The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

Bridgetown , 18 November 2006

Press Release 4

6 th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly

The 6 th Session of the 79-member ACP Parliamentary Assembly took place in the afternoon of Friday 17 November 2006 at the Sherbourne Centre, Bridgetown, Barbados. It was chaired by Mr. Rene RADEMBINO CONIQUET, the Co-president of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and President of the Senate of Gabon. The Bureau of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly had met in the morning to prepare for the plenary in the afternoon.

The ACP parliamentarians were engaged in long discussions and debates on different matters based on presentations by the Political Affairs Committee, Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, as well as the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment. Of great importance here as far as these Committees were concerned were the follow-up presentations of topics that were chosen during the 11 th JPA session held in Vienna, Austria, in June 2006. The Political Affairs Committee presented a report on the causal relationship between light and small caliber weapons and sustainable development. This presentation was supplemented by two related agenda items; the first, a report from the ACP Working Group on Conflict Management and, secondly, updates on conflicts in certain ACP countries.

After some good discussion, it became apparent that the ACP countries individually needed to step up efforts to assist themselves first by adhering to fundamental universal goals such as upholding the general rule of law, respect for human rights, and to aim higher to achieve traits of Good Governance. As a corollary, it would then be likely for the countries concerned to achieve some sense of peace, security and stability. Discussions took place also in relation to arms proliferation. As seen today, foreign manufactured arms are used effectively in all conflicts in the ACP countries with devastating consequences. The ACP parliamentarians decided that this was a matter for joint discussion with the European side since arms were exported mainly from European countries.

A draft declaration on Togo, as presented by Mali, was also adopted by the ACP Assembly.

The Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment gave a brief presentation of its report on Water in Developing Countries. At a time when global warming has become a problem, the scarcity of water and the availability of clean water have brought about mounting problems that cuts across many frontiers for the welfare of peoples in the developing countries such as those of the ACP regions. Meanwhile, due to a prior commitment of the ACP Co-Rapporteur, a full presentation of a joint ACP-EU report on the topic “Migration of Skilled Workers and its Effects on National Development” was postponed to the Joint ACP-EU Bureau Meeting.

The Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade updated the ACP Parliamentary Assembly on the state of play of the EPA negotiations at the regional level. As always been a concern for the ACP Group, these negotiations between the six ACP regions and the European Union remain problematic. The parliamentarians vowed to pursue clear answers from the European side especially in relation to difficulties surrounding provisions spelt out under the Joint Roadmaps for each ACP region and the cost of adjustment if ACP countries were to totally embrace market liberalization and remove tariff barriers. The negotiations are behind schedule in all regions, though the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESA) and CARIFORUM have gained more ground compared to the other four ACP regions. Deliberations also centered on the issue of poverty alleviation where emphases were placed on assistance to small farmers.

Also included in the list of agenda for the ACP Parliamentary Assembly was an administrative matter in the financial situation of the ACP Secretariat and procedural matters on the accreditation of non-parliamentary representatives as well as the need to complete the signing of the Charter of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly.