Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

C 79/10 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

**MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF THURSDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 1998**

(1999/C 79/04)

IN THE CHAIR: Lord PLUMB

_Co-President_

_(The sitting opened at 9.20 a.m.)_

1. **Substitutes** _Guinea-Bissau_

The Co-President announced the following substitute: The following spoke: the representatives of GuineaBissau, Gambia, Senegal, Angola, Nigeria and Guinea,
Mr Torres Couto and Mr Cunha.
Martens (for Ferna´ndez Martı´n)

_Angola_
2. **General Report on Intra-ACP Cooperation**

**— General rapporteur: Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea)** The following spoke: the representatives of Angola,
**— Vote** Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea and the following
Members: Torres Couto, Cunha, Nordmann, Schwaiger
and Andrews.
The resolution was adopted as amended.

The following amendments were adopted: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
_Papua New Guinea_
6, 7, 11, 12, 13 (with the addition of an oral amendment
by the rapporteur) and 14.
The representative of Papua New Guinea spoke.

Amendments 8, 9 and 10 were rejected.

_Haiti_

3. **Report on the visit to Kenya by Lord Plumb,**
**Vice-President (3-8 September 1998)** The representative of Haiti spoke.

Lord Plumb, Co-President, gave a report.
5. **Revision of the Rules of Procedure**

The representative of Kenya and Mr Corrie spoke. **[Co-rapporteurs: Mr Chanterie and Mr Weldegior-**
**gis (Eritrea)]**

4. **Continuation of the exchange of views on specific** Lord Plumb, Co-President, announced that the Bureau
**countries or regions** had decided that proposals for amendments would be
submitted at the next meeting of the Joint Assembly.

_Equatorial Guinea_

6. **Statement by Mr de Paul de Barchifontaine on**
Mr Pons Grau and the representatives of Papua New
**behalf of the economic and social partners.**
Guinea and Equatorial Guinea spoke.

Mr de Paul de Barchifontaine announced the topic to be
_Nigeria_ discussed at the next meeting of the social and economic
partners: ‘The practical arrangements for opening up
The following spoke: the representatives of Nigeria, the ACP-EU partnership to include social and economic
Uganda, Niger, Liberia, Papua New Guinea and Guinea- operators so that they can be involved in the drawing
Bissau and the followingMembers: Kinnock, Maij Weg- upandimplementationofnationalandregionaldevelopgen, Bertens, Baldi, Van Putten and Robles Piquer. ment policies’.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/11

7. **Action taken on the resolutions adopted by the Joint** AP/2602/98/COMP on the Great Lakes Region and the
**Assembly during its 26th session held in Port Louis** D.R. Congo was adopted with one amendment.
**(Mauritius) from 20 to 23 April 1998.**

AP/2603/98/COMPonCongo(Brazzaville)wasadopted
A Commission document reporting on the action taken with one amendment.
on the resolutions adopted at Port Louis was distributed
to the members.
AP/2604/98/COMP on Equatorial Guinea: following a
request for a separate vote by each group of representatives by secret ballot, the ACP members rejected the joint
8. **Other business** resolution, whereas the EP members accepted it. The
resolution was therefore rejected. The result of the secret
ballot was: ACP: 13 for, 26 against, and 4 abstentions;
Mr Mogami, Co-President, announced the draft state- EP: 27 for and 2 against.
ment by the ACP members of the Joint Assembly
concerning the attack on the El Shifa pharmaceuticals
factory in Sudan. AP/2605/98/COMP on Nigeria: following a request for
a separate vote by each group of representatives by
secret ballot, the resolution was adopted with three
amendments. The result of the secret ballot was: ACP:
_(The sitting was adjourned at 1 p.m. and resumed at_
24 for, 6 against, and 1 abstention; EP: 29 for and 1
_3.10 p.m.)_
against.

9. **Consideration of and vote on individual motions** AP/2606/98/COMP onGuinea-Bissau wasadopted with
four amendments.
**for resolutions**

AP/2616/98/COMP on South Africa was adopted.

AP/2596/98/COMP on the euro was adopted with four
amendments. AP/2607/98/COMP on Angola was adopted with five
amendments.

AP/2531/98/COMP on the euro was adopted. (Electronic Vote: 24 for, 21 against, 2 abstentions) AP/2518/98 on Angola was rejected.

AP/2547/98 on the euro was rejected. (Electronic Vote:
AP/2528/98 on Angola was rejected.
22 for, 23 against, 1 abstention)

AP/2608/98/COMP on PNG/Bougainville was adopted.
AP/2494/98/rev on fisheries was adopted.

AP/2597/98/COMP on trade and development was AP/2609/98/COMP on the debt burden of the ACP
adopted with ten amendments. countries was adopted with five amendments. Mr
Chanterie spoke on a point of order.

AP/2541/98/COMP on the Multilateral Agreement on
Investment was adopted. AP/2511/98/COMP on Debt was adopted (Electronic
Vote: 50 for, 23 against and 1 abstention).
AP/2598/98/COMP on Togo: following a request for a
separate vote by each group of representatives by secret
AP/2610/98/COMP on Education and training the ACP
ballot, the ACP members rejected the joint resolution,
countries was adopted.
whereas the EP members accepted it. The resolution
was therefore rejected. The result of the secret ballot
was: ACP: 10 for, 24 against, and 3 abstentions; EP: 23 AP/2611/98/COMP on Health and AIDS was adopted
for and 6 against. with six amendments.

AP/2626/98 on Kenya was adopted.
AP/2612/98/COMP on Biodiversity and Environment
was adopted with the deletion of one paragraph.
AP/2599/98/COMP on Ethiopia and Eritrea was adopted with four amendments.
AP/2503/98 on Biodiversity and Environment was adopted with the deletion of one paragraph. Mrs Junker and
AP/2600/98/COMP on Sudan: following a request for a
the representative of Ethiopia spoke on points of order.
separate vote by each group of representatives by secret
ballot, the resolution was adopted. The result of the
secret ballot was: ACP: 23 for, 15 against, and 7 AP/2595/98 on mining developments and their environabstentions; EP: 29 for. mental aspects was adopted.

C 79/12 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

AP/2613/98/COMP on Biotechnology was adopted. 11. **Appointment of a General Rapporteur**

Mr Robles Piquer was appointed.
AP/2614/98/COMP on Post-conflict rehabilitation was
adopted.
12. **Date and place of next Session**

AP/2615/98/COMP on Information society and the
Lord Plumb, Co-President, announced that the place
developing world was adopted.
and date would be communicated as soon as possible.

The Co-President paid his tribute to Mr Pabst of
the secretariat who was leaving to take up other
10. **Declaration on damage caused by Hurricane**
responsibilities.
**Georges**
The Co-President acknowledged an invitation for a
representative of the Joint Assembly to attend the
The following spoke: Mr Chanterie, the representatives
forthcoming EU-SADC conference on transport and
of Dominica, Dominican Republic and Haiti, Aldo, the
Infrastructure, in Maputo.
representative of Bahamas, Lehideux and Robles Piquer.
It was agreed to issue a declaration on the disaster Mr Robles Piquer expressed concern at the low level of
resulting from Hurricane Georges. participation of members in voting.

_(The session closed at 4.35 p.m.)_

Lord PLUMB and T. D. MOGAMI N. P. MAGANDE and M. MICHEL

_Co-Presidents_ _Co-Secretaries-General_

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/13

_ANNEX I_

**ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE ACP-EU JOINT ASSEMBLY**

**ACP representatives** **European Parliament**

ANGOLA AELVOET
ANTIGUA and BARBUDA ALDO

BAHAMAS AMADEO
BARBADOS ANDRÉ-LÉONARD

BELIZE ANDREWS

BENIN ANTONY

BOTSWANA BALDARELLI

BURKINA FASO BALDI

BURUNDI BALDINI

CAMEROON BEREND

CAPE VERDE BERTENS

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC BONTEMPI

CHAD CACCAVALE

COMOROS CARLOTTI
CONGO CARNERO GONZA [´ ] LEZ
CO [ˆ ] TE D’IVOIRE CASINI, Carlo
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO CASTAGNÈDE
DJIBOUTI CHANTERIE
DOMINICA CORRIE

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CUNHA
EQUATORIAL GUINEA CUNNINGHAM
ERITREA DELCROIX

ETHIOPIA ESCUDERO
FIJI FASSA
GABON FERNA [´ ] NDEZ MARTI [´] N
GAMBIA GARCI [´] A ARIAS

GHANA GHILARDOTTI

GRENADA GILLIS
GUINEA GIRA [˜ ] O PEREIRA

GUINEA-BISSAU GLASE
GUYANA GRO [¨ ] NER

HAITI HORY
JAMAICA HUME
KENYA JUNKER
KIRIBATI KINNOCK

LESOTHO KOKKOLA

LIBERIA KUHN

MADAGASCAR LANNOYE

MALAWI LEHIDEUX

MALI McGOWAN
MAURITANIA MAIJ-WEGGEN
MAURITIUS MIRANDA
MOZAMBIQUE MORRIS
NAMIBIA MOUSKOURI

NIGER NEYTS-UYTTEBROECK

NIGERIA NORDMANN

PAPUA NEW GUINEA PAASIO

RWANDA PETTINARI
SAINT KITTS-NEVIS Lord PLUMB

SAINT LUCIA PONS GRAU

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES van PUTTEN

SAMOA RACK
SA [˜ ] O TOMÉ AND PRI [´] NCIPE RASCHHOFER
SENEGAL ROBLES PIQUER
SEYCHELLES ROCARD

SIERRA LEONE SANDBÆK
SOLOMON ISLANDS SAUQUILLO PEREZ DEL ARCO
SOMALIA SCHIEDERMEIER

SOUTH AFRICA SCHMIDBAUER

SUDAN SCHWAIGER

SURINAME SOUCHET

C 79/14 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

SWAZILAND TELKA [¨ ] MPER

TANZANIA THOMAS

TOGO TORRES COUTO

TONGA VANHECKE

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO VECCHI

TUVALU VERWAERDE

UGANDA VIOLA

VANUATU WIELAND

ZAMBIA WURTZ

ZIMBABWE

_ANNEX II_

**RECORD OF ATTENDANCE**

MOGAMI, Co-President (Botswana) Lord PLUMB, Co-President

CLARIDGE (Bahamas), VP KINNOCK, VP( [1] )( [2] )( [3] )
GABAAKE (Botswana), VP VERWAERDE( [1] )( [4] )( [3] )
MANDENG (Cameroon), VP JUNKER, VP
JAMES (Dominica), VP GILLIS, VP( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )
DAWIT (Ethiopia), VP PONS GRAU, VP( [4] )( [3] )
DRUAVESI (Fiji), VP SCHWAIGER, VP( [1] )( [2] )( [3] )
BOURISHIRE (Liberia), VP ANDREWS, VP( [2] )( [4] )( [3] )
DIALLO (Mali), VP VECCHI, VP
SISILO (Solomon Islands), VP ROBLES PIQUER, VP
MAGANI (Tanzania), VP
MUKWERKWEZEKE (Zimbabwe), VP AELVOET( [2] )
ALDO( [2] )( [4] )( [3] )
DOMINGOS (Angola) AMADEO( [2] )
NGUEMA ONGUENE (Equatorial Guinea) ANDRÉ-LÉONARD
DAWIT (Ethiopia) BALDARELLI( [1] )( [3] )
CLARIDGE (Bahamas) BALDI
CHELTENHAM (Barbados) BEREND( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )
DIEGO-GREY (Belize) BERTENS
SANSUAMOU (Benin) CACCAVALE( [2] )( [3] )
GABAAKE (Botswana) CARLOTTI( [2] )( [4] )( [3] )
NABOHO (Burkina Faso) CARNERO GONZA [´ ] LEZ( [2] )( [4] )( [3] )
SIBOMANA (Burundi) CASINI, Carlo( [4] )( [3] )
JAMES (Dominica) CASTAGNÈDE( [1] )( [4] )
ABRUADER (Dominican Republic) CHANTERIE
BRA KANON (Côte d’Ivoire) CORRIE
WELDEGIORGIS (Eritrea) CUNHA( [2] )
DRUAVESI (Fiji) CUNNINGHAM( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )
CEESAY (Gambia) DELCROIX( [2] )( [4] )( [3] )
RAWIRI (Gabon) ESCUDERO( [4] )( [3] )
BAAH-DANQUAH (Ghana) FABRE-AUBRESPY( [2] ) (for Souchet)
REDHEAD (Grenada) FASSA
SOMPARE (Guinea) GARCI [´] A ARIAS( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )

( [1] ) Present on 21.9.1998.
( [2] ) Present on 22.9.1998.
( [3] ) Present on 24.9.1998.
( [4] ) Present on 23.9.1998.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/15

MENDES (Guinea-Bissau) GIRA [˜ ] O PEREIRA( [1] )( [2] )( [3] )
BERNARDIN (Haiti) GLASE( [2] )( [4] )
FITZ JACKSON (Jamaica) GRO [¨ ] NER
MANDENG (Cameroon) HORY( [4] )
ROCHA (Cape Verde) KOKKOLA( [2] )
MBELA (Kenya) KUHN
ABDOUL WAHAB (Comoros) LANNOYE( [1] )( [2] )
KOUMBA (Congo) LEHIDEUX
KANENGELE (D. R. Congo) McGOWAN( [2] )( [3] )( [4] )
LECHESA (Lesotho) MAIJ-WEGGEN( [2] )( [3] )( [4] )
BOURISHIRE (Liberia) MARTENS( [3] )( [4] ) (for Ferna´ndez Martı´n)
BERIZIKY (Madagascar) MIRANDA( [2] )( [3] )
MPHANDE (Malawi) NEYTS-UYTTEBROECK( [2] )
DIALLO (Mali) NORDMANN( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )
VALL OULD BELLAL (Mauritania) PAASIO
BELLEPEAU (Mauritius) PETTINARI
MUCHANGOS (Mozambique) van PUTTEN
WOHLER (Namibia) RACK( [2] )( [3] )( [4] )
SOMALIA (Niger) ROCARD( [2] )( [3] )( [4] )
ALABA (Nigeria) SANDBÆK( [2] )( [3] )
Sir KAPUTIN (Papua New Guinea) SAUQUILLO PEREZ DEL ARCO( [1] )( [2] )( [3] )
MUHONGARIE (Rwanda) SCARBONCHI( [2] )( [3] ) (for Hory)
MPONDA (Zambia) SCHIEDERMEIER( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )
MEREDITH (Samoa) SOUCHET( [3] )( [4] )
DIAGNE (Senegal) TAUBIRA-DELANNON( [1] ) (for Hory)( [2] )
MUKWERKWEZEKE (Zimbabwe) (for Castagnède)
SISILO (Salomon Islands) TELKA [¨ ] MPER( [2] )( [3] )
LAURENT (St Lucia) THOMAS( [1] )( [2] )( [4] )
THOMAS (St Vincent/Grenadine) TORRES COUTO
SHIDDO (Sudan) VANHECKE( [1] )( [2] )( [3] )
EBRAHIM (South Africa) VIOLA( [2] )( [4] )
RITTER (Suriname) WIELAND( [2] )( [4] )
Prince KHUZULWANDLE DLAMINI WURTZ( [2] )
(Swaziland)
MAGANI (Tanzania)
PERE (Togo)
GORDON (Trinidad and Tobago)
KINYATA (Uganda)
KOSSI-BELLA (Central African Republic)

**Observers:**

_Cuba:_

PEZ FERRO, MARTI [´] NEZ CORDOVES, GUTIERREZ CORRALES

**Apologies for absence:**

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, CHAD, DJIBOUTI, GUYANA, KIRIBATI, MAURITANIA, SA [˜ ] O TOMÉ
AND PRI [´] NCIPE, SEYCHELLES, SIERRA LEONE, SOMALIA, TONGA, TUVALU, VANUATU.

( [1] ) Present on 21.9.1998.
( [2] ) Present on 22.9.1998.
( [3] ) Present on 23.9.1998.
( [4] ) Present on 24.9.1998.

