Euro-African Pact for Africa’s development: The Role of Parliamentarians

 

Recommendations for Action

 

Cape Town, 25 – 26 May 2006

 

 

 

On 25 and 26 May 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa, parliamentarians from 24 African countries , including the Pan African Parliament, and 15 European countries, including the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, participated in the EU Presidency Seminar on Africa that was organized by AWEPA and the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe in the framework of the Austrian Presidency of the European Union, with support from Austrian Development Cooperation and the European Commission. The seminar provided a platform to promote dialogue and partnership between African parliamentarians and their colleagues from the EU member states and the Council of Europe.

 

We, Members of Parliaments from Europe and Africa met in Cape Town on 25 and 26 May 2006 to discuss matters relating to Europe-Africa relations and particulary the new EU Strategy for Africa. Acknowledging the contribution of development in addressing global challenges, we welcome the new EU Strategy as a coherent and long-term framework for the relations  between Europe and Africa as a whole, based on common priorities and values, especially the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

 

We reaffirm our support to NEPAD and African initiatives aiming to strengthen good governance, democracy, human rights and peace being key elements to improve living standards. Africa’ problems should be addressed by African solutions.

 

We recognize the efforts made by many African countries during the last decade to strengthen democratic systems, accountable to their citizens.

 

We would like to draw attention to the following points:

 

- To promote African development, we must strengthen and redefine partnership. Partnership implies consultation, accountability and transparency. It also includes mutual recognition, mutual respect and the definition of mutual collective interests.

 

- A critical element in Europe’s support for Africa is ODA, and this requires the intervention of parliamentarians within their structures in order to examine, monitor and evaluate whether the objectives of the programme are fulfilled, and whether the recipient is benefiting in the manner intended. Detailed research will be required into the transfer of resources and the achievement of objectives on the basis of key performance indicators and targets.

 

- The MDGs are unrealisble or unsustainable without fair terms and conditions for trading, especially in agriculture and duty escalations on processed products. Therefore the establishment of fair trading relations must be given top priority in international trade negotiations, including WTO and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

 

- Good governance requires effective parliamentary action in Africa and Europe, and consensus on the definition of good governance and the relation between governance and development.

 

- The principles enshrined in the new EU strategy should be translated into a set of operational and implementation guidelines, accompanied by a detailed action plan that includes more coherence in development policy and better coordination in terms of delivering aid.

 

Proclaiming that the days when development policy was the exclusive domain of the executive are over, we  stress the importance of promoting the parliamentary dimension in Europe-Africa relations, and call for the explicit recognition of the important function of parliament in prioritizing  and monitoring development policies and resources.

 

Therefore we call for:

1. The promotion of a parliamentary monitoring mechanism with equal representation from Africa and Europe for the implementation of the new EU Strategy. Adequate resources must be made available for this purpose. Such a mechanism should avoid unnecessary bureaucracy so that it can be speedy and effective.

2. Recognition that the 10^th European Development Fund under the Cotonou Agreement includes a provision on good governance, whereby parliaments should be involved in monitoring.

3. The EU to continue and reinforce its support for: a) African Union and NEPAD; b) African institutions, such as the Pan-African Parliament, regional and national parliaments; and c) the Africa Peer Review Mechanism.

 

4. The enhancement of dialogue between Members of parliament from Europe and Africa, and especially those of the new EU member states.

 

5. The prioritisation of support for the struggle against HIV and AIDS, including to reach the goal of universal access to life-saving medicines and support for vaccine research.

 

6. Parliamentarians and parliamentary networks to ensure that they fulfil their roles in holding governments to account on the commitments made to development in Africa, taking into account the fundamental role of women.

 

7. A follow-up meeting to report back on progress made by parliamentarians.

 

African parliamentarians commit themselves to the fulfillment of the MDGs, including through effective oversight, legislation and budgets. European parliamentarians commit themselves to fulfillment of the promises made to Africa with regard to ODA, debt relief and trade reforms.

Acknowledging the need for a continuous Europe-Africa dialogue, we call on the parliementarians to press their governments to organise the second Europe-Africa Summit.