—

meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) from 27 to 29 November 2012,

—

having regard to Article 17(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the Millennium Development Goals,

—

having regard to the statement of 24 August 2011 by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on the EU response to famine in the Horn of Africa,

—

having regard to the Pledging Conference held by the African Union in Addis Ababa on 25 August 2011,

—

having regard to the Kampala Agreement of 9 June 2011 and the Galkacyo Agreement of 22 June 2012,

—

having regard to the Garowe I Agreement of 15 December 2011 and the Garowe II Agreement of 15 February 2012, which provide, in particular, for the establishment of a parliamentary political structure which would include a new 225-member lower chamber and a national constituent assembly of 1 000 members, both with a minimum of 30 % women,

—

having regard to the conclusions of the meeting of the African Union and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) on 23 May 2012 in Addis Ababa,

—

having regard to the ACP-EU JPA resolution of 9 April 2009 on establishing and promoting peace, security, stability and governance in Somalia,

—

having regard to the UN Security Council resolution of 26 May 2009, which recommended the ‧re-establishment, training, equipping and retention of Somali security forces‧,

—

having regard to the resolution of the Council of the European Union of 30 November 2009, which reaffirmed its ‧respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia‧,

—

having regard to the conclusions of the international meeting of Istanbul II of 31 May and 1 June 2012, which reiterated the commitment of the international community to ensure that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia is respected,

—

having regard to the report by the Committee on Political Affairs (ACP-EU 101.261/12/A/fin.),

A.

whereas, for over 20 years, Somalia has been the scene of constant armed conflict and droughts leading to significant food crises, both of which have resulted in large-scale movements of displaced persons and refugees;

B.

whereas the causes of this extreme poverty and famine are various, including civil war, political instability, the lack of security throughout the region, degradation of soils, large-scale acquisition of farmland by foreign investors, the rise in farm prices, speculation in basic commodities, climate change, illegal dumping of toxic waste on the coast of Somalia and excessively intensive and illegal fishing off the coast of Somalia by European and Asian factory ships;

C.

whereas 80 % of refugees are women and children, many of whom have been the victims of sexual violence and intimidation on their way to the refugee camps, or inside the camps;

D.

whereas access to the people remains a major problem as far as dealing with the humanitarian emergency in the region is concerned;

E.

whereas the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is partially financed by the African Peace Facility, which in turn is financed by the European Development Fund;

F.

whereas Uganda was the first country to commit its resources, joined later by other countries in the region, particularly Ethiopia, Burundi, Kenya and Djibouti;

G.

whereas the taking of hostages and acts of piracy are a source of funding for terrorism;

H.

whereas, since 2008, the European Union has been present along the Somali coast with its ‧Operation Atalanta‧ (EUNAVFOR), alongside NATO and other countries involved in the fight against piracy;

I.

whereas military action alone cannot establish lasting security, stability and peace;

J.

whereas the EU is the largest donor to Somalia and, from 2008 to 2013, will have disbursed more than one billion euros, split between various programmes, including EUR 500 million in development aid, EUR 242 million for humanitarian emergency programmes and EUR 325 million for AMISOM;

K.

whereas the Commission is about to raise to EUR 158 million the amount of total humanitarian aid granted this year to the populations that have been victims of the drought;

L.

whereas, at the Pledging Conference in Addis Ababa, the main African Union member states undertook to release almost USD 350 million for the countries affected by the drought;

M.

whereas the deadly incidents which have taken place in neighbouring countries, suggest that the conflict is about to spread;

N.

whereas no international military action can, of itself, establish lasting security, stability and peace if it is not accompanied by a programme for democratic development;

1.

Calls on the Council of the EU, the European Commission, EU Member States and the African Union to step up their efforts to support Somalia in its transition towards a peaceful and democratic rule of law, in accordance with the priorities set out in the action plan and roadmap, namely the establishment of sustainable institutions, conflict resolution, the fight against insecurity, access to food security and independence, economic growth that promotes employment, and support for regional cooperation;

2.

Considers that there can be no purely military solution to the crisis in Somalia and the problem of piracy in the waters of the Horn of Africa/Somalia;

3.

Would like Somalia to build its capacities in the political, security, judicial and prison-related fields as soon as possible, to enable it to become a country governed by the rule of law, based on the democratic principles of good governance;

4.

Calls on the European Commission and the Council of the EU to continue to encourage the reconciliation process between the parties involved in the civil war in Somalia; urges them to ensure technical and financial support for a reconciliation and peace process and mediation between all civil war parties;

5.

Welcomes the decision of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council of 2007 to set up the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in order to support the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) with a view to establishing a constructive dialogue between all Somalis and working towards the rebuilding of a state governed by the rule of law;

6.

Calls for the fight against Somali terrorism to be a priority, in particular by dealing with its sources of funding, such as arms and drugs trafficking, hostage-taking and maritime piracy, including by assessing the impact of the Arab Spring on this area;

7.

Considers it necessary to ensure free and transparent elections to enhance the legitimacy of the institutions whose task it is to manage Somalia’s transition to the status of a democratic, peaceful State where the rule of law prevails;

8.

Urges the Government of Somalia to make fighting corruption a priority and stresses that the recommendations made in United Nations reports must be taken into account and lead to concrete measures;

9.

Welcomes the establishment of a fund to rebuild Somali security and defence forces, which should enable Somalia to develop professional, well-equipped security and defence forces (a national army, police, coast guard and intelligence service) and welcomes in this regard the contribution made by the European mission EUTM Somalia;

10.

Welcomes the new EU SHARE programme, which aims to increase the resilience of the countries in the Horn of Africa in respect of the various threats they have to face, but stresses that this programme should be coordinated with the EU strategy for the Sahel, which has to face the same threats (terrorism, drugs, climate change, refugees and displaced persons);

11.

Welcomes the new EU EUCAP NESTOR mission which seeks to strengthen the maritime capacities of countries in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia, with a view to ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean;

12.

Welcomes the designation of an EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa and the opening in Mogadishu of a European Union office;

13.

Welcomes the establishment of a Local Stability Fund, which aims in particular to coordinate international aid in the newly accessible areas in the south of the country;

14.

Welcomes the action of the World Food Programme in its mission to provide food assistance to the greatest possible number of people, in spite of the hostile action of the Islamist group al-Shabaab;

15.

Calls on the local authorities and all civil war parties to allow humanitarian aid organisations access to deprived people in accordance with international humanitarian aid law;

16.

Condemns the commercial incoherence whereby Somalia exports some of the food it produces, while failing to guarantee food security for its own population and urges that agricultural production be boosted and supported in order to tackle effectively the food crisis facing the country;

17.

Is concerned about the current deregulation of the Somali market and the fact that the country is operating as a huge free zone through which a large amount of goods, manufactured products and livestock transit;

18.

Is concerned about the corruption which exists in the country and which, according to UN experts, results in 70 % of Somali State revenue being diverted; calls on the Somali State to establish an audit body;

19.

Stresses the crucial role played by young people in building the Somali State, and recommends that the Somali authorities and all regional and international partners implement programmes for young people to promote training, education and employment;

20.

Stresses the positive role the Somali diaspora can play, particularly with regard to economic life, through its remittances which are estimated to be some USD two billion annually;

21.

Takes the view that it is important to support agriculture, pastoralism and cattle breeding and welcomes the important work done by various NGOs in this area;

22.

Calls on the European Commission to support all water access programmes as a fundamental right and common heritage of humanity, and to support public and private partnerships for access to drinking water;

23.

Considers that the European Union should attach importance to the positive role played by the other States in the region in resolving the crisis, and encourages them to continue to take all necessary measures to consolidate peace and security throughout the region;

24.

Urges the international community, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, to implement and develop as soon as possible health facilities, healthcare centres and therapeutic nutrition centres for outpatients;

25.

Calls on the European Commission to consider providing aid and support to all African countries which have provided military peace-keeping forces in the countries in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia, as they could face reprisals from terrorist groups operating in the region;

26.

Calls on the European Union to provide aid to those African countries which have helped Somalia to recover its territory and which in so doing have complied with their international commitments despite the losses in human lives and the high financial cost;

27.

Welcomes the fact that Somalia has complied with the deadline set by the UN for the end of the transition period, namely 20 August 2012;

28.

Welcomes the establishment of a Constituent Assembly, the drafting of a new Constitution and its adoption by the newly formed Parliament, and the election of a President of the Republic by consensus;

29.

Welcomes the establishment of a Parliament appointed by the 135 Somali traditional leaders (elders), the members of which are representative both of the four major Somali clans (Darod, Hawiye, Rahanweyn and Dir) and of the minority clans, which ensures a high degree of representativeness of the whole Somali community;

30.

Welcomes the fact that the quota for the proportion of women in Parliament – 30 % – has now almost been attained;

31.

Considers that, in the necessary task of combating corruption, it is necessary to tackle not only those who are corrupted but also those who corrupt them;

32.

Welcomes the fact that there were six candidates for election to the Presidency and that the new President of the Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, was elected by a large majority; welcomes the appointment of a Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdan Said;

33.

Expresses its concern about the insecurity which still exists in the capital, Mogadishu, and condemns the terrorist attack aimed at President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud a few days after his election;

34.

Recalls that the new Somali institutions must finalise those fundamental elements which the provisional Constitution left undecided and must make efforts to stabilise all areas of national territory liberated from the control of al-Shabaab;

35.

Recalls that it is vital for the Somali people to be assured as soon as possible of good governance, government transparency, clear and transparent justice, respect for fundamental freedoms and freedom of religion and conviction;

36.

Regrets that, when it was established, AMISOM was underfunded, which impaired its ability to combat the terrorist groups of al-Shabaab, the Islamic group derived from the hard core of the Union of Islamic Courts, but welcomes the fact that, in its Resolution 2036/2012, the Security Council finally assigned AMISOM adequate resources;

37.

Stresses the need to support Somalia and its democratic institutions in restoring and developing dialogue among all its inhabitants and in establishing a programme of national reconciliation;

38.

Stresses the need for monitoring and supervision of the new Somali loyalist forces and for them to be paid regularly in order to ensure that, once trained, these soldiers do not desert and return to their respective clans, or even join rebel and extremist groups such as Hezb al-Islam or al-Shabaab;

39.

Stresses the importance of the training programme (EUTM Somalia of the European Union) for the security forces (police and army); considers that a series of selection criteria should be identified by AMISOM in order to ensure that the recruitment of future members of the Somali security forces is subject to good conditions, namely: diversity of clan background, medical fitness, age (over 18), potential to benefit from courses, lack of a record of human rights violations, etc.;

40.

Calls on the international community and the African Union to help Somalia to control its natural resources;

41.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to Somalia's transitional institutions, the institutions of the African Union and European Union, the ACP Council, IGAD and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

—

meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) from 27 to 29 November 2012,

—

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

—

having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Agreement’) and in particular Article 21 (1) b) on the development of entrepreneurial skills and business culture; Article 23 g) on economic and technological infrastructure and services, including transport, telecommunication systems, communication services and the development of the information society; and Article 43 on information and communication technologies and the information society,

—

having regard to the Decision on Socio-Economic Transformation and Infrastructure Development in Africa: Energy, Railways, Roads and ICT Sectors –adopted by the Fifteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union on 27 July 2010 in Kampala, Uganda (Doc. Assembly/AU/17(XV) Add.4),

—

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on Information and Communication Technologies in Development - The role of ICTs in EC development policy (COM(2001) 770 final of 14 December 2001),

—

having regard to the UNCTAD XI Multi-stakeholder partnership, ICTs for Development, launched at the 11th UNCTAD session held in São Paulo from 13 to 18 June 2004,

—

having regard to the Millennium Development Goals (target 8F) adopted in 2000 by the United Nations,

—

having regard to the Report on the State of Broadband 2012 of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development to the UN General Assembly of September 2012,

—

having regard to the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) and its Action Plan 2011-2013, and its Partnerships on Science, Information Society and Space, adopted during the 3rd EU-Africa Summit of Heads of State and Government in Tripoli in November 2010,

—

having regard to the World Bank Information and Communication Technologies Sector Strategy 2011,

—

having regard to the resolution of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the contribution of new information and communication technologies to good governance, the improvement of parliament democracy and the management of globalisation, adopted by the 109th Assembly in Geneva on 3 October 2003,

—

having regard to the CARICOM Connectivity Agenda adopted in 2003,

—

having regard to the Pacific Islands ICT Policy and Strategic Plan, adopted by Pacific Islands Forum leaders in 2000,

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade (ACP-EU/101.256/12/fin.),

A.

whereas ICTs can be important tools for development and economic growth, but in order to take advantage of the cross-cutting nature of ICTs and their potential to contribute to the achievement of the development goals of the international community embodied in the Millennium Development Goals Declaration, ICT activities need to be mainstreamed into development assistance programmes;

B.

whereas ICTs are a fundamental tool to promote democracy and peace in societies/states by increasing the level of interaction and transparency at every level from civil society to international relations; whereas the use of ICTs for political purposes can be enhanced by diminishing traditional hierarchies in politics accompanied by enabling NGOs and other stakeholders to take part in the electoral process;

C.

whereas it is important to recall that some of the countries which are now economically developed were likewise able to make great progress in their overall development by building up ICTs;

D.

whereas access and connectivity to information and communication technologies are critical not to the technologies themselves but to the integration of developing and transition economy countries into the global knowledge society, supporting the social, economic and cultural goals of their societies and enhancing efficiency and growth in key sectors of their economies; whereas ICTs have wide-ranging applications cutting across sectoral boundaries in agriculture; population, health and education; environment; prevention and management of disasters; culture and the arts; empowerment of people and governance; information and knowledge-sharing; generation of employment; transportation; industry, trade and finance;

E.

whereas ICTs are strategic factors and need to be systematically integrated into development plans as well as programme priorities;

F.

whereas ICTs have a profound direct and indirect impact on the political, economic, social, cultural and everyday life of citizens in the ACP countries, including job creation and economic growth, requiring identification of the most urgent development needs, policy solutions to address these needs and commitments at the national and international level such as development-oriented policies;

G.

whereas the impact and use of ITCs is highly dependent on education, and primarily on the capacity to read and write; whereas the barrier facing an individual with limited education is higher with the Internet interface than in the case of voice communication, for example; whereas literacy must be a national goal if ICTs are to penetrate and be of relevance in many countries and communities;

H.

whereas computers and the Internet remain, even to a large segment of the population in economically developed countries, an unfamiliar and intimidating tool, and whereas for the illiterate and for indigenous people this obstacle will take generations to overcome;

I.

whereas, while the total number of people with access to ICTs is expanding rapidly, the digital divide is real and represents a gross imbalance in access to or use of ICTs, in particular in the developing world; whereas if the lack of resources is a major constraint, the spread of ICTs and their universal usage also require basic infrastructure and human resource development to support them;

J.

whereas it must be acknowledged that ICTs also give rise to serious concerns about security and privacy, about abuse for criminal purposes, about cultural identity, about loss of revenues to e-commerce, and about language and gender barriers; whereas the technological gap may be leapfrogged without going through the traditional stages of development, and access to ICTs can bring about a positive development in the field of human resources, even if such access cannot be provided in all regions from the outset;

K.

whereas personal data protection must be guaranteed to everyone;

1.

Congratulates and encourages ACP countries that have made considerable advances in fostering ICTs and ensuring access and connectivity to global knowledge for their citizens and enterprises;

2.

Reaffirms that ICTs are an effective tool for empowering citizens, strengthening democracy, creating good governance and promoting human rights;

3.

Strongly emphasises that the use of ICTs in developing countries can have an important impact in the fight against poverty, as regards sectors such as education, health, environment, rural development and tourism;

4.

Calls for concerted action by all stakeholders to address the current divide between developed and developing countries in terms of access to and use of ICTs, as this divide can further marginalise developing countries; calls for a commitment of both financial resources and political will in ACP States to build an enabling environment for ICT-led competitiveness, which should involve all relevant national players, including government, the business community and civil society at large;

5.

Recalls that, if ICTs are to fulfil their promise of sustainable human development, national and regional ownership of the ICT industry in ACP countries will be central, and that, in this field, not only infrastructure will be needed but also capacity-building and entrepreneurship;

6.

Affirms the right of ACP States to determine their own national, regional and partnership strategies for ICT development; encourages governments to formulate supportive legal and institutional frameworks to invest and foster investment in ICTs; calls on ACP States to develop the availability of ICT infrastructure, particularly in remote and rural areas, and for IT training to be included in the curricula of public educational institutions; calls on ACP States to invest in broadband and its integration into national and regional development strategies;

7.

Calls on ACP countries to work for the extension of ICT infrastructure at school and especially at universities to permit all researchers to take part in global discussions and learning processes;

8.

Calls on ACP governments to adopt and implement legislation to enforce the principle of personal data protection;

9.

Encourages borderless, international cooperation and global engagement in order to address more efficiently major problems and challenges and enable enterprises, particularly SMEs in ACP States, to be more effectively integrated and responsive in rapidly evolving world markets; encourages better take-up and use of ICTs in ACP States, which can significantly enhance the productivity and hence the competitiveness of the enterprise sector of ACP States; considers that efforts should be made to facilitate and encourage the flow of information and the sharing of experience and best practices among developing countries, particularly in the context of South-South cooperation;

10.

Underlines that promoting capacity-building and innovative use of ICTs is also a special opportunity to overcome the development barriers of small and medium-sized islands and of isolated and distant communities; underlines also that small and medium-sized islands have a strong interest in developing ICT capacity-building strategies at a regional level in order to reduce and share the cost of infrastructure; considers that ACP islands must work jointly with EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories in the field of ICTs;

11.

Calls for all stakeholders, including governments of ACP States, to explore innovative financing mechanisms in order to put in place the conditions to foster more effective use of ICTs for development; emphasises that access to information is nowadays critical for empowerment and knowledge;

12.

Calls for partnerships, cooperation – particularly between SMEs in Europe and in ACP States active in the field of ICTs – and initiatives in support of research and education, with a major focus on skills development; calls for promotion of local ICT innovation and the development of ICT entrepreneurship in ACP States;

13.

Emphasises that ICTs can support existing national development strategies and programmes, making the delivery of these more effective and transparent, as well as improving final results;

14.

Calls on the EU and other donors to allocate greater funding to support institutional capacities of ACP countries and regions for the development of an information and knowledge society through programmes aiming to develop the capabilities of ACP citizens, public-service institutions and enterprises in providing, gaining access to and managing information, as well as in applying both global and local knowledge to development; considers that local knowledge and perspectives are important for development and entrepreneurship, but also for ensuring that the content of cyberspace reflects the world’s cultural and linguistic diversity;

15.

Encourages the ACP countries to build more transparent and more predictable frameworks and create conditions for effective development cooperation; encourages the ACP countries to increase their efforts to forge public-private partnerships and calls on the ACP Group and European Union to identify innovative financing mechanisms with a view to improving access and quality and reducing the cost of using ITCs;

16.

Believes that support for sustainable energy and environmental sustainability is a necessary component of ICT development cooperation;

17.

Calls on the Commission to undertake an assessment of the role of ICTs in EU development policy and the broader impact of ICTs in ACP States with reference to ICT-based entrepreneurial initiative and its contribution to development in ACP States with a view to promoting ACP ownership of the ICT industry, as well as the development and exploitation of appropriate content and of ethical and legal frameworks to ensure universal access while protecting basic human rights;

18.

Calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of developing an eDevelopment Unit that can assist in mainstreaming ICTs in ACP countries and promoting knowledge as well as the exchange of good practices in this area;

19.

Calls on the Commission to ensure a coherent policy for ICTs within EU development policy;

20.

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 European Union, the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament.

—

meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) from 27 to 29 November 2012,

—

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

—

having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Agreement’) and in particular Article 32(1) on environment and natural resources and Article 32A on climate change,

—

having regard to the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session on the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All (A/RES/65/151, New York, 20 December 2010),

—

having regard to the ACP-EU Energy Facility, a co-financing instrument, established in 2005, to support projects on increasing access to sustainable and affordable energy services for the poor living in rural and peri-urban areas in ACP countries,

—

having regard to the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session on the United Nations Millennium Declaration (A/RES/55/2, New York, 8 September 2000),

—

having regard to paragraph 16 of the Africa Consensus Statement to Rio+20, adopted by the African Union on 25 October 2011 (E/ECA/CFSSD/7/Min./3),

—

having regard to the Joint Declaration on Rio+20, adopted by the ACP-EU at the 37th meeting of the Council of Ministers, held in Port Vila on 14-15 June 2012,

—

having regard to the declaration entitled ‘The Future We Want’, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro from 20 to 22 June 2012,

—

having regard to the African Union Commission’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), adopted at the Summit of African Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa from 23 to 30 January 2012,

—

having regard to the Declaration of the First High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership, held in Vienna from 14 to 15 September 2010,

—

having regard to the European Commission initiative entitled ‘Energising Development’ (IP/12/372) of 16 April 2012 under the Africa-EU energy partnership,

—

having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 2 February 2012 on EU development cooperation in support of the objective of universal energy access by 2030 (4),

—

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on security of energy supply and international cooperation – ‘The EU Energy Policy: Engaging with Partners beyond our Borders’ (COM(2011)0539),

—

having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament Committee on Development for the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy on Engaging in energy policy cooperation with partners beyond our borders: A strategic approach to secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply (2012/2029(INI)),

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment (ACP-EU/101.251/12/A/fin),

A.

whereas an estimated 1.3 billion people, representing about 20 % of the world’s population, are deprived of access to electricity, and whereas almost all of them live in rural areas of developing countries;

B.

whereas some 3 billion people rely on biomass for cooking and heating and approximately 2 million premature deaths, primarily of women and children, result from stove-smoke every year;

C.

whereas access to modern, sustainable energy services for all means access to the full range of energy services (not just electricity) needed and wanted, for example lighting, cooking and water heating, space heating, cooling, access to information and communications, and energy for productive uses and income generation;

D.

whereas access to reliable, sustainable and affordable energy is necessary to serve basic human needs and to foster economic and social development; whereas the MDGs will not be achieved unless substantial progress is made on improving energy access;

E.

whereas poor access to modern energy affects productivity in agriculture, negatively impacts regional trade and integration, and impedes job creation and entrepreneurship;

F.

whereas reliance on traditional energy sources considerably increases the working hours spent on water and unsustainable sources of firewood collection, denies children’s right to education and leisure and women’s opportunities to have income-generating activities; whereas burning of large quantities of biomass has a detrimental impact on health, particularly for women and children, as well as causing deforestation;

G.

whereas the intersection of energy, poverty and gender is a crucial issue; whereas especially women from rural areas and low-income households are mostly affected by energy poverty;

H.

whereas the lack of a modern and reliable energy supply affects the quality of health services, preventing the use of modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods;

I.

whereas, in the absence of a modern and reliable energy supply, it is impossible to secure the cooling chain, which would allow conservation and transport of vaccines and medicines, which are vital for keeping both livestock and humans healthy;

J.

whereas according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) only 8 % of the USD 409 billion granted in fossil-fuel subsidies in developing countries in 2010 went to the 20 % of the population with the lowest income;

K.

whereas the use of renewable energy technologies is essential for developing countries to reduce their dependence on fossil fuel, thereby decreasing vulnerability to energy price fluctuations; whereas large-scale renewable projects (such as hydro or energy crops) can also have severe social and environmental consequences for the local population, e.g. for water or food security; whereas a careful assessment of the environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies is therefore an important prerequisite for donor finance;

L.

whereas ACP countries have a tremendous energy supply potential, particularly in renewable energies, and whereas energy production requires a commitment to huge sustainable and long-term private and public investment;

M.

whereas the preconditions for energy production and distribution vary greatly in the ACP countries and the solutions to improving access to energy as such need to take these differences into account, as diversified solutions may be more sustainable in the long term;

N.

whereas in LDCs in particular only a small minority of the population has access to the grid; whereas grid access will not reach the whole population in the foreseeable future, making decentralised solutions such as small-scale, off-grid and mini-grid energy solutions an important way to provide universal energy access in the years to come; whereas universal access to the grid should be the long-term goal;

O.

whereas the potential to fully exploit the available renewable energy sources in ACP countries is constrained by lack of renewable energy technologies, educational attainment and political implementation;

1.

Calls on all stakeholders to develop a greater awareness of the need for universal access to energy and to recognise its importance for achieving the MDGs; emphasises that improving access to reliable, secure, affordable, cost-effective, climate-friendly and sustainable energy services contributes to human wellbeing as well as sustainable development efforts;

2.

Supports proposals to include ‧universal access to energy‧ in a yet to be defined post-2015 global development framework, which should be formulated in a fully inclusive and transparent manner;

3.

Notes that experiences have shown that centralised power capacity and grid extension targets have often failed to improve energy services for the poor; stresses, therefore, the need to support renewable decentralised solutions, such as small-scale, off-grid and mini-grid energy solutions, to reach all parts of developing countries' populations, particularly poor and rural populations; calls on the EU to target its efforts, financially and technically, towards these small-scale solutions to energy poverty in remote areas, without neglecting large-scale projects necessary for industrial development;

4.

Notes the huge potential for renewable energy in many developing countries to guarantee sustainable energy supply and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, thereby decreasing vulnerability to energy price fluctuations; calls on the ACP States to redesign fossil fuel subsidies to provide more support for renewable fuels and make them available above all for the population with the lowest income;

5.

Recognises the fact that the European Union has already provided more than 1 billion euro during the last 10 years to increase access to energy in developing countries and welcomes the fact that access to safe, affordable, environmentally sound and sustainable energy is also to be made a priority for funding under the EU development strategy ‘Agenda for Change’; calls upon the European Commission to monitor together with its ACP partners the progress in access to energy achieved with this funding, using verifiable and reliable indicators; welcomes the EU ‧Energising Development‧ Initiative to provide access to sustainable energy services to 500 million people by 2030; welcomes the high priority given to energy access in the European Commission's ‧Agenda for Change‧ programme;

6.

Urges development partners, including the European Union, to target their funding towards renewable, energy-efficient, small-scale and decentralised energy solutions, particularly for rural and poor populations, as well as improving the connectivity between households and the distribution grid, and to recognise the range of poor people's energy needs and reflect this in their plans and funding portfolios; emphasises the need for innovation in energy products suitable to the region and investment in their deployment;

7.

Calls on the ACP governments to improve end-users' safe access to reliable, affordable, secure, cost-effective, climate-friendly and sustainable modern energy supplies and ensure equal distribution of energy services and genuinely inclusive growth;

8.

Encourages, furthermore, support for innovative payment schemes to make energy access affordable for end-users;

9.

Encourages the use of more efficient cooking devices, as the traditional burning of large quantities of biomass on open fires has a detrimental impact on health, particularly for women and children, as well as causing deforestation;

10.

Calls for the support and promotion of the transfer of affordable renewable energy technologies and related research, knowledge and innovations to ACP countries;

11.

Calls for knowledge about these actions to be spread and best practices exchanged in order to increase their effectiveness;

12.

Notes the importance of South-South cooperation in the field of energy, which could lead to technological solutions and more self-reliance and thus avoid possible conflicts stemming from Intellectual Property Rights; calls on the ACP countries to set up regional Research and Development (R&D) cooperation platforms and networks of existing domestic research institutions, to permit sharing of resources for and costs of R&D;

13.

Emphasises that specific measures to improve access to energy should be created in order to let also the poorest members of society benefit from these developments;

14.

Stresses the key role of civil-society organisations of the ACP countries and EU Member States in reaching the poorest and most remote members of society and in promoting energy access as a prerequisite for development at both regional and national level;

15.

Calls on ACP States to include these measures within their national development strategies to meet the Millennium Development Goals;

16.

Calls for information and education about the sustainable use of energy;

17.

Underlines that the ACP-EU Energy Facility is internationally one of the very few financial mechanisms that provide funding for small-scale renewable energy solutions, and thus calls for continued financial support to strengthen the ACP-EU Energy Facility under the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020; recognises an extended and expanded Facility as the only initiative targeting decentralised energy poverty reduction projects;

18.

Calls on the EU to develop clear guidelines on environmental sustainability criteria for renewable energy project financing; calls on the Commission to make the use of decentralised renewable energy or sustainable low-carbon/high energy efficiency a priority condition for support of new energy projects;

19.

Reaffirms the right of ACP countries to determine their own energy mix and calls on them to formulate strategy papers defining their energy policies;

20.

Encourages the ACP countries to engage in the UN Sustainable Energy for All process and develop National Implementation Plans; through their respective National Authorising Officers, encourages ACP countries to consider universal access to energy as a development priority and to promote energy as a focal sector of their Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and educational programmes;

21.

Stresses the importance of clearly formulated, measurable minimum standards, which should be formulated as targets in order to identify progress in access to energy for cooking, light, heating, cooling or communication;

22.

Calls on the EU to support ACP countries that sign up to the UN Sustainable Energy for All process in building their institutional and technological capacities; underlines the importance of reliable legal frameworks and respect for the rule of law as a prerequisite for foreign investments; calls on ACP States to make informed choices about appropriate business models to match the supply side with the demand side; encourages the EU Member States to assist ACP countries in exchanging best practices and knowledge about appropriate technologies;

23.

Particularly encourages the transfer of energy efficiency technology in this regard to enable energy to be used in the most productive way, so as to maximise the energy services that a given amount of energy can provide;

24.

Calls on all stakeholders to promote a balanced mixture of large projects and decentralised projects aimed at access to affordable energy services in ACP countries; recognises that, to meet the goal of Universal Energy Access by 2030, 55 % of all new electricity generated will need to be by mini-grid and isolated off-grid solutions;

25.

Notes that large-scale renewable energy schemes may be necessary to meet in a sustainable way the growing energy demand from urban centres and industry; calls for such schemes always to adhere to the highest social and environmental standards;

26.

Recalls that transparency and good governance are the basis for ACP-EU development cooperation;

27.

Calls on the EU to respect the principle of universal access to reliable, secure, affordable, cost-effective, climate-friendly and sustainable energy services while drafting and implementing international agreements affecting this sector;

28.

Recognises the important role of civil society, local authorities and regulators in the energy sector in curbing corruption;

29.

Calls on the EU to promote private foreign investments in energy infrastructure and services through EU official development assistance by setting up public-private partnerships or credit guarantee programmes with banks;

30.

Underlines the useful role that private companies should play in allowing developing countries to reach the MDGs, giving particular consideration to universal access to energy; highlights moreover the importance of supporting the development of financial resources and technological proficiencies adapted to low-income markets, in particular through the stronger involvement of private companies in national and international institutional partnerships;

31.

Emphasises that ACP-EU energy-related development cooperation efforts should focus both on delivering more energy to more areas and on the quality, stability and reliability of energy supply and energy efficiency;

32.

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 European Union, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament and the UN Human Rights Council.

—

meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) from 27 to 29 November 2012,

—

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

—

having regard to its previous resolutions,

—

having regard to its resolutions of 18 May 2011 on the democratic upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East – consequences for the ACP countries, for Europe and for the world (6) and of 23 November 2011 on the Arab Spring and its impact on neighbouring sub-Saharan states (7),

—

having regard to its resolution on the political impact of the Libyan conflict on neighbouring ACP and EU States (101.157/fin), adopted in Horsens, Denmark, on 30 May 2012,

—

having regard to the statement made by its Co-Presidents on 28 May 2012 in Horsens concerning the situation in Mali,

—

having regard to the European Parliament resolutions of 20 April 2012 on the situation in Mali and 14 June 2012 on human rights and the security situation in the Sahel region,

—

having regard to the Council of the European Union final report on the Sahel security and development initiative of 1 October 2010 (8),

—

having regard to the Council Conclusions on a European Union Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel of 21 March 2011 (3076th Foreign Affairs Council meeting),

—

having regard to the EEAS report entitled ‘Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel: Progress Report, March 2012’,

—

having regard to the Council of the European Union Conclusions on the Sahel of 23 March 2012 (9) approving the Crisis Management Concept for a civilian CSDP Advisory, Assistance and Training Mission in the Sahel,

—

having regard to the European Union Council Conclusions of 23 July 2012 on Mali and the Sahel,

—

having regard to the Council Conclusions of 15 October and 19 November 2012 concerning Mali,

—

having regard to the statement by the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid of the European Commission on preventing a humanitarian crisis in Mali,

—

having regard to the statements by the Vice-President and High Representative of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, and her spokesperson, of 22 and 26 March 2012, the statements of April 2012 on the situation in Mali and those of 4 July 2012 on the human rights situation in northern Mali and the destruction of the historic heritage of the city of Timbuktu,

—

having regard to the statement of 4 July 2012 by the Vice-President and High Representative of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to support the people of Mali in re-establishing legitimate and responsible government throughout the country, and that of 31 July 2012 recalling that the European Union is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and to execution by stoning, a particularly cruel and inhuman punishment,

—

having regard to the UN Security Council statements on Mali of 22 and 26 March, 4 and 9 April, 8 August (10) and 17 September 2012 (11),

—

having regard to the request by the UN Security Council in July for the development by the international community of an Integrated Regional Strategy for the situation in Mali,

—

having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 2056 of 5 July 2012 and 2071 of 12 October 2012 on the situation in Mali,

—

having regard to the high-level meeting on the Sahel in New York on 26 September 2012, the appeal of the same date by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban ki-Moon, for urgent international support for the Sahel region, and the appointment of Romano Prodi as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General,

—

having regard to the UN report of the assessment mission on the impact of the Libyan crisis on the Sahel region of 26 January 2012,

—

having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, and 1888 (2008), 1820 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on sexual violence in armed conflicts,

—

having regard to the call by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) of 23 February 2012 for USD 35.6 million to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis in Mali,

—

having regard to the reports and appeals by the various UN agencies:

—

having regard to the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights denouncing the serious human rights violations committed in the north and south of the country,

—

having regard to the Protocol to the African Union Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, adopted in Addis Ababa on 8 July 2004 at the 3rd ordinary session of the African Union Conference, and thus to the final communiqué of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union of 14 July 2012 on the situation in Mali,

—

having regard to the appeal by the President-in-Office of the African Union, Boni Yayi, President of Benin, calling on the international community to cooperate with the African Union to prevent a large-scale humanitarian disaster, after which the meeting of the support and monitoring group on the situation in Mali was held in Bamako on 19 October 2012 at the initiative of the African Union and in consultation with the United Nations and the Community of West African States,

—

having regard to the decision of 13 November 2012 by the African Union endorsing the harmonised operational concept for the planned deployment of the international support mission for Mali under African leadership (MISMA) and its recommendation that the UN Security Council authorise this mission for a one-year period,

—

having regard to the relevant provisions of the ECOWAS Protocol on the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution and the Maintenance of Peace and Security,

—

having regard to the Ouagadougou Declaration of 15 April 2012, the Framework Agreement of 6 April 2012 between the military junta and ECOWAS and the 1 April 2012 commitment on the return to constitutional order,

—

having regard to the final communiqué of the extraordinary session of the conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS of 11 November 2012 on Mali, announcing the decision to adopt the harmonised operational concept for the deployment of the international force under African leadership,

—

having regard to the opening, at the request of the Government of Mali, of a ‘preliminary inquiry’ into the situation by the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and the remit of the International Criminal Court regarding the crimes committed in the north of the country: rapes, massacres of civilians, recruitment of child soldiers, torture, looting, enforced disappearances and destruction of hospitals, courts, town halls, schools, churches, mosques and mausoleums,

—

having regard to the letter from the Interim President of Mali, Dioncounda Traoré, to the UN Secretary-General, calling for the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution authorising, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, intervention by an international military force to help the Malian army to regain control of the occupied northern regions,

—

having regard to the report of the International Crisis Group of 24 September 2012, the report of 2012 by Human Rights Watch on the serious abuses committed against the local population and the report by Amnesty International on enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and torture committed by the junta,

A.

whereas a new wave of violent confrontations began in northern Mali on 17 January 2012 when Islamist militant groups, in alliance with ethnic separatist Tuareg rebels, rose up against the Malian army;

B.

whereas, following a rebellion by officers protesting at not having received sufficient support to combat the rebels in northern Mali, the putsch of 22 March 2012 put an end to the long-standing democratic process initiated more than two decades ago in Mali, interrupting the electoral process and enabling illegal armed groups to advance towards the south of the country;

C.

whereas, in accordance with the Constitution of 25 February 1992, the President of the National Assembly has been proclaimed acting President of the Republic;

D.

having regard to the wave of arrests, not subject to any judicial procedure, of political leaders, including two candidates in the presidential elections, and of senior military officers who are being held prisoner in the military camps;

E.

having regard to the ‘call for dialogue’ by President Traoré with the aim of preserving the unity of Mali and whereas negotiations with the forces occupying the north of the country would be possible only on the basis of a commitment to respect the territorial integrity of the country and to definitively renounce violence, terrorism and organised crime;

F.

whereas the interim government which has been established faces a number of challenges, including a deep security, political, economic and social crisis accompanied by a rise in unemployment, and whereas only a legitimate, democratically elected authority can lastingly resolve it;

G.

whereas the Sahel is a pivotal area between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, with strong implications for the security of the Maghreb, Africa and Europe, and whereas it should therefore be a matter for the whole of the international community, with a view to ensuring that any perpetuation of the situation does not enable terrorist forces to consolidate their grip on northern Mali;

H.

whereas northern Mali has become an area marked by lawlessness occupied by armed forces which are violating the fundamental rights of citizens, carrying out summary executions, looting and rapes, and continuing to destroy religious symbols which form part of the global cultural heritage and of which Mali, Africa and the world are proud, and whereas moreover this area is providing a support base for terrorist attacks on Maghreb, African and European Union countries and enabling them to pursue various objectives such as the proliferation of trafficking and the establishment of Islamist States;

I.

whereas al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) and other militant Islamic forces such as Ansar Dine, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and Boko Haram, based in Nigeria, are active in the region, particularly in trafficking in drugs, arms, cigarettes and human beings, and are particularly involved in the abduction of hostages for ransom;

J.

whereas the traditions of tolerance, solidarity and respect for the human person which are part of Islam in the form in which it is practised in the region are being flouted by the occupying forces in northern Mali;

K.

whereas since 2008 more than 25 Westerners have been abducted in the Sahel; whereas the victims have included tourists, employees of NGOs and diplomats of various nationalities, mainly European, and Algerian; whereas a certain number of these hostages are still being held, including a group of French nationals who were abducted in September 2010;

L.

whereas the sums extracted by means of the payment of ransoms for some 40 hostages abducted since 2003 provide AQMI and its allies with their main source of revenue, enabling them to finance arms, logistics and recruitment, as well as to purchase complicity, which means that efforts to combat terrorism also require efforts to combat clandestine financial circuits and tax havens;

M.

whereas the immensity of the northern regions of Mali and the porosity of their borders necessitate good regional coordination of information and action;

N.

whereas the proliferation of arms from Libya in northern Mali, which no authority seeks to oppose, trafficking in drugs and cigarettes, the high unemployment rate and poverty are contributing significantly to the destabilisation of the region as a whole and threatening the security and stability of Africa, from the west to Somalia, and of the Maghreb and the European Union;

O.

whereas the restoration of Mali's territorial integrity and lasting peace in the region requires effective participation by, and clear involvement of, the Algerian Government;

P.

having regard to EU investment, particularly to promote development, in Mali and the region;

Q.

whereas the potential natural resources of northern Mali must not become the only issue of interest to the international community;

R.

whereas the causes of these conflicts are generally a failure to respect human rights, the absence of the rule of law, ethnic and religious tensions, organised crime, injustices and inequalities;

S.

having regard to the serious human rights violations committed against people in Mali by armed bandits, particularly in the regions of northern Mali, where people have their arms or legs amputated, supposedly in accordance with Sharia law;

T.

whereas the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict has expressed her grave concern over reports of recruitment of child soldiers in the occupied regions;

U.

whereas more than 50 % of those displaced are women and children who are deprived of any form of protection and therefore constitute a particularly vulnerable group, as illustrated in particular by Ansar Dine's setting up a prison for women arrested for failing to wear the Islamic veil;

V.

having regard to the serious repercussions of the prevailing insecurity, not only on the region's economy but also in such fields as the distribution by means of the State budget of revenue generated by the exploitation of these resources to combat high youth unemployment, endemic poverty, the lack of security of employment, extreme social deprivation and the recruitment of young people by terrorist groups; whereas, therefore, in the long term terrorism in the Sahel must be combated by means of an active policy to promote development, social justice, the rule of law and integration;

W.

whereas the humanitarian situation in the rebel-controlled areas has been continuously deteriorating, as looting, abductions and chaos have become widespread, forcing people to flee to regions where they are living in conditions of extreme poverty and where their basic human needs are not met;

X.

whereas, because of the looting of their facilities and stores, most humanitarian organisations have left the northern regions;

Y.

whereas according to UN estimates, 4.6 million people in Mali are at risk of food insecurity, 1.6 million of them in the north of the country, particularly because of the suspension of aid operations due to insecurity;

Z.

whereas negotiations among the parties to the conflict have led to the creation of humanitarian corridors for delivery of relief to the people of northern Mali, allowing the Malian Red Cross to deliver food;

AA.

having regard to the systematic destruction of cultural monuments in Timbuktu and Gao which are UNESCO world heritage sites;

1.

Condemns:

2.

Condemns the violence committed against the President in office, Dioncounda Traoré, on 21 May 2012;

3.

Strongly condemns all seizures of power by force, all acts of terrorism and looting of hospitals, schools, aid agencies and government buildings, all forms of cruel and inhuman punishment and all war crimes and abductions, and expresses its deepest compassion with the innocent civilians who have lost their lives on account of these actions;

4.

Strongly condemns the human rights violations committed against civilians in Mali, particularly medical personnel, traditional leaders, teachers and journalists;

5.

Expresses its serious concern about the recruitment of child soldiers and stresses the support which should be provided, particularly for women and girls;

6.

Declares null and void the claimed independence of Azawad and reaffirms that Mali is an independent, sovereign, secular and indivisible State;

7.

Denounces all support, from whatever quarter, for those responsible for all these terrorist acts;

8.

Calls for the re-establishment of the territorial integrity of Mali, as well as the restoration of peace, democracy and stability in the region;

9.

Calls on the government of national unity and ECOWAS to attempt to respect the 45-day time limit set in paragraph 7 of Resolution 2071 for submitting ‧detailed and actionable recommendations‧ for a ‧strategic concept‧ and a ‧concept of operations‧ for an African operation authorised by the UN Security Council;

10.

Calls on the UN Security Council to act as soon as possible on the call by the Malian transitional authorities for an international force to assist the Malian armed forces in regaining control over the occupied regions of northern Mali in accordance with paragraph 6 of its Resolution 2071, to put an end to the suffering of the people;

11.

Calls on the interim government to investigate the disappearances of soldiers from the 33rd Parachute Regiment (‧red berets‧) and the violence inflicted on them, and to bring those responsible to trial;

12.

Calls on ECOWAS and the EU to support the democratisation and development of the country as the main way of countering intolerance and violence;

13.

Deplores the growing influence in the country of a political, intolerant and violent Islam;

14.

Recalls that the only legitimate way to express peoples' right to self-determination is through free and fair elections and therefore hopes to see a rapid return to the democratic constitutional order by means of a resumption of the free and democratic electoral process within the period set in the Roadmap and the Framework Agreement of 6 April 2012;

15.

Calls for the immediate release of the hostages, expresses its sincere sympathy with their families and sends its condolences to the families of the hostages who have been executed;

16.

Calls on all parties concerned – particularly Mali's politicians – to exercise restraint and display unity with a view to restoring and reinforcing the authority of the public authorities and facilitating the implementation of the initiatives taken at regional and international level;

17.

Calls for the opening of an inquiry into the atrocities committed in Mali in recent months; calls on the ICC to act on the material referred to it by the Government of Mali and prosecute all persons who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity;

18.

Calls on the MNLA, MUJAO and the Ansar Dine movement to immediately surrender control of the occupied zones to the regular authorities of the State of Mali in accordance with the Constitution of Mali and the international rule of law;

19.

Stresses the need for effective measures to dry up the sources of financing of terrorists and their accomplices; calls for the adoption of the measures advocated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and calls for the establishment of a specialised ‘Tracfin’ programme;

20.

Deplores the EU's slowness in adopting, in close cooperation with ECOWAS, the AU and the UN, targeted sanctions against those involved in armed groups in northern Mali and against those who are preventing a return to constitutional order;

21.

Calls for all the measures taken to combat terrorism to comply with international human rights conventions and protocols;

22.

Expresses its full fraternity and solidarity with the women, men and children of the region of northern Mali;

23.

Welcomes:

24.

Commends ECOWAS for its mediation efforts; welcomes the action by ECOWAS, the African Union and the UN, as well as neighbouring countries, to help Mali to establish concrete measures to protect the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity;

25.

Welcomes the Agreement of 23 September 2012 reached between the Malian Government and ECOWAS, leading to the deployment of an African military force in Mali;

26.

Calls on ECOWAS to continue its efforts and calls on the European Union to actively engage alongside ECOWAS and the United Nations in restoring peace and the territorial integrity of Mali;

27.

Welcomes the mediation of Burkina Faso, and calls on the Government of Mali to establish a National Negotiations Commission in support of the international mediation;

28.

Welcomes the decision by the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy for Mali and that of the African Union to appoint a high representative for Mali and the Sahel;

29.

Welcomes the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2071, pursuant to Chapter VII of the Charter, and the growing international interest in the Sahel and Mali, as demonstrated also by the high-level meeting held in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2012 and the drafting of an integrated UN strategy for the Sahel;

30.

Calls on the West African and Maghreb governments to fight against proliferation of arms and drug trafficking by putting balanced and sustainable development at the heart of their development policy to provide basic public services to the population in general and employment for young people in particular;

31.

Hopes that African countries which are not members of ECOWAS but are directly affected by security in the Sahel and the Sahara will be involved;

32.

Hopes that the Joint Staff Operations Committee (CEMOC) established in 2010 by Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to coordinate the fight against terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking in the Sahel-Saharan region will finally play an active role;

33.

Calls for a common EU Plan of detailed assessment of support for actions to tackle the crisis situation in the Sahel region and the armed conflict in Mali; considers that the European Union should actively engage alongside ECOWAS, the African Union and the UN to restore peace, security and the sovereignty of Mali; urges the European Union to provide the necessary support for military action by ECOWAS;

34.

Welcomes the launching on 1 August 2012 of the CSDP EUCAP SAHEL Niger mission;

35.

Welcomes the conclusions of the EU Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of 19 November 2012 recalling the EU's intention to provide financial support for the African operation in Mali and welcoming the proposal for a mission in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy under a UN mandate;

36.

Stresses that European military intervention in a combat role is out of the question, but hopes that the EU will be able to respond favourably, under a UN mandate, to the request by the authorities of Mali for logistical assistance to render institutions secure, reorganise the armed forces and security forces, under civilian control, and restore territorial integrity;

37.

Is convinced that a lasting solution in the region should aim at strengthening state institutions, active participation of citizens in decision-making, and laying the ground for sustainable and equitable economic development;

38.

Calls on the Government of Mali, where international investment exists, to pursue an equitable policy on access to land and water for the whole population of Mali;

39.

Is of the opinion that, in order to bring about a peaceful solution for the conflict in Mali, it is necessary to address the root cause of the conflict, which implies guaranteeing distribution of resources and revenue from them by means of the State budget to ensure sustainable and equitable development of the various regions and respect for basic human rights;

40.

Urges that national legislation and international conventions be complied with regarding the organisation of mining projects;

41.

Reiterates its serious concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and food crisis and calls on the European Union and its Member States to increase and speed up the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the populations in need;

42.

Calls on the international community to support Mali's neighbours, which are receiving tens of thousands of refugees;

43.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the institutions of the EU, AU, ACP group and ECOWAS, the UN Secretary-General and the Government, Parliament and Interim President of Mali.

—

meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) from 27 to 29 November 2012,

—

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

—

having regard to Partnership Agreement 2000/483/EC 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 and revised successively in 2005 and 2010,

—

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

—

having regard to Article 3 of, and Protocol II to, the Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibit 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 Optional Protocol to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child concerning the involvement of children in armed conflicts, which has been ratified by the countries in the Great Lakes region;

—

having regard to United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolutions 2076 (2012), 2053 (2012), 1925 (2010) and 1856 (2008) on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which lay down the mandate of the United Nations Mission in DRC (MONUSCO), the Security Council declaration of 2 August 2012 and the monthly reports of the United Nations Secretary-General on this subject,

—

having regard to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010) on women, peace and security,

—

having regard to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/1 of 24 October 2005 on the 2005 World Summit Outcome, and particularly paragraphs 138 to 140 on responsibility to protect populations,

—

having regard to the African Union Constituent Act or Lomé Treaty, adopted at the extraordinary summit of Heads of State and of Government of the Organisation of African Unity in Lomé in July 2000,

—

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

—

having regard to the decision of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council of 19 September 2012 on the security situation in the east of DRC,

—

having regard to the conclusions of the EU Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of 25 June and 19 November 2012 on the situation in the east of DRC,

—

having regard to the European Union Guidelines of 2004 for the protection of human rights defenders and the local strategy for the implementation of the Guidelines in DRC, adopted by the heads of mission on 20 March 2010,

—

having regard to Council Joint Action 2009/769/CFSP of 19 October 2009 amending Joint Action 2007/405/CFSP on the European Union police mission undertaken in the framework of reform of the security sector (SSR) and its interface with the system of justice in Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUPOL RD Congo),

—

having regard to the mission to reform the security sector, EUSEC RD Congo, established in June 2005 (Council Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP of 2 May 2005 on the European Union mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in DRC),

—

having regard to the report of the United Nations Secretary-General of 23 August 2010 on the recent mass rapes committed against civilians by members of armed groups in the eastern part of DRC,

—

having regard to the UN Security Council Presidential Statement of 19 October 2012,

—

having regard to the statement of 23 June 2011 by Mrs Wallström, former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflicts,

—

having regard to previous European Parliament resolutions on DRC, particularly that of 12 June 2012 on the monitoring of the elections in DRC,

—

having regard to the statement of 27 September 2012 by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy,

—

having regard to the statements of 7 June, 12 June, 10 July and 23 November 2012 by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton,

—

having regard to the statement of 22 February 2011 by Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development, entitled ‧DRC: A Step towards Ending Impunity‧,

—

having regard to the statement of 26 June 2012 by Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner responsible for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, concerning the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in DRC,

—

having regard to the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region, adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the ICGLR in Nairobi in December 2006, which entered into force in June 2008,

—

having regard to the statements by the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the ICGLR concerning the security situation in the east of DRC, particularly that of 24 November 2012,

—

having regard to the resolution of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) adopted at the 14th Summit of Francophone Countries in Kinshasa on 13 and 14 October 2012 on the situation in DRC,

—

having regard to the letter of 21 June 2012 from the Chair of the Security Council committee set up by Resolution 1533 (2004) concerning DRC to the President of the Security Council submitting the interim report of the group of experts on DRC and the annexes pertaining to it and requesting their publication as a Council document (S/2012/348),

—

having regard to the reports by human rights organisations on the serious human rights violations committed in the east of DRC,

—

having regard to its previous resolutions on DRC and the Great Lakes region, particularly its resolution of 22 November 2007,

A.

whereas, since April 2012, elements of the Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC) have mutinied in the east of the country, more precisely in North Kivu province, and whereas this mutiny quickly mutated into an armed rebellion under the name of the March 23 Movement (M23), calling for the application of the peace agreement signed in Goma on 23 March 2009 by the DRC Government and the armed group known as the National People's Congress (CNDP);

B.

whereas the cycle of warfare in DRC in recent years is in particular linked to the conflict between armed rebel groups, M23, the Mai-Mai group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Rwandan Hutu rebels, on the one hand, and the Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC), on the other hand;

C.

whereas for nearly eight months the M23 rebel group has been occupying a large part of North Kivu province, whereas it has established its own administration and whereas this part of the province is therefore entirely outside the control of the DRC State, causing constant instability and insecurity;

D.

having regard to the serious threats which this state of warfare and the presence of irregular armed groups in the Great Lakes region poses to peace, security, stability and economic and social development, both in DRC and throughout the region; having regard to the serious human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis arising from this situation;

E.

having regard to the report drafted by UN experts in June 2012 assessing the arms embargo in DRC, and the responses by the authorities concerned to the allegations contained in the report;

F.

having regard to the efforts of the Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the EU, the AU and the UN to find a constructive political solution to the conflict in the east of DRC and to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law and to ensure the well-being and security of the people affected by this conflict;

G.

whereas the ICGLR Member States have established a joint verification mechanism to monitor troop movements in the east of DRC and have decided to deploy the neutral international force;

H.

whereas the UN Security Council has extended until 30 June 2013 the mandate of the UN Stabilisation Mission in DRC (MONUSCO), under its Resolution 2053 (2012);

I.

whereas, since the beginning of this war, the east of DRC has suffered from reiterated atrocities characterised by human rights violations and war crimes, such as mass rapes, including rapes of minor girls, torture and massacres of civilians and the general enrolment of child soldiers;

J.

whereas recourse to sexual violence and the more widespread use of rape have enormous consequences, such as the physical and psychological destruction of the victims, and must be regarded as war crimes;

K.

whereas the non-prosecution of those responsible for human rights violations and war crimes promotes the climate of impunity and encourages the perpetration of fresh crimes;

L.

whereas, following the commission of the aforementioned criminal acts and the fighting between FARDC and M23 rebels, more than 2.4 million Congolese people living in the areas affected by the fighting have been internally displaced and 420 000 have fled into neighbouring countries, and whereas they are living in inhuman conditions;

M.

whereas the European Union is contributing to the restoration of the justice and security (police and army) sectors and seeking to make them function well by means of its financial and technical assistance and by training personnel within the framework of the EUSEC RD and EUPOL RD missions;

N.

whereas DRC possesses an abundance of natural resources and whereas the persistent illegal exploitation of these resources, particularly in the east of DRC, which moreover are often under the control of armed paramilitary groups, helps to finance and perpetuate the conflict and remains a source of insecurity for the region as a whole;

O.

whereas rising unemployment, the social crisis, the food crisis, the inadequacy of basic services, the impoverishment of the population and environmental degradation are also partly responsible for the region's instability; whereas these problems require a comprehensive development plan and strategy;

P.

whereas the conflicts which preceded the present situation still have a re-emergent impact on current events; whereas it is necessary to deal with the consequences of the conflicts, particularly by means of demilitarisation, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, repatriation of refugees, resettlement of people who have been displaced within their own country and the implementation of viable development programmes;

Q.

whereas it is imperative to take all the necessary measures to put an end to these conflicts, disarm and dismantle the armed groups and forestall any future conflict so as to consolidate peace and democracy, promote stability and development in the region for the wellbeing of all the peoples of the Great Lakes region, and enable the legitimate institutions of DRC to devote their energies to rebuilding their country, which has been destroyed by recurrent wars,

1.

Expresses its strong concern about the deterioration of the general situation in the east of DRC, which has serious political, economic, social, humanitarian and security consequences in DRC and throughout the region;

2.

Strongly condemns the attacks by M23 and all other negative forces in the east of DRC in recent months; opposes any external intervention in the conflict and calls on all parties concerned in the region to contribute in good faith to its peaceful resolution; calls, furthermore, for the immediate implementation of the crisis resolution plan adopted in Kampala on 24 November 2012, and particularly welcomes the diplomatic efforts of President Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo to this end;

3.

Welcomes the efforts of the Member States of the ICGLR, the AU and the UN in their démarches and initiatives aimed at seeking a lasting and peaceful political solution to the crisis;

4.

Calls on the governments of DRC and neighbouring countries to take the necessary measures to arrive at a structural solution which will bring about lasting peace, security, stability, economic development and respect for human rights in the region through cooperation, permanent dialogue, the establishment of confidence and reconciliation; affirms its commitment to cooperating with DRC and the Great Lakes region to this end;

5.

Condemns all acts of violence and all human rights violations in the east of DRC and in the Great Lakes region, and expresses its solidarity with the people of DRC afflicted by the war; calls on all the forces participating in the conflicts in the east of DRC to respect human rights and international humanitarian law, to cease all attacks on civilians, particularly women and children, and to afford humanitarian agencies access and protection which are coming to the assistance of the suffering civilian population;

6.

Strongly condemns the acts of sexual violence which have been committed on a massive scale in the Great Lakes region, particularly rapes of women and girls, and the recruitment of child soldiers; condemns the attempt to assassinate Dr Mukwege, and calls for an independent judicial inquiry to shed light on this attempt;

7.

Considers it vital to conduct an impartial, in-depth investigation into all past and present cases of human rights violations; urges that the perpetrators of human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity, sexual violence against women and the conscription of child soldiers be reported, identified, prosecuted and punished in accordance with national and international criminal law;

8.

Calls on all States in the Great Lakes region to place efforts to put an end to impunity at the heart of the process of improving the rule of law, which is the only way of ensuring lasting peace and enforcing the right of victims to an effective remedy before an impartial court; calls on the governments in the region and European States to cooperate fully with the ICC to this end and calls for the immediate execution of international arrest warrants;

9.

Calls on the international community, and more particularly the European Union, AU and UN, to continue to do everything possible to provide more coordinated and effective aid to people in the east of DRC and contribute to efforts to respond to the humanitarian disaster; expresses its gravest concern regarding the situation and the number of internally displaced persons and refugees who are in neighbouring countries, and calls for humanitarian aid to them to be stepped up;

10.

Calls on all authorities in the Great Lakes region to cooperate to protect the people and afford access to humanitarian aid, devoting particular attention to vulnerable groups such as women and children; welcomes the intention of the ICGLR to establish a humanitarian assistance fund for disaster victims;

11.

Urges the Government of DRC and the international community to provide all persons in need in the east of DRC with appropriate medical care, including posttraumatic and psychological support;

12.

Considers that transparent access to and control over the natural resources of DRC and equitable redistribution through the State budget of revenue from the exploitation of those resources are indispensable for the sustainable development of the country, particularly in the fields of education, health and security; calls, therefore, on the African Union and the countries of the Great Lakes region to take more measures to combat illicit exploitation of and trading in natural resources, and on the European Union and the whole of the international community to step up cooperation with DRC in this field;

13.

Reaffirms the inalienable and imprescriptibly right of DRC to respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity;

14.

Calls for efforts to be made at both national and international level to increase the authority of the State and the rule of law in DRC, particularly in the fields of governance and security, including in close cooperation with the European Union military assistance mission (EUSEC) and the Union's police assistance mission (EUPOL), which should be continued in order to consolidate peace and security both in the country and in the Great Lakes region;

15.

Calls on all countries in the region and all international bodies to cooperate actively with the DRC authorities to dismantle and demobilise all the armed groups and establish lasting peace in the east of DRC;

16.

Calls on the Heads of State and Government of the Great Lakes region to work to bring about the actual implementation of existing regional peace and development instruments and calls on all States which are signatories to the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes region to implement it fully in order to establish and consolidate the necessary basis for peace and security in the region; calls on the UN, EU and AU and on friends of the Great Lakes region to strongly and actively support efforts to implement the Pact;

17.

Welcomes the initiatives already taken by the ICGLR in support of efforts to bring about stabilisation in DRC and stresses the importance of the effective functioning of the joint verification mechanism and the establishment and effective deployment of the envisaged neutral international force; welcomes the fact that the countries concerned are actively working to establish this joint verification mechanism;

18.

Urges that responses be given and action taken further to the allegations contained in the report of the UN Security Council's sanctions committee and its annexes;

19.

Supports the continuation of the MONUSCO stabilisation mission in DRC, while expressly urging it to guarantee the security and safety of Congolese civilians with greater effectiveness; recommends promoting and facilitating the establishment of local peace initiatives by MONUSCO and the DRC Government, particularly in territories where there are strong ethnic tensions, in order to permanently stabilise the situation;

20.

Encourages DRC's leaders to take all the necessary initiatives to consolidate democracy and ensure the participation of all the active forces in the Congolese nation in the governance of the country on the basis of constitutional and legal rules;

21.

Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission of the African Union, the ACP-EU Council, the EU Council and Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the UN Secretary-General, the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the UN special representative on sexual violence in armed conflicts, the Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the Presidents, Prime Ministers and Parliaments of the Member 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:

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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)