—

meeting in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) from 25 to 27 November 2013,

—

having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the Treaty on European Union, in particular Articles 2 and 21(1) and (2) thereof,

—

having regard to the Cotonou Agreement, in particular Articles 8(4), 9, 33(1) and 96 thereof,

—

having regard to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, adopted on 30 January 2007, in particular Articles 2(2), (5), (6) and (9), 3(1), (2), (5), (7), (8) and (9), 4, 10, 12, 15, 17, 27, 32 and 33 thereof,

—

having regard to the Caricom Charter of Civil Society of 19 February1997, in particular Article XVII thereof,

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having regard to the Organisation of African Unity Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance of 8 July 2002, in particular Articles 7 and 14 thereof,

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having regard to the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption of 11 July 2003, in particular Articles 3 and 17 thereof (2),

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having regard to the report of the United Nations Secretary-General of 16 March 2012 entitled ‘Delivering justice: programme of action to strengthen the rule of law at the national and international levels’,

—

having regard to the UN Basic Principles on the independence of the judiciary,

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having regard to the Economic Community of West African States Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance, adopted in Dakar on 21 December 2001,

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Political Affairs (ACP-EU/101.521/A/fin.),

A.

whereas respect for the rule of law and the balance of powers (executive, legislative and judicial) is a sine qua non for the implementation and functioning of a stable democracy – which is a common objective at the core of EU–ACP cooperation –, an essential element of good governance and a prerequisite for the promotion of a fair state and of sustainable political, economic and social development that enables parliamentary democracy to function more effectively;

B.

whereas the effective, firm and clear separation of powers is fundamental to ensuring the presence of a genuinely impartial, independent and accessible judiciary;

C.

whereas the legal structures put in place should guarantee a balance between the three constitutional powers, which must be independent of the individuals occupying particular posts;

D.

whereas having a free and ethical press network and a civil society whose rights are respected and taken into account in political decision-making could help to ensure a proper balance of constitutional powers;

E.

whereas both EU and ACP countries have a strong common interest in the continued development of democracy and the establishment of properly functioning constitutionalism;

F.

whereas the existence of an impartial, independent and accessible judiciary is a crucial aspect of the rule of law in all states, in order to ensure compliance with laws by all, to promote sustainable economic growth and to strengthen people’s confidence in their government, thereby enhancing political stability and security;

G.

whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principle of non-discrimination and the right of access to justice, a fair trial and an effective remedy, which are instrumental in the enforcement of all other human rights, and whereas corruption seriously distorts the independence, competence and impartiality of the judiciary and of public administration, fostering distrust in public institutions, undermining the rule of law and leading to violence;

H.

whereas having sufficient, well-trained human resources recruited on an objective and fair basis is essential to the proper functioning of the judiciary and the police;

I.

whereas citizens’ confidence in their country’s legal system and the legitimacy of the courts is dependent on a fair, transparent, honest and effective judiciary;

J.

whereas the integrity of public affairs and of the management of public funds is at the heart of good governance and the rule of law, being considered to be a factor that decreases corruption; whereas political leaders must be held accountable politically and before the courts for the private appropriation of public funds; whereas widespread corruption and a lack of transparency, access to information and inclusive participation in decision-making prevent citizens from holding governments and political representatives to account in order to ensure that revenue related to resource and market exploration is used to uphold their human rights; whereas it is incumbent upon governments to do everything in their power to combat corruption in public and private companies;

K.

whereas good governance, which is a key principle of cooperation between the EU and the ACP countries, is defined as a process of long-term change based on universal aims and principles and shared aspirations that must inform the main state functions of government and the interaction of public institutions and citizens (3);

L.

whereas education, in particular citizenship education, from an early age and general public awareness of a culture of peace, human rights, democracy, the rule of law and civil liberties are key to fostering a sense of belonging and commitment to society among citizens and enabling respect for the rule of law to take root;

M.

whereas the same principles must apply across the board and not be subject to specific national or regional ‘standards’, even though the way they are applied may vary according to the country;

1.

Recalls that any democratic system is based on a constitution and an associated judicial system, and emphasises, in this connection, the importance of the principle of judicial independence;

2.

Insists on the effective adoption and application of relevant articles on the rule of law, the separation of powers and an independent judiciary contained in treaties, charters, agreements and declarations of international organisations, such as the UN, the African Union and the EU, and of regional organisations;

3.

Calls on international and regional organisations to use their influence to help national parliaments implement their control function with respect to the executive; encourages, in this context, the exchange of good practice between the parliaments of the ACP countries and those of the EU Member States;

4.

Welcomes the launch of regional governance initiatives, such as the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), and calls for the development of similar instruments in the field of justice;

5.

