Insecurity in the Sahel, the resilience of small island developing states to climate change and natural disasters, and the global impact of the war in Ukraine will dominate the meeting of the ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) (1-3 April in Strasbourg) - the last under the Cotonou Agreement concluded in 2000 and pending the post-Cotonou partnership that will take over. Portuguese MEP Carlos Zorrinho (S&D group), Co-Chair of the political forum of the partnership between the European Union and the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, tells EUROPE what is at stake in this 41st session of the JPA. (Interview by Aminata Niang)
Agence EUROPE What are the priorities of this Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) meeting?
From an external perspective, the priority is to assert a multilateral approach to the global geopolitical situation, based on concrete causes and shared values.
This will be the last Assembly to be held under the Cotonou Agreement. The post-Cotonou Agreement provides for a strengthened parliamentary dimension by adding three regional JPAs (Africa/EU), (Caribbean/EU) and (Pacific/EU) to the ACP/EU JPA.
This 41st JPA celebrates more than 21 years of the parliamentary dimension of the partnership and will have the clear priority of preparing for its future by increasing the capacity of parliamentarians to be vocal, to follow and to be actors in the development of a partnership of equals.
Secondly, it is a priority to promote an open exchange of views on current issues impacting the Partnership countries and beyond, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and West Africa and the Sahel and the impact of Covid-19.
Thirdly, it is also an opportunity for an exchange of views with the institutions of the ACP and EU countries so that parliamentarians can learn more and give their views on the instruments that could be used to promote the partnership.
What do you expect from the Joint Parliamentary Assembly at a time of war in Ukraine and the risk of a global food crisis, with the poorest and most vulnerable countries bearing the brunt?
I hope that it will be a forum for debate and promotion of peace, freedom, diversity, understanding between peoples and respect for their self-determination under international law, and that it will convey a message of support for multilateralism with shared causes and values, which is the essence of a JPA that brings together representatives from 105 countries and is the second largest interparliamentary assembly in the world, involving more than half of the countries with a seat at the United Nations.
Why emergency resolutions on the Sahel and on climate change?
This decision of the JPA Bureau stems from the perception that the situation of stability, security and democracy in West Africa and the Sahel, in addition to being complex for the territories concerned, presents a potential for contamination that needs to be understood in order to be countered and helped to be resolved, and that the situation of vulnerability of small island developing states to climate change and natural disasters needs to be put on the agenda of global priorities for mitigating the effects of global warming and protecting the affected populations.
In your opinion, what is the scope and weight of the ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly at a time when the EU’s partnership with Africa seems to have primacy (see EUROPE 12894/1 12889/7)?
The parliamentary dimension gives depth and a more democratic legitimacy to the strategic partnership, and is also a vehicle for opening up to a diversity of debate and opinions and for greater participation by civil society in its implementation. The women’s and youth forums, which will be part of the future institutional programming of the JPA, deepen this dimension of openness, diversity and participation of civil society in the implementation of the partnership.
The Post-Cotonou Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of ACP States (OACPS) has not yet been signed by the European side (see EUROPE 12859/26). Doesn’t this reinforce the impression that the ACP countries are being left off the European agenda?
Knowledge of the circumstances that led to the postponement of the formal act of finalisation considerably reduces this possible perception. At the same time, some of the tools that will support the partnership on the European side have been implemented, such as the ‘Global Europe’ financial instrument of the EU budget, which makes the delay of the act of finalisation important, but not decisive for the future success of the agreement.