RESOLUTION(1)

on ACP-EU cooperation and involvement in electoral processes in ACP countries and the role of the Joint Assembly

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 29 March to 1 April 1999,

- having regard to the Lomé IV Convention as amended by the agreement signed in Mauritius on 4 November 1997,

- having regard to the guidelines for the negotiation of a new EU-ACP agreement, adopted by the EU Council of Ministers on 30 June 1998,

- having regard to the ACP negotiating mandate adopted on 30 September 1998,

- having regard to the progress made so far in the negotiations leading to a new partnership agreement, and in particular to the conclusions of the ACP-EU Ministerial Conference held in Dakar on 8 and 9 February 1999,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in individual countries and on human rights and democracy,

- having regard to the Commission communication to the Council and the European Parliament on "Democratisation, the rule of law, respect for human rights and good governance: the challenges of the partnership between the European Union and the ACP States" (COM(1998)146),

- having regard to the report of the ACP delegation sent to observe the presidential elections in Togo on 21 June 1998,

- having regard to the report on the mission of 23 February to 3 March 1998 to Papua New Guinea, including Bougainville, and the Solomon Islands,

- having regard to the European Parliament's resolution of 9 March 1999 on the outcome of the 1998 ACP-EU Joint Assembly (A4-65/99),

- having regard to Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

- having regard to the European Council's resolution of 1991 on human rights and development,

A. whereas the European Union has repeatedly affirmed that respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law constitute the cornerstone of the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and of development cooperation,

B. whereas the negotiations on the future agreement focus unequivocally on the political dimension of the ACP-EU partnership, and whereas democracy, human rights, the rule of law and responsible governance should constitute the basis of the future agreement,

C. whereas democracy at the political level implies far more than the mere act of periodically casting a vote, and covers the entire process of participation by citizens in the decision-making process,

D. whereas the right for citizens to take part in the conduct of public affairs may be achieved through a wide range of democratic political systems,

E. whereas political pluralism, freedom of expression, equal access to the media during the campaign, secret ballots and respect for the basic rights of candidates are essential elements of democratic, free and fair elections,

F. whereas elections in some ACP countries have regularly given cause for concern as to their proper conduct, with manipulation and irregularities taking place in their preparation, conduct and in the vote-counting procedure, and competing or opposition parties and candidates being denied an equal opportunity to campaign for votes,

G. whereas only permanent monitoring of the electoral procedure and the process of democratisation can guarantee a realistic assessment of the problems and a successful outcome,

H. whereas evenly constituted ACP-EU election observation delegations and missions can at the same time make an important contribution to easing critical situations in the countries in question,

I. whereas the Joint Assembly, representing as it does the peoples of the ACP-EU States, is a key component in ACP-EU relations and can make an essential contribution to deepening the political dimension of future ACP-EU cooperation,

J. regretting that in the past the European Parliament has quite frequently declined official invitations from the relevant countries to send election observation delegations,

K. considering that despite the expressed need for a common EU approach to election assistance and observation, there is no common strategy on election observation tasks aimed at ensuring coordination of efforts,

1. Calls on the ACP Governments to observe the principle of the alternation of power between political parties by holding free, properly organised elections in a context of political pluralism, democracy and the rule of law;

2. Stresses the importance to a non-repressive society of freedom of information, the press and opinion, as well as freedom of political opposition, including fair access for competing political parties to the mass media;

3. Believes that it is up to the ACP countries to set up their own democratic institutions capable of ensuring respect for all human rights;

4. Believes, in this context, that it is essential to guarantee political pluralism and democratic institutions, based on a set of rules accepted by the majority of the population and observed both by the government and the opposition;

5. Calls for closer cooperation between the Commission, the European Parliament and the ACP Group in the field of election observation, election assistance and post-electoral institutional capacity building;

6. Is convinced that it is necessary to have a joint structure at ACP-EU level in order to assess the fairness of any election;

7. Calls for a set of common ACP-EU criteria for election observation missions and the training of observers in order to ensure consistency;

8. Believes that democratic system building is an efficient form of conflict prevention;

9. Welcomes the fact that the ACP Governments are increasingly inviting the Joint Assembly to send delegations to observe the preparation and conduct of elections and the vote-counting process;

10. Considers it necessary to accept invitations from ACP countries to observe presidential and parliamentary elections and, in addition, to take part with evenly constituted ACP-EU delegations in all election observation missions undertaken by the Commission in ACP countries;

11. Calls on the European Parliament to review its criteria governing the sending of electoral observation missions to the ACP countries, in order to ensure that such missions are always authorized in the case of controversial elections;

12. Affirms that it is in the interest of the EU and its ACP partners to project a visible identity in election observation and assistance and in post-electoral institutional capacity building;

13. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the Commission.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 1 April 1999 in Strasbourg (France).