C 79/16 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

**Also present:**

**ANGOLA** DAOUDA **CONGO, D. R.**
OVONO-OKOUE
MAMPASSA TSHIBOLA
SANNI AOUDOU
JAMBA
CABONGO **LESOTHO**
**GAMBIA**

MOTANYANE
**EQUATORIAL GUINEA** TOURAY MAEMA-KOENIG

MBANZANG
OYONO AWONG **GHANA** **LIBERIA**
MBA OLO EDIH WILLIAMS
OYE-MANSA DUKULY
**ETHIOPIA** ABASS TOURSAND

TOOMEY
HABTAMU
**GUINEA** WILLIAM

**BENIN** DIALLO
**MADAGASCAR**
KEITA
SANSUAMOU
DIARSO RABARIVOLA
CARRENA-AZ.
GUISSE
ABOUDOU
**MALAWI**
HINVI
**HAITI**
NJOLLA

**BURKINA FASO** DENIS

MADISTIN **MALI**
NABOHO
DANIEL
NIODOGO GAEVU
CASSEUS
KAFANDO T. AF
ALEATE
CAVUAVO
AZOR-CHARLES
**BURUNDI** DIAKITE
ISSA
NIBOGORA **JAMAICA** DIALLO

SANDERS
**DOMINICAN REPUBLIC** CLAUDIA BARNES **MAURITIUS**

WASLU BERENGER
GUEVARA **CAMEROON** HOSSEN
ABREU JAGARNATH
BAH
QUINONES SOOBN
BYAKOLO

NGONO
**COTE D’IVOIRE** **MOZAMBIQUE**

N’zi ANET **CAPE VERDE** ERNESTO
GBA ZAQUEU
MARTA
BANNY BAUZE

**ERITREA** **KENYA** **NIGER**

KIFLE KOMBO SOULEY
ABRAHA MWANZIA HAMMA
MASYA
GIORGER
WETANGULA
**NIGERIA**
M’MELLA
**FIJI**
KARUGU ADECBAYO

LIGAIRI S.A.D. OLISA
**COMOROS** OMOTOSHO
**GABON** OKUJAUCE
RACAR OTHMAN
NGOYE-MALOUMBI SOILIH DAMA
REKANGALT HADU

BIYOGHE-MBA
**PAPUA-NEW GUINEA**
MOUSOOUNDA **CONGO**
KAWANGH PEPSON
IKOBABENDJE BOMBETE
MVE-EBANG BONGO **RWANDA**
GANFINA
POSSO
BOBIBA SAFARI
ANGUILE
NGANGAH BOUITI RUTAREMARA
OBIA BAKURAMUTSA
RETOUANO

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/17

**SOLOMON ISLANDS** **SOUTH AFRICA** **TANZANIA**

MA’AHANVA MBUYAZI SLAA

ALANT
**SENEGAL** **TOGO**

AGNE
**SURINAME** GBONE
BONTCHI
**ZIMBABWE** SARDJOE AGBOLI
KURUNERI RAMKLELAWAN LAWSON

**SUDAN** **UGANDA**
**SWAZILAND**
IBRAHIM RWAKOJO
AMBROSE DLAMINI LUBEGA

ATTBANI NTSHANGE NUAM

**ACP-EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS**

FERRERO-WALDNER President-in-Office of the EU Council

HAMUTENYA President-in-Office of the ACP Council
WALL Director — Parliamentary Affairs
BEL Head of Division, DG I
WALDRON Principal Administrator

**EU COUNCIL**

BJØRNEKÆR Director — DG I

**EUROPEAN COMMISSION**

Prof. PINHEIRO Commissioner reponsible for External Relations, ACP, South
Africa and Lomé.
LOWE Director-General, DG VIII
DG PETIT DG VIII

FEUSTEL DG VIII

TISON DG VIII

MAGHIOROS DG VIII

KNORS DG VIII

**ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE**

MALOSSE Director of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry
BAEZA Member of the Economic and Social Committee
de PAUL de BARCHIFONTAINE Secretary-General, Belgian Agricultural Alliance
BENCE External Relations Secretariat

**TECHNICAL CENTRE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION (TCA)**

BURGUET Chairman of the ACP Conference of National Chambers of
Commerce and Industry and other Economic Operators (Zimbabwe)
COOKE Director

SIKKENS Head of the Brussels Office

**ACP SECRETARIAT**

MAGANDE Co-Secretary General

**EU SECRETARIAT**

PRIESTLEY Co-Secretary General

C 79/18 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

**NGOs**

MURIU ENDA

NKOYOK CONGAC

BISPHAM CPDC

TEVI PCRC
SCHNEIDER Network Aprodev
LARYEA Network Eurostep
MACKIE NGO-EU Liaison Committee

BIESSMANS NGO-EU Liaison Committee

_ANNEX III_

**RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED**

Page

— Intra-ACP cooperation (ACP-EU 2492/98/A/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

— ACP-EU trade relations in the fisheries sector and the sanitary standards for the export to the
European Union of fishery products (ACP-EU 2494/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

— The effects of the euro on the ACP countries, including the CFA franc (ACP-EU 2596/98/fin.) 27

— The effects of the euro on ACP countries and the franc zone (ACP-EU 2531/98/fin.) . . . 28

— Trade and Development (ACP-EU 2597/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

— The Multilateral Agreement on Investment (ACP-EU 2541/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . 32

— The situation in Kenya following the mission by the Co-President, Lord Plumb (ACP-EU
2626/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

— The conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea (ACP-EU 2599/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . 35

— The situation in Sudan (ACP-EU 2600/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

— The situation in the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular
(ACP-EU 2602/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

— Congo (Brazzaville) (ACP-EU 2603/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

— Nigeria (ACP-EU 2605/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

— The situation in Guinea-Bissau (ACP-EU 2606/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

— South Africa (ACP-EU 2616/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

— Angola (ACP-EU 2607/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

— Continuing support for the peace agreement in Bougainville (ACP-EU 2608/98/fin.) . . . 48

— The debt burden of the ACP countries (ACP-EU 2609/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . 49

— Debt (ACP-EU 2511/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

— Education and training in the ACP countries (ACP-EU 2610/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . 52

— Health and Aids (ACP-EU 2611/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

— Biodiversity and the environment (ACP-EU 2612/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

— Biodiversity and environment (ACP-EU 2503/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

— Mining developments and their environmental aspects (ACP-EU 2595/98/fin) . . . . . 63

— Biotechnology (ACP-EU 2613/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

— Post-conflict rehabilitation (ACP-EU 2614/98/fin.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

— The information society and the developing world (ACP-EU 2615/98/fin.) . . . . . . 68

— Damage caused by Hurricane Georges in the Caribbean Region (ACP-EU 2617/98/fin.) . . 71

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/19

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on Intra-ACP cooperation**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its report on Intra-ACP Cooperation (ACP-EU/2492/98),

— having regard to the 1975 Georgetown Agreement,

— having regard to the 1977 Suva Declaration,

— having regard to the 1980 Montego Bay Action Plan,

— having regard to the 1985 Harare Declaration,

— having regard to the 1997 Libreville Declaration by ACP Heads of State and Government,

A. whereas the Georgetown Agreement established the ACP Group not only to contribute to the
development of these States by fulfilling the objectives of the Lomé Convention but, importantly,
and to the same end, by strengthening solidarity of its members and promote effective
cooperation among them,

B. whereas the Suva Declaration outlined a general action programme to serve as the basis for
ACP cooperation and laid down six major areas of intra-ACP cooperation,

C. recalling that these areas were:

— Transport and Communications,

— Trade,

— Development of Intra-ACP Enterprises and Co-Operation in Production,

— Development Finance,

— Technology, know-how and Technical Assistance,

— Cultural, Educational and Scientific Co-Operation,

D. whereas the Suva Declaration also stated that, in pursuing these policies, the promotion of
cooperation at a regional level should be given special consideration,

E. whereas the Montego Bay Action Plan aimed to establish effective intra-ACP cooperation
within a period of five years,

F. whereas the Harare Declaration, taking stock of achievements so far, emphasised the need for
operational and practical cooperation measures that were consistent with the resources available
to ACP States and the need for an appropriate institutional framework able to mobilise the
necessary human resources to implement such measures,

G. whereas, regrettably, the ambitions and hopes of intra-ACP cooperation, as enshrined in the
cited Declarations and Action Plans, have so far had limited success,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/20 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

H. whereas the six above-mentioned areas of cooperation are not exhaustive and, particularly
considering the profound changes which have taken place on the international scene and the
opening up of cooperation to new players, a series of new areas should form an integral part of
future cooperation; whereas the following areas should be treated as special priorities:

— democratisation, the rule of law, and good governance,

— safeguarding human rights, freedom of the Press, and freedom of information,

— eradication of poverty and access to basic services such as clean water, basic education, and
universal health services,

— increased rights for women to enable them to achieve political, legal, social, and economic
equality,

— participation of civil society and women in particular in the planning and decision-making
affecting society at large,

— an economic and employment policy to counter underemployment and unemployment,

I. whereas a renewed and realistic effort to promote intra-ACP cooperation must be adapted to
the financial, human and institutional resources available to ACP States,

J. whereas the fourth Lomé Convention will expire in the year 2000 and the next partnership
agreement shouldinclude several features makingACP unity andsolidarity evenmore important,

_As regards intra-ACP cooperation in general:_

1. Reaffirms the determination of the ACP Group to promote intra-ACP cooperation as a means
to strengthen ACP solidarity and promote self-reliant development;

2. Believes that renewed emphasis must be placed on intra-ACP cooperation, especially in the
light of most of the considerations relating to globalisation;

3. Endorses the view that cooperation at the regional level, which has experienced considerable
success in recent years, should be the cornerstone of intra-ACP cooperation and the axis around
which the bulk of EU support should be directed;

4. Believes this is particularly the case since the regional dimension is set to play an important
part in the new ACP-EU Convention;

5. Believes that the regional dimension of intra-ACP cooperation is particularly important as it,
apart from the well known developmental benefits, should also contribute to the following:

— Collective bargaining on the level of the region which could improve the economic position of
ACP countries in the world economic system,

— Collective strength which could make it easier to resist pressures from the North and improve
cooperation,

— Certain conflicts between and within states would be more easily solved within a regional
framework;

6. Notwithstanding the fact that regional cooperation is and will be the cornerstone of intra-ACP
cooperation, new and innovative forms of cooperation between the three ACP regions, and
bilaterally, must receive renewed attention and support;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/21

_As regards obstacles to intra-ACP cooperation_ :

7. Is fully aware that the ACP countries face a number of difficulties which have slowed down
the progress of intra-ACP cooperation;

8. Believes that these difficulties include, inter alia,:

— the inadequacy of physical and social infrastructures, including transport and communications,
which severely hampers exchanges among individuals, business players and nations alike,

— the lack of energy at competitive costs in many cases, particularly for industrial use,

— the unsatisfactory situation as regards general and vocational education and the inadequate
availability of specialists,

— disparities in resources, size and political influence within the ACP Group which means that
objectives and means are not always the same,

— the lack of peace and stable political conditions in several ACP countries which makes intra-ACP
cooperation impossible,

— the generally poor economic performance of many ACP states in recent years which have led
to the downgrading in priority of intra-ACP cooperation;

_As regards the political dimension_

9. Endorses fully the renewed emphasis on the solidarity, integrity and unity of the ACP Group
which was expressed during the last meeting of the ACP Council in Barbados, May 1998;

10. Believes not only that this aspect is fundamental in relation to the upcoming negotiations
for a future cooperation agreement but is of fundamental importance for the long-term existence
of the ACP group as a political entity;

11. Considers, furthermore, that it is of vital importance in assuring that the ACP side can fully
give its impetus to the strengthened political dialogue which is likely to be one of the main features
of the new partnership;

12. Is of the opinion that an element in the negotiations for a new partnership agreement should
include an assessment of the legal and practical scope for joint action between the ACP and the EU
in a number of issues of fundamental importance for the development of ACP countries, including,
inter alia, WTO negotiations and rules and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment;

13. Believes that, as a fundamental basis, and to go hand in hand with the proposed reinforcement
of the role of Joint Assembly as a whole, the strengthening of dialogue, links and coordination
within the ACP side needs urgent attention and review;

14. Points out, for example, and as an indication of this need, that a large majority of resolutions
which are discussed at the Joint assembly are initiated by the EU side; Considers, therefore, that
measures enabling the ACP side to constructively seek ways of becoming more involved are called
for;

15. In this respect, firmly believes that relations between parliamentarians is a crucial element
of mutual understanding, solidarity and cooperation amongst the ACP countries;

16. Supports, therefore, the proposals to set up an ACP Parliamentary Assembly which would
bring together the ACP members to great advantage, much in the same way as European members
can benefit from dialogue, discussion, preparation and coordination within the European
Parliament; believes this would significantly enhance intra-ACP cooperation and solidarity;

C 79/22 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

17. Takes the view that such an Assembly should be set up and financed exclusively by
contributions from the ACP States themselves, so that its existence and work is truly a reflexion of
the political will necessary to ensure its usefulness and sustainability; also believes that this would
be necessary to guarantee independency of initiative and independency in policy/decision-making;

18. Considers that the role and functioning of the ACP Secretariat, which in most cases is the
hub of coordination, urgently need to be reassessed so as to correspond more effectively to the
needs of intra-ACP coordination;

_As regards conflict prevention, management and resolution_

19. Stresses the importance of including, one way or another, the relevant regional, sub-regional
and local entities in prevention, decision-making, mediation, monitoring and peace-keeping in
order to avoid local conflicts and, where they have already occurred, to achieve durable solutions;

20. Considers, in this context, that intra-ACP cooperation is an invaluable means of achieving
peace and security in ACP countries, particularly in Africa;

21. Lends its full support to the strengthening of regional organisations, such as the OAU,
CARICOM and the Pacific Forum, in conflict prevention, management and resolution; believes
that this must be achieved under the auspices of the UN;

22. Expresses itself in favour, under the conditions set out above, of the proposal to set up
regional listening-posts to monitor ethnic, linguistic, economic, social or religious tensions; believes
that EU support for such arrangements should be one of the elements taken into account in the
new ACP-EU agreement;

23. Completely shares the view, expressed by the European Parliament, that the ideas put
forward by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD for establishing resource
management regimes to adjudicate over conflicts relating to shared resources, such as water,
croplands, forests, should be explored further;

**The current conflicts in the DRC and the Horn of Africa**

_As regards the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo_

24. Expresses its profound concern at the crisis in the area and appeals to all parties to do their
utmost to find peaceful solutions in order to embark on a process of reconstruction, democratisation
and reconciliation;

25. Condemns acts of violence against all civilians and urges all parties to respect human rights
and humanitarian law no matter what developments take place;

_As regards the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia_

26. Urges the Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia to abandon the use of force and to fully
commit themselves to peaceful and legal means of resolving the border dispute; calls for an
immediate cessation of hostilities and the beginning of negotiations with mediators;

27. Believes that it is instrumental that a solution involve independent and neutral mediation,
and, subsequently, the demarcation of borders under the auspices of the United Nations; urges
Eritrea and Ethiopia to immediately agree to such a process;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/23

28. As called for by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, urges the Government of
Ethiopia to respect international human rights norms in relation to ethnic Eritreans in Ethiopia;

_As regards the traditional sectoral priorities of intra-ACP Cooperation, as identified in the Suva_
_Declaration_

29. Endorses the validity of the objectives established and underlines that their potential
contribution to self-reliant development is more valid than ever before;

30. Is aware that the ambitions and hopes of intra-ACP cooperation in this field have, to a
considerable extent, remained unfulfilled;

31. Believes that the modest success so far can be largely explained by a set of factors and
circumstances which, since they are known, can now serve as guidelines for the future improvement
of actions in this field;

32. Believes, particularly, that the following factors have contributed to the limited success of
intra-ACP cooperation in these sectors so far:

— the worsening situation of many ACP states since the 1980s, including, inter alia: worsening
terms of trade, unstainable debt burdens, economic mismanagement and, more often than not
as a result of ACP governments’ failure to act decisively and pro-actively, the imposing of
structural adjustment programmes which have had negative social effects, all of which have
shifted the focus away from intra-ACP cooperation and toward national policies of short term
survival,

— the original programmes as laid down in the Suva Declaration were too ambitious and would
have required a large amount of human, financial and institutional resources that were not
available to the ACP states;

33. Believes that the ACP states need to establish new, more pragmatic and realistic objectives
for the programmes in this field, fully taking into account the human, financial and institutional
capacities available;

34. Calls on the ACP Committee of Ambassadors to prepare a comprehensive analysis of actions
so far, identifying the main problems, and, on the basis of this report, present a revised and more
realistic action plan to the ACP Council;

35. Calls on the Commission to provide the Joint Assembly with an account of the funding
accorded to intra-ACP cooperation under the Lomé 3 and 4 Conventions (excluding support which
has gone specifically to regional cooperation and integration) and to state their view on the
effectiveness of these programmes;

36. Believes that some areas, particularly transport and communications and intra-ACP
enterprises and co-operation in production, should mainly be pursued within the context of regional
cooperation and integration (and within the organisations set up for that purpose);

37. Believes that in order to achieve better progress and reach set objectives, the ACP group
should consider identifying and giving specific priority, (as regards projects relating to intra-ACP
cooperation and which are managed jointly by the ACP Secretariat and the Commission) to one
sector at a time;

38. Also believes that in order to achieve good results, the ACP Group would have to:

a) muster the necessary political will, at all levels, to successfully implement such policies, including
a greater readiness to introduce practical measures to facilitate the flow of people, goods and
services;

b) mobilise, whenever possible, additional resources from the private sector and aim to include
the private sector in relevant projects;

C 79/24 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

c) assure coordination and participation of international and multilateral organisations whenever
appropriate, such as, for example, UNESCO in matters of cultural cooperation;

d) give serious consideration to the setting up an ACP Technical Assistance Programme in order
to use existing ACP knowledge and expertise before having recourse to foreign assistance; In
this context, asks the Commission to make all efforts possible to use ACP experts and firms in
the planning and implementation of Lomé projects which are at present predominantly carried
out by Europeans;

**Examples of new areas of intra ACP cooperation:**

_As regards Civil Society Groups, NGO_ s

39. Believes that decentralised cooperation and civil society groups have a crucial role to play in
finding solutions to many problems facing ACP countries, since they seek to promote measures
and projects affecting the everyday lives of individuals; considers that, among other parties, regional
and local authorities, associations, private initiatives, training establishments, nongovernmental
development aid agencies, and activities organised by representatives of the poorest population
groups should be encompassed within operations on the ground designed to further the above
ends;

