MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 27 JUNE 2007

(2007/C 254/03)

(The sitting opened at 9.12 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mr RADEMBINO-CONIQUET

Co-President

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: Badia i Cutchet (for Arif), Goebbels (for Ferreira), Hutchinson (for Rosati), Morgantini (for Holm) and Zwiefka (for Langendries).

2.   The Co-President's announcements

The Co-President expressed his thanks to Mrs Wieczorek-Zeul, President-in-office of the EU Council, for her hospitality.

3.   Approval of the minutes of Monday afternoon, 25 June and Tuesday morning, 26 June 2007

The minutes were approved.

4.   Report of the economic and social partners

Mr Akouete (ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups) made his statement on the topic of human resources for development.

Speakers: Goebbels, Mugambe (Uganda) and Sebetela (Botswana).

5.   Urgent topic No 2: the situation in Zimbabwe (without resolution)

Speakers: Berend, Straker (St Vincent and the Grenadines), Jardim Fernandes, Mushelenga (Namibia), Mitchell, Top (Guinea), de Sousa (Angola), Thwala (Swaziland), Nguema Owono (Equatorial Guinea), Co-President Kinnock, Matola (Malawi), Sebetela (Botswana), Gahler, Mafura (Lesotho), Lola Kisanga (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Dekuek (Sudan), Toga (Ethiopia) and Deerpalsing (Mauritius).

The Co-President announced that the discussion on the situation on Zimbabwe would be continued in the Bureau in September and expressed the hope that the Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe would change his position before that time and accept a JPA fact-finding mission.

6.   Report by Mr Michael Gahler and Mrs Evelyne B. Cheron (Haiti) — Good governance, transparency and accountability in relation with the exploitation of natural resources in ACP countries (ACP-EU/3937/07/fin.)

Mrs Cheron (Haiti) and Mr Gahler presented their report.

Speakers: Theodorakis (European Commission), Aubert, Bowis, Mugambe (Uganda), Straker (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Nguema Owono (Equatorial Guinea), Carlotti, Dekuek (Sudan), Oumarou (Niger), Van Hecke, de Sousa (Angola), Scheele, Sebetela (Botswana), Ramotar (Guyana) and Milebou Aubusson (Gabon).

Mrs Cheron (Haiti) and Mr Gahler wound up the debate.

7.   Presentation of the report of UNFPA on ‘The State of the World Population 2007’, followed by a debate

Mr Hakkert (Chief Technical Advisor, UNFPA Brazil) presented the report.

Speakers: Schnellhardt, McAvan, Thwala (Swaziland), Kinnock and Ribeiro e Castro.

Mr Hakkert wound up the debate.

(The sitting closed at 12.18 p.m.)