1.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND UNCTAD SIGN AGREEMENT ON 3rd
UN LDC CONFERENCE - NGO PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONFERENCE
The
Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), Rubens Ricupero, and the European
Commissioner for Development, Poul Nielson, have signed an
agreement on the arrangement for the third UN Least Developed
Countries (LDC) Conference. The Conference will be taking place
in Brussels at the European Parliament from 14-20 May. According
to the agreement, the EU will contribute to the logistics of the
conference, notably through the allocation of a budget of €
4.5 million to the special UNCTAD fund for LDCs.
An
NGO Forum will be organised as a shadow event to the LDC
Conference, starting from 10-20 May. Within the NGO Forum, a
number of civil society organisations, including Eurostep
will be organising a number of events. For more information see http://www.oneworld.org/liaison/forum/
An
electronic discussion has also been set up to help civil society
prepare for the LDC Conference. This discussion starts with two
main aims:
1.
To develop an NGO policy statement to be adopted at the NGO Forum
plenary session (10-12 May).
2. To discuss the outcomes that civil society wants from the
official Conference and NGO Forum, and propose lobbying
activities.
In
order to subscribe to this discussion, send a blank message
to: [email protected]
You can also find web archives of messages in the discussion at
the following address:
http://www.bellanet.org/ngoforum/index.cfm?fuseaction=message_list&lang=en
2.
SECOND SESSION OF ACP-EU JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY 19-23
MARCH, LIBREVILLE GABON – NON-PARLIAMENTARIANS DELEGATES TO
BE DENIED THE RIGHT TO VOTE?
The
second session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly takes
place from 19-23 March in Libreville Gabon (See PAF 217). This is
the second Joint Parliamentary Assembly, since the signing of the
Cotonou Agreement in June 2000. The Parliamentary Assembly, which
originates from the Joint ACP-EU Assembly under the Lomé
Conventions, was renamed in the Cotonou Agreement in attempt to
place emphasis on its intended parliamentary nature. The Assembly
is made up of equal numbers of Members of the European Parliament
and representatives of the ACP. In the absence of parliaments in
some ACP states, the Cotonou Agreement allows the attendance of
non-parliamentarian representatives of ACP states, subject to
approval of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
But
according to the European press, the European members of the
Assembly will at next week’s session push for a change in
its rules of procedure so as reserve the right to vote within the
Assembly for only parliamentarians.
This
move has however not been welcomed by all concerned. A
representative of an ACP Embassy to the EU, writing to the
European press argues,
“Since the
establishment of the Joint Assembly under the Lomé Convention,
non-parliamentary representatives have had the right to vote.
This did not make the Assembly less parliamentary in nature; if
anything, the system ensured that there was no domination by EU
parliamentarians, who, unlike ACP members always turned out in
force.”
The
representative of the ACP embassy argues that the proposals being
put forward by the European parliamentarians would have the
effect of institutionalising the EU majority, given the poor
record of participation by some ACP states, particularly smaller
members whose delegates have to travel long distances at enormous
cost. As the embassy representative states:
“To deny a
duly authorised delegate the right to vote not only challenges
the sovereignty of that parliament, but makes the participation
of non-parliamentarians almost meaningless.”
The
Joint Parliamentary Assembly session will also constitute
workshops covering a) education and health in Central Africa; b)
EU aid to agriculture and infrastructure in Central Africa; c)
conflict resolution and prevention policies.
3.
EU FOREIGN MINISTERS GIVE QUALIFIED SUPPORT TO UN RESOLUTION
CONDEMNING CHINA’s HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD
EU
Foreign ministers will give measured support to a UN resolution
condemning China’s human rights record next week. This move
is being described by the European press as one of the first
signs that the EU is cooperating with the Bush administration in
the US on foreign policy concerns.
Though
EU ministers will support a US sponsored motion criticising
China’s failure to respect human rights standards, the EU
will not officially join the US in sponsoring the resolution as
requested by US Secretary of State Colin Powell. Instead the
EU will lobby other UN members in an effort to block Chinese
attempts to kill the UN resolution.
Civil
rights campaigners have criticised the EU’s refusal to
sponsor the motion. A representative of Human Rights Watch
stated,
“We
haven’t seen significant moves [by the Chinese] to meet the
EU’s basic requirements ... There has also been a tremendous
increase in prosecutions in China of religious groups and members
of the pro-democracy party. This has to be taken in
account.”
In
previous years the EU has backed the US position, but the Chinese
authorities have always blocked the adoption of the UN
resolution.
In
a related event, the EU had welcomed China’s ratification of
the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights. The EU has however expressed concern at the decision by
China to make a declaration to the effect that Chinese
legislation takes precedence over article 8.1 (a) of the
Covenant, which guarantees the right to form and join a trade
union of one’s choice.
4.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
The
European Parliament has adopted recommendations to the European
Commission regarding the next WTO round. The Parliament backs
the efforts of the European Community to open a new broad round
of negotiations, taking further account of the conditions of
sustainable development, environmental and consumer protection,
the needs of developing countries and public concerns over the
world trading system.
ˇ
Regarding agriculture the Parliament stresses that it is
important for the EU to fund projects providing for the
transition to sustainable farming. It is also considers that the
EU has to defend the right of developing countries of
guaranteeing their food security.
ˇ
On intellectual property, the European Parliament is in favour of
the creation of a multilateral register of geographic names of
origin. It also urges the Commission to place emphasis on account
being taken of the interests of developing countries regarding
their biological heritage.
ˇ
On institutional aspects the Parliament advocates democratic
control of the WTO.
5.
IN BRIEF
EU
Commissioner for Development, Mr Poul Nielson, will next week
meet with President Bongo of Gabon to discuss co-operation
between the EU and Gabon on regional integration, good governance
and the fight against poverty.
Javier
Solana, the High Representative of the EU’s Common Foreign
and Security Policy, on a visit to Colombia this week assured the
Colombian government of EU support for the peace process in
Colombia. The EU backs the social aspects, but the not the
military aspects of the US sponsored ‘Plan Colombia’.
Solana’s visit was also aimed at preparing a conference on
the peace process in Colombia, in Brussels on 30 April.