Recommends that constitutions or fundamental constitutional documents clearly define the rules on separation of powers and specify the corresponding institutional framework; expresses reservations, in this connection, about the observable, constitutionally questionable practice whereby majorities which have a quorum to amend the constitution could curtail minority rights under domestic law that have been established for purposes of political scrutiny; stresses that revisions of constitutions should be the exception and should be designed to meet institutional rather than political needs; encourages, therefore, the establishment of systems to institutionalise political scrutiny and constitutional scrutiny by an independent court before any amendments are made to a constitution;

6.

Insists that the establishment of effective rights for parliamentary minorities, coupled with the application of strict rules on the funding of political parties which ensure a high degree of transparency, is essential in order to allow democratic oversight, balanced powers and sustainable democracy;

7.

Reiterates that civil society plays a positive and proactive role in the interaction between state powers, political parties and citizens and in preventing coups d’état or breaches of the rule of law;

8.

Emphasises the importance of free and independent pluralistic media able to contribute to democratic control and the balancing of state powers, with protected rights under freedom of information legislation; calls for an end to the harassment of journalists, who should be able to carry out their work in an independent manner, without fear of violence and recrimination, and for the immediate release of journalists and bloggers wrongfully imprisoned because of their work; calls for the amendment of anti-terrorism and anti-extremism legislation and of laws on national security, treason or subversion which can be used to prosecute and imprison journalists;

9.

Strongly recommends that state structures and institutions be reinforced, in particular those linked to the judiciary; calls on national authorities to allocate the necessary resources for this purpose; observes that sentences and convictions handed down by the courts cannot be executed without a credible penal system to which the necessary funding is allocated and which respects human rights;

10.

Considers that the EU should pay greater attention to the situation of ‘failed states’ in accordance with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) principles for international action in fragile states and precarious situations;

11.

Calls for clear and transparent law-making in the economic sphere which, coupled with an independent judiciary, would enhance investor confidence and could thus make a major contribution to sustainable economic development; calls in this connection for particular attention to be given to property rules and highlights the importance of implementing the right to participation and the right to access information and public accountability mechanisms, such as open data, as core principles of democracy;

12.

Emphasises the need to strengthen, through training and retraining, the intrinsic capacity of actors in charge of the judicial system (constitutional courts, independent national electoral commissions, judges, prosecutors and criminal investigation departments) and to institutionalise internal integrity control mechanisms;

13.

Recommends the establishment of a disciplinary tribunal for officers in the judicial system in order to guarantee the independence of judges in connection with possible career advancement and appointments;

14.

Emphasises the strong need to tackle everyday problems, such as poverty, lack of affordable health care and corruption, which reinforce public perceptions that democracy has not improved living conditions;

15.

Considers a strong and adequately resourced judicial system to be a bulwark against endemic corruption; considers, in this connection, that officers of the judiciary and police should be adequately remunerated and protected against any pressure which might threaten their integrity or hamper them in the performance of their duties;

16.

Stresses the importance of high-quality judicial and police training based on values and humanist ethics, the principles of democracy and good governance, and the rule of law;

17.

Advocates the establishment of parliamentary institutions and mechanisms which will initiate a transformation of society’s mentality so as to provide effective protection against corruption and patronage; welcomes the Jakarta Statement on Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies of November 2012; stresses the need to address the lack of effectiveness of the anti-corruption institutions created in many countries when it comes to tackling corruption, stemming mainly from their institutional arrangements, lack of functional independence from the executive, lack of political support, the sourcing of their finances, their rules for selecting and appointing officers and their enforcement powers; calls for the development of international standards on the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption authorities, drafted on an intergovernmental basis, with the aim of final adoption by the UN General Assembly, which would be equivalent to, and have the same robust scope as, the Paris Principles for national human rights institutions; emphasises that these principles should be used as benchmarks for accountability through peer review performance assessments;

18.

Supports the creation of an international commission against corruption by means of an international treaty or a protocol to the UN Convention against Corruption, which would establish an international body of criminal investigators endowed with powers equivalent to those of national law enforcement and prosecution authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes of corruption in the domestic territories of the signatory states, with the power to indict individuals in national criminal courts;

19.

Stresses that the principles and practices of good governance in the judicial sphere must be rooted at local level, particularly by means of the development of high-quality judicial infrastructure operating throughout a territory;

20.

Encourages initiatives to reform judicial systems, and considers that the European delegations concerned, their various partners and civil society should participate fully in such reforms;

21.

Recommends the inclusion in national education programmes of citizenship education from an early age in order to promote a culture of responsibility and awareness of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, in particular with a view to combating endemic corruption;

22.

Recommends the inclusion of local elements in the organisation of the judiciary and in a state’s general democratic structure in order to ensure a greater sense of ownership among citizens while maintaining full respect for democratic rules and principles; stresses, in this connection, the importance of dialogue at local level and of community policing in order to prevent crime and promote respect for, and defence of, the rule of law and the judicial system on the part of citizens;

23.

