direct loss in human capital and productivity for the economy, in particular due to poor cognitive function and reduced school attainment, which are a result of undernutrition in early childhood;










J.


whereas undernutrition in early childhood makes an individual more prone to non-communicable diseases later in life, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, significantly increasing health costs in resource-constrained health systems;










K.


whereas the total economic cost of malnutrition is estimated to range from 2-3 % of gross domestic product to as much as 16 % in the most affected countries;










L.


whereas improving nutrition is a precondition to achieving the goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating disease, empowering women and achieving universal primary education;










M.


whereas globally, around 165 million children, a quarter of the world’s total, suffer from stunting and 2,6 million children under the age of five die every year as a result of undernutrition, with over 90 % of these children living in Africa and Asia;










N.


whereas it is considered that the most critical period for preventing undernutrition and its consequences throughout adulthood is the first 1  000 days of a child’s life, inclusive of the pregnancy period, and whereas the first six months after birth should be dedicated to exclusive breast-feeding;










O.


whereas the FAO has stated that crop diversity fell by 75 % during the twentieth century and that a third of existing diversity could disappear by 2050; whereas just 30 crops provide 90 % of human calorific consumption and just three plant species (rice, wheat and corn) account for more than half of human calorific consumption;










P.


whereas the private sector, including global and national food companies as well as small-scale actors such as entrepreneurs, farmers and market traders, has substantial potential to contribute to multi-stakeholder efforts to improve nutrition; whereas, however, private-sector efforts must form part of broader strategies for combating malnutrition that are underpinned by the right to food, and must be regulated accordingly;










Q.


whereas food and nutritional security can be achieved through sustainable local, regional and sub-regional agri-food systems based on a family farming model in which access to the means of production (land, tools, credit, etc.) is guaranteed and which is small-scale, diverse and local and geared to feeding local communities first;










R.


whereas there is an increasing recognition that a large burden of malnutrition sits with the moderately and chronically malnourished, which is leading to a new orientation away from a focus solely on treatment towards one that includes prevention;










S.


whereas nutrition-sensitive interventions and programmes in agriculture, social safety nets, early childhood development and education have enormous potential to enhance the scale and effectiveness of nutrition-specific interventions;










T.


whereas in many developing countries there is an over-reliance on wild-caught protein sources (bushmeat), which is unsustainable, unreported and diminishing, and which in turn could lead to a potentially protein-free diet in the near future, which will further exacerbate malnutrition;










U.


whereas high-burden ACP countries, together with donors, multilateral organisations and the private sector, have a responsibility to increase allocations to nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programmes;










V.


whereas in the fight against malnutrition it is of utmost importance to involve families and local communities in order to reach out even to very remote areas where state structures are weak or not functioning;










W.


whereas these critical investments in public health need to be matched by reforms to food systems and a concerted global effort to fix the global food system, led by governments but also involving key actors such as the private sector, civil society and communities;










X.


whereas in arid and semi-arid areas pastoralism is more productive than sedentary livestock farming in terms of production of meat per hectare and calories per hectare, and whereas it therefore helps to feed communities and enhance food and nutrition security and resilience; whereas pastoralists’ mobility, and hence their ability to adapt more easily to climate change than sedentary livestock farmers, could lead to increased food security;










Y.


whereas 50 of the 79 ACP countries are coastal and more than 60 of them export fish and fisheries products to regional and international markets;










Z.


whereas the EU’s development cooperation policy and common fisheries policy must be consistent, complementary and properly coordinated;










1.


Urges the ACP countries to institute a specific and fully funded budget line for nutrition-specific interventions targeting all people, including the most marginalised, such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, in their annual national budgets;










2.


Encourages the EU to fulfil its commitment to supporting partner countries in reducing by seven million the number of children under the age of five who suffer from stunting by 2015, to support primary healthcare and take needs-based action to mitigate periods of food crisis to counter wasting and, where indicated, combine wasting and stunting reduction strategies;










3.


Calls for greater investment in proven and scalable interventions which can enhance and complement diets lacking in vital nutrients, including by building on and renewing existing programmes and committing new resources to establish programmes where they do not exist, and focusing on interventions such as the fortification of staple foods and condiments through the addition of micronutrients;










4.


Urges the ACP countries to integrate the fight against malnutrition into all related development policy areas, in particular agriculture and primary healthcare programmes, in the context of a more comprehensive approach focused on the right to food, while making sure to include in these policies and programmes the most marginalised, such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, and to check the consistency of other policies with nutrition objectives;










5.


Draws attention to the close relationship in some countries between undernourishment, malnutrition and access to drinking water, and calls for governments and the international community to continue their efforts to ensure that people have access to drinking water in both urban and rural areas;










6.


Urges the international community to defend a bottom-up approach and to promote local economies and trade that can support local producers; stresses that international trade rules must allow scope for policies to support livelihoods and jobs where people live and ensure that food is always available locally;










7.


Calls on the European Commission, with the help of the ACP countries, to implement the commitment set out in the communication of March 2013 entitled ‘Enhancing Maternal and Child Nutrition in External Assistance: an EU Policy Framework’ to reduce the number of children under five who are stunted by at least 10 % by 2025, and also to address the crucial issue of severe acute malnutrition;










8.


Stresses the need for leadership, commitment and accountability at national and international level in earmarking and promoting investments that are sustainable in addressing long-term nutrition agendas in ACP countries; fully supports the role of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in improving coordination and governance of the global food system;










9.


Draws attention to the undertaking made by the ACP countries to channel 10 % of their domestic budgets into developing farming, and in this connection urges them to give priority to family farms producing food for local consumption, with a view to attaining sustainable food security for their populations;










10.


Highlights the need for a global, coordinated political response to the problem of malnutrition; recommends that the ACP countries should include explicit nutritional targets in their agricultural, health, education, economic and welfare policies;










11.


Stresses the need for transparent and binding legislative and regulatory frameworks governing the responsibility of the food industry in ACP countries in providing nutrition-sensitive products, in keeping with the right-to-food approach and its underlying principles;










12.


Stresses that the private sector can play a major role in enhancing the quality of public investment and that investment in African agriculture should be based on self-sufficiency; expresses its concern that land-grabbing and large-scale agri-food industries can be a threat to local populations and production since they can lead to short-term overexploitation of land which will later be abandoned, the destruction of the natural production cycle and the expulsion of local populations, with the consequent desertion of their crops;










13.


Encourages the ACP countries to establish or strengthen national agencies for science, technology and innovation with the capacity to promote technologies and expertise in the monitoring of nutrition outcomes so as to provide evidence-based information to policy-makers in the design of nutrition-sensitive interventions;










14.


Calls on the ACP countries to establish or strengthen transparent, accessible and publicly shared information systems on the effects and remedies of malnutrition, and to facilitate decision-making for improved nutrition outcomes, taking into account the recommendations of the World Health Organisation; calls on the ACP countries to enable and promote healthy diets and access to good-quality food in sufficient quantity; calls for diversity of nutrition to be supported and local food systems to be strengthened;










15.


Calls on the European Commission and the ACP countries to take specific measures to address severe acute malnutrition, and to recognise it as a development priority rather than just a humanitarian issue;










16.


Calls, in particular, on ACP countries overburdened with undernutrition problems to introduce evidence-based nutrition interventions in the pre-conception period and in adolescence;










17.


Stresses that in coming decades the ACP countries will face a major population expansion, which can be an opportunity, but may also be a burden if nothing is done to improve child development and education and to tackle severe acute malnutrition, which primarily affects children;










18.


Encourages the establishment of partnerships between governments, donors, the private sector and civil society, in particular farmers’ organisations, in scaling up nutrition interventions at community and national level, particularly through the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement with structures to facilitate, support and coordinate action;










19.


Reiterates the importance of securing all existing land rights to ensure the strengthening of family agriculture, and to resist land-grabbing by external companies that further jeopardises food security;










20.


Calls on the ACP countries to involve women and people with disabilities in the decision-making process as regards national and international responses to national and global challenges to food security and nutrition, and calls on the ACP countries to mainstream gender in nutrition policies and give women better guarantees of access to resources, education and social services;










21.


Calls on the ACP countries and donors to acknowledge the importance of solidarity between generations in overcoming hunger and extreme poverty; stresses the importance of the unpaid work of mothers as carers and their key role in all nutrition interventions;










22.


Encourages the ACP countries to adopt and implement maternity and paternity protection legislation and related measures that allow women and men to perform their care-giving role and therefore provide for the nutritional needs of their children and protect their own health, while also protecting their employment security;










23.


Urges development partners, including the EU, to provide technical assistance to the ACP countries to strengthen their national multisectoral nutrition plans and programmes with a strong focus on human resources capacity building for health;










24.


Calls on the EU to tie humanitarian aid operations more closely into development policies addressing the structural causes of malnutrition and to ensure that nutritional impact assessments are carried out on development projects in agriculture;










25.


