Brussels, 15/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The political conclusions of the first Africa-Europe ministerial conference held last week in Brussels (see EUROPE of 13 October, p.4) highlight the considerable identity of views between the two parties on key issues such as political, economic and trade cooperation, and their determination to move forward in implementing the Cairo Action Plan for the new Euro-African partnership. The second ministerial conference scheduled for November 2002 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) will consolidate work to promote further advance during the 2nd Europe-Africa Summit in Portugal, in 2003. "We are measuring the utility, the interest and the particularly positive result of this ministerial conference mid-term between the Cairo Summit and the Lisbon Summit. The excellent climate surrounding the work augurs well for a constructive meeting next year to allow firmer and more substantive commitments to be taken in Lisbon", Louis Michel told the press.
Welcoming the "positive exchange of views" on the New African Initiative, Louis Michel, European Co-Chairman of the conference, stressed that the new strategic dimension of the Europe/Africa global partnership had been confirmed. In his view, "this colossal effort coming from Africa itself to resolve its problems" is "a true vision of African development, of a kind that will bring about a fundamental change" in relations between Africa and the Union. An agreement was reached in favour of attaining harmony between this initiative and the Barcelona Process, the Cairo Process and the Cotonou Agreement, he said. He also welcomed the decision taken by Africans to transform the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) into an African Union that "is largely based on the model of the European Union". The Union is willing to provide aid to consolidate this project of regional integration at the scale of the African continent, said Louis Michel. "Africa as a continent has come to meet the European Union, on an equal footing, as a partner in a joint effort", said African Co-Chairman Keli Walubita, Zambian Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the OAU. He went on to speak of the problem of the African external debt, saying: "The situation is so difficult that it is almost shocking. It is now a matter of removing the burden weighing on Africa so that we can work together with the rest of the world". Mr Walubita affirmed, moreover, that he had received from the EU a pledge of financial support for the New African Initiative. He added that the transformation of the OAU into an African Union would take one year so that, by the next Europe/Africa Summit, it would be the African Union that would be meeting the European Union. Speaking of the exchange of views on inter-Congolese dialogue (an exchange that took place on the fringe of the restricted ministerial session with the representatives of the parties in the DRC conflict), the Zambian Minister said he felt that the "process has reached cruising speed". He went on to specify that the president of his country (and mediator in the region) would take part at the second meeting of inter-Congolese political dialogue to open in Addis Abeba on Monday 15 October. "We are optimistic about the outcome of the process. Disarmament is under way. The EU has announced it will provide financial support", he said.
Commissioner Poul Nielson felt that the ministerial conference had marked the "true beginning of the Cairo Process" and that convergence of views on many aspects of Africa-Europe cooperation would allow the partners to have a "real framework for Doha and Johannesburg" (the WTO Conference in November this year and the sustainable development summit in 2002). Dwelling on the "image of Africa", he added: "the impetus we are enjoying with the prospect of an African Union allows us to be more positive. It is important to attract investment". As the global approach to African development under the New African Initiative integrates the least advanced countries, he says this is "a good source of inspiration".
We give below the clarifications that were given to the press on the progress achieved in the eight priority fields of action of the Cairo Action Plan:
Conflict prevention: The conference floated the idea of establishing indicators for the setting in place of an early warning mechanism. This would mainly entail daily observation of the press in order to detect the early signs of ethnic conflict, for example. Europeans and Africans agree as to the need to strengthen African capabilities regarding conflict prevention, mainly through the deployment of specialised "task forces" on the ground, to tackle the underlying causes of conflicts and to grant all the attention required for post-conflict situations (disarmament, retreat of fighters, fight against the trafficking of small weapons, fight against diamond trafficking, and mine clearance). The Africans called for European aid to combat the trafficking of small arms by air transport.
Cooperation and regional integration: Ministers agreed to pursue their cooperation with a view to the fourth WTO ministerial conference in Doha in order to reach an agreement on a new round that will take into account the interests of developing countries and support Africa's efforts to integrate the global economy. In this respect, the EU said it was willing to support the OAU's request to obtain observer status at the WTO. Mr Michel said he was struck by the declaration made by the South African Minister calling for "Afro-pessimism" to be refused in order to "change Africa into a continent of hope".
Environment: Ministers agree to recognise that any sustainable development must take the environment into account, including the fight against drought and desertification.
Fight against AIDS and other pandemics: Given the devastating effects of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on Africa, there is consensus on the need for urgent measures in the context of a global strategy. The European Union makes this a priority in its development strategy and is the largest contributor to the World Fund for Health (EUR 1 billion out of a total of 1.8 billion).
Food security: Ministers share the conviction that food security is at the heart of the fight against poverty. The Africans proposed that the Union should, within the context of the Cairo Action Plan, support a long-term food security programme for Africa, a programme that would go beyond food and cereal aid, aimed at reducing poverty through sustained and diversified growth of the economy in general and of agriculture in particular. The programme would be based on: a) the setting in place of a Guarantee and Support Fund for private investment in food security; b) the setting in place of a support unit for long-term food security in Africa.
Human rights, democracy, rule of law: Ministers emphasised their shared values and expressed their desire to press ahead with the joint preparation of an action plan against the trafficking of human beings, mainly women and children.
Return of cultural goods: The African request to take back possession of cultural goods stolen from them by Europeans, or illicitly exported, is in an impasse. The conference entrusted experts with the task of drawing up a circumstantial report on the question for the next ministerial meeting in 2002.
Debt: the European Union declares it is willing to pursue its contribution to the initiative on alleviating the debt of the highly indebted poor countries (HIPC), but did not respond to the African request to cancel the external debt. The experts will take over the work on this issue.
The two co-chairmen welcomed, but without commenting on, the adoption of a joint declaration on the fight against terrorism (a subject tackled by several ministers, but not on the agenda). In the declaration, the ministers "condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks which took place on 11 September 2001, (…). They consider these to have been attacks on the whole of the international community and all its members of every faith and culture without distinction, and declare their full solidarity with the United States. The Ministers consider terrorism as a common threat to all nations and express their strong determination to jointly combat this scourge in all its forms, in the spirit of Articles 83 to 85 of the Cairo Plan of Action".