Source: Concord Flash, nr. 56, November/December 2008For the fourth time, CONCORD was present at the joint EU-Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Parliament Assembly (JPA) to speak out on its views. This time, the JPA took place in Papua New Guinea. Around 400 delegates were present, including around 40 out of the 78 MEPs, ACP delegates from some 40 countries and many ambassadors and members of government.
On the agenda: aid effectiveness, global crisis, Millennium Development Goals, IT in education in ACP countries, child labour, global crisis, climate change, protection of civilians, Country and Regional Strategy Papers for the 10th European Development Fund, Economic Partnership Agreements, the situation in Mauritania, Congo and Zimbabwe and workshops covering regional
issues.
Dr. Hildegard Hagemann, German Commission for Justice and Peace/VENRO, represented the CONCORD Cotonou Working Group at the JPA and other CONCORD members were present too. Almost a ritual now, the CONCORD Cotonou Working Group had once again prepared briefing notes expressing its concerns on key topics:
♦ Gender equality and women's rights - 11-2008
♦ Governance and Development - 11-2008
♦ Financial perspectives and the new EC external action instruments - 11-2008
♦ Intra-ACP funds - 11-2008
♦ Joint EU-Africa strategy - 11-2008
♦ Civil Society and Parliaments: collaboration to improve the impact and effectiveness of EC Aid through the Cotonou Agreement - 11-2008
Hundreds of the briefing notes were distributed and civil society organisations from the South and North were part of all events and worked jointly to influence the parliamentarians.
For further information: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/acp or (H.Hagemann@DBK.de)
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