Underlines the important role being played by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in taking effective action in the fight against impunity; observes in this connection that the ICC is no substitute for an effective national system of criminal courts; encourages the establishment of an institutional arrangement for regular dialogue between the ICC and governments, particularly African Union heads of state and government, in order to improve the current functioning of the Court, taking account of the concerns of the various parties to the Rome Statute;

24.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the institutions of the African Union and the European Union, the ACP Council, the Economic Community of West African States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Southern African Development Community and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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meeting in Addis Ababa from 25 to 27 November 2013,

—

having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (5) (the ‘Cotonou Agreement’), as first amended in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005 (6) and as amended for the second time in Ouagadougou on 22 June 2010 (7),

—

having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which stipulates that ‘Union development cooperation policy shall have as its primary objective the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty. The Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries’,

—

having regard to the declaration adopted by the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Budapest (May 2011) on the 4th High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan (South Korea) in 2011 (8),

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having regard to the declaration of the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Malabo, in particular paragraph 18 thereof, which calls for special attention to be paid to South–South and triangular cooperation with the aim of putting an end to aid dependency (9),

—

having regard to the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation agreed on 1 December 2011 (10),

—

having regard to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2 March 2005 and the Accra Agenda for Action of 4 September 2008 (11),

—

having regard to the conclusions of the 3166th meeting of the Council of the European Union (Foreign Affairs/Development) of 14 May 2012 on ‘increasing the impact of EU development policy: an agenda for change’ (12),

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having regard to the note by the UN Secretary-General on a framework of operational guidelines on United Nations support to South–South and triangular cooperation (SSC/17/3) of 12 April 2012 (13),

—

having regard to the ACP–Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie symposium on ‘strengthening South–South cooperation: challenges and opportunities for the ACP group’ (14),

—

having regard to the final document of the building block meeting on South–South and triangular cooperation of 5 and 6 March 2012 in Brussels (15),

—

having regard to the conclusions of the Policy Dialogue on triangular cooperation in Lisbon on 16 and 17 May 2013, organised by the OECD and the Government of Portugal (16),

—

having regard to the Nairobi outcome document adopted by the High-Level United Nations Conference on South–South Cooperation (17),

—

having regard to the report on the joint meeting of the executive boards of the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, the UN Office for Project Services, the UN Children’s Fund, UN-Women and the UN World Food Programme, held in New York on 4 February 2013, on leveraging South–South cooperation and triangular cooperation (18),

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having regard to the European Commission proposal for a regulation establishing a financial instrument for development cooperation (19), having regard to the UN Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000,

—

having regard to the report by the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade on ‘South–South cooperation and triangular cooperation: opportunities and challenges for the ACP countries’ (AP101.516/13/fin),

A.

whereas the first decade of the 21st century was marked by rapid economic growth in the major emerging countries of the south (China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, South Africa, etc.), which are increasingly establishing themselves as major development players, accounting for nearly 50 % of global GDP in 2010, according to OECD estimates, compared with 36 % 10 years ago;

B.

whereas, in this context and in the light of the challenges associated with development, the ACP countries have increasingly adopted approaches involving South–South partnership, covering not only financial flows but also the sharing of experience, technology transfer, preferential market access and approaches to trade which are more mutually supportive;

C.

whereas the future of South–South cooperation rests on collective measures which contribute to the development of all the participant countries and provide a response to common challenges;

D.

whereas the economic partnership agreements being ratified by the ACP countries must be a vehicle for the development of the EU’s partner countries, particularly through the diversification of their economies and the enhancement of cooperation between ACP countries;

E.

whereas the ACP countries have increasingly given consideration to new ways of pursuing the aims of eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development on a more regional scale and through horizontal partnerships;

F.

whereas triangular cooperation is a process involving South–South cooperation with the support of a country in the North, which is distinct from mere technical cooperation programmes in that each actor defines its contribution on the basis of its own comparative advantages, thus assuming a share of the responsibility for development results;

G.

whereas South–South cooperation should be more transparent and increase the involvement of local civil societies;

H.

whereas, despite significant progress in reaching the targets set by the Millennium Development Goals, such progress has been extremely uneven;

I.

whereas countries in the North have a vested interest in ensuring that South–South and triangular cooperation is successful;

J.

whereas foreign direct investment (FDI) between developing countries accounted for 16 % of the global total in 2010 (approximately USD 210 billion, compared with USD 187 billion in 2008) and there still remains untapped potential for greater South–South cross-border economic integration;

K.

whereas, according to the UN Secretary-General’s report, South–South development cooperation has grown rapidly, reaching USD 16.2 billion in 2008, an increase of 63 % compared with 2006;

1.

Believes that South–South and triangular cooperation, although different in nature and scope, both create fresh fora and new means of cooperation, enabling emerging countries in the South to pass on to less developed countries, in particular the least developed ones (LDCs), the experience of their successes and the lessons learnt from their failures, and to provide them with development aid;

2.

Notes that emerging countries (China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Morocco, the Persian Gulf countries, etc.) are investing very heavily in the ACP countries and should be encouraged to use their role in addressing key international issues, ranging from economic recovery to food security, human rights and climate change;

3.

Recognises that the ACP countries possess technical know-how specific to their territory, thanks to geographical proximity and growing regional complementarities, although trade imbalances persist, as in the case of China in relation to Africa;

4.

Deplores the structure of trade between the ACP countries and the emerging economies, which is unchanging in qualitative terms, with the ACP countries continuing to be sources of commodities and raw materials used to power industrial growth in other countries; urges those countries to demonstrate their capacity to promote new forms of development mechanism and mobilisation of funds in order for economic relations with emerging countries to support structural diversification of the economy;

5.

Calls on the existing trading partners to assist with training and investment in the industries that add value to the products of the ACP countries and of other Southern countries in order to build skills and get the best value from their resources with a view to sustained future growth;

6.

Calls, therefore, on the EU to support South–South development cooperation which is firmly in line with the principles of mutual interest and equality, taking into account the imbalances existing between the two parties in the partnerships; considers that the mere selling-off of raw materials should be prevented and that fair trade in resources, and in particular intensive transfers of education, knowledge and technology, should be supported;

7.

Believes that triangular cooperation projects provide the EU with a further opportunity to foster sustainable partnerships with ACP countries;

8.

Encourages the development of innovative financing, such as the option of introducing a carbon tax based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle, given that developed and emerging countries are often a major, although not the only, source of CO2 emissions as a result of their rapid industrialisation; commends in this respect the EU Member States for their efforts to gradually phase out fossil fuels in line with the Union’s international commitments to fight climate change, and encourages triangular cooperation to focus on promoting the use of renewables and green technologies as part of a sustainable energy mix;

9.

Calls on the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to increase their funding for triangular cooperation initiatives, particularly between countries sharing a common border;

10.

Encourages all stakeholders to promote the strengthening of ACP countries’ capacity in the long term through the implementation of triangular cooperation which exploits the comparative advantages and complementarities between different development actors, bringing countries together around the common goal of eradicating poverty worldwide and promoting sustainable development;

11.

Takes the view that South–South and triangular cooperation should also focus on the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing with a view to sustainable economic development based on the rule of law;

12.

Takes the view that South–South and triangular cooperation should contribute to the sustainable and economically viable use of natural resources and raw materials;

13.

Recalls that for South–South and triangular cooperation to bring tangible benefits to citizens, they should be developed as a complement to proactive public, private and joint investments in public utilities, including, but not restricted to, transport, energy (particularly in relation to the electricity supply and access to electricity) and ICT infrastructure, and be accompanied by a set of pro-growth public policies, including an adequate fiscal regime and an adequate level of decentralisation in order to empower regions and local communities;

14.

Recognises that, given the poor mobilisation of internal resources and the declining volume of development aid, financing obtained through South–South cooperation is a lifeline for many ACP countries which have enormous funding needs; regrets, nevertheless, the fact that such financing is characterised by strong concentration on sectors such as natural and mineral resource extraction;

15.

Believes that development aid and cooperation projects should be more focused on promoting better use of the internal resources of ACP countries;

16.

Encourages the expansion of South–South and triangular cooperation into areas which would foster sustainable development, such as good governance;

17.

Insists on the need to strengthen the ACP countries’ capacity to frame and implement legislation for mutually supportive development which guarantees respect for human rights, good governance, social justice, fairness, democracy and respect for and protection of the environment;

18.

Believes that the ACP countries must be able to address environmental challenges, such as climate change, energy, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, in particular using finance intended for the exploitation of natural resources, which must be done in a sustainable way;

19.

Suggests that the global partnership for effective development cooperation can provide a forum for partners sharing the same principles, and whose commitments are correctly defined, in order to obtain tangible development results by exploring comparative advantages and complementarities and improving transparency with regard to spending, recipients and the accountability of the local and regional actors involved in the processes concerned;

20.

Emphasises that the traditional donors remain the main providers of aid to the ACP countries and trade partners, with the EU and its Member States having reaffirmed their commitment to contributing 0.7 % of their Gross National Income to speed up progress towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 and beyond;

21.

Encourages partnerships to be formed in specific fields and for specific measures in order to have a greater impact on international decisions; calls on the stakeholders to give consideration to the sustainability of these new forms of cooperation, bearing in mind the central issues of knowledge and technology transfer and protection of the environment beyond their borders;

22.

Considers that new forms of territorial integration call for a transfer of development projects to local and regional actors;

23.

Insists on the need to give a significant role to research and innovation by negotiating, in the context of international relations, arrangements favourable to research for development;

24.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP–EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament, regional and national parliaments and the ACP regional organisations.

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meeting in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) from 25 to 27 November 2013,

—

having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the African Union Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa: Securing, Protecting and Improving the Lives, Livelihoods and Rights of Pastoralist Communities, adopted by the Conference of African Ministers of Agriculture in October 2010 and approved by the Executive Council at the 18th ordinary session in Addis Ababa in January 2011 (Doc. EX.CL/631 XVIII),

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having regard to the N’Djamena Declaration of 29 May 2013 on the contribution of pastoral livestock to security and development,

—

having regard to the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa, endorsed by the African Union Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Land and Livestock in 2009,

—

having regard to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State Decision A/DEC.5/10/98 regulating transhumance between ECOWAS states,

—

having regard to the agricultural policy of the ECOWAS states adopted on 19 January 2005 in Abuja,

—

having regard to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) agricultural policy adopted on 10 December 2001 by Additional Act No 03/2001,

—

having regard to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) draft Policy Framework for Food Security in Pastoralist Areas of December 2009,

—

having regard to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Regional Policy Framework for Animal Health and Trade, approved in December 2009,

—

having regard to the ACP–EU Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Agreement’) and in particular Articles 32(1) on environment and natural resources, 32(a) on climate change, 31 on gender issues and 23 on economic sector development, covering rural strategies and agricultural production,

—

having regard to the European Commission communication of March 2013 entitled ‘Enhancing maternal and child nutrition in external assistance: an EU policy framework’ (COM(2013)0141),

—

having regard to the European Commission communication of 3 October 2012 entitled ‘the EU approach to resilience: learning from food security crises’ (COM(2012)0586),

—

having regard to the European Commission communication of 31 March 2010 on an EU policy framework to assist developing countries in addressing food security challenges (COM(2010)0127),

—

having regard to the EU-led AGIR and SHARE initiatives to address food and nutrition crises,

—

having regard to the 2012 report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) entitled ‘World Livestock 2011. Livestock in food security’,

—

having regard to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007 (A/RES/66/142),

—

having regard to the European Council conclusions of 18 November 2002 on indigenous peoples (13466/02),

—

having regard to the Millennium Development Goals established by the UN in 2000,

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment (ACP-EU/101.526/13/fin),

A.

whereas around 268 million pastoralists live across Africa, and whereas in some regions pastoralism constitutes the main livelihood; whereas pastoral areas cover almost 40 % of the African continent, and whereas pastoralism constitutes the main activity in certain regions – Niger for example having an estimated FCFA 2 000 billion in livestock capital –, with revenue from the sector contributing 21 % of the country’s export resources;

B.

whereas pastoralists have well-established indigenous knowledge and use both social networks and new information and communication technologies (NICTs) to seek out the most nutritious grazing land in arid and semi-arid areas and strategically move their livestock there, thereby making good use of uncultivated land ill-suited to other purposes;

C.

whereas statistics on the contribution of pastoralism to national economies are little known, despite its importance to the supply of livestock and the creation of a network of associated services;

D.

whereas in arid and semi-arid areas pastoralism is more productive than sedentary livestock farming in terms of production of meat per hectare and calories per hectare, and whereas it therefore helps to feed communities and enhance food and nutrition security and resilience;

E.

whereas mobile grazing in arid and semi-arid areas, together with the carbon sequestration potential of pastoral grasslands, could have a positive impact on the environment; whereas, on the other hand, grazing with flocks that are not moved around leads to overgrazing and loss of biodiversity, since plants are unable to recover sufficiently;

F.

whereas climate change increases the vulnerability of pastoralists to food insecurity and poverty, notwithstanding the fact that pastoralists’ mobility means they can adapt more easily to climate change than sedentary livestock rearers;

G.

whereas population growth is increasing the need for agricultural land and urbanisation in Africa, factors liable to restrict animal mobility, and whereas careful management and the creation of land-use codes and plans are therefore particularly important in order to preserve animal mobility;

H.

whereas addressing the management of cross-border mobility at regional level may provide solutions to inter-communal conflicts linked to access to water and land;

I.

whereas pastoralists, moving through remote areas, can play a positive security role;

J.

whereas by diversifying their activities some pastoralists can increase their income;

K.

whereas pastoralists can have difficulties accessing appropriate, good-quality healthcare, education, water and veterinary care for their animals, and whereas the difficulties in including them in census data can lead to their political marginalisation;

L.

whereas the AU Policy Framework for Pastoralism seeks to protect the livelihood of pastoralists, help them address the challenges they face, safeguard their rights and reinforce their contribution to the economy;

1.

Urges ACP states and local authorities to align their national, local and regional policies with the AU framework, and to involve pastoralists in defining the strategies to be used;

2.

Calls on the EU to recognise pastoralism as a valuable production system, and to support ACP states in implementing the framework;

3.

Points out the necessity of appropriate animal health and hygiene measures in order to avoid the spread of animal diseases, to preserve pastoralism and to protect public health; notes the importance of pastoralists having knowledge about the prevention and treatment of animal diseases;

4.

Calls on the ACP states to create and implement local, national, bilateral and regional initiatives, laws and codes for pastoralism, transhumance and land use; calls on the ACP states also to develop innovative supply concepts in fields such as education and public health to enable mobile population groups to be better provided for;

5.

Urges public and private actors to ensure that borders and boundaries do not negatively affect pastoralists’ safe mobility and access to resources, and that pastoralists can still graze their herds where land is privatised;

6.

Recommends that the ACP states support and advise pastoralist women in relation to their economic empowerment;

7.

Calls on the ACP states to strengthen their governance structures so as to ensure better representation of pastoralists, including by empowering traditional institutions and civil society organisations, in order to ensure that appropriate means are used to achieve the following objectives:

8.

Calls on the ACP states to give special attention to the education of girls in pastoral communities and to create facilities for their access to education;

9.

Calls on the ACP states and the EU to involve pastoralists in decision-making and to provide support to pastoralists in conflict resolution, using customary means wherever appropriate and possible, and to improve access to legal services;

10.

Calls on the ACP states to support and advise pastoralists who opt out;

11.

Recommends that the ACP states collect further data on pastoralists in order to make a better assessment of their contribution to the economy, and carry out socioeconomic studies to better categorise the vulnerability of pastoralists to, for example, climate change, conflict, changing land use and food insecurity;

12.

Calls on the EU and the ACP states to do all they can to combat climate change, given its damaging impact on pastoral populations; stresses, in this connection, the importance not only of supporting climate change adaptation and improving resilience among pastoralists in the ACP states, but also of pushing for an ambitious agenda in tackling greenhouse gas emissions in both EU and ACP states;

13.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP–EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament, regional and national parliaments and the ACP regional organisations.

—

meeting in Addis Ababa from 25 to 27 November 2013,

—

having regard to Article 18(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to Partnership Agreement 2000/483/EC between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States of the other part, signed in Cotonou (Benin) on 23 June 2000 and subsequently revised in 2005 and 2010,

—

having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2098 (2013) on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),

—

having regard to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly resolution on the situation of instability and insecurity in the Great Lakes region and, in particular, in the east of the DRC, adopted at its meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) on 29 November 2012,

—

having regard to the statement of 14 November 2013 by the President of the UN Security Council on the situation concerning the DRC,

—

having regard to the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region, signed in Nairobi (Kenya) in December 2006 by the heads of state and government of the member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR),

—

having regard to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region, signed on 24 February 2013 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) by 11 heads of state and government of the member states of the ICGLR and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC),

—

having regard to the Declaration of the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the ICGLR meeting in Kampala (Uganda) on 5 September 2013 on the Security Situation in North Kivu Province in the DRC,

—

having regard to the final communiqué of the joint summit of the SADC and the ICGLR held in Pretoria on 4 November 2013,

—

having regard to the decision of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council on the situation in eastern DRC, taken on 14 November 2013 at its 406th meeting,

—

having regard to the joint declarations of 9 September 2013 and 4, 6 and 11 November 2013 by the special envoys and representatives of the EU, UN, AU and US for the Great Lakes region,

—

having regard to the statements made by Catherine Ashton, Vice-President of the European Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on 30 August 2013 on the situation in North Kivu, and on 7 June 2012 and 10 July 2012 on the situation in eastern Congo,

—

having regard to previous European Parliament resolutions on the DRC, particularly those of 17 December 2009, 13 December 2012 and 12 September 2013,

—

having regard to the statement of 26 June 2012 by Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, on the worsening humanitarian situation in the DRC,

—

having regard to Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Convention and to Protocol II thereof, which prohibits summary executions, rape, enforced recruitment and other atrocities,

—

having regard to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989, which, in particular, prohibits the involvement of children in armed conflicts,

—

having regard to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

—

having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which was ratified by the DRC in 1982,

A.

whereas it is gravely concerned at the ongoing violence, massive human rights violations, crimes of all kinds (arbitrary arrests, extortion, looting, forced labour, sexual violence, forced recruitment of children, torture and executions) and insecurity in the Great Lakes region;

B.

whereas the presence and activities of armed groups in the Great Lakes region in general, and in the eastern DRC in particular, are among the root causes of the continuing lack of security in the region and pose a constant threat to peace, security, stability and economic and social development and to cooperation between the countries of the region;

C.

whereas the ongoing illegal exploitation and looting of the DRC’s natural and mining resources, in particular in the east of the country, remains one of the main causes of insecurity in the Great Lakes region; whereas rising unemployment and poverty, the food crisis and the inadequacy of basic social services are also instrumental in the resurgence of violence and in instability in the region;

D.

whereas in the past year the fighting has displaced more than 100 000 people, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, in which there are around 2.6 million internally displaced persons and 6.4 million people in need of food and emergency aid – a situation caused mainly by the M23 rebellion and the criminal activities of other armed groups in eastern DRC;

E.

whereas, following the military offensive launched in late October 2013 with the support of the MONUSCO Intervention Brigade, the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) ended the M23 rebellion and allowed the progressive reinstallation of the territorial administration of the state in the areas occupied by the rebels;

F.

noting the declaration of 5 November 2013 by the leaders of the M23, announcing the end of their rebellion and their willingness to pursue the objectives of their movement through exclusively political means;

G.

whereas, despite this victory by the FARDC and the efforts made and resources brought to bear by the international community in the Great Lakes region, in particular in eastern DRC, the violence and serious human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by armed groups, and the illegal exploitation and looting of the DRC’s natural resources, are still far from over; whereas it is therefore important for efforts to consolidate peace and security in the region to continue;

H.

whereas it deplores the difficulties in bringing the talks in Kampala between the DRC Government and the M23 to a swift conclusion, owing to a disagreement over the nature and title of the final text sanctioning those talks, despite the progress already made;

I.

whereas there is an urgent need to bring a definitive end to the activities of all other negative forces operating in eastern DRC, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Allied Democratic Forces / National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF/NALU) and the different Mai-Mai groups, and to swiftly restore peace and security in the Great Lakes region;

J.

whereas it is regrettable that the commitments made in the aforementioned framework agreement signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February 2013 have not been honoured by all the parties involved;

K.

whereas, during his joint visit to the Great Lakes region with the UN Secretary-General in May 2013, the President of the World Bank announced that the World Bank would contribute USD 1 billion towards development projects in the region, alongside the efforts currently being made by the international community to bring lasting peace to the Great Lakes region;

1.

Condemns once again, in the strongest possible terms, the acts of violence, crimes, human rights violations, acts of rape and recruitment of child soldiers that have taken place, and reiterates its support for the peoples of the Great Lakes region who have been exposed to the atrocities of war; encourages states to promote dialogue, mediation and negotiation in internal conflict resolution as a means of eliminating the causes of dissension, which lead to attempts to depose democratically elected governments;

2.

Calls on the DRC Government to exercise its full authority throughout the territory of the DRC and to improve the general governance of the country, including in the human rights field, as well as to identify and implement appropriate means of ensuring that all sections of Congolese society have the same rights;

3.

Calls on the parliaments of the Great Lakes region to work with their governments and political parties to promote social justice with a view to securing lasting peace;

4.

Calls on parliaments and governments to ensure equal participation by all segments of society, including women and young people, minorities and vulnerable groups, in the democratic process and in democratic governance;

5.

Calls on the international community, including the AU, the EU and the UN, to continue to provide substantial, coordinated and more effective aid to people affected by the security situation in the Great Lakes region and to remain ready to respond to the humanitarian disaster in the region;

6.

Reaffirms its steadfast commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of the countries of the Great Lakes region in general, and of the DRC in particular, and stresses the need for these to be respected in order to promote the peace, security and development of the Great Lakes region;

7.

Reaffirms the inalienable and indefeasible right of each of the peoples of the region to benefit fully from their national assets and to dispose of them in a completely sovereign manner in accordance with their own laws;

8.

Expresses its support for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region signed in Addis Ababa, and calls on all the signatory parties to honour their commitments swiftly and in good faith; calls therefore on the UN Security Council to take appropriate measures pursuant to paragraph 6 of its Resolution 2098(2013) in respect of any parties that have not complied with the commitments set forth in that framework;

9.

Welcomes the EU’s support for the framework agreement and encourages it to make every effort, together with other international organisations, to promote peace and improve cooperation between the DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania;

10.

Expresses its support for all the measures aimed at restoring peace and security in the Great Lakes region instigated and carried out by the UN, the AU, the EU, the ICGLR and the SADC, and urges them to continue their efforts and in particular to set up a programme for the harmonious development of the region in order to offer young people and the population of the Great Lakes region in general an alternative to war that will provide them with a better future;

11.

Welcomes UN Security Council Resolution 2098(2013) on the DRC and calls urgently on the leaders in the Great Lakes region and on the international community as a whole to work to ensure that this resolution is appropriately and fully implemented;

12.

Welcomes the deployment in North Kivu of troops from the Intervention Brigade established under that resolution within MONUSCO; welcomes that brigade’s active involvement in putting down the M23 rebellion, and calls on it to continue to provide support for Congolese Government troops, with a view to disbanding all other armed groups on DRC territory and putting an end to their criminal activities in the Great Lakes region;

13.

Urges the international community, in particular aid donors, to support efforts by the DRC authorities, following the military victory over the M23, to carry out institutional, political, economic and social structural reforms, in particular in the defence, security and justice spheres, with a view to strengthening democracy, the rule of law and good governance at all levels of public administration;

14.

Calls on the DRC and its neighbours to engage in closer and more effective regional cooperation, in order jointly to address the consequences of the recurring conflicts in the region and, in addition to dealing with security-related and political issues, to promote economic development in the Great Lakes region; calls on the international community, in particular the ICGLR, the AU, the EU, the UN and the US, to support such cooperation;

15.

Emphasises, to this end, the need to revitalise the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries and to provide it with the wherewithal to promote peace, integration, economic growth and job creation, in order to give the people of the region a better life;

16.

Welcomes the progress made in the Kampala negotiations under the auspices of the ICGLR and urges the mediator and all the parties to conclude those talks swiftly, so as to settle urgent matters such as the extradition of former M23 rebels who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries and of people cited for war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious human rights abuses;

17.

Calls for the demobilisation, disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR) of former rebels to be carried out in strict accordance with both the basic international standards in this area and the specific demands of soldiering, as referred to in the ACP-EU JPA resolution on the threats posed by military coups to democracy and political stability in the ACP countries, and the role of the international community;

18.

Takes note of the national consultations in the DRC between the presidential majority, the political opposition and civil society, convened by President Joseph Kabila, and encourages the DRC authorities to act on the conclusions and recommendations of those consultations with a view to promoting national reconciliation and removing once and for all the root causes of the recurrent political crises in the DRC;

19.

Emphasises the need to lose no time in identifying, with the assistance of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Red Cross, former M23 rebels and Congolese refugees in Rwanda and Uganda, so that they may be voluntarily repatriated to their country of origin and anyone so wishing may take part in the DDRR programme;

20.

Emphasises that ending impunity is one of the preconditions for restoring peace and security in the Great Lakes region and repeats its call on the judicial authorities of the member states of the ICGLR and on the International Criminal Court to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of human rights violations, crimes against humanity, war crimes, rape and the recruitment of child soldiers in the Great Lakes region;

21.

Insists that all armed groups roaming the Great Lakes region that have not yet done so must lay down their arms immediately and undertake to return to normal civilian life in their respective countries;

22.

Urges all those countries in the Great Lakes region that have taken in civilian or military refugees from other countries to adhere strictly to the provisions of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Convention of 1967 Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, in particular the ban on such persons engaging in political and military activities against their countries of origin;

23.

Calls on the World Bank to follow up the promise made by its President on 22 May 2013 in Kinshasa to invest the sum of USD 1 billion in development projects in the Great Lakes region, and recommends that this funding be earmarked as a priority for the areas affected by the conflicts;

24.

Urges the AU, the ICGLR and its member states, the UN and the EU to take firm and effective steps to combat the illegal exploitation of and trade in natural resources of the DRC and other countries in the Great Lakes region, and in particular to impose penalties on companies involved in such practices, in accordance with the transparency principles adopted at international level;

25.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the African Union, the ACP–EU Council, the Council of the EU, the European Commission, the Vice-President of the European Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the UN Secretary-General, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, the member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the presidents, heads of state and government and parliaments of the states concerned.

(a)

States which are in the process of ratification of the Partnership Agreement;

(b)

States which are members of the ACP Group.

(i)

reports submitted by the standing committees. These will be limited to three per session. The length of the motions for resolution contained in the reports is laid down in Annex II to these Rules of Procedure;

(ii)

urgent topics, proposed by a standing committee or submitted by the Bureau itself. Urgent topics shall only be included on an exceptional basis and may not exceed two per session. Other topics shall be forwarded to the standing committee responsible;

(iii)

a keynote topic for a high-level debate.

—

promoting democratic processes through dialogue and consultation;

—

economic, financial and trade matters and implementation of the European Development Fund;

—

social and environmental issues.

I.

COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS

This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

This committee will coordinate the work of fact-finding missions, including those sent to monitor elections, in accordance with Article 28 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly.

II.

COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE AND TRADE

This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

III.

COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

This committee is responsible for matters relating to:

—

Explanatory statements, preparatory working documents and reports on fact-finding missions: six pages

—

Motions for resolutions contained in reports and urgent topics: four pages, including recitals but excluding citations

(a)

For all meetings held at Parliament’s normal places of work:

(b)

For all meetings held outside Parliament’s normal places of work: