|
Special UN representative, Olara Otunnu, said that the EU could take
the lead in international efforts
to prevent rifles and other small armaments ending up in the hands
of child soldiers. Mr Otunnu who
is in Brussels to raise awareness of the problems of the use of child
soldiers said that the Union is
probably better placed than the US to raise the international profile
of the issue because the matter
of the sale and possession of arms is far less politically sensitive
among the EU public than it is in the
US. In addition, the US lacks moral credibility on the issues of arms
control following Washington's
failure to sign the international treaty on land mines in Ottawa last
December.
The UN representative while commending the EU on its adoption of ethical
guidelines on arm
exports at the EU Cardiff Summit in June, said much more could be done
in preventing small arms
ending up in conflict zones where children are likely to be involved
in fighting. He pointed out that the
availability of light weapons makes it easier to enrol women and children
in warfare.
2. ACP-EU NEGOTIATIONS
The ACP-EU Negotiating Central Group's next meeting on 16-17 November
will define all the
central issues that will be put on the table for negotiations. Given
the importance of this meeting the
Eurostep secretariat will be looking at how it could input into the
event at its Lobby Workshop on
27-28 October in Brussels.
Other forthcoming negotiations meetings and events of importance to
the negotiations:
Brussels, 24-25 November 1998
European Parliament External Relations
Committee and WTO Roundtable discuss
the WTO and developing countries
Dominican Republic, 12 January 1999 1st Caribbean-US
Trade and Investment
forum with the private sector
Not yet determined ACP country, 8-10 Joint-ACP-EU Ministerial
negotiations
February 1999
meeting
28-29 June 1999 EU-Latin America-Caribbean Summit
Trinidad and Tobago, 4-7 July 1999 20th CARICOM Conference
End of September 1999
2nd Summit of ACP Heads of State
3. EU GOVERNMENTS SET TO EASE SANCTIONS ON NIGERIA
Despite warnings from pro-democracy groups that recent progress in human
rights in Nigeria
remains fragile, EU Governments are set to lift non-military sanctions
against Nigeria next week.
This follows the decision by EU ambassadors to support a call for sanctions
against Nigerian Head
of State, General Abdusalam Abubakar to be suspended as a reward for
his promise to hold
elections next May.
The sanctions were imposed in 1995 after the execution of Nigerian activist
Ken Saro Wiwa and
eight other campaigners for the Ogoni land by the Nigerian authorities.
They were due to expire on 1
November barring their extension by EU ministers by unanimous vote.
Sanctions on high level visits, visas and sporting ties will be lifted,
while bans on exchange of military
personnel and sales of arms will be maintained. Since the Abubakar
regime came into power, it has
promised to hold elections, released political prisoners and dropped
charges against exiled political
figures. However pro-democracy activists argue that it would be too
early to ease sanctions on the
Nigerian Government. The UK office of the African Democratic League
pointed out that Abubakar
has not yet amended key pieces of repressive legislation including
the decree that allows the
government to imprison people without trial.
4. NEW FRAMEWORK OF ASSISTANCE FOR TRADITIONAL ACP BANANA
SUPPLIERS
The EU Council has endorsed the new framework of technical and financial
assistance for
traditional suppliers of bananas from the ACP zone. The new regulation,
based on the EU common
position taken last June, is aimed at helping ACP traditional producers
of bananas adapt to new
market conditions following the entry into force of the EU banana trade
regime.
The framework will cover two types of programmes:
a) Programmes to improve the competitiveness of ACP bananas, through
increasing productivity
without harming the environment; improving product quality; adapting
production, distribution and
marketing methods to meet new quality standards; establishing producers'
organisations to foster
competitiveness; developing a production and marketing strategy to
meet the requirements of the
market; and assisting with training, market intelligence and the development
of environment-friendly
production methods.
b) Programmes to support diversification to other products where improving
banana competitiveness
is not sustainable.
The framework will be implemented for a period not exceeding 10 years
from 1 January 1999. The
Commission will decide on the eligibility of ACP proposed programmes
after consultations with ACP
representatives and the EU Member States.
5. FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Mozambique 23-25 October
EU Development Commissioner, Mr.
Pinheiro visits
Luxembourg 26-27 October
EU Foreign Ministers meeting. Issues
on the agenda include sanctions on
Nigeria
Brussels 26-27 October
European Parliament Development
Committee. Issues on the agenda
include Community action on
anti-personnel mines and EU-ACP
Partnership on Democratisation and
human rights
Vienna 3-4 November
EU-South Africa Developmeny Community
Ministerial Conference
6. IN BRIEF
The European Parliament (EP) has agreed to withdraw its threat to place
the EU's humanitarian
budget in reserve. The MEPs' threat followed revelations of alleged
fraud at the European
Community Humanitarian Office. However, in a vote at this week's plenary
EP session in
Strasbourg, the two largest political groups - the Socialists (PSE)
and the European People's Party
(PPE) both came out against the move.
The Consultative Conference of the European Network Against Racism,
which took place in
Brussels from 8-10 December, adopted an action programme aimed at launching
awareness
campaigns in favour of anti-racist policies. The European Commission
has confirmed its support for
the network.
© Eurostep. Please address comments to [email protected]