1.
EU PREPARED TO DIALOGUE WITH NEW SOMALIA AUTHORITIES
The
French Presidency of the EU on behalf of the Union has expressed
its hope that the election of Mr Abdulkassim Salat Hassan as
President of Somalia by the National Transitional Assembly will
contribute to the restoration of the state, the preservation of
national unity and the territorial integrity of the country. The
EU also states its willingness to enter dialogue with the new
Somali authorities. Once they have established their authority,
the EU is willing to support their efforts to rebuild the
country. To this end the EU calls on the authorities of
Somaliland and Puntland to establish constructive relations with
the institutions, which have emerged from the process of dialogue
(Arta process). The EU also invites the heads of the armed
movements, which remain on the margins of the peace process to
associate themselves with that process.
2.
THIRD ROUND OF COMMISSION – CIVIL SOCIETY CONSULTATIONS ON
WTO ISSUES 26 SEPTEMBER – 2 OCTOBER
The
third round of monthly consultations between the European
Commission and civil society and other stakeholder
representatives on WTO issues takes place, between 26 September
and 2 October in Brussels. The issues to be discussed are:
services, the environment and sustainable development, health,
and agriculture.
The
agenda for the meeting on health issues includes: Debriefing on
the Durban Conference; the G8 Okinawa Summit; Intellectual
property rights; and differential pricing for medicines.
The
agendas proposed by the Commission for the other issues is as
follows:
Ø
Agriculture: food security; and developing country issues;
Ø
Environment and sustainable development: developing countries and
sustainability;
Ø
Services: GATS, environment and sustainability aspects, including
gender issues; environment services and E-Commerce.
For more information and how to register
see http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/2000_round/3meetig.htm
3.
22nd MEETING OF
ACP-EU ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INTEREST GROUPS 13-15 SEPTEMBER 2000
The
European Economic and Social Committee (ESC) hosted the 22nd
meeting of the ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups meeting
in Brussels on 13-15 September 2000. The meeting regularly brings
together ACP and EU representatives from employers’
organisations, trade unions and representatives from various
interests including farmers’ organisations, to discuss
ACP-EU issues pertaining to civil society with the European
Commission. Representatives from NGOs, whom have not in the past
been invited to this gathering, were invited for the first time
this year. Guggi Laryea represented the Eurostep
Secretariat at the meeting.
The main
subject of this year’s meeting was the new ACP-EU Agreement
(Cotonou Agreement) and its provisions for civil society
participation.
The
interest groups drew up a general declaration at the end of the
meeting and adopted a resolution on Fiji. The declaration, inter
alia states that:
Ø
Economic and social interest groups have remained largely
excluded from the design and implementation of policies on ACP-EU
co-operation;
Ø
Economic and Social Interest Groups must be able to establish
direct contacts with EU representatives and receive comprehensive
information on ways of accessing financial resources;
Ø
A regulatory framework must be established in all ACP
countries to enable socio-economic organisations to thrive, with
the emphasis on access to financing and to local resources in
order to ensure their long term survival;
Ø
Dialogue must be fostered between ACP economic and social
organisations to help to create networks, in particular as
regards the regional integration processes;
Ø
Economic and Social Interest Groups should be involved from the
very start of the process of implementing the Cotonou Agreement;
Ø
The European Economic and Social Committee should be given the
responsibility for following up the degree to which economic and
social interest groups are involved in the new Agreement;
In the
resolution on Fiji, the interest groups expressed their deep
concern over the situation in Fiji and demanded that democracy be
speedily restored within the framework of the 1997 Fiji
Constitution.
NGO
representatives at the meeting were of the view that greater
dialogue should take place between ACP and EU NGOs and networks
such as the ACP Civil Society Forum on the one hand and the
economic and social interest groups on the other. This would
promote greater understanding between the different civil society
actors and quell suspicions on their motives for participation in
ACP-EU co-operation.
4.
DAC AND ETC ORGANISE EXPERT CONSULTATION CONFERENCE ON NEW
NOTIONS OF POVERTY – NEW DAC GUIDELINES ON POVERTY
The
Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD and the
consultancy ETC International, organised an Expert Consultation
Conference on the Guidelines that the DAC is developing on
poverty reduction, on 12-14 September in the Netherlands.
Participants included academics, representatives from
multilateral institutions, Northern and Southern NGOs and
government agencies. The main objectives of the Conference were
to:
Ø
Consult on the first chapter of the guidelines that deals with
the different dimensions of poverty and who the poor are;
Ø
Discuss the applicability of the guidelines in policy
development;
Ø
To put the discussion in the perspective of current developments
and define key issues for future attention.
Information and discussion papers
from the meeting are accessible at http://www.etcint.org/povertyconference.htm
Participants are invited to react to the papers on the site.
5.
IN BRIEF
EU Development Commissioner, Poul
Nielson stated this week that Commission will approve a
rehabilitation programme for Sierra Leone of € 30 million.
EU humanitarian aid to Sierra Leone since 1996 has amounted to
€ 226 million. The European Development Fund has also
provided € 8.2 million for demobilisation of former
fighters. Mr Nielson also stated that the UN Security Council
Resolution from last July on the illegal trade in diamonds had
now been transformed into European Community law.
The European Parliament has adopted
a resolution denouncing the deplorable situation of 98 000
Nepalese speaking refugees in Bhutan and invited the governments
of Bhutan and Nepal to reach an agreement that allows the
refugees to return home.
The EU is urgently demanding
Indonesian authorities to apprehend and try the persons
responsible for the tragic deaths of the UNHCR staff in East
Timor. The Commission has also approved a grant of € 2
million to displaced populations from Sumatra, the Moluccas and
Timor. This brings Commission humanitarian aid to Indonesia since
1999 to € 24.5 million.
The Commission has decided to grant
€ 1.5 million to populations in Honduras hit by Hurricane
Mitch. This brings Commission spending on humanitarian aid in
Honduras in 1998 to € 15 million.