40. Underlines, at the same time, the importance of enhancing the capacities of legitimate states
— especially at local level — proceeding in accordance with separation of powers and good
governance, thus enabling dialogue and the definition of responsibilities which is fundamental to
the development of civil society and to ensure complementarity between the state and NGOs;

41. Stresses, once again, that sustainable development, regardless of the problems to be tackled,
can be achieved only with the resolute support of the population and the necessary processes of
change will be impossible to accomplish unless the people accept and help to shape them and
assume their share of responsibility; considers that measures and programmes to promote women,
children and young people form an indispensable integral part of the development process; warmly
welcomes the work done to date by NGOs in these areas which must receive renewed attention
and support, as must bi- and multilateral cooperation with civil society; points out that the most
powerful instrument to real gender equality is education, which merits special priority; maintains
that education measures which foster greater self-reliance deserve particular backing;

42. Believes that measures to enhance cooperation between NGOs within, and between, the
ACP regions should be encouraged and supported;

43. Believes, in particular, that such measures should include:

— support to strengthen networking capacity of NGOs,

— the sharing, updating and dissemination of information and experiences,

— establishment of databases;

_As regards fisheries_

44. Stresses the importance of intra-ACP cooperation as many concerns are common, the same
species are at risk of over-exploitation in all areas, similar information gaps exist and scientific
approaches to assessments of stock conditions are the same;

45. Warmly welcomes the cooperation taking place at regional level and believes that further
progress in this field is crucial to the conservation and management of fishery resources;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/25

46. Notes that, in terms of cooperation between the ACP regions, it would appear that there is
further scope for cooperation between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean Regions, on the one hand,
and ‘Atlantic’ Africa and the Caribbean, on the other;

47. Affirms that the management of marine resources is an important factor of local economic
and social development of the coastal ACP countries;

48. Believes, therefore, that intra-ACP cooperation should also be encouraged in the areas of
marine pollution control, human resource development and training and encouraging exchanges
between fishworkers, particularly in the artisan sector;

49. Instructs its Co-presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the
Commission.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on ACP-EU trade relations in the fisheries sector and the sanitary standards for the export to the**
**European Union of fishery products**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health
conditions for the export to the European Union of fishery products( [2] ), and Commission
Decision 97/296/CE of 22 April 1997 drawing up the list of third countries from which
the import of fishery products is authorised for human consumption( [3] ), as amended by
Decision 98/419/CE of 30 June 1998( [4] ),

— having regard to the resolution on ACP fisheries and the 8th EDF, adopted in Brussels (Belgium)
on 20 March 1997( [5] ),

— having regard to European Commission Decision No 97/20 of 17 December 1996 which lists
the third countries from which imports of bivalve molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms and marine
gastropods are authorised within the EU,

— having regard to the resolution on ACP-EU cooperation in the fisheries sector beyond the year
2000, adopted in Lomé (Togo) on 29 October 1997( [6] ),

— having regard to the Resolution No 1/LXV/97 on imports of fisheries products into the EU
from third countries adopted by the 65th session of the ACP Council of Ministers held in
Brussels from 21 to 23 April 1997,

A. conscious of the importance of the fishery sector for the economic development of a number of
ACP States, especially as regards foreign exchange earnings, employment opportunities, and
the development in general of these countries,

B. aware of the fact that fisheries exports may enter the Community market provided they meet
EU sanitary and phytosanitary standards,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).
( [2] ) OJ L 268, 24.9.1991, p. 15.
( [3] ) OJ L 122, 14.5.1997, p. 21.
( [4] ) OJ L 190, 4.7.1998, p. 55.
( [5] ) OJ C 308, 9.10.1997, p. 26.
( [6] ) OJ C 96, 30.3.1998, p. 32.

C 79/26 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

C. recognising that modernisation of existing infrastructures, and the construction of new ones,
especially canneries, require heavy capital investment to be carried by ACP enterprises in order
to meet EU standards,

D. worried that Community health conditions for the export of fishery products may drive artisanal
fish products out of trade with the EU, as the volumes involved would not warrant the
investment required to meet these standards in enterprises marketing artisanally caught fish,

E. having regard to the possibilities provided by the EDF for assisting the ACP fisheries sector,

1. Affirms that sanitary and phytosanitary regulations must not be used as non-tariff barriers to
ACP exports to the EU;

2. Expresses concern at the fact that the implementation of European Commission Decision 98/419/CE of 30 June 1998, with effect from 1 July 1998, is seriously affecting the export
earnings and jeopardising the considerable investment made in the fishery export sector of some
ACP States, which are not on the List of Third Countries authorised to export fish and fishery
products or the third country list authorising the export of marine gastropods, including conch, to
the EU, and has led to the laying-off of employees in some ACP and EU companies; companies in
some of these States had been exporting fish and fishery products to the EU for over a decade,
during the course of which relations of mutual trust and confidence had been built up with partner
companies in Europe;

3. Affirms in this regard the need for coherence between the EU’s stated development objectives,
particularly the eradication of poverty, which is linked to the encouragement of small and medium
sized enterprises, and its trade and trade-related policies and regulations;

4. Emphasises the importance, within the context of the upcoming negotiations for a new
partnership agreement, of according sufficient assistance to ACP countries wishing to create,
maintain, extend or strengthen national legislation, as well as reinforcing the role of veterinary
authorities capable of certifying exports bound for the Community;

5. Asks the Commission to evaluate different ways of launching specific programmes of financial
and technical assistance, and training so that affected ACP States will obtain the support necessary
to meet Community health standards; particular attention should be given to artisanal and
semi-industrial fish workers, who lack access to the necessary knowledge and finance; such
programmes should not hamper the development and supply of local and regional markets which
are necessary for local food security;

6. Implores the Commission to expedite its consideration of those applications already made by
ACP countries to be placed on the lists of third countries authorised to export fish, fishery products
and the list of third countries authorised to export bivalve molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, and
marine gastropods, including conch, to the EU;

7. Encourages ACP governments to take account of the development potential of the fishing
sector and related services when deciding on the use to be made of resources allocated under the
EDF;

8. In this respect, consideration should be given to the different instruments available under
decentralised cooperation and, particularly, to micro-credits;

9. Asks the Commission to consult with ACP States, as provided for under Article 12 of the
Lomé IV Convention, before putting forward proposals concerning sanitary legislation which may
have an impact on trade;

10. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/27

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the effects of the euro on the ACP countries, including on the CFA franc**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. having regard to the introduction as of 1 January 1999 of the single European currency, which
will progressively replace the currencies of participating countries on the basis of parities fixed
definitively and irrevocably,

B. having regard to the monetary cooperation agreements existing between France and 14 countries
of West Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean meeting within the franc zone, a forms of
cooperation based on fixed parity with the French franc and a guarantee of convertibility
assured by the French Treasury,

C. whereas the introduction of the euro as a currency of transaction will have a major impact at
international level, in particular affecting the ACP countries, whose principal global trading
partner is the European Union,

D. whereas the stability expected to characterise economic and monetary union should benefit the
Union’s ACP partners not only in terms of trade, thanks to the reduction in exchange-rate risks,
but also economically and financially by giving them the option of greater control over their
external debt and balance of payments,

E. whereas the franc zone states have expressed the wish to maintain the cooperation links that
have existed between them for several decades,

F. having regard to France’s subsequent commitmenttopursue monetary cooperation and maintain
the guarantee by the public Treasury,

G. having regard to the proposal for a Commission recommendation to the Council on future
relations between the euro on the one hand and the CFA and Comoran franc on the other,

1. Considers that the achievement of economic and monetary union in Europe, and more
particularly, the introduction of a single currency, can have a favourable impact overall on ACP
countries, in particular in relation to trade;

2. Considers nevertheless that it will be necessary to dispel fears that have arisen in some ACP
countries concerning in particular the impact of EMU on the volume of aid that Europe devotes to
its partner countries’ development;

3. Welcomes the agreement in principle expressed by the Member States at the Ecofin Council
of 6 July 1998 on the Commission proposal for a recommendation to the Council making it possible
to retain the existing agreements between France and the countries of the franc zone, and making
the signatories to these agreements responsible for their implementation;

4. Also welcomes with satisfaction the fact that this recommendation provides for the
Commission, the Economic and Financial Committee and the Ecofin Council to receive detailed
information on the decisions adopted by France concerning the CFA franc;

5. Calls on the Ecofin Council to do what it announced at its meeting on 6 July 1998 and, after
consulting the European Central Bank in autumn 1998, take an official decision on future ties
between the CFA franc area and the euro;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/28 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

6. Calls, moreover, on the European Commission to verify and appraise exhaustively the
practical aspects of the introduction of economic and monetary union likely to have an adverse
impact on ACP-country interests, and to draw up proposals for mitigating the difficulties thus
identified;

7. Calls on the Commission to inform the Joint Assembly at its next meeting on the potential
effects of the inclusion of the CFA Franc into the euro, both in terms of the social and economic
consequences for the CFA countries;

8. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the impact of this development on trade flows and the
potential distortion in competition between CFA and non-CFA countries in the region;

9. Points to the importance of sound financial and budgetary policy and therefore looks to the
ACP States to pursue coherent economic and monetary policies in order to bring about and
consolidate the stability required to meet the challenges of globalisation and international
competitiveness;

10. Points out that the ACP States also have the task of establishing propitious economic
conditions to promote sustainable development and creating a favourable climate for investment
by clearing away administrative hurdles, adopting comprehensible investment laws, and issuing
aid programmes;

11. Points out that a coherent economic and monetary policy is also a key means of promoting
closer regional economic integration;

12. InstructsitsCo-PresidentstoforwardthisresolutiontotheACP-EUCouncil,theCommission,
and the Ecofin Council.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the effects of the euro on ACP countries and the franc zone**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the Maastricht Treaty, in particular Articles 109(5) and 234 thereof,

A. having regard to the introduction as of 1 January 1999 of the single European currency, which
will progressively replace the currencies of participating countries on the basis of parities fixed
definitively and irrevocably,

B. whereas the introduction of the euro as a currency of transaction will have a major impact at
international level, in particular affecting the ACP countries, whose principal global trading
partner is the European Union,

C. whereas the stability expected to characterise economic and monetary union should benefit the
Union’s ACP partners not only in terms of trade, thanks to the reduction in exchange-rate risks,
but also economically and financially by giving them the option of greater control over their
external debt and balance of payments,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/29

D. having regard nevertheless to the fears expressed by ACP States of seeing EMU and the increased
rigour it implies in the management of public finances exerting downward pressure on the flow
of public finances and on the volume of development aid originating with the European Union
and its Member States,

E. having regard to the monetary cooperation agreements existing between France and 14 countries
of West Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean meeting within the franc zone, a forms of
cooperation based on fixed parity with the French franc and a guarantee of convertibility
assured by the French Treasury,

F. whereas the franc zone states have expressed the wish to maintain the cooperation links that
have existed between them for several decades,

G. having regard to France’s subsequent commitment to pursue monetary cooperation and
maintain the guarantee by the public Treasury, in accordance with the option expressly
stipulated in Article 109(5) of the Maastricht Treaty,

H. having regard to the proposal for a Commission recommendation to the Council on future
relations between the euro on the one hand and the CFA and Comoran franc on the other,

1. Considers that the achievement of economic and monetary union in Europe, and more
particularly, the introduction of a single currency, can have a favourable impact overall on ACP
countries, in particular in relation to trade;

2. Considers nevertheless that it will be necessary to dispel fears that have arisen in some ACP
countries concerning in particular the impact of EMU on the volume of aid that Europe devotes to
its partner countries’ development;

3. Calls, consequently, on the institutions of the European Union and those of the Member
States, whether qualifying for the first stage of the euro or not, formally to undertake that they will
maintain a volume of financial aid that will be equal to the challenges of lasting development in
the ACP states;

4. Calls, moreover, on the European Commission to verify and appraise exhaustively the
practical aspects of the introduction of economic and monetary union likely to have an adverse
impact on ACP-country interests, and to draw up proposals for mitigating the difficulties thus
identified;

5. Notes the resolve demonstrated by franc zone member states to pursue the monetary
cooperation implemented under this framework, and welcomes in that connection the agreement
in principle adopted by the Member States at the 6 July 1998 Ecofin Council on maintaining the
existing agreements between France and the franc zone countries, management of which continues
to be the responsibility of the latter;

6. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

C 79/30 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on trade and development**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on international trade and on ACP-EU trade relations,

— having regard to the joint declaration on the development of trade annexed to the Final Act of
the revised Fourth Lomé Convention,

— recalling the Beijing Declaration from the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing,
4-15 September 1995, which encourages states, among other things, to ‘seek to ensure that
national policies related to international and regional trade agreements do not have an adverse
impact on women’s new and traditional economic activities’,

A. whereas it is essential to guarantee effective use of all the instruments proposed by the
Convention in order to develop trade and services and whereas improving the competitiveness
of the ACP States is the key to all future success of the development of trade,

B. whereas the development of trade and services is crucial for the growth of the ACP economies,
their smooth and gradual integration into the world economy and the alleviation of poverty in
these states,

C. stressing the value and importance of the preferential access regime which applies to the ACP
countries, and recognising that hitherto this regime has tended particularly to favour exports
of raw materials rather than manufactured goods and/or services,

D. whereas the preferential access arrangements contribute to socio-economic development and to
the establishment of the stable and predictable environment which is a necessary precondition
for investment and enhanced competitiveness and being fully aware of the catalytic role which
the involvement in the widest field of services could play in the competitiveness and development
of ACP countries,

E. having regard to the need to ensure that European Union policies are consistent with the
objectives of development cooperation,

F. aware of the fact that the World Trade Organisation’s Third Ministerial Conference will take
place in autumn 1999,

G. stressing the importance which the European Union should attach to maintaining its
commitments to its ACP partners, given that it might enter into commitments _vis-à-vis_ other
partners, particularly in connection with new free trade agreements and the WTO system,

H. whereas the Lomé Convention offers the ACP countries terms of access to the EU market which
are more favourable than those laid down by the WTO and whereas indiscriminate enforcement
of WTO rules might jeopardise the sustainable development of the ACP countries,

1. Calls on the European Union to make the negotiations on the new Convention the occasion
to reaffirm the priority of its trade commitments to the ACP countries, proceeding in accordance
with a comprehensive strategy to eradicate poverty and ensure that trade, services and investment
become genuine instruments of human, social and economic development;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/31

2. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the future ACP-EU Convention includes provisions
which will enable the objectives set at UN conferences (in particular the commitments made at Rio
in 1992 and Copenhagen in 1995) to be achieved;

3. Considers that account should be taken of the concerns which the ACP countries expressed
at the Libreville Summit on the subject of the possible upset to their fragile, vulnerable economies
and the possible collapse of the social fabric which may come about if the WTO rules and
obligations were applied indiscriminately;

4. Insists on the need to improve the current system of preferences and accordingly asks that
trade agreements should offer the ACP States more effective arrangements, above all in those areas
where this would be to the immediate benefit of the economies of the countries concerned, for
instance in the services sector;

5. Supports the position of the ACP countries by asking the EU to allow special, individual
treatment of the developing countries in the application of the rules and regulations governing
international economic transactions;

6. Considers that the Commission’s present timetable for creating reciprocal free trade areas
compatible with WTO rules is extremely ambitious; calls on the Union and the ACP States
collectively to negotiate a waiver within the WTO to ensure that a significantly longer transitional
period is granted and existing non-reciprocal preferences under the Lomé Convention are extended
and improved in regions where ACP producers have realistic prospects of increasing and developing
their production;

7. Calls on the European Union to support initiatives aimed at reinforcing the ACP group’s
ability to negotiate in the WTO;

8. Calls on the European Union to strengthen its partnership with the ACP countries with a
view to negotiating changes to the WTO rules;

9. Calls for a substantial increase in public aid for development and for the allocation of
additional resources under that heading to support diversification programmes;

10. Calls for greater attention to be devoted in the future Convention to the objective of
diversifying ACP production and the outlets therefor, without prejudice to compliance with
minimum health and environmental standards;

11. Considers that the primacy of the sustainable development objective must be affirmed and
incorporated into the statutes and policies of international institutions and into the agreements
relating to the functioning of world trade;

12. Urges that the emphasis be placed on support for regional integration in order to ensure that
integration processes are politically, economically and socially sustainable;

13. Urges the European Union and the ACP governments to take gender into account in all their
trade and economic policies;

14. Requests the European Union to identify and support actions and projects which enable
women in ACP countries to make their voices heard, and which ensure their participation in
financial and economic decision-making;

15. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, and the
Commission.

C 79/32 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. whereas, for nearly three years, a Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) has been under
secret negotiation within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD),

B. whereas the MAI is an initial attempt to bring together multilateral rules in three areas:
protection of investment, liberalisation of investment and settlement of disputes,

C. whereas the aim of this agreement is to place all investors on an equal footing, thus in effect
giving full rights to multinational companies at the expense of states and their peoples,

D. whereas the globalisation of markets as conceived by the economic and financial powers
represents a major political risk in that it places commercial and economic considerations above
political, social and environmental considerations,

1. Calls for all states, including the developing countries, to be party to the negotiations and
considers that, these days, the most appropriate international forum for negotiating an international
conventiononinvestmentistheUNCTAD(UnitedNations ConferenceonTradeandDevelopment);

2. Calls for such a convention to be subordinate in law to multilateral agreements and resolutions
on the environment, consumer protection, social and cultural rights and the rights of the individual;

3. Considers that an agreement on investment should begin by setting out its objectives and
should define the rights and duties of investors and governments, and also that human progress
should prevail over economic constraints, for which reason social, environmental and fiscal
dumping should be banned;

4. Calls for all countries which are party to the Convention on the MAI to be able to maintain
or adopt legislation which is compatible with the above objectives and for all countries to be able
to require any investor arriving on their territory to produce results;

5. Maintains that, as regards the protection of public health and the environment, the principle
of caution must be an unbreakable rule;

6. Calls for the use of identical technical standards (as regards the protection of workers and
the general population) to be made compulsory for multinational companies, irrespective of the
country in which they invest;

7. Considers that the settlement of disputes should entitle any country, on its initiative or at the
request of an investor under its jurisdiction, to take action against any other country or investor
and that the arbitration body should be set up with the approval of a substantial majority of
signatories;

8. Considers that any state which is party to the Convention must be entitled to specify the
exceptions which it regards as necessary to the continuation of its development policies;

9. Considers that the Convention on the MAI must not affect the right of regional organisations
to conduct such investment policies as they judge to be in accordance with the common interest of
their members;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/33

10. Considers it important that accession to the Convention should involve a prior democratic
debate in each country and an assessment of the impact on laws and policies currently in force;

11. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the situation in Kenya following the mission by the Co-President, Lord Plumb**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the invitation to the Co-President from the government of Kenya to visit that
country,

— having regard to the mission to Kenya by the Co-President from 3 to 8 September 1998,

— having regard to the very complete programme for the mission, which included meetings with
H.E. President Daniel Arap Moi, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Ministers
responsible for Finance, Planning and National Development, East African and Regional
Cooperation, Information and Broadcasting, Internal Security, the Attorney General, the
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Leader of the opposition, leading figures of the
principal political parties, representatives of the Churches, representatives of women’s
organisations, representatives of both national and international NGOs, representatives of the
IMF and the World Bank, and the Diplomatic representatives of the EU Member States,

A. recognising the key role played by Kenya in the East African region and its importance for the
Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa,

1. Stresses the importance of maintaining the stability of Kenya, situated as it is in an area of
Africa beset by conflicts and instability;

2. Notes with approval that Kenya is now a much more open and free society than it had been
in the recent past, and that there are now no political prisoners in the country; congratulates both
the Kenyan government and the opposition on this positive evolution;

3. Welcomes the progress being made towards constitutional reform, and notes that both the
government and the principal opposition parties are in broad agreement regarding the modalities
for revising the Constitution;

4. Expresses its deepest sympathy with the Government and people of Kenya, and with the
Government and people of Tanzania, both of which are facing up to the carnage wrought by the
despicable bomb blasts in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam on 7 August 1998; notes that while the
Nairobi blast killed 255 people and injured some 5 000 people, it gave rise to a new spirit of national
unity and collaboration between the different political parties that augurs well for the future of
Kenyan democracy;

5. Urges the European Union and its Member States to provide timely material assistance to
those affected by the Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam bomb blasts, and to assist in the rehabilitation
and reconstruction effort;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/34 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

6. Acknowledges that considerable advances have been made with regard to law reform, notably
with the removal of restrictions on the holding of public meetings and the abolition of the offence
of sedition, encourages the Kenyan government and Parliament to press ahead vigorously with
further legal reform, including the revision of the press laws;

7. Notes that the press is remarkably free in Kenya, while the broadcast media is under greater
Government influence; encourages the Minister responsible to grant licences to truly independent
operators for the new local television and radio stations that should be authorised to begin
broadcasting in the near future;

8. Notes with approval that the inter-tribal clashes in the Rift Valley that took place just
after December 1997 elections were much more firmly dealt with by the government than was the
case for the 1991/1992 clashes when thousands were driven from their lands, often for political
reasons; welcomes the setting up of a judicial enquiry into the causes of the recent clashes;

9. Sees the need for radical improvements in policing and the provision of increased resources
for the judiciary and the prison service; calls for steps to be taken to improve morale and conditions
of employment and accommodation for the police, members of which have on several occasions,
been responsible for human rights abuses; notes with approval that policemen accused of human
rights abuses have been prosecuted and when found guilty, dismissed or demoted;

10. Notes that the Kenyan economy is in a serious condition, a situation exacerbated by interest
rates standing at some 27 %, and wide scale corruption; encourages the Kenyan authorities to
adopt the necessary difficult measures, as laid out in the Minister for Finance’s recent budget
speech, aimed at

— balancing the budget to eliminate the fiscal deficit,

— reducing government borrowing,

— lengthening the maturity of domestic debt,

— reducing domestic interest rates,

— improving the availability of credit to the private sector, these objectives to be achieved through

— revenue consolidation,

— public expenditure reduction,

— combatting corruption,

— speeding up privatisation,

— tightening up the administration of customs and excise,

— reforming the civil service,

— reforming local government;

11. Believes that until the necessary reforms can be brought about, and interest rates lowered, it
will be difficult to encourage foreign companies to invest in Kenya, and to discourage Kenyans
from investing abroad;

12. Encourages the further privatisation of inefficient state companies, notably the railways;

13. Supports the Government of Kenya in its determination not to give way to high wage
increase demands, notably in the public sector;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/35

14. Stresses the importance of the rule of law, and of effective law enforcement; welcomes the
Kenyan government’s recognition that corruption is a serious problem and encourages the
government to tackle corruption vigorously, inter alia by giving real power to the anticorruption
authority and by ensuring that it is itself above reproach with impeccably correct commissioners
and staff;

15. Recognises that the degraded state of Kenya’s transport infrastructure inhibits economic
development; notes that a major project to rehabilitate the main Nairobi-Mombasa road out of
EDF funds is currently being examined by the Commission’s services; points out that unless the
rules governing lorry loads and axel weights, which lead to road deterioration, are scrupulously
respected, international donors, including the EU would be reluctant to put money into further
road projects;

16. Acknowledges the fact that political stability has resulted in Kenya being a haven for refugees
from troubled areas, notably Somalia, which imposes a strain on both internal security and the
economy; calls on the international community, including the EU and its Member States, to
continue to support these refugees, and to assist the local populations in the areas in which there
are high concentrations of refugees so that disparities in the level of services provided to the refugees
do not lead to greater resentment, tension and unrest on the part of the local people;

17. Congratulates the Kenyan government and people on its progress towards democracy,
openness and improved respect for human rights; points out that much remains to be done and
that courageous action will be needed in the coming years if Kenya is to become a full, free
democracy governed at all times by the rules of law; recognises that serious problems still exist
with regard to the economy and corruption, and encourages the Kenyan authorities to take
courageous action to as to achieve a satisfactory level of economic growth and to effectively combat
corruption.

18. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the OAU decision to set up the OAU committee of Heads of States and its
continuing mediation efforts,

A. deploring the outbreak of hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia, which has already resulted
in a very high toll of military and civilian victims and greatly worsens the political situation in
the Horn of Africa,

B. deploring bombing raids on both sides that caused the loss of many lives among the civilian
population and forced part of the population to flee,

C. profoundly disturbed at the reports of abuses and human rights violations being perpetrated,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/36 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

D. recalling that after Eritrean independence in 1993, a boundary commission was set up and was
meeting without major incident until a few days before the military clash took place in May
1998,

E. recalling, however, that the last fighting between the two countries took place on 15 June and
that Ethiopia and Eritrea have maintained the status quo since then,

F. deeply concerned at the risk of further escalation in the fighting, despite various mediation
attempts and the urgent appeals from the international community as a whole, and the
consequent danger that the entire region might be destabilised and have to suffer the resulting
long-term implications,

1. Roundly condemns the outbreak of hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea and addresses an
urgent appeal to both parties to declare a complete and immediate cease-fire and state their
willingness to seek a peaceful political solution to the territorial disputes;

2. Calls for an immediate end to all arbitrary actions and human rights violations (arbitrary
expulsions, detention, deportation, and the like) being perpetrated;

3. Calls on the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea to reopen their direct dialogue and keep
alive the international mediation efforts;

4. Considers that the territorial conflict between these two countries must be settled by
negotiation in order to find a lasting peaceful and political solution to the problems between the
two parties, and urges the two parties to settle the border dispute through the boundary commission
with the help of mediators and/or through the International Court of Justice;

5. Considers that, above and beyond the settlement of the border issue, only a clear definition
of the rules governing the economic and political relations between the two countries will bring
about a lasting peace, and those rules must be drawn up in a way which involves the democratic
participation of the peoples concerned and on the basis of respect for both countries’ legitimate
interests;

6. Supports the mediation moves being proposed by the Organisation of African Unity and other
mediation efforts undertaken at international level and calls on the Council of the European Union
and on the Organisation of African Unity to put pressure on the two countries to accept a political
settlement of this conflict;

7. Calls on the Council to take any useful measures to support the process of mediation by the
Organisation of African Unity and to take any measures, in regard to the two parties, which
promote a swift and sustainable settlement of the conflict;

8. Calls on all political forces and all the components of civil society in Ethiopia and Eritrea to
do all they can to initiate a policy of constructive dialogue with their respective governments and
to refrain from any act which may lead to a dangerous escalation of the conflict;

9. Calls on the Commission to give consistent support to the humanitarian actions on behalf of
the victims of this conflict, in particular the operations of the World Food Programme, with a view
to replenishing stocks and setting up an efficient system of aid distribution;

10. Calls on the parties in conflict to respect fully international humanitarian law and call on
them to cooperate fully with the humanitarian organisations operating on their territory with the
aim of providing aid to the inhabitants who have been hard hit by the conflict;

11. Resolves to send as a matter of urgency a joint mission of the ACP-EU Bureau to Eritrea and
Ethiopia to ascertain the real causes of the conflict and the human rights conditions in both
countries;

12. InstructsitsCo-PresidentstoforwardthisresolutiontotheACP-EUCouncil,theCommission,
the United Nations, the OAU and the governments of Ethiopia, Eritrea, the United States and
Djibouti.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/37

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the situation in Sudan**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its past resolutions on Sudan,

— having regard to the declaration of 1 May 1998 by the Presidency of the European Union,

A. deeply concerned at the civil war which has continued in Sudan for more than 14 years and
which has caused immense human suffering, particularly among civilians, gross human rights
violations from all parties involved in the conflict, massive displacement, and a breakdown of
economic and social structures,

B. particularly concerned by the continuing deterioration in the humanitarian situation in southern
Sudan, in particular in the region of Bhar-al-Ghazal, which threatens millions of people with
starvation, and aware that the drought will only worsen the situation,

C. outraged by the difficulties encountered by humanitarian organisations in transporting food
aid and medicines, and even more so by their diversion,

D. recalling in particular its condemnation of the repressive and anti-democratic actions of the
Sudanese Government, which have taken the form of repeated violations of human rights
(particularly political and religious rights), forced conscription (particularly of children) and
support for international terrorism, in contempt of the numerous warnings and sanctions
imposed by the international community,

E. moreover, gravely concerned at the ongoing repression of Christians, as evidenced by the
demolition of a number of Christian places of worship and the current attempts to discredit the
Catholic Church,

F. concerned at the mounting destabilisation in the Horn of Africa owing to the spread of the
conflict to other border regions in Sudan (western and eastern Sudan) and the Sudanese
Government’s networking with rebel groups in neighbouring countries,

G. reiterating its firm belief that the IGAD’s peace initiative is the most effective means of achieving
a permanent resolution of the Sudanese conflict and recalling that, at the end of the negotiations
held in early May in Nairobi under the aegis of the IGAD, the Sudanese Government and the
Sudanese People’s Liberation Army reached agreement on the principle of a referendum on
self-determination, supervised by the international community, to be held after a transitional
period, the duration of which is still to be determined,

1. Once again forcefully condemns the Sudanese Government for its repeated violations of
human rights and its undeniable support for international terrorist organisations;

2. Calls on the conflicting parties to continue negotiating under the authority of the IGAD in
order to overcome the differences which still divide them and to work unremittingly towards a
peaceful settlement of the conflict which will put an end to the sufferings of the Sudanese people;

3. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to allocate emergency humanitarian aid as
quickly as possible in order to save the lives of the afflicted peoples, to maintain sanctions and to
suspend development co-operation until the Government of Sudan refrains from human rights
violations and the denial of humanitarian relief to its own people;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/38 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

4. Calls on the conflicting parties to work together, without reservations or conditions, to supply
and deliver humanitarian aid and to guarantee freedom of access and movement for humanitarian
agencies in the areas affected by food shortages;

5. Calls on the Sudanese Government to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions 1058
and 1070 by ratifying and implementing the UN Convention against torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment and by safeguarding human rights, respecting the
rights of religious minorities, releasing unconditionally all political prisoners and extraditing the
three persons suspected of involvement in the assassination attempt on President Mubarak of
Egypt;

6. Furthermore, calls on the Government of Sudan to prohibit all financial, military and
economic activities of terrorist-related groups in Sudan and to participate fully and sincerely in the
international fight against terrorism;

7. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN
Secretary-General, the IGAD Member States, the Government of Sudan and the leaders of the
Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the situation in the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— recalling its previous resolutions on the situation in the Great Lakes Region and in the
Democratic Republic of Congo in particular,

A. deeply concerned at the persistent instability in the Great Lakes Region and at the grave
situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular,

B. noting with concern the involvement of foreign forces in the conflict,

C. concerned by the serious destabilisation caused in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the
presence on its territory of many rebel groups which use this country as a base for their
offensives both within Congo and against the neighbouring countries,

D. concerned by the fact that these rebel groups use the civilian population as hostages and enrol
even children in their forces; concerned also by the many civilian casualties which result from
these activities,

E. stressing that the European Union must play an active role in order to ensure peace, security
and stability in this part of the world,

F. whereas on 31 August 1998 the UN Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire, the
withdrawal of all foreign forces and the opening of a political dialogue to put an end to the civil
war; whereas on the same occasion it also upheld the territorial integrity of the Democratic
Republic of Congo and all regional diplomatic initiatives towards a peaceful settlement of the
conflict, and called again for an international Conference on Peace, Security and Development
in the region to be organised by the UN and the OAU,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/39

G. whereas any negotiated settlement in the Democratic Republic of Congo must be based on a
process of national reconciliation which fully respects the equality and the harmonious
coexistence of all ethnic groups, allows for the return and reintegration of refugees and displaced
persons, and leads to the holding of early free and fair democratic elections,

H. whereas the continuing presence of refugees in the Great Lakes Region, due to the persistent
ethnic violence and gross human rights violations that have characterised the recent history of
Rwanda,BurundiandDemocraticRepublicofCongo,hasresultedinatremendoushumanitarian
crisis, which requires the urgent attention of the international community as well as full and
unconditional access to be granted to humanitarian agencies and personnel,

I. whereas the EU, in the last four years, has contributed an amount of ECU 593 million for
humanitarian aid in the region; deploring, despite this aid, the lack of a Council initiative on
the conflict in Congo, and wishing to see a European Union initiative addressed to all the
African countries involved in the crisis,

J. regretting the fact that the mediation efforts undertaken since the start of the conflict have
ended in failure and that the warring factions have not agreed to a ceasefire,

K. mindful of the acts of violence and grave human rights violations committed against civilians
and prisoners alike in the region,

1. Condemns all the human rights violations, summary executions, torture, harassment,
ethnically motivated arrests of civilians, enrolment of children as soldiers as well as ethnic
propaganda and incitement to ethnic violence, which have been openly committed in this conflict;

2. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces as
well as for full respect for the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo;

3. Insists that any peace talks have to involve all parties to the conflict and must be based on the
principles set out in the Security Council Declaration of 29 August 1998, in particular full respect
for the peaceful coexistence of all ethnic groups and the holding of free and democratic elections
as soon as possible;

4. Welcomes the recent allocation of EUR 55.5 million in humanitarian aid by the Commission
and calls on the EU to put pressure on all parties to the conflict to fully respect humanitarian law
and to guarantee the forwarding of humanitarian aid and the security of humanitarian personnel;

5. Calls on the EU to support fully the UN initiative for an international Conference on Peace,
Security and Development in the region, which must address in particular the problem of refugees
and displaced persons in the region;

6. Calls for a Council initiative on the conflict in Congo and considers that a European Union
initiative is needed, addressed to all the African countries involved in the crisis;

7. Considers that ACP-EU cooperation with the Democratic Republic of Congo is vital in
supporting the democratisation and development of a country which is recovering from a
dictatorship and stresses that an end to all military hostilities, respect for international humanitarian
conventions and human rights and the establishment of democratic institutions are prerequisites
for the implementation of such cooperation;

8. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the
ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the UN, OAU and SADC Secretaries-General and the governments
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi,
Tanzania and South Africa.

C 79/40 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on Congo (Brazzaville)**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Congo (Brazzaville),

A. recalling that since 1993 Congo has experienced a series of events and bloody confrontations
which have culminated in the emergence or strengthening of various militias, frequently
recruited on an ethnic basis,

B. deploring the population exoduses, especially in the capital, Brazzaville, during the civil war
that began on 5 June and ended on 15 October 1997,

C. noting a stabilisation in the political situation since the end of this conflict and some return to
normality in the capital, Brazzaville,

D. having regard to the Fourth Lomé Convention, especially Article 5, in which the signatory states
undertake to respect political rights and democratic principles,

E. noting the establishment by the new authorities of a government of national unity and the
holdingof aforum ofnational reconciliation toformulate proceduresfor a three-yeartransitional
period to pluralistic elections supervised by Parliament,

F. recognising the new government’s efforts to devise a reconstruction programme and to resume
relations with the international financial community,

G. having regard to the operations to disarm the militias, which have been under way since the
end of the recent war,

H. concerned at the dangers of destabilisation in a region already ravaged by wars and ethnic
conflicts, which continue to rage in neighbouring countries,

I. deploring the Council’s lack of initiative with regard to the crisis in the subregion,

1. Calls on the Congolese authorities to continue to implement a programme for the full
restoration of the rule of law and democratic institutions, recalling that the holding of free and
democratic elections is a more effective means of guaranteeing stability and economic and social
development;

2. Urges the international community, in particular the European Union, to keep a close watch
on the organisation of the elections and, at subsequent stages, to provide assistance in keeping with
the institutional system established by the Congolese authorities;

3. Calls for the situation in Congo to be assessed in the context of a regional approach;

4. Calls on the Commission to seek resumption of technical and financial cooperation with
Congo, to support the reconstruction programmes needed for any economic and social recovery,
consolidating the democratic process, the starting-point for national reconciliation and the drive
to eradicate all forms of corruption;

5. Calls on the Congolese authorities to complete the operations to disarm and disband the
militias, given that they could still jeopardise the stability of the country;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/41

6. Calls on the Joint Assembly to undertake a fact-finding mission to Congo;

7. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission,
the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the OAU, and the Congolese authorities.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on Nigeria**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. whereas the democratic process in Nigeria was brutally interrupted in 1993 by the cancellation
of the results of the presidential elections and the establishment of a military regime under
General Abacha,

B. welcoming the significant changes that have taken place in Nigeria since General Sani Abacha’s
death in June this year and the Nigerian government’s announcement of the forthcoming
elections, the adoption of a new transition programme and its promise to respect freedoms of
expression and association,

C. expressing its regret over the death of Chief Moshood Abiola when still in detention, whilst
believing that the conditions of his incarceration contributed significantly to his early death,
and extending its deepest sympathies to his family,

D. welcoming the Nigerian Government’s decision to release a significant number of political
prisoners, including 21 Ogonis,

E. having regard to the need to restore a genuine civilian and democratic government in Africa’s
most populous country,

F. whereas the European Union has imposed sanctions on Nigeria and suspended cooperation
under the Lomé Convention,

G. welcoming the recent announcement by General Abubakar of a new transition programme, his
presentation of the draft of a new democratic Constitution and his commitment to hand power
to a civilian government in May 1999 after elections to be held under international monitoring,

1. Calls on the Nigerian Government to ensure that all stages of the electoral process are
transparent and that the credibility, independence and integrity of the Independent Nigerian
Electoral Committee is guaranteed, including the hiring of its staff and employees;

2. Calls on the European Union to offer its technical support to the Nigerian Government in
order to ensure that the electoral process conforms to international standards;

3. Calls on General Abubakar to continue with his political dialogue with all the various
segments of the Nigerian people in order to complete the transition to democratic government
based on the rule of law;

4. Calls on the military government to maintain its commitment not to interfere in the free
formation of new political parties and in a free electoral process and to respect human rights,
including freedom of expression, association and assembly;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/42 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

5. Welcomes the release of several political prisoners, including the former Nigerian Head of
State, General Obasanjo, and calls for the release of all political prisoners;

6. Calls on the Nigerian Government to repeal all decrees ousting the jurisdiction of the courts,
suspending constitutionally-guaranteed rights and allowing indefinite detention without charge or
trial;

7. Points out that neither the sanctions imposed on Nigeria by the international community,
and the European Union in particular, nor the suspension of cooperation with the country under
the Lomé Convention can be lifted until human rights violations have ceased and there is a return
to the rule of law and the prospect of the establishment of a legitimate civilian government;

8. Calls on the European Union to maintain the budget line entitled ‘The Special Programme
for Democracy in Nigeria’ and calls on the Union to continue its efforts so that this budget line
provides effective and targeted support to civil society in Nigeria;

9. Calls on the Council and the Commission to continue to follow the political situation in
Nigeria closely, and to encourage General Abubakar to commit himself unequivocally to prosperity,
freedom and democracy for the Nigerian people;

10. Calls on the Nigerian authorities unreservedly to accept the visit of a joint ACP-EU
fact-finding mission in order to promote constructive political dialogue and the progress towards
democracy;

11. Calls for immediate access to Nigeria to be granted unreservedly to the UN Special
Rapporteur;

12. Calls once again on the European Commission to agree clear benchmarks before the Nigerian
elections to assess whether a genuine and credible transition to democratic civilian rule has
occurred; suggests that such benchmarks should include, inter alia:

— an agreed legal basis for the election corresponding to international ‘norms’ such as those set
down by the UN Human Rights Committee in its General Comment, 25(57),

— a genuinely independent electoral commission,

— an agreed process for establishing and finalising the electoral roll,

— a process for the participation of political parties which allows all parts of the political spectrum
to participate in elections,

— the employment of impartial, independent observers to monitor the election process and to
report on its conformity with internationally respected criteria and norms,

— the release of all remaining detainees and political prisoners,

— a halt to detention without trial,

— the repeal of repressive decrees and, in particular, those which have suspended constitutional
guarantees enshrining fundamental human rights and the position and independence of the
judiciary,

— freedom of expression and political assembly,

— freedom of the press and balanced access to the state media;

13. Calls on oil companies which operate in Nigeria to respect and support international
standards of human rights, and international environmental and consumer standards in the course
of their operations in Nigeria, and calls on those oil companies to produce regular reports of their
activities which specifically address these issues and their relation to the oil producing communities
to include publication of all Environmental Impact Assessments undertaken by these companies in
Nigeria over the last five years;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/43

14. InstructsitsCo-PresidentstoforwardthisresolutiontotheACP-EUCouncil,theCommission,
the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations in Geneva, the OAU, the Nigerian
Government, The Commonwealth Secretariat, the UNHCR and the ECOWAS Secretariat.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the situation in Guinea-Bissau**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the statements by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the
situation in Guinea Bissau,

— having regard to the recommendations made by the Council of Foreign Affairs and Defence
Ministers of the countries of the Economic Community of West African States meeting on
3 July in Abidjan,

— having regard to the Praia Declaration adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries meeting in Cabo Verde from 13 to 17 July 1998,

A. concerned at the conflict which has been going on since 7 June 1998 with the direct involvement
of foreign military forces and which has caused the loss of a large number of lives, the emergence
of thousands of refugees, the destruction of infrastructures and material goods on a vast scale
and the total paralysis of the country’s social and economic activity,

B. anxious to avoid a conflagration in the region, the stability of which could be endangered by
the continuation of the conflict,

C. extremely concerned by the threat to the lives of innocent civilians as a result of military
operations which violate fundamental international humanitarian law,

D. deploring the blockage of international humanitarian aid to the populations in need by the
warring parties, which has caused shortages of food and medicines,

E. still concerned, however, at the situation of some 250 000 persons in the country who continue
to live as refugees, in particular in the provinces of Bafata and Gabu, in conditions that remain
precarious despite the opening up of humanitarian corridors enabling supplies of food and
medicines to be forwarded to assembly centres,

F. having regard to the memorandum of understanding signed by representatives of the Guinea
Bissau Government and the military junta under the auspices of the contact group from the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) on 26 July 1998,

G. whereas, on 26 August 1998 in Praia, under the joint patronage of the ECOWAS mediation
committee and the members of the CPLP, the conflicting parties signed a ceasefire agreement
which follows on logically from the above memorandum,

H. whereas this memorandum provides for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the opening of
humanitarian corridors and the beginning of negotiations from 12 September in Abidjan,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/44 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

I. welcoming the European Commission decision to release emergency humanitarian aid in the
amount of ECU 1 million,

1. Calls on the warring factions to maintain the cease-fire and to fully implement the
memorandum of understanding reached on 26 August in Praia by the Guinea-Bissau Government
and the military junta and calls for the immediate withdrawal of foreign forces;

2. Calls on the parties present to commit themselves unreservedly to the path of peace
negotiations so as to find a lasting solution to the crisis and bring about, as soon as possible, the
restoration of the rule of law and respect for human rights and the democratic institutions;

3. Welcomes the efforts at mediation deployed jointly by the CPLP contact group and the states
of the sub-region within the ECOWAS mediation committee in an effort to consolidate dialogue
between the different parties and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict; supports their joint
mediation in favour of a peace plan meeting with the agreement of all parties at their next round
of negotiations in Abidjan;

4. Insists that any lasting peaceful solution to the conflict requires a process of national
reconciliation, leading to a political solution that will ensure the respect for the independence and
territorial integrity of Guinea-Bissau, and the unconditional withdrawal of all foreign troops,
without prejudice to any foreign presence which may be negotiated by both sides to play a mediating
role;

5. Urges the warring factions to fully respect the principles of international humanitarian law
and to cooperate in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the population;

6. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the Council, the ACP-EU Council,
the Commission, the UN, OAU, ECOWAS and CPLP Secretaries-General, the National People’s
Assembly of Guinea-Bissau and the Governments of Senegal and Guinea.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on South Africa**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. noting that the South African authorities have made a significant offer on elimination of tariffs
which introduces substantial concessions in favour of access for European products to the
South African market,

B. reiterating that it is possible for the EU substantially to meet South Africa’s aspirations for
improved access to the EU market, in areas of immediate benefit and concern to South African
producers, without adversely affecting European Union interests,

C. recalling the repeated commitment in the negotiation process, to the promotion of sustainable
economic development for Southern Africa as a whole, made by both South Africa and the
European Union to their other partners in the region,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/45

D. concerned that the existence of the Southern African Customs Union has not been fully taken
into account during the negotiations to date,

E. alarmed, in particular, at the absence of any concrete proposals to address the effects on customs
revenue sharing arrangements, agricultural trade flows and infant industries (including motor
vehicle, household electrical goods, pharmaceutical and meat processing industries) in the BLNS
countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland),

F. recalling here the EU’s commitment, within the context of its mandate for the Lome
re-negotiations, to the continuation of non-reciprocal trade preferences for LDCs and in
particular the need for ‘additional adjustment assistance’,

G. noting therefore, with particular concern the absence of any concrete proposals to mitigate the
negative consequences of the proposed FTA on the seven Least-Developed Countries of SADC,

H. fully recognising the relevance and importance of Article 12 of the Lome IV Convention, which
commits the EU to hold prompt consultations with affected ACP states — where the EU intends
to take a measure which might affect the interests of these countries — before any final decision
is made,

1. Regrets that the 21st Round of negotiations on Trade, Co-operation and Development
Agreement with South Africa ended in stalemate and has been suspended;

2. Calls on the EU Member States meeting in Council to grant the Commission the negotiating
space to finally conclude a mutually beneficial EU-South Africa free-trade area agreement; recalls
a number of concerns relating to the conclusion of a mutually beneficial agreement, in particular;

3. Calls on the EU Member States to undertake a serious review of the agricultural exclusion
list in order to improve the EU’s commitment to cover 95 % of all trade in the FTA Agreement; at
the same time as the exclusion list (list 5) is reviewed, progress needs to be made to list 4b (processed
agricultural products which contain an element of protection linked to the CAP and certain other
agricultural products); these products need to be brought back into the negotiations and should
include such products as seasonal products, canned fruit (including peaches and tomatoes) and
full-strength fruit juices;

4. Closely linked to the above, calls on the EU Member States to reassert the principle of
asymmetry, not just in product coverage but also in timing; there needs to be much greater
movement of products currently either excluded or featuring at the end of the process or not yet
determined up to the initial period of the agreement (frontloading) if the agreement is to be truly
of benefit to South Africa’s development;

5. Calls on the EU Member States to review as a matter of urgency the definitions of _ad hoc_ in
relation to cumulation; recalls that it was agreed in April 1997 that this issue would be given
prompt attention but it remains pending; stresses in this regard the need for a broader interpretation
of _ad hoc_ than a product-by-product, case-by-case, sector-by-sector approach; stresses that such a
narrow interpretation of _ad hoc_ effectively defeats the purpose of cumulation since its inherent
uncertainty precludes any forward planning and is therefore a disincentive to investment;

6. Expresses concern with regard to the related issues to wine and spirits and fisheries; calls on
the EU to decouple discussions on a Fisheries Agreement and a Wines and Spirits Agreement from
the main trade negotiations; with regard to wine and spirits and the principle issue of appellations
with regard to port and sherry, underlines that these products are not exported to the EU but are
primarily produced for the domestic market; that the terms ‘port’ and ‘sherry’ have been used in
South Africa for some 200 years and have been the object of considerable domestic investment and
the right to use these terms should be respected;

C 79/46 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

7. With regard to fisheries, emphasises the need for a development perspective in any future
agreement in line with the South African government’s White Paper ‘A Marine Fisheries Policy for
South Africa’ of May 1997 and which emphasises, _inter alia_, conservation, proper control and
management of marine resources, protection of the environment; Supports in this regard the White
Paper’s perspective that ‘The fisheries policy is founded on the belief that all natural marine living
resources of South Africa; as well as the environment in which they exist and in which mariculture
activities may occur; are a national asset and the heritage of all its people an should be managed
and developed for the benefit of present and future generations in the country as a whole’;

8. Renews its call to the negotiating partners that the implications for the BLNS and other
SADC countries be fully addressed under the envisaged agreement;

9. Calls on the Council and Commission to formulate concrete proposals to address BLNS
concerns, in particular with regard to the fiscal implications (in line with Commissioner Pinheiro’s
announcements in the European Parliament), infant industry protection and agricultural trade
flows;

10. Calls on the EU to initiate a process of consultations with the BLNS and the non-SACU
countries on the regional implication of the EU-South Africa free trade area agreement in line with
their obligations under article 12 of the Fourth Lome Convention, so that their concerns may be
taken in to account before a final decision is taken;

11. Calls on both the negotiating partners (the EU and South Africa) to sign a joint ‘statement
of intent’ to address BLNS concerns over the implications of the bilateral EU-SA FTA, for
annexation to the final agreement;

12. Believes such a ‘statement of intent’ should seek concretely to address BLNS concerns with
regard to: the fiscal implications of the bilateral agreement; the possible distortions of existing
trade flows; the protection of infant industries and investment diversion;

13. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on Angola**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the EU’s declarations,

— having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 1127, 1135, 1149, 1157 and 1195,

— having regard to the Declaration of 14 September 1998 by the SADC Heads of State and
Government,

— having regard to the EU sanctions against UNITA,

A. having regard to its previous resolutions on the war and the peace process in Angola, particularly
that of 23 April 1998,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/47

B. reaffirming that the international community and the EU must continue to support fully the
peace process in Angola which began in 1994 with the Lusaka accords,

C. regretting that recent developments in the political situation in Angola are a serious threat to
the peace process and to the implementation of the Lusaka protocol,

D. deploring the fact that, despite reiterated calls from the international community, particularly
the one issued by the Security Council on 25 August 1998 for UNITA to stop impeding the
peace process, UNITA has not respected its commitments under the Lusaka protocol and the
Angolan Constitution,

E. whereas, in particular, UNITA is violating the peace agreement, particularly by retaining the
nucleus of its army and by refusing to allow the establishment of the central state administration
to be completed,

F. regretting the fact that UNITA has decided to break off all contact with Portugal, the United
States and Russia, the three countries observing the peace process,

G. regretting that this development, which constitutes a grave setback to the peace process, has led
the Angolan Government to dismiss four of its ministers and seven deputy ministers belonging
to UNITA and has led Parliament to suspend its 70 UNITA Members until such time as UNITA
clarifies its commitment to the peace process,

H. whereas the situation has already led to internal divisions within UNITA,

I. regretting the fact that fighting has resumed in the province of Lunda Norte, control over which
is of strategic importance for diamond production,

1. Supports the UN Security Council resolutions and the declaration by the SADC Heads of
State or Government, which, as in previous cases, blame and condemn Jonas Savimbi and UNITA
for obstructing implementation of the Lusaka agreement; requests that the international community
seek to isolate Savimbi and UNITA politically, militarily, and economically;

2. Reiterates its desire for the Lusaka peace accords and protocol to be implemented fully, in a
spirit of national reconciliation;

3. Urges Jonas Savimbi and UNITA, observing the spirit of the UN Security Council resolutions,
to cease all hostilities and, without delay, to comply with the commitments given in the Lusaka
protocol;

4. Calls on UNITA to comply strictly with the obligations to which it subscribed under the
terms of the Lusaka protocol, in particular by implementing the nine-point plan adopted on
9 January 1998 for the implementation of the Lusaka protocol, which more particularly concerns:

— the disarmament and rapid demobilisation of the remainder of its troops, which must be
confirmed by a declaration issued by UNITA,

— the completion of the establishment of the central state administration;

5. Condemns the decision to suspend the members of the GNUR and the 70 Members of
Parliament representing UNITA in what is tantamount to a grave breach of the Lusaka agreements
and of United Nations Security Council resolutions and to contempt for the most basic democratic
principles;

6. Urges the Angolan Government to reincorporate the UNITA representatives into the
Government of National Unity and into Parliament, in order to help restore mutual confidence
between the parties, contribute to the resumption of the peace process and ensure that the Lusaka
protocol is fully implemented;

C 79/48 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

7. Calls on the international community, particularly the EU, to increase pressure in order to
ensure that all the obligations entered into under the Lusaka protocol are complied with and to do
everything in its power to prevent the collapse of the peace process and a resumption of hostilities
and, to this end, calls for unconditional support for the action of the new special UN representative,
Mr Issa Diallo;

8. Calls on the United Nations Security Council to maintain a strong presence in the country
until the peace process is complete;

9. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission,
the UN Security Council, the Government of Angola and UNITA.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on continuing support for the peace agreement in Bougainville**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its resolution of 23 April 1998 on the situation in Bougainville,

— having regard to the ongoing peace process in Bougainville,

— having regard to the report on the mission to Papua New Guinea, including Bougainville and
the Solomon Islands,

— having regard to the Burnham Truce of July 1997, the Lincoln Agreement of January 1998, the
Arawa Implementation of the Cease-fire Agreement of April 1998, the total rescinding of the
call-out order by the Government of Papua New Guinea in August 1998 and expected instalment
of a UN Observer Mission in Bougainville,

A. complimenting the different parties involved in the peace process for their efforts and New
Zealand for its intervening role,

B. whereas significant funds for the reconstruction and development have now been pledged
following the signing of the cease-fire on 30 April,

C. whereas emergency aid should now have begun to reach the people of Bougainville,

1. Welcomes the recent achievements in the ongoing peace process (the Arawa Implementation,
the rescinding of the call-out order, the expected establishment of a permanent UN observer
mission) and congratulates all parties for their strict adherence to the terms of Truce;

2. Is in anticipation of the establishment of the Bougainville Reconciliation Government at the
end of 1998 and will continue to support the parties in the peace process; expresses its wish that
further negotiations will continue with similar promising results as in the past;

3. Deeply regrets that, to date, Mr Francis Ona, President of the BIG, is still not taking part in
the peace process; calls on Mr Ona to engage positively in the peace process in the near future;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/49

4. Welcomes the start of reconstruction activities, although emphasising the importance for
further assistance in the areas of the economy, infrastructure, education, health, and material and
political support for the future Bougainville Reconciliation Government to ensure social stability
and therefore to support the ongoing peace process;

5. Notes with satisfaction that Bougainville has received financial support from STABEX funds,
the European Development Fund and ECHO, and welcomes the rapid provisional agreement
between the European Commission and the Government of Papua New Guinea on the allocation
of new Stabex funds for the rehabilitation of the agricultural sector in Bougainville, calls on the
Commission to formalise this agreement and transfer the funds as soon as possible;

6. Calls on the Commission to evaluate the effects of the assistance provided to date and to
provide details of any further assistance necessary to ensure the solidity of the cease-fire and the
well-being of the people on this war-torn island;

7. Re-emphasises the importance of complete transparency in the allocation and utilisation of
funds, in order for everybody, and in particular the Bougainvilleans, to be reassured that all aid
goes where it is intended; therefore asks the Commission to take measures to address this concern;

8. Emphasises the importance of the rapid reconstruction of the educational system and asks
that special attention be given to the needs of the youth who, because of the war, have been
deprived of basic education;

9. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the
Commission, the Governments of New Zealand, Australia and Japan, the South Pacific Forum and
the United Nations.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the debt burden of the ACP countries**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. whereas the debt burden of many ACP countries constitutes a serious obstacle to social and
economic development and whereas the service of this debt absorbs resources that should rather
be allocated to human development to the benefit of future generations,

B. whereas debt constitutes a heavy burden on all the ACP States, whereas it represents a serious
obstacle to social and economic development and whereas it hampers investment intended to
preserve biological diversity (biodiversity) and protect the environment,

C. whereas 35 of the 41 countries listed by the IMF and the World Bank as heavily indebted poor
countries are ACP countries,

D. noting, furthermore, that many loans made to the ACP countries in recent years have been
granted in order to ensure the financing of existing debt or to enable interest payments to be
made on existing loans, and not in order to implement new investments, leading to a paradoxical
situation in which poverty is being exacerbated, and noting that it is essential to break this
vicious circle,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/50 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

E. having regard to the priority objectives for the new relations between the European Union and
the ACP countries, in particular the fight against poverty and the gradual integration of those
countries into the world economy,

F. convinced that one of the necessary measures to achieve these objectives is to write off a part
of the debt and that the European Union, as the most important donor of development aid in
the world, must be involved in such a measure,

G. whereas the Council recently adopted the proposal concerning EU participation in the initiative
launched in 1996 by the IMF and the World Bank for the reduction, to a sustainable level, of
the debt of highly indebted poor countries (HIPIC initiative),

H. whereas this initiative will probably be limited to about 20 countries, among 41 potential
candidates, and whereas the very restrictive criteria of the scheme, as well as its objectives,
represent in reality an inadequate answer of the international community compared to the
gravity of the problem,

1. Reaffirms its request for the cancellation of the debt of the least-developed ACP countries
and for the rescheduling of the debt of all other ACP countries and recommends that at least 50 %
of the total debt (both bilateral and multilateral) of the other ACP countries be allocated to the
financing of projects which can help preserve biological diversity and protect the environment in
those ACP countries;

2. Calls on the Council to implement a global strategy in the various international organisations
in order to obtain a substantial reduction, if not an outright cancellation, of the debt burden which
afflicts the poorest populations of the world;

3. Welcomes very warmly the European Union’s decision to take up the international initiative
in favour of the most heavily indebted countries, but considers that it must agree to additional
steps to ease debt, which can take the form of outright cancellation of the loans that it has issued
to the least developed ACP countries;

4. Considers that the HIPC initiative represents an initial global and concerted approach by
creditors towards the debt crisis of the poorest countries; also considers that this initiative has
considerable weaknesses, in particular as a result of the rigid eligibility criteria;

5. Regrets that implementation of structural adjustment programmes by the poorest countries
should be an absolute condition in order to take advantage of the HIPC initiative; calls, therefore,
for human development and social indicators to be included among the criteria for eligibility under
the HIPC initiative;

6. Considers that the structural adjustment strategies in their present form do not enable the
structural weaknesses of the heavily indebted poor countries to be remedied and that they should
not be used as a condition of benefitting from the debt alleviation programme;

7. Calls for flexible implementation of the HIPC initiative so that it benefits the largest number
of countries in the light of their specific situations, provided that sound economic and financial
policies are implemented;

8. Invites the Member States, too, to cancel their bilateral loans to the least developed ACP
countries which are among the most heavily indebted countries;

9. Considers, in particular, that steps must be taken to ensure that the resources released by debt
cancellation or reduction are used to finance investment in social sectors and to fund human
development projects geared to the vital needs of the population;

10. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to take a package of appropriate
measures to increase the developing countries’ export revenues, in particular:

a) by enhancing the value of commodities locally;

b) through fairer payment for commodities and the conclusion of new agreements on raw
materials;

c) by taking greater account of their interests in international trade, particularly in the context of
the WTO and the new GSP;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/51

11. Calls on the negotiators of the new partnership agreement between the EU and the ACP
countries to find a viable solution to the debt crisis;

12. Reiterates its call for the industrialised countries to set aside 0,70 % of their GNP for
development aid to the developing countries;

13. Instructs its Co-Presidentstoforward this resolution tothe ACP-EUCouncil, the Commission
and the international financial institutions.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on debt**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. whereas the burden of debt is jeopardising the economic and social development of the ACP
States, by placing those countries in a financial strait-jacket in which the usual victim is
expenditure on national social programmes,

B. concerned by the fact that debt payments by the ACP States absorbs a significant percentage of
their export earnings,

C. whereas the external debt of the 52 most heavily indebted countries has risen from $84 billion
to $235 billion in the space of 15 years,

D. whereas a substantial proportion of publicly-funded development aid is used by the developing
countries in repayments to international financial institutions,

E. noting, furthermore, that many loans made to the ACP countries in recent years have been
granted in order to ensure the financing of existing debt or to enable interest payments to be
made on existing loans, and not in order to implement new investments, leading to a paradoxical
situation in which poverty is being exacerbated, and noting that it is essential to break this
vicious circle,

F. whereas in recent years a consensus has emerged which recognises that excessive indebtedness
may be a major obstacle to growth, and that solidarity with developing countries makes it
necessary to reduce or even cancel their debt, thereby giving them the means to concentrate on
combating poverty,

G. agreeing that it is necessary to ensure that the ACP States do not return to a situation of
over-indebtedness and that they must therefore demonstrate their will to manage their economies
more rigorously,

H. believing that the question of the ACP countries’ debt will have to be dealt with in connection
with the negotiations on a new cooperation agreement between the European Union and the
ACP countries, and that this future partnership agreement will have to explore new avenues to
resolve this problem,

I. welcoming with satisfaction the joint international initiative by the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (‘initiative on the debt of the most heavily indebted poor
countries’), who are launching a multilateral plan to reduce the indebtedness of around
20 countries — including some ACP countries — which should enable $7 billion in loans to be
written off, and welcoming the fact that lenders have finally realised the need to coordinate
their actions,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/52 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

J. welcoming the decision by the Council to ensure that the European Union is fully involved in
this initiative, by granting financial assistance in the form of loans to the 11 ACP States which
are eligible for it, and which will thus see the volume of their external debt vis-à-vis the EU
reduced and will be able to meet their obligations (debt repayment and debt servicing),

1. Welcomes very warmly the European Union’s decision to take up the international initiative
in favour of the most heavily indebted countries, but considers that it must agree to additional
steps to ease debt, which can take the form of outright cancellation of the loans that it has issued
to the least developed ACP countries;

2. Considers that measures to ease or cancel the ACP countries’ debt must be accompanied by
terms to ensure, as far as possible, that those States do not return to a comparable situation of
over-indebtedness;

3. Considers, in particular, that steps must be taken to ensure that the resources released by debt
cancellation or reduction are used to finance investment in social sectors;

4. Suggests that the ACP States may renegotiate their interest rates at current market rates;

5. Invites those negotiating the new partnership agreement between the EU and the ACP
countries to show imagination with regard to the method of financing the measures to ease and
cancel the ACP countries’ debt;

6. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the
international financial institutions.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on education and training in the ACP countries**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the resolutions previously adopted by the Joint Assembly on the subjects of
education, training, child labour and women’s rights,

— having regard to the report on the Commission Communication on the guidelines for the
negotiation of new cooperation agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
countries (A4-0085/98 — Rocard report),

— having regard to its general report on the importance of the UN World Conferences of 1990 to
1996 for cooperation between the European Union and the ACP States in the context of the
Lomé Convention, which was adopted at the meeting of 27 to 31 October 1997,

— having regard to the world conference entitled ‘Training for All’ which took place in March
1990 in Jomtien (Thailand) and recalling the Ouagadougou Declaration and the action platform
of the UNESCO Pan-African Conference on the training of young girls (Burkina Faso, 1993),

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/53

A. convinced that the right to education is a fundamental right, to be granted equally to all human
beings,

B. whereas education and training are vital aspects of development and, for that reason, should
be one of the priority objectives of the EU’s development cooperation policy,

C. whereas priority must be given to basic education for children and adults and having regard to
the importance of such education in terms of social cohesion and the integration of the
individual into society,

D. concerned at the fact that education budgets in particular are among the victims of economic
and financial difficulties which are frequently caused by indebtedness which is no longer
sustainable,

E. deploring the fact that, worldwide, 110 million children do not attend school and that the
majority of them are used to provide labour,

F. whereas child labour is a major obstacle to their education and whereas, therefore, financial
incentives must be devised to prevent child labour as far as possible,

G. whereas the education and training of women have been neglected in some developing countries,
despite their proven positive effect on the dissemination of knowledge, on family incomes and,
more generally, on the socio-economic situation of the countries concerned,

H. whereas, therefore, better education of women would confer considerable benefits on society
at large,

I. whereas education raises the prospects of sharing in the collective life of society, improves
individual quality of life, increases labour productivity and opens the way to paid work and
higher wages,

J. whereas the education and training given to the populations of developing countries should
include practical instruction on health and the local economy,

K. having regard to the particular situation of refugees and displaced persons, who are cruelly
deprived of the opportunity to receive education and/or training,

L. having regard to the need to secure the active involvement of teachers, parents and local
authorities and organisations in setting up an optimum education system,

1. Maintains that, in the first place, nation-wide access to basic education must be guaranteed
in order to improve the educational standard of the broad mass of each country’s population and
considers that everything possible must be done to ensure that children have access to appropriate
basic education and several years of schooling;

2. Maintains that compulsory schooling for all boys and girls must be introduced without
exception;

3. Stresses that basic education and primary teaching must be based on the principle of equality
of access, in particular in the case of young girls and children from disadvantaged sections of the
population;

4. Considers, moreover, that efforts to make adults of both sexes fully literate and to provide
them with training should be redoubled, failing which sustainable development will be impossible;

5. Considers that educational methods and objectives must take into account the cultural,
economic and social realities of the ACP countries and that it must therefore be for each country
to determine them, while ensuring that local authorities are closely associated with all decisions
taken in this connection;

C 79/54 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

6. Maintains that both the teaching of manual skills and the imparting of knowledge in the pure
sense are of major importance and that at least some vocational training must be provided on
completion of schooling;

7. Points out that child labour cannot be eradicated unless families receive alternative income
to replace children’s wages and considers that strategies to prevent child labour should be drawn
up and that financial incentive measures, such as school allowances, should be adopted, in order
to dissuade parents from making their children work and to enable them to send them to school;

8. Considers that the situation of children in disaster areas and in refugee camps or those for
displaced persons must be taken into account; in the latter cases they must, as far as possible,
receive education in their language of origin in order to facilitate their return home;

9. Considers that it is important for children to be educated in their mother tongue from a very
early age;

10. Suggests that, in view of the difficulty of marshalling sufficient resources, educational and
vocational training requirements are planned in a realistic manner, taking account of the economic
needs of the country;

11. Considers that the resources allocated by the EU to the ACP countries must be redeployed
by being channelled into social programmes, particularly education; suggests that a percentage of
EDF appropriations should be earmarked specifically for education and training, and considers
that these issues must be broached during the negotiations on a new cooperation agreement
between the ACP countries and the European Union;

12. Stresses that the education and training system needs to be improved by providing teachers
with training, including in-service training, and paying them fairly in accordance with their
qualifications;

13. Encourages the ACP countries to cooperate on a regional basis in the education field, by
organising twinning and exchanges between educational establishments and universities;

14. Considers that priority should be given to vocational training directly linked to employment;

15. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/55

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on health and Aids**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on health and HIV/Aids,

— having regard to the general report by Mrs Junker on the importance of the UN World
Conferences of 1990 to 1996 for cooperation between the European Union and the ACP States
in the context of the Lomé Convention, adopted at the session in Lomé from 27 to 31 October
1997,

— having regard to the outcome of the UN-sponsored International Conference on Population
and Development, held in Cairo in 1994, and in particular to the action programme, which lays
down a new basis for international cooperation,

— having regard to the latest UNAIDS-WHO report (published in December 1997),

— having regard to its previous resolutions on women, the UN World Conference on Women,
held in Beijing in 1995, Aids/HIV, the UN International Conference on Population and
Development in Cairo in 1994, and the World Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1995,

A. deeply alarmed at the constant spread of Aids in the developing countries and the fact that over
80 % of people infected with the HIV virus will be living in developing countries in the year
2000; and likewise expressing its disquiet at the WHO projections,

B. whereas Aids is severely impeding development on account of its social and economic
repercussions,

C. whereas Aids erodes, destroys and impoverishes human communities,

D. whereas the advance of Aids has been largely lost to sight in the countries affected, especially
in Africa, because of the economic crisis and political and social problems; whereas, in addition,
the spread of Aids is imposing an intolerable burden on health budgets, already hard hit by
structural adjustment, debt, and the economic crisis,

E. whereas treatment schemes and health systems in the ACP States, where other endemic diseases
such as malaria and tuberculosis are already rampant, are wanting in several respects and as a
rule hampered by a shortage of medical and paramedical personnel and serious difficulties in
the organisation of patient care,

F. alarmed at the fact that poverty, malnutrition, the absence of elementary conditions of
cleanliness and precarious livelihoods have been joined by the disastrous effects of armed
conflicts and large-scale population displacements, and whereas all these factors combined
make people even more vulnerable to epidemics and opportunistic infections,

G. having regard to the disastrous consequences of the Aids epidemic for individuals, families, and
above all women, who pay a particularly high price because they are in danger of contaminating
their children when pregnant,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/56 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

H. having regard to the higher than average maternal and infant mortality in many ACP States,

I. whereas prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/Aids, is or
should be part and parcel of reproductive health care,

J. concerned about the inadequate health care provided to pregnant women and babies and the
serious problems related to reproductive health,

K. having regard to the definition of basic social services laid down in Oslo in 1995, which covers
basic education, basic health services, including reproductive health and birth and family
planning, food security, drinking-water supplies, sewage disposal, and official provision for the
foregoing,

L. aware that low literacy rates in developing countries pose an obstacle to an effective information,
education, and publicity campaign,

M. whereas research facilities in the ACP States are inadequate or indeed non-existent,

N. particularly concerned at the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is gradually withdrawing
from research into transmissible tropical diseases, which nonetheless account for most of the
burden of morbidity in the countries in the inter-tropical zone,

O. whereas treatment for common diseases which are endemic in most of the inter-tropical zone
is generally inaccessible for more than three out of four victims, owing to their lack of
purchasing power,

P. concerned to note that pharmaceutical counterfeiting is rapidly increasing and that trafficking
in counterfeit drugs poses a threat to the health and even the life of the populations of developing
countries,

Q. Welcoming the EU’s stated commitment to support the developing countries’ efforts to
strengthen their health systems, focusing on sustainable effective systems, in particular for the
poorest,

R. whereas, if all the diseases which affect the developing countries and, in particular, Aids are to
be eradicated, the ACP States and the European Union must enter into a joint commitment and
adopt a strategy spanning many sectors, including medical research, training, prevention, and
care of persons living with HIV/Aids,

1. Calls on the Union to grant increased technical and financial assistance to the ACP States
under the EDF and development cooperation operations to enable them to redouble their efforts
in the field of health and more especially to combat the HIV virus, aimed for instance at:

— supporting reform of health systems,

— improving and developing health service facilities,

— continuing and stepping up information and education campaigns on Aids,

— encouraging the use of condoms and making them more readily available by lowering costs and
improving distribution channels,

— providing better initial and in-service training for medical and paramedical personnel,

— strengthening blood transfusion services, not least by means of systematic screening for the
HIV virus and sexually transmitted diseases, and improving the conditions under which blood
is stored,

— devising a specific prevention and sex education policy aimed at children and teenagers,

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/57

— promoting literacy, especially among women,

— supplying populations with drinking-water,

— organising the storage and destruction of waste, including waste from medical and biological
activities,

— conducting epidemiological surveys, developing monitoring systems, and making use of
qualitative and quantitative indicators;

2. Calls on the Union and the ACP States to intensify their cooperation as regards staff training,
exchanges of health personnel, especially in the hospital sector, and partnerships between hospitals
and universities in the Union and ACP countries;

3. Calls for the adoption of specific policies on treating concomitant diseases which afflict Aids
sufferers (tuberculosis, children’s diseases, transmission from mother to child, diarrhoea and other
associated processes), which will make it possible to prolong the lives of Aids sufferers and improve
their quality of life;

4. Believes that the Union and the ACP States need, as a matter of urgency, to establish a system
of solidarity to enable the latter countries not only to take part in medical research, but also to
derive greater benefit from the advances that medical research brings about;

5. Believes that an International Therapeutic Solidarity Fund should be set up to reduce
inequalities as regards access to medicines;

6. Calls on the Commission to cooperate with the WHO, NGOs and the health ministers of the
ACP countries in implementing programmes to inform and increase the awareness of people about
the dangers of taking counterfeit drugs;

7. Considers it necessary to step up cooperation involving NGOs, local organisations, and the
various national programmes to combat Aids;

8. Calls for Aids prevention to be covered under sex education and sexual hygiene programmes,
family planning programmes, and programmes for the prevention and treatment of sexually
transmitted diseases and tuberculosis;

9. Maintains that medical development projects cannot achieve their goals unless they extend
over the long term, enabling expenditure to be implemented and equipment supplied on a
continuous basis, and medical information can be made to fit into the local cultural context;

10. Invites the European Union to step up its cooperation with the ACP countries in the health
field, either through the European Union budget or through the new agreement which is intended
to replace the Lomé Convention;

11. Calls on the Commission to help set up a database of policies and methodologies for
combating Aids to serve as a permanent point of reference for the development of the epidemic
and its treatment;

12. Believes that it is necessary to stress the reduction of the Aids-causing co-factors such as
extreme poverty, malnutrition, undernourishment and unhygienic conditions;

13. Calls on the EU to contribute further in this area at the preliminary stage by financing a
feasibility assessment of an essential package for pregnant women in ACP countries, which would
include different options for HIV testing and counselling, breast-feeding or bottlefeeding, and other
priority actions;

14. Calls for special attention to be devoted to the situation of orphans and to preventing
transmission of HIV from mother to child;

C 79/58 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

15. Stresses, however, that special care should be taken not to discriminate between allocations
for care to people with and without HIV/Aids, and that special efforts should be made to focus
available public funds on basic care for the poorest;

16. Calls on the EU Commission to continue its efforts in encouraging the development of
microbicide, which would enable women in ACP countries to protect themselves more effectively
from infection with HIV/Aids;

17. Voices its concern because world-wide research into HIV vaccines (both public and private)
represents less than 7 % of annual global research and development expenditure on HIV/Aids and
expresses alarm at the fact that, out of this total of $160 m spent on vaccine research, only $5 m
per year is spent on vaccines for potential use in developing countries;

18. Strongly urges the EU and ACP governments to support efforts by the International Aids
Vaccine Initiative aimed at encouraging the private sector to invest in the development of vaccines
suitable for use in ACP countries;

19. Calls on the EU Member States and the ACP States to implement the decisions taken at
Cairo in anticipation of the forthcoming fifth anniversary of the Conference in 1999 and ensure
that reproductive health care becomes universally available by the year 2015;

20. Calls on the EU Member States to use their influence with a view to providing family
planning services, proper locally based welfare services for pregnant women, and the necessary
gynaecological care, since these enable women to avoid both unwanted and unplanned pregnancies
and abortions performed inexpertly under unhygienic conditions and to protect themselves from
sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/Aids;

21. Calls on the EU Member States and the ACP States to ensure that comprehensive reproductive
health services, advisory services, and basic health services are available for use, in particular by
vulnerable groups denied proper care, for example children and young people, female refugees,
and internal exiles, who are in danger of falling victim to ignorance or physical or sexual violence;

22. Calls on the EU and ACP States to recognise the right of sexual self-determination and
reproductive rights as human rights and consequently encompass them within the political dialogue;

23. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/59

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on biodiversity and the environment**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. noting the urgent need to protect the biodiversity of the planet,

B. having regard to the vast genetic resources of the developing countries, which contain 86 % of
the higher plant species,

C. whereas six years after the Rio Conference a considerable number of species are still disappearing
each day, forests are shrinking and old-growth forests are degrading, fish stocks are dwindling,
drinking water is polluted and the global temperature is rising,

D. recognising that biological diversity is the mainstay and source of livelihood for the majority of
the population in Africa, and that Africa is particularly rich in biological resources in the form
of diverse crops and medicinal plants and immense wildlife resources,

E. recognising that biological resources have been maintained and nurtured by generations of
Africa’s local and indigenous communities, in particular rural communities such as farmers,
hunter-gatherers and local healers whose very existence has almost exclusively been dependent
on such resources,

F. noting that the bulk of biological diversity and the knowledge and technologies of how to use
it is found in the local and indigenous communities of the South. The poor and hitherto
marginalised people of the world have therefore, in recent decades, come to figure as the most
important players in many biological resource-based sectors world wide and, in particular, in
developing countries,

G. stressing that the developing countries have thus far taken the view that their genetic wealth is
a natural resource for the benefit of humankind,

H. whereas the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was signed by 150 States in 1992,
which came into force in 1993 and which is currently adhered to by 170 nations, is responding
to the increasing recognition of the great contribution of local and indigenous communities to
the conservation, maintenance and sustainable use of the world’s biological resources,

I. recalling that the CBD requires signatories to protect and promote the rights of communities,
farmers and indigenous peoples with respect to their biological resources and knowledge
systems, as well as the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercial use of
communities’ biological resources and local knowledge, and asserts that intellectual property
rights must not conflict with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,

J. whereas the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs),
which came into force on 1 January 1995 as a result of the last round of GATT negotiations
and which also gave rise to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), sets up
the first global system of intellectual property rights on biological diversity, and specifically
plant varieties,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/60 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

K. noting that TRIPs obliges member countries to adopt either patents or an effective _sui generis_
(unique) IPR system for plant varieties at national level [Article 27(3)(b)] which must be
implemented by developing countries by the year 2000 and in least-developed countries by the
year 2005 respectively,

L. noting that TRIPs was expressly designed to ensure that intellectual property rights could be
universally applied to all technologies, especially those which had previously been declared
unsuitable for monopoly rights at national level (including pharmaceutical products and
biological materials such as plants and micro-organisms), all of which must now be subject to
private property rights by IPRs,

M. concerned that, as a result of TRIPs obligations, the majority of developing countries will need
to provide some form of intellectual monopoly rights on food and medicinal biodiversity for
the first time, that farmers’ access to diversity, their choice of planting material and options for
management systems will be significantly impaired, and their rights to save and exchange seed
will be legally restricted, if not prohibited, because of protections granted only to the interests
of monopoly holders,

N. further concerned that corporations will be able to secure legal ownership of the world’s
biodiversity which contains genetic information obtained from the South’s farmers’ own field,
which they then sell back to them for enormous profits, that biodiversity and associated
community knowledge systems intended to be protected by the CBD and which form the basis
of the adaptability of agriculture will be lost and that food security and agricultural innovation
will severely decline,

O. whereas Article 27(3)(b) of the TRIPs agreement will be reviewed in 1999, and whereas this
means that the obligation to provide patent or sui generis rights on plant varieties can be
removed before member countries are obliged to implement it, thus providing the opportunity
to remove this obligation from the WTO framework,

P. believing that, in order to ensure that the world’s biodiversity is protected, conserved and
sustainably utilised for the survival and well-being of the vast majority of the human population
of nation states, the local communities and indigenous peoples constantly keep adapting,
generating and regenerating these biological resources, knowledge and technologies for present
and future generations,

1. Stresses the vital importance of the planet’s genetic resources for all humankind, and calls for
the preservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the just and
equitable sharing of the advantages deriving from the exploitation of genetic resources;

2. Emphasises the principle enshrined in the CBD concerning the sovereign rights of all countries
to their own genetic resources and asks that this principle be respected in legislation and
international agreements;

3. Urges the full development of the CBD as an international instrument to ensure the sustainable
use and conservation of biodiversity, based on community control of resources and the sovereign
rights of States to determine access to such resources;

4. Calls on the recognition and affirmation of the precedence of the CBD over any other
international agreement on matters relating to biological diversity;

5. Stresses how important it is to ensure appropriate technology transfer to the developing
countries, since the deployment of properly adapted techniques is an essential condition for
preserving and ensuring rational and sustainable exploitation of genetic diversity;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/61

6. Demands that the indigenous peoples be included as participants in decision-making on
in-situ conservation measures affecting them, in particular the establishment and management of
protected areas; calls, in this context, for respect for the economic, social and cultural rights and
land rights of indigenous peoples;

7. Calls for the WTO rules to be revised and for new ecological and social criteria to be adopted
for regulating world trade;

8. Urgently calls for the 1999 review of Article 27(3)(b) of the TRIP Agreement to take into
account the objectives and provisions of the CBD and to maintain the option of excluding all life
forms and related knowledge from IPR protection;

9. Condemns the exportation to the countries of the southern hemisphere of a certain number
of dangerous products such as pesticides, biocides and dangerous medicines which are banned for
public health, environmental protection or safety reasons in the industrialised countries;

10. Notes that there is a need for a detailed and comparable inventory of species to enable the
situation of threatened species to be assessed, evaluated and improved; calls on the ACP countries
and the EU to make an inventory of and to conduct research into natural resources (species,
ecosystems and habitats) and to set up databases and gene banks; asks the EU to assist the ACP
countries in these activities with technical and financial means;

11. InstructsitsCo-PresidentstoforwardthisresolutiontotheACP-EUCouncil,theCommission,
the WTO and the secretariat of the CBD.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on biodiversity and environment**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. recognising that biological diversity is the mainstay and source of livelihood for the majority of
the population in Africa, and that Africa is particularly rich in biological resources in the form
of diverse crops and medicinal plants and immense wildlife resources,

B. recognising that biological resources have been maintained and nurtured by generations of
Africa’s local and indigenous communities, in particular rural communities such as farmers,
hunter-gatherers and local healers whose very existence has almost exclusively been dependent
on such resources,

C. noting that the bulk of biological diversity and the knowledge and technologies of how to use
it is found in the local and indigenous communities of the South. The poor and hitherto
marginalised people of the world have in recent decades, therefore, come to figure as the most
important players in many biological resource based sectors world wide, and in particular,
developing countries,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/62 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

D. having regard to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed by 150 States in 1992
and which came into force in 1993, currently adhered to by 170 nations, which is responding to
the increasing recognition of the great contribution of local and indigenous communities to the
conservation, maintenance and sustainable use of the world’s biological resources,

E. recalling that the CBD requires signatories to protect and promote the rights of communities,
farmers and indigenous peoples with respect to their biological resources and knowledge
systems, as well as the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercial use of
communities’ biological resources and local knowledge, and asserts that intellectual property
rights must not conflict with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,

F. having regard to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPs) which came into force on 1 January 1995 as a result of the last round of GATT
negotiations, which also gave rise to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation
(WTO), an agreement which set up the first global system of intellectual property rights on
biological diversity, and specifically plant varieties,

G. noting that TRIPs obliges member countries to adopt either patents or an effective sui generis
(unique) IPR system for plant varieties at a national level [Article 27,3(b)] which must be
implemented by developing countries by the year 2000 and in least-developed countries by the
year 2005 respectively,

H. noting that TRIPs was expressly designed to ensure that intellectual property rights could be
universally applied to all technologies, especially those which had previously been declared
unsuitable for monopoly rights at the national level, which include pharmaceutical products
and biological materials such as plants and micro organisms, all of which must now be subject
to private property rights by IPRs,

I. concerned that as a result of TRIPs obligations, the majority of developing countries will need
to provide some form of intellectual monopoly rights on food and medicinal biodiversity for
the first time, that farmers’ access to diversity, their choice of planting material and options for
management systems will be significantly impaired, and their rights to save and exchange seed
will be legally restricted, if not prohibited, because of protection granted only to the interests
of monopoly holders,

J. further concerned that corporations will be able to secure legal ownership of the world’s
biodiversity including genetic information obtained from the South’s farmers’ own field, which
could then be sold back to them for enormous profits, that biodiversity and associated
community knowledge systems which ought to be protected by the CBD and which form the
basis of the adaptability of agriculture, will be lost and food security and agricultural innovation
will severely decline,

K. whereas Article 27,3(b) of the TRIPs agreement will be reviewed in 1999, and this means the
obligation to provide patent or sui generis rights on plant varieties can be removed before
member countries are obliged to implement it, providing the opportunity to remove this
obligation from the WTO framework,

L. believing that, in order to ensure the world’s biodiversity is protected, conserved and sustainably
utilised for the survival and well-being of the vast majority of the human population, the local
communitiesand indigenouspeoples must constantlykeep adapting,generating andregenerating
these biological resources, knowledge, and technologies for present and future generations,

1. Affirms the basic assumption that the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is
based on the sovereign rights of States and the rights and empowerment of local communities
which inspired the CBD from the outset;

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/63

2. Urges the full development of the CBD as an international instrument to ensure the sustainable
use and conservation of biodiversity, based on community control of resources and the sovereign
rights of States to determine access to such resources;

3. Calls for the recognition and affirmation of the precedence of the CBD over any other
international agreement on matters related to biological diversity;

4. Urgently calls for the 1999 review of Article 27,3(b) of the TRIP Agreement to take into
account the objectives and provisions of the CBD and to maintain the option of excluding all life
forms and related knowledge from IPR protection;

5. Calls for the implementation of TRIP’s Agreement, insofar as it concerns biological resources,
to be supportive and not run counter to the objectives of the CBD;

6. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission,
the WTO and the secretariat of the CBD.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on mining developments and their environmental aspects**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. whereas development and the protection of the environment have consistently been twin goals
of the successive Lomé Conventions, and remain an essential part of ACP-EU cooperation,

B. whereas the sustainable management of natural resources and the effects of economic growth
on the environment together constitute a concern shared by the contracting parties, and one
which highlights their mutual dependence,

C. whereas in most ACP countries, mining offers potential for development, not only in terms of
industrial operations requiring substantial investment, but also in terms of small and
mediumsized mining operations which generate a range of economic activity in these countries,

D. whereas the principal objectives of Article 99 of the Fourth Lomé Convention were, and remain,
the exploitation of all types of mineral resources in such a way as to ensure that mining
operations are profitable both on the export market and at home, while heeding environmental
concerns, and at the same time developing the human resource potential with a view to
promoting and expediting diversified socio-economic development,

E. whereas the Lomé Convention stresses the mutual dependence of the contracting parties in this
sector, and whereas the said parties continue to be concerned by the effects of economic growth
on the environment and the management of natural resources,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/64 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

F. whereas the special funding facility (Sysmin), inaugurated by Lomé II, continues to be an
important part of the 8th EDF, which was devised in order to provide a more solid basis for the
development of ACP States which meet the eligibility criteria,

G. whereas, since the ACP countries’ mining sector despite its potential in terms of natural
resources, lags behind other regions of the world, the members of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly
believe that the ACP governments and their European counterparts, the EU, European industry
and the ACP countries themselves should take a long term view of their mutual interests as
regards the human, institutional and material cooperation infrastructure which constitutes the
potential framework for refreshing joint enterprises,

1. Notes that in order to achieve the desired balance, increased mining cooperation and a
properly designed concerted approach are required to promote sustainable management of the
natural resources of those ACP countries with major mining potential;

2. Notes that interdependence, which underpins ACP-EU relations, calls for consistent action
both to correct the disparity between the parties as regards institutional and technical conditions,
and to boost the ACP mining sector with a view to attracting further investment and optimising
the knock-on effects on local economies;

3. Welcomes a considerable amount of work that has been done by various ACP countries to
adapt their legislation and strengthen their institutional basis, which should be followed up with
the support of funds under Lomé IV and the future ACP-EU agreement;

4. Welcomes the on-going analysis and assessment taking place within the Joint ACP-European
mining industry working party;

5. Calls on the parties involved in ACP-EU mining cooperation to take measures to promote
sustainable mining development in the ACP countries and to step up the transfer of skills, training,
research, technology and knowhow which these countries urgently require in this sector if they are
to develop their resources while preserving the quality of the environment;

6. Calls on the Commission to pay particular heed to the need for a supple and efficient
implementation of mining cooperation, and especially the Sysmin within the framework of the 8th
EDF;

7. Urges the ACP countries to make a major effort to adapt to the on-going economic
development of the mining sector worldwide, and to ensure that their own mining sector is
competitive by adopting measures to improve the climate for investment;

8. Advocates effective institutional support for small and medium-sized mining operations, and
for the involvement of local operators in the process of properly exploiting mining resources,
including effective action in the area of environmental protection;

9. Calls on the European Union to provide increased support for the ACP mining sector using
all the means at its disposal, including the human resources required for managing cooperation in
this sector; calls on the European Union to support all initiatives and strategies by encouraging all
forms of initiatives and strategies (more particularly by improving the relevant infrastructure and
by means of a closer synergy between the programming of infrastructure projects and the
development of the mining sector) designed to improve the climate for investment and an increased
capital flow into the ACP countries;

10. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/65

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on biotechnology**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to the convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the ongoing negotiations
on the Biosafety protocol by governments party to the CBD,

— having regard to the EU Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions
(98/44/EC),

— having regard to the GATT agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
(TRIP),

A. alarmed at the rapid increase in the unauthorised bio-prospecting and commercialisation of the
biological resources, traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of local and indigenous
communities,

B. deeply concerned at the lack of binding protection of such knowledge, innovations, practices
and biological resources against unauthorised commercialisation in the European Union
directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions,

C. bearing in mind the general principle of the Lomé Convention whereby ACP-EU cooperation
shall support the efforts of the ACP States to achieve comprehensive self-reliant and selfsustained
development based on their cultural and social values,

D. considering it necessary to implement measures proposed in countries that are users of genetic
resources, such as procedural and/or substantive changes in intellectual property law, which
will require disclosure of the country of origin and/or proof of prior informed consent as
referred to by the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity,

E. considering that genes of living organisms are the basic ‘raw materials’ for biotechnology and
that the majority of the world’s genetic resources can be found in developing countries,

F. whereas, in the field of biotechnology, developing countries are net exporters of resources and
net importers of technology,

1. Confirms the importance of the principles incorporated in the CBD such as ‘the precautionary
principle’, ‘prior informed consent when accessing genetic resources’, ‘sovereign rights of states
over their national genetic resources’, ‘access to and transfer of technology and information’ and
‘the equal distribution of benefits derived from biotechnology’; asks the European Union, its
Member States and ACP countries to fully respect these principles in their legislation and to
promote these principles in the proper international fora;

2. Notes that biotechnology can make a positive contribution in the field of sustainable
agriculture and the progress of human health and medicine but is concerned at the negative impacts
on the environment, biological diversity, traditional lifestyles, etc; therefore calls for ecological,
ethical, social and economic considerations to be taken into account when dealing with
biotechnology in all its aspects;

3. Proposes that the new Lomé Convention should include provisions relating to the principles
of Article 8(j) of the CBD concerning the preservation of knowledge, innovation and the practices
of indigenous and local communities and their intellectual and cultural property rights, including
approval, involvement and the equitable sharing of benefits of any use of such resources;

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

C 79/66 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

4. Notes that, in general, Third World countries lack an adequate legal framework for regulating
biotechnology; therefore urges the ACP States to implement a legal framework to regulate
biotechnology, intellectual property rights and other related issues; furthermore, urges the ACP
States and the EU to make an inventory of natural resources and to set up databases and gene
banks; asks the European Union to support the ACP States by providing technical and financial

means;

5. Acknowledges that local and indigenous communities, as a result of their traditional lifestyles,
make a special contribution to genetic diversity and have traditional knowledge concerning the use
of many species; therefore calls for special attention be given to the ‘traditional resource rights’ of
indigenous and local communities;

6. Calls on the EU and its Member States as a matter of urgency to conclude negotiations on a
binding Biosafety Protocol (which safeguards human and animal health, the environment, biological
diversity and the socio-economic welfare of societies from the potential risks of biotechnology);

7. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the
Commission, and the secretariat of the CBD.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on post-conflict rehabilitation**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

A. noting with concern the grave post-conflict situation that predominates in many African
countries and the vast amount of human and financial resources which are required for
rehabilitation purposes,

B. whereas neither development cooperation nor humanitarian aid can deploy effective instruments
and methodologies for tackling the rehabilitation of a country in which the emergency is over
but the institutional and socio-economic framework is still fragile,

C. whereas rehabilitation is not an end in itself but is part of a continuum, which starts from
emergency aid and ends in long-term development strategies, its primary objective being to
enable the return and re-establishment of the populations in their communities of origin, the
restarting of economic and trade activities as well as the stabilisation of political and social life,

D. whereas local administration and management is essential to the success of any form of
rehabilitation and whereas the rehabilitation programmes must focus on the needs of the local
communities and must, where possible, make use of local resources to ensure the sustainable
development of the countries concerned,

E. stressing the importance of giving top priority to the speed and effectiveness of aid and of
dealing primarily with the problems of food security and the re-establishment of basic social
infrastructure,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/67

F. having regard to the need to restore as quickly as possible the basic conditions for the operation
of vital infrastructures, services, production facilities and institutional and administrative

structures,

G. whereas the reconstruction stage in a country that has endured a period of conflict must
necessarily take into consideration the reconstruction of civil society and the rule of law so as
to inspire confidence in its citizens and enable circuits of economic activity, health and education
facilities, etc., to be restored,

H. whereas rehabilitation operations must also enable the return of refugees, displaced persons,
demobilised service personnel and the reintegration of the whole population into normal civilian
life,

I. drawing attention to the crucial importance assumed by mine clearance among operations to
restore basic infrastructural facilities and ensure their operation,

J. whereas the success of rehabilitation programmes is largely dependant on the concentration of
resources on the main needs of the populations and on the direct involvement of NGOs and
local communities in the planning as well as in the implementation of these programmes,

K. whereas the European Union must deploy every possible effort, both in the context of political
cooperation and a single development policy, to prevent crises and settle conflicts by political
means, in conjunction with local conflict settlement structures,

1. Believes that rehabilitation programmes and mechanisms constitute an essential extension of
emergency aid measures and form an indispensable precondition for medium- and long-term
development operations;

2. Stresses the magnitude of the developing countries’ needs for rehabilitation aid and calls for
the establishment of a specific financial framework in the Community budget, endowed with
considerable resources, to meet those needs;

3. Believes that it is essential that the rehabilitation programmes, over and above their
contribution to re-establishing a sustainable economy and social stability, should also make it
possible for refugees, displaced persons, and demobilised soldiers to return home, and for the entire
population to be reintegrated into normal civilian life in their countries and regions of origin;

4. Considers that primary responsibility for drawing up and implementing the rehabilitation
programmes rests with the communities concerned, in conjunction with their national and local
authorities;

5. Considers that the corner-stone of post-war rehabilitation must be the strengthening of civil
society, in which the features of associations and cooperatives must be supported, by promoting
the popular urban economy (informal sector) and micro-credit, at least during a transition phase,
and involving the local authorities in building up the institutions;

6. Attaches priority, in the rehabilitation following the fighting in which inter-ethnic tensions
were present, to developing programmes which encourage dialogue between the different
communities and to developing joint economic, social and cultural activities;

7. Underlines the crucial importance of establishing democratic institutions, with elected
representative bodies and the division of the judicial, legislative and executive powers;

8. Regards the role which free, open and pluralistic mass media must play in the rehabilitation
process to be indispensable;

9. Considers that an integral component of post-war rehabilitation is the establishment of
international judicial machinery to punish those responsible for war crimes and crimes against
humanity, as a fundamental factor for stability in restoring the civil life of the country;

C 79/68 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

10. Calls therefore for the creation of International Criminal Court and requests the ACP and
EU Member States to continue the efforts begun at the Rome Conference to promote the
establishment of the Court in international fora;

11. Considers that increased resources must be allocated to mine-clearing operations, since these
account for a significant proportion of rehabilitation efforts;

12. Calls on the Council and the Commission to take into consideration, in implementing
rehabilitation operations, the part that can be played by women in the process of reconstructing
their country;

13. Hopes that interventions in the area of rehabilitation will advance the restoration of markets
and local trading networks by giving priority to local supply options;

14. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the Commission, ACP-EU Council,
the United Nations and the OAU.

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on the information society and the developing world**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from 21 to 24 September 1998,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on information and the arts,

— having regard to Articles 132 and 133 of the Fourth Lomé Convention on cooperation in the
field of communications and informatics, contained in Part Two, Title IX, Chapter 4,

— having regard to the Commission communication entitled ‘Europe’s way to the information
society. An action plan’( [2] ) and the European Parliament resolution on the same subject( [3] ),

— having regard to the Commission communication entitled ‘The Information Society and
Development: the Role of the Union’( [4] ),

A. convinced of the need to integrate all countries into the information society and aware of the
considerable challenges this process of integration constitutes, particularly in the case of the
least advanced countries,

B. whereas the gaps in terms of infrastructure and technological development are growing
increasingly wider between the industrialised countries and the developing countries,

C. having regard to the need for a coordinated strategy geared to the requirements of the developing
world and enabling a larger number to take advantage of the economic, social and cultural
potential of the information society,

D. concerned to prevent the gulf separating industrialised and developing countries from widening
even further and the development of the information society from further marginalising the
ACP countries instead of facilitating their integration into the world system,

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).
( [2] ) COM(94) 347.
( [3] ) OJ C 363, 19.12.1994.
( [4] ) COM(97) 351.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/69

E. pointing out that the initial situation in many ACP countries, as regards existing communications
infrastructures and the social and economic problems that communications and information
technologies can help to solve, differs considerably from that existing in the industrialised
countries, in particular the countries of the European Union,

F. whereas the concept of the information society is a still-evolving form of the earlier industrial
society and therefore not fully applicable to most ACP States, which are consequently finding
it more difficult to move forward and raise the educational and living standards of their people,

G. whereas the European Union’s solidarity with its developing-country partners, in particular the
ACP countries, requires it to assist them, on the basis of the agreements linking it to them, to
gain recognition for the possibility of participating fully in a process that will enable them to
advance by technological leaps and bounds and boost their social, cultural and economic
development,

H. whereas information and communication technology could do much to foster direct democracy
by affording wider opportunities for people to express themselves and could thus consolidate
civil society and cultural identity; whereas, however, it also creates scope for abuses extending
to the broad mass of the population, allowing public opinion to be manipulated and
indoctrinated,

I. whereas the information society has the potential to transform working patterns, education
systems, and society as such from top to bottom because it can remove space and time barriers
and offer a whole range of new means to enable developing countries to take technological
leaps forward, bypassing the intermediate stages that the industrialised nations have completed,

J. whereas, however, access to information and communication technologies is spread very
unevenly, since 48 % of the inhabitants in the industrialised nations are connected, but the
figure in the poorest developing countries is just 1,5 %, 53 % of the inhabitants in industrialised
countries are connected to a telephone network, there is 1 Internet connection for every 5 people
in the developed countries, and for every 40 people on average in the world as a whole, but the
figure for Africa is as high as 1 051 and, in general, only the large towns and cities there are
equipped with Internet connections,

1. Stresses the importance and urgency of working for the development of an information society
as a universal provider in which developing countries would participate fully;

2. Maintains that the many and varied opportunities for multi-media applications could greatly
boost development in civil services, education and health systems, and transport and services,
including where planning and monitoring are concerned, if the necessary resources can be obtained
and a sufficient number of properly trained specialists recruited;

3. Considers it essential therefore to set up a partnership between industrialised countries and
developing countries — and in particular between the Union and the ACP countries — in order to
identify the respective requirements of both, to mobilise the necessary technical and financial
resources, to agree in a concerted manner on the legal framework within which the information
and service networks should be implemented;

4. Calls for the partnership between industrialised and ACP countries to give priority to a
genuinely dynamic development of the Internet, which would then appear not only as a means of
opening up ACP country networks to the rest of the world but also as a source of enrichment for
exchanges both between North and South and between developing countries;

5. Considers that in order to counteract the risk of marginalisation of the least advanced
countries, an essential first step will be to rectify the inadequacy of telecommunications and human
resource infrastructures and the low rate of literacy in those countries;

6. Supports the Commission’s view that a strategy must be devised to enable the information
society to be covered when cooperation projects and programmes are assessed so that all cooperation
tools can be made more coherent and efficient;

C 79/70 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22.3.1999

7. Considers that over and above the improvement of access to technologies, effort must be put
into developing human resources in ACP countries by way of improved training, in particular in
the areas of telecommunications and computerisation;

8. Expects that in the informal sector, new training and employment opportunities will likewise
be exploited to help persons, in particular women, who have hitherto had little access to media
and information output;

9. Considers that, beyond information and communication infrastructures there should above
all be investment in the development of human resources by improving access to education and
training;

10. Considers that the European Union should in particular assist the ACP countries to take
stock of their communications and information needs and to develop on that basis a national policy
consistent with their own development objectives, to be guided by the constant concern to promote
access by the greatest number to information and equality of opportunities between their citizens;

11. Is aware that the ACP States will need to invest enormous sums in telecommunications
infrastructure, including mobile radio-telephone services, which cannot be financed by the public
sector alone, and should therefore seek to enter into an economic partnership with the appropriate
businesses and educational establishments;

12. Maintains that the ACP States should consequently lay down a framework of laws and
regulations that must accord with the commitments required by the WTO as regards the principles
governing regulation of basic telecommunications services, provide incentives for public and private
sector investment, and encompass a pluralistic information policy;

13. Calls on the EU Member States to take appropriate steps in the areas of human resources
and technology transfer, and as regards involvement in Community research and development
activities, with a view to opening up the information society to the developing countries;

14. Urges the introduction of twinning between European regions and ACP States in the area of
new information technologies to enable a response to be made to the real needs of the communities
concerned and facilitate the integration of multi-media into the local cultural context;

15. Calls on the ACP States, the Union Member States, and the Commission to support the
expansion of university facilities to enable scientists to link up on the Internet and thus take part
in world-wide discussions and learning processes;

16. Notes that, in addition, special assistance will be required to enable universities, their
libraries, and their scientific and technological research centres to link up across the world and
thus help reduce information deficits in developing countries;

17. Hopes that the choices made at international and national level in terms of the development
of infrastructure, regulations, methods of access to networks and the fixing of tariffs are constantly
guided by the desire to promote the access of the largest number of people to information and
equality of opportunity between citizens;

18. Encourages, in the interests of technological development, the introduction of digital radio
receivers in ACP countries, which would enable existing projects for digital transmission by radio
and satellite to be put on a concrete footing;

19. Hopes also that European participation in the emergence of digital technologies in the ACP
countries will be directed as a matter of priority towards networks serving the general interest in
the areas of education, occupational training, public health and scientific research;

20. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

22.3.1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 79/71

**RESOLUTION(** [1] )

**on damage caused by Hurricane Georges in the Caribbean Region**

_The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,_

— meeting in Brussels (Belgium) from the 21 to 24 September 1998,

— considering the provision of the fourth Lomé Convention regarding emergency assistance, in
particular from Art. 254 onwards,

A. being extremely concerned about the destruction done in the Caribbean region by Hurricane
Georges, particularly in the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican
Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Martin, Saba and St Eustatius;
aware of the fact that the Bahamas are now threatened by Hurricane Georges,

B. considering theloss oflives, infrastructuraldamage toroads andport facilities, severe destruction
to water and electricity supplies, the destruction of property, homes, schools, hospitals and

crops,

C. noting that a state of emergency has been declared in some islands and that millions of dollars
will be required for rehabilitation and to restore the economies of the affected countries,

1. Calls on the Commission of the European Union:

i) to assess the damage caused by the hurricane, evaluate the needs, provide adequate resources
to assist with the rehabilitation of the states and overseas territories concerned, and motivate
the international community to assist the rebuilding process and to support programmes of
local disaster prevention;

ii) to assist with the transfer of technology that will in the future contribute to a reduction in the
effects of another similar catastrophe;

2. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this declaration to the ACP-EU Council and the

Commission.

( [1] ) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 24 September 1998 in Brussels (Belgium).