Windhoek
The three-day 42nd ACP-31st EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly that ended Wednesday has called for, among others, an end to impunity for perpetrators of violence against women and children during and after armed conflicts, which according to participants is still all too common.
According to the Speaker of the Namibian National Assembly, