27th Edition November 2019

“After many years of decline, hunger is again on the rise in ACP countries, especially in Central and Western Africa. 257 million Africans are undernourished. This worsening trend is caused by a combination of weak commodity prices, effects of climate change and conflicts. At the same time ACP countries with their young and vibrant populations are at a turning point for a new era of sustainable development, for which inter-parliamentary dialogue is crucial in the framework of the Cotonou and post-Cotonou agreements. The 38th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly taking place in Kigali in November 2019 will include a keynote debate on “the state of food security and nutrition”. “Integration of a gender perspective into conflict management” and “migration and sustainable growth for people” will be the subjects of two other debates without resolution. In the wake of the UN Conference on climate change in December in Spain, the Assembly will debate and adopt urgency resolutions on “challenges addressed at the COP25” and on the “threat of climate change to fisheries and aquaculture.” 

(EU Co-President)Carlos Zorrinho

38th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly17 to 21 November 2019, Kigali (Rwanda)

The state of food security andnutrition in the context ofsustainable agricultural production

As the world population continues togrow, further effort and innovation areurgently needed in order tosustainably increase agriculturalproduction. The SustainableDevelopment Goal 2 recognizes theinterlinkages between supportingsustainable agriculture, empoweringsmall farmers, promoting genderequality, ending rural poverty,ensuring healthy lifestyles and tacklingclimate change. Beyond an adequatecalories intake, proper nutrition hasother dimensions that deserveattention, including micronutrientavailability and healthy diets. Inparticular, inadequate micronutrientintake of mothers and infants has long-term developmental impacts, whileunhealthy diets and lifestyles areclosely linked to the growing incidenceof non-communicable diseases in bothdeveloped and developing countries.

Integration of a gender perspectiveinto conflict management

Violent conflicts, both within andamong states, dramatically affect thelives of women. They remainparticularly vulnerable to sexualviolence while they are most often notactively participating in acts ofviolence or decision-making that stokeand maintain violent conflicts. At thesame time, their potential to fosterreconciliation and peace remainsuntapped. Thus, integrating a genderperspective into all aspects of conflictmanagement – in line with the UN’sWomen, Peace and Security Agenda– would be a decisive step forward inachieving a safer and more peacefulworld for women, men and childrenalike. The debate should highlightpositive examples of women’sempowerment and their involvementin conflict management and peacebuilding, leading to a betterunderstanding of the challenges andopportunities.

Migration and sustainable growth forpeople: investments in micro, smalland medium enterprises and start-ups

For ACP countries, the challenge ofcreating new jobs is enormous. In Sub-Saharan Africa, some 18 millionadditional jobs would be needed everyyear. Unemployment is pushing manyto migrate to neighbouring or moredistant countries, with well-known risksand with resulting tragedies in manycases. Job creation is crucial andmicro, small and medium enterprises(MSMEs) tend to have the biggestpotential for this. For MSMEs to get offthe ground and flourish, access tocredit, fostering of entrepreneurialskills, access to markets and fairopportunities to compete in them,including against foreign competitors,are needed. A sound businessenvironment and supportivemeasures, including by the EU, canhelp and fair terms in tradeagreements and aid for trade also playan important role.

 

 

 

 

Committee Reports

The impact of social media on governance, development, democracy andstability

Social media revolutionised the way and speed in which information travelsacross the world, thereby democratising access to information. However, it hasalso created new challenges such as the proliferation of fake news,cyberattacks, xenophobic discourses or even election meddling by ill-intentioned actors. Furthermore, access to social media remains unequal fromthe perspectives of gender and geographic location. Finding ways to controland regulate the negative impacts of social media - whilst protecting freedom ofspeech - remains a very difficult task. Urgent action is needed to set up onlinedefence strategies and to develop media literacy programs for all in order tofully benefit from the opportunities that social media have to offer.

Sustainable industrialisation and digitalisation: the approach andindustrialisation and digitalisation policies for ACP countries

Global commitments such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals stressthe importance of technology, innovation and access to information andcommunication technologies (ICT) for sustainable economic and socialdevelopment across all industries. Sustainable industrialisation and adequatedigitalisation infrastructures are crucial to social and economic development forACP countries; in particular, for those still classified as least developedcountries that also suffer from a vast digital divide in access to information andcommunication technologies. It is therefore essential to create inclusive andsustainable strategies on digital infrastructures in order to enhancemanufacturing production, find new sustainable ways to diversify productivecapacities, improve trade environment and investment climate and provide ICTaccess for all.

Promoting the active participation of young citizens in public life in ACPand EU countries

Young people, if empowered with the knowledge of their rights and supportedto develop a sense of critical thinking and intellectual independence, can drivechange in their communities and countries. They can be genuine promoters ofenhanced and better-functioning democracy with regular alternation of power,of greater transparency and of an uncompromised fight against corruption, aswell as against predominance of private interests in the public sphere. Newgenerations tend to be more open to solidarity and to other ideologicalconsiderations than to short-term electoral gains; furthermore, they are a keydriver for the accomplishment of real gender equality, girls and women’sempowerment and children’s rights.

Urgent resolutions

Challenges addressed at the COP25

More frequent and devastating naturaldisasters, alarming scientific reportsstressing the urgency of much strongerclimate action and vigorous youth andother campaigns for such action areputting the climate issue at the centre ofattention. Still, far too little is being doneglobally and the roles played by the USand Brazil under their current presidentsare most unhelpful.The incoming Commission is promisingto launch a “Green New Deal” and theEuropean Parliament is seeking to raisethe share for climate action of the EU’sfuture external action funding. Followingthe UN’s Climate Summit on 23September, the next big opportunity toadvance international climate action isthe “COP25” climate conference. On theeve of this conference, the JointParliamentary Assembly will take stockof developments.

The threat of climate change tofisheries and aquaculture

Fisheries and aquaculture play animportant role for livelihoods and foodsecurity in ACP countries, many ofwhich are small island developingstates, as the sector provides one of themost important sources of protein, andmillions depend on fisheries andaquaculture for their livelihoods.Changing regional climates and risingsea levels alter the availability ofspecies, and bring about fundamentalchanges in eco-systems of reefs,wetlands, rivers, lakes, estuaries andcoastal waters. Small island states in thePacific and the Caribbean, and countriesalong the coasts of Africa count amongthe most vulnerable, not least due to theimportance of the sector and their levelof development. The JPA will highlightthese challenges and discuss urgentpolitical action to improve the resilienceand the sustainability of fisheries andaquaculture in the face of a changingclimate.

x

For more information,go to the ACP-EU website:http://europa.eu/!Ky77fj

 To subscribe this newsletter, please email: acp@ep.europa.eu

The EU has a special partnership with the ACP countries due to historic ties between them and many EU member states. This partnership is laid down in the Cotonou agreement. It is vital that this partnership has a parliamentary dimension,allowing for the scrutiny of the governmental and executive dimension. Therefore parliamentary representatives of the 78ACP countries and 78 Members of the European Parliament meet twice a year in Joint Parliamentary Assembly, once inthe EU country holding the EU Council presidency and once in a country determined by the ACP. Apart from the fullplenary sessions there are regular committee and Bureau (presidium) meetings.