Calls on the ACP countries to design and put in place or strengthen comprehensive and inclusive nationally owned social protection and healthcare systems which focus on food security and nutrition, ensure active and inclusive multi-stakeholder participation and promote broad access to their services and to affordable and nutritious food products as well as access to water and sanitation facilities;










26.


Calls on the ACP countries and the EU Member States to include the improvement of the nutritional status of women, adolescent girls, infants, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, taking account of hidden hunger and micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity as a new manifestation of malnutrition, as an explicit goal and expected outcome of agriculture, food security and nutrition-related programmes and emergency responses, strategies and policies, from design to implementation, and, moreover, to promote breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding and make deworming interventions and therapeutic feeding interventions available;










27.


Stresses that special focus should be put on Small Island Developing States which have varied geography, climate, culture and economic development, but face common challenges in achieving sustainable development; points out that even though in these islands the percentage of undernourished people is declining, adequate nutrition remains an issue of consumption and dependency on processed foods, leading to higher rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes;










28.


Stresses that efforts to combat malnutrition must go hand-in-hand with prevention and treatment strategies combining early treatment of the principal fatal diseases, distribution of ready-to-use complementary foods and more widespread vaccination programmes;










29.


Calls on the ACP countries, the EU Member States and the international community to ensure that the global development framework after 2015 includes ambitious targets in the fight against malnutrition; given the importance of nutrition to other development goals, calls on these actors to push for the integration of nutrition into other relevant targets, drawing on the lessons learned from action to date in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular Goal 1;










30.


Calls on the European Commission to involve the EU Member States participating in Expo 2015 in a joint initiative based on the ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ theme, with a view to securing commitments and binding targets for combating hunger and undernutrition, alongside diversified strategies in areas ranging from agriculture to development cooperation;










31.


Calls on the ACP governments and the EU to work together to plan agriculture, including wild-caught protein sources, food security and nutrition-related programmes and emergency responses, strategies and policies, from design to implementation;










32.


Calls for the EU to provide specific support under its development aid budget for the populations of the ACP countries in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which are almost entirely dependent on fishing, both for their incomes and for the supply of protein required in order to improve their health, and particularly that of their children;










33.


Calls on the ACP countries and the EU to acknowledge unequivocally that fishing can help address the problem of malnutrition and is helping to prevent famine in the ACP countries;










34.


Calls on ACP coastal countries to reject the inclusion of clauses in international fisheries agreements that undermine the right of ACP populations to use local fisheries resources as a means of addressing the problem of malnutrition;










35.


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 (27)

on the Ebola outbreak

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 1 to 3 December 2014,










—


having regard to Article 18(2) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2177(2014) of 18 September 2014 on Peace and Security in Africa,










—


having regard to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s decision to establish the first ever UN emergency health mission — the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER),










—


having regard to the meeting of 13 August 2014 at which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened a United Nations system-wide coordination meeting in response to the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa,










—


having regard to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s ‘international rescue call’ of 5 September and 16 October 2014 to step up efforts to respond to the Ebola crisis and turn pledges into action,










—


having regard to the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaration of 8 August 2014 describing the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as a public health emergency of international concern,










—


having regard to the WHO Ebola Response Roadmap issued on 28 August 2014 and the updates thereto,










—


having regard to the ‘African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa’ (ASEOWA) mission established on 21 August 2014,










—


having regard to the declaration by the ACP Group of States of 6 November 2014 on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa,










—


having regard to the Commission/EEAS EU Comprehensive Response Framework for the Ebola Virus Outbreak in Western Africa,










—


having regard to the European Council conclusions of 24 October 2014,










—


having regard to the EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on the Ebola crisis in West Africa of 15 August, 20 October and 17 November 2014,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 18 September 2014 on the EU’s response to the Ebola outbreak (28),










A.


whereas the current Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak affecting the West Africa region is the largest such outbreak ever recorded and is continuing to spread; whereas the WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern requiring a coordinated international response; whereas the Ebola outbreak is not only a medical and humanitarian catastrophe but also has an impact on the economy, trade, finances and public security, as well as on the social fabric of the entire region;










B.


whereas since the Ebola outbreak was officially declared on 22 March 2014 in Guinea, it has affected more than 15  000 people and has caused nearly 7  000 deaths, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and whereas the spread of the virus has yet to be contained; whereas new cases of EVD have been confirmed in Mali; whereas, however, Nigeria, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been declared by the WHO to be Ebola-free countries; whereas the above figures include a large number of local and international health and humanitarian workers; whereas the number of people affected could be underestimated owing to unreported cases of Ebola infections and deaths;










C.


whereas the most active NGOs on the ground, such as Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, warned in March 2014 already that the current Ebola outbreak was spreading rapidly and would be more dangerous than previous outbreaks of the disease; whereas these organisations criticised the initial international response for being dangerously inadequate;










D.


whereas the outbreak has highlighted the weakness of the health systems in the countries concerned, with significant deficits in human, financial and material resources, resulting in a compromised ability to provide an adequate response to the disease; whereas this health emergency, aggravated by a massive ‘brain drain’ of medical staff in the affected countries over recent decades, has highlighted the urgent need to strengthen the healthcare systems of most African countries;










E.


whereas the affected countries are already suffering from shortages of food, sanitation and clean water and an economic collapse caused by disruptions to trade, commercial flights and harvest work as a result of the Ebola epidemic;










F.


whereas the international community has a moral obligation to provide assistance to Ebola-affected countries, including not only financial aid but also medical and operational capacities, with trained personnel and logistical support, for early detection and isolation of cases, contact tracing and monitoring, immediate healthcare for the affected populations and information campaigns on the virus and how to avoid contracting it;










G.


whereas UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned in October 2014 that at least USD 1 billion would be needed over the next six months to tackle Ebola; whereas that figure might need to be increased, particularly if the situation continues to worsen;










H.


whereas a large number of ACP countries have provided financial, material and technical contributions to the efforts to control the Ebola outbreak in the affected West African countries;










I.


whereas the European Commission has been actively engaged from the very start of the outbreak, scaling up its response to the epidemic and monitoring the situation through its Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which should serve as a platform for the coordination of EU assistance; whereas the Commission alone has pledged over EUR 550 million for medical research and treatment, logistical assistance and humanitarian and development aid to the affected countries, including equipment and personnel; whereas, together with the contributions of the EU Member States, this brings the total EU contribution to over EUR 1,1 billion;










J.


whereas the EU has deployed humanitarian experts to the region, and is monitoring the situation and liaising with partner organisations and local authorities; whereas the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated at the request of the WHO to facilitate and support the rapid deployment of assistance and expertise to the region; whereas the European Commission has mobilised its medical evacuation capacity for international humanitarian workers deployed in the affected countries;










K.


whereas, according to UNICEF, some 4  000 children have been orphaned as a result of the epidemic, and whereas children remain particularly vulnerable, with many exposed to extreme distress, separation from their families and interruption in their schooling;










L.


whereas all action taken in the fight against Ebola needs to be part of a coordinated process in order to provide a better response, as was clearly expressed by the West African heads of state meeting in Accra (Ghana), and whereas the heads of state appointed His Excellency the President of Togo as coordinator;










1.


Expresses its deepest condolences to the countries and families of those who have lost their lives in the EVD outbreak; expresses its sincere appreciation to all humanitarian and health workers for their efforts in fighting this epidemic;










2.


Stresses that according to the WHO this is the largest ever recorded outbreak in terms of cases, deaths and geographical coverage, and remains deeply concerned about the continuing spread of the virus across several countries in West Africa; agrees with UN Security Council Resolution 2177(2014) that the Ebola outbreak poses a threat to international peace and security; reiterates the fact that the epidemic is much more complex than a public health emergency, as it also has political, security, economic and social implications;










3.


Regrets the underestimation of the crisis by the international community and the delay in providing any adequate, coordinated strategy and assistance; considers that the international community must play a greater role in controlling the spread of Ebola and that the African countries affected should also assume their share of the responsibility for meeting the global security and public health challenges it poses; calls on the international community to implement and honour its commitments and sustain the intensified efforts to provide the necessary and appropriate assistance to the affected countries under the overall leadership and coordination of the United Nations;










4.


Stresses that the current epidemic is a threat to the fragile economy and to the political and social stability of the affected countries and of the region as a whole; is convinced that this crisis cannot be solved merely by improving healthcare systems, but that an integrated approach, with the participation of national, regional and international actors and involving different sectors, including education, training, sanitation and food aid, is needed to address the critical gaps in these essential services;










5.


Underlines the need to isolate the disease without isolating the countries affected by the outbreak; stresses, furthermore, the need to prevent the stigmatisation of survivors, in particular children; calls for the consistent implementation of all necessary and effective measures as regards international passenger transportation, which are helping to prevent the further spread of Ebola from the most affected West African countries;










6.


Welcomes the commitment by EU Member States and the European Commission to ensuring that adequate security measures are taken for the safety and protection of international humanitarian and health workers, and that these workers receive appropriate training; commends the efforts made by the European Commission and the Member States to address the issue of medical evacuation (medevac) and the fact that a system has been set up for the evacuation of medical workers from the region; stresses the need for the medevac system to be continuously updated and improved, taking into account the potential increase in needs in the event of an increased number of health workers being deployed to the affected countries; calls on the Member States to coordinate flights and establish dedicated air bridges to move health personnel and equipment to the affected countries;










7.


Calls on the international community, including the European Union, the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS, to support Ebola-affected countries and to provide urgently needed resources and assistance, including deployable medical capabilities such as field hospitals with qualified and experienced staff, supplies, laboratory services, logistical, transport and construction support capabilities, airlift and other aviation support and aeromedical services; stresses the importance of providing technical expertise, including rapid diagnosis capability, and training for health workers;










8.


Calls on the international community to make every effort to coordinate and strengthen medical research and to develop therapies, medicines and vaccines against Ebola that are both effective and compliant with WHO safety rules; welcomes the fact that additional funds have been announced by the European Commission to support work on vaccine trials in Europe and Africa, together with other research-related work on Ebola, but stresses that additional international efforts will continue to be needed to fund and coordinate existing research and development programmes to develop treatments and vaccines for Ebola, as well as for other diseases which are not of immediate commercial interest but could cause similar epidemics in future; considers, in this respect, that the development of a vaccine against these diseases cannot depend on the potential profit for the pharmaceuticals industry and private companies;










9.


Welcomes the EU’s financial support for the African Union’s ASEOWA mission and for the AU’s efforts to ensure regional coordination, including the opening of a humanitarian corridor from Dakar and regional air services from Abidjan, and the establishment of the UNMEER coordination centre in Accra; calls on the European Council and the European Commission to support and encourage the AU with regard to the need for a holistic action plan covering the political, security, economic and social implications of the Ebola crisis that will continue to affect the region well beyond the current medical emergency;










10.


Welcomes and encourages the ongoing scaling-up of the European Commission’s financial commitment in the areas of humanitarian and development aid, logistics and research to respond to the crisis, totalling more than EUR 550 million; stresses the need to extend this investment to projects in countries neighbouring those already affected by the virus to avoid it spreading to other West African countries where an outbreak would have dramatic consequences; calls on the EU to put in place control systems to ensure that the budget allocated to fighting the epidemic is used appropriately and effectively;










11.


Calls on the EU to step up development cooperation efforts in order to support and strengthen health systems in ACP countries in the long term, as laid down in the Cotonou Agreement, and to ensure that health becomes a focal sector in the EDF’s National Indicative Programmes for the next programming cycle for the most affected countries and in the 11th EDF Intra-ACP Development Cooperation Programme;










12.


Points out that financial assistance to Ebola-affected countries should not be at the expense of long-term development aid but complementary to it, and that assistance should go beyond immediate healthcare and extend to healthcare-related basic services in the affected region, such as sanitation and clean water;










13.


Urges the international community to take immediate action to prevent a hunger crisis and to safeguard food security and livelihoods in the Ebola-affected areas, in view of the reduction in food trade, rising prices and reduced harvests;










14.


In this regard, welcomes the will of the African Union to expand the mandate of its Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Drought and Famine in Africa to include public health emergencies and other disasters; supports the AU’s call on its Member States to make voluntary contributions to this Fund; calls, also, for an immediate response to the FAO’s appeal for funds for its Regional Response Programme to assist farming households most affected by the Ebola outbreak;










15.


Welcomes the establishment of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) and the setting-up of the EU Task Force on Ebola, as well as the appointment of Commissioner Christos Stylianides as EU Ebola Response Coordinator; commends the Commissioner’s determination to strengthen the EU’s collective response and coordination and facilitate close cooperation with the UN, regional organisations and other key partners; expresses appreciation for his visit to the affected region in November 2014 to assess the needs and gaps in EU efforts to contain the outbreak; shares the view that this field assessment is a crucial step in determining a successful course of action;










16.


Stresses that a successful Ebola response requires steady global governance, effective public communication and other confidence-building measures, and that this includes education and information to raise awareness of symptoms and preventive action in order to facilitate trust in, and public cooperation with, anti-Ebola measures; believes, furthermore, that local medical staff must be involved and better trained in treating affected people and should liaise between the local population and international medical staff;










17.


Considers the WHO Ebola Response Roadmap to be a basis for priority activities in the fight against Ebola; calls on the EU and ACP countries to assist the WHO in strengthening its technical leadership and its provision of operational support to governments of Ebola-affected countries and neighbouring and other countries that may be at risk, as well as other partners; urges the international community to support the implementation of synchronised cross-border interventions to fight the current Ebola outbreak; calls on the EU Member States to support the implementation of the EU Comprehensive Response Framework;










18.


Calls for the convening of an International Donors’ Conference on control of Ebola outbreaks and support for post-Ebola social and economic reconstruction, including support for Ebola orphans in affected countries;










19.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the UN Secretary-General, the WHO Director-General, the ACP-EU Council, the European Council, the European Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and national parliaments of the EU Member States, the governments and parliaments of the ACP countries, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament and ECOWAS.






RESOLUTION (29)

on the expansion of terrorism in Africa

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,







—


meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 1 to 3 December 2014,










—


having regard to Article 18(2) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the ACP and the EC, in particular Article 11a thereof,










—


having regard to the ACP–EU JPA resolution of March 2014 on the global spread of terrorism: the role of the Internet and social media,










—


having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,










—


having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,










—


having regard to Resolutions 1373 (2001), 1566 (2004) and 1624 (2005) of the United Nations Security Council, which incorporate the essential elements of the international legal framework for combating terrorism,










—


having regard to the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted on 8 September 2006,










—


having regard to UN General Assembly resolutions 68/178 on Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, 68/187 of 18 December 2013 on Technical assistance for implementing the international conventions and protocols related to counter-terrorism and 67/99 of 14 December 2012 on Measures to eliminate international terrorism,










—


having regard to the 455th Peace and Security Council Meeting at the Level of Heads of State and Government held in Nairobi, Kenya on 2 September 2014,










—


having regard to UN Resolution 2178 on Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts adopted by the Security Council on 24 September 2014,










—


having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights of 1981, and in particular Article 4 of the Charter enshrining the inviolable right to life and integrity of human beings,










—


having regard to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, adopted in 1999, and the Algiers Plan of Action of the High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting on Terrorism of the African Union on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism in Africa, adopted in 2002,










—


having regard to the appointment of the African Union (AU) Special Representative for Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in October 2010,










—


having regard to the Communiqué on the prevention and combating of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa, adopted at the 455th Peace and Security Council Meeting of the African Union on 2 September 2014,










—


having regard to Decisions Nos 3/04 and 7/06 of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Combating the Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes,










—


having regard to the European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy of 30 November 2005,










—


having regard to the 4th pillar of the EU Strategy for Security and Development of the Sahel of September 2011, relating to the fight against violent extremism and radicalisation,










—


having regard to the EU action plan on combating terrorism,










—


having regard to the global approach of the EU concerning crises and external conflicts of 11 December 2013,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2013 on the EU Strategy for the Horn of Africa (30),










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 21 November 2013 on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy (31),










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 17 July 2014 on Nigeria — recent attacks by Boko Haram (32),










—


having regard to the conclusions of the London Ministerial on Security in Nigeria of 12 June 2014,










A.


whereas terrorism in all forms continues to be one of the most serious threats to peace, security and development;










B.


whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1624 (2005) calls upon states to take all measures that are necessary, appropriate and in accordance with their obligations under international law to prohibit by law and prevent incitement to commit terrorist acts;










C.


whereas, over the past decade, the threat of terrorism and terrorist acts in Africa has increased at an alarming rate, the Global Terrorism Database recording nearly 1  200 incidents in 2012 alone, with both internal and external factors being at play;










D.


whereas counter-terrorism can only be effective when carried out in close international cooperation and in conformity with international law;










E.


whereas a number of factors such as poverty, youth unemployment, social exclusion, intolerance, lack of education, social injustice, conflicts, poor governance and corruption may constitute fertile ground for radicalisation;










F.


whereas terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or territorial origin — provided that religious practices do not conflict with the principles of the rule of law;










G.


whereas terrorism is fuelled by illegal activities such as hostage taking and trafficking of human beings, weapons, drugs and natural resources;










H.


whereas the EU has placed Boko Haram and its leader Abubakar Shekau on its list of designated terrorist organisations, following the decision of the UN and other international partners to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation;










I.


whereas Boko Haram represents a growing threat not only to the stability of Nigeria, but also to the entire West and Central Africa region and the Sahel; whereas the violence instigated by this Islamist jihadi extremist organisation has caused thousands of deaths in the past decade; whereas this organisation indiscriminately targets those who do not adhere to its dogmatic and extreme beliefs;










J.


whereas the EU and Member States stand ready to support Nigeria and other countries of the region in their efforts to protect citizens, defeat terrorism and end the culture of impunity, particularly with regard to sexual violence;










K.


whereas al-Qaeda and its local affiliates have maintained a strong presence in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s and have claimed responsibility for major attacks over the years in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with Kenya as the most frequent target of al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab attacks;










L.


whereas, furthermore, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) continues to compromise regional security and development in the entire Sahelo-Saharian region;










M.


whereas the Janjaweed, the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and others commit terrorist acts in Africa, while Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army are said to have been driven out of Uganda and are said to be dispersed over South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic;










N.


whereas the current worrying situation in Syria and Iraq, with the growth and strengthening of the IS, is having terrible and destabilising effects on the African continent, especially in its north-eastern part, and whereas terrorists from parts of Africa such as Somalia are moving towards Syria and Iraq to join ISIS forces;










1.


Is deeply concerned about the growing threat of terrorism in Africa, particularly in the Sahelo-Saharan region, the Horn of Africa and the Central African region, and about the atrocities perpetrated by the al-Sharia groups, by Ansaru and by Boko Haram in Nigeria;










2.


Is worried about the growing linkages between terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime and about the increasing convergence of African groups with global networks of terrorists and their financers and with traffickers; considers this to be a growing threat to peace, security, stability and development in Africa;










3.


Strongly condemns all acts of terrorism committed on the African continent, including gun and bomb attacks, suicide bombings, kidnappings and other violent acts committed against civilian, government and military targets, by all terrorist groups, notably by al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), Boko Haram and the Lord’s Resistance Army, as well as the damaging activities of the FDLR and the Allied Democratic Forces in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo;










4.


Expresses its full solidarity with the affected countries and the victims of terrorism, and with those that have lost friends and family members; insists that no country willing to contribute to the fight against terrorism shall bear the consequences of its engagement alone; equally deeply deplores the loss of human life and human rights abuses caused by uncontrolled or misdirected actions and violence by security forces;










5.


Welcomes the African Union’s efforts to fight extremism and terrorism on the African continent;










6.


Calls on the ACP states and the EU to fully comply with their obligations under UN Security Council resolutions, to cooperate fully with the Counter-Terrorism Committee and to improve vigilance and develop ways of working together to prevent terrorist acts and establish mechanisms for information exchange on, inter alia, trafficking of weapons, border surveillance, intelligence, assistance in connection with criminal investigations and proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts; urges the EU and other international partners to support African leadership and domestic capacity in identifying solutions in the fight against terrorism, namely by providing the necessary assistance based on the needs and priorities identified by African states and their partners;










7.


Calls on the ACP and EU Member States to prevent the movement of terrorists and terrorist groups through effective border and identity controls; calls in this regard on all states to implement UN Resolution 2178 (2014);










8.


Calls on the ACP and the EU to use appropriate mechanisms to prevent the recruitment of Europeans and Africans to terrorist groups;










9.


Calls on the ACP and EU Member States to increase their common efforts in eliminating the financial resources of terrorists and terrorist groups, and supports restrictions that effectively prevent communication between terrorist groups and their access to financing, while ensuring full respect of human rights, fundamental freedoms and international law, notably the right of citizens to engage in free speech, freedom of movement, democratic opposition and debate;










10.


Calls on the international community, and notably the ACP and EU Member States, to enforce existing rules preventing the further proliferation of weapons and the supply of arms to terrorist groups; urges the international community to step up efforts to re-establish effective control of arms stocked on Libyan territory;










11.


Welcomes the on-going cooperation between the AU and the EU, notably the deployment of EUFOR CAR, EUCAP Sahel Mali and EUTM Mali; notes with satisfaction that EUTM Somalia has contributed to the training of over 4  000 Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers; recognises the successful contributions by the armies of various African countries in the framework of MISCA, MINUSMA and AMISOM;










12.


Recalls that the efficient fight against terrorism requires eradication of its root causes, including social exclusion, inequality, under-development, corruption, embezzlement of revenues from natural resource exploitation, radicalisation and a lack of hope, political participation and prospects stemming from chronic poverty; asks the EU to work with ACP countries in addressing these root causes and to help so that in areas affected by terrorism and instability special efforts are made to ensure equitable access to education, health care and other basic services and their provision to the general public;










13.


Recalls that young and vulnerable people are more subject to radicalisation processes; asks states to ensure that no schools are used as centres for the proliferation of extremist ideologies;










14.


Underlines that peace and security are prerequisites for development and prosperity; considers that the global post-2015 development framework should reflect the objectives of peace and state-building as a stand-alone goal, and stresses that it should include strengthening of all public policies that promote human and sustainable development;










15.


Calls on the EU to further promote policy coherence for development and to strengthen the position of EU development policy in the context of EU external action, particularly in the context of crisis and conflict-affected areas;










16.


Underlines that rolling back terrorism requires strengthened, democratically controlled military and security capabilities, including adequate equipment and staffing, in the countries most affected;










17.


Welcomes the elaboration of the African Model Law on Counter-Terrorism and encourages AU Member States to use the Model Law for improving national legislation; emphasises the importance of an independent, impartial and accessible judicial system and of putting an end to impunity and enhancing respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights; underlines that counter-terrorism measures and the protection of human rights are not conflicting goals but complementary and mutually reinforcing and that counter-terrorism must comply with all obligations under international law;










18.


Emphasises the importance of enhanced cooperation for tackling the root causes of instability, fragility and conflict; underlines the importance of addressing all aspects of the conflict cycle from preventive action to post-conflict reconstruction and development;










19.


Calls on the ACP States and the EU Member States to confront the terrorist threat not only in its armed manifestations but in its causes, and therefore calls for the urgent implementation of assistance programmes for Sahel populations threatened by drought, desertification, lack of basic education and health services, and isolation and poor communication;










20.


Calls on the African ACP States to reaffirm their commitment to the prevention of sexual violence in conflict and to the empowerment and education of women and girls; condemns in the strongest possible terms all forms of violence against women and girls and the continuing wave of attacks and other violent acts committed by Boko Haram, estimated to have claimed the lives of over 12  000 people since 2009; demands the immediate unconditional release of the Chibok schoolgirls and all children abducted in Nigeria; welcomes attempts by the government of Nigeria to reach a ceasefire with Boko Haram and to conduct negotiations for the release of the 219 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014; remains worried that this did not prevent violence nor the further kidnapping of 60 girls in the villages of Waga Mongoro and Gwarta and of 30 children in the city of Mafa, in Borno State, during the week of 20 October 2014;










21.


Calls on the European Commission and international organisations such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Interpol and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to provide the necessary assistance to the ACP States to step up their capacities to prevent and combat terrorism;










22.


Calls on the governments of ACP states and religious communities in the countries concerned to actively engage in efforts for reconciliation and stand against any attempts to incite hatred among religious communities;










23.


Welcomes the readiness of the Somali Government to launch talks with members of al-Shabaab who have surrendered; stresses that serious discussions can only start when al-Shabaab declares it wants to be a part of the solution for Somalia; underlines the significance of the recent military gains of the Somali National Army and AU Forces, freeing towns and routes from the control of al-Shabaab; takes note of the death of Ahmed Godane, leader of al-Shabaab;










24.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament and the regional organisations of the ACP States.







(1)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 3 December 2014 in Strasbourg (France).

(2)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 3 December 2014 in Strasbourg (France).

(3)  OJ L 317, 15.12.2000, p. 3.

(4)  OJ L 287, 28.10.2005, p. 4.

(5)  OJ L 287, 4.11.2010, p. 3.

(6)  http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty/treaty-on-the-functioning-of-the-european-union and-comments/part-5-external-action-by-the-union/title-3-cooperation-with-third-countries-and humantarian-aid/chapter-1-development-cooperation/496-article-208.html

(7)  http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/142094.pdf

(8)  http://www.ipex.eu/IPEXL-WEB/dossier/document/COM20140263.doc

(9)  http://www.un.org/partnerships/Docs/partnershipreport_a-56-323.pdf

(10)  http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Partnerships/Private%20Sector/UNDP Private-Sector-Strategy-final-draft-2012.pdf

(11)  http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm

(12)  http://www.oecd.org/development/effectiveness/34428351.pdf

(13)  http://www.oecd.org/dac/effectiveness/49650173.pdf

(14)  http://www.uncsd2012.org/content/documents/814UNCSD%20REPORT%20final%20revs.pdf

(15)  OJ C 46, 24.2.2006, p. 1.

(16)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF

(17)  http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf

(18)  http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/--multi/documents/publication/wcms_094386.pdf

(19)  http://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/

(20)  http://www.oecd.org/investment/mne/38783873.pdf

(21)  http://www.worldbank.org/ida/papers/ABCs/psd-2013.pdf

(22)  http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Policy-Documents/2013-2017_- Private_Sector_Development_Strategy.pdf

(23)  http://www.eac.int/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=167&Itemid=163

(24)  http://www.eac.int/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=650&Itemid=163

(25)  http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/143315.pdf

(26)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 3 December 2014 in Strasbourg (France).

(27)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 3 December 2014 in Strasbourg (France).

(28)  Texts adopted, P8_(2014)0026.

(29)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 3 December 2014 in Strasbourg (France).

(30)  Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0006.

(31)  Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0513.

(32)  Texts adopted, P8_TA(2014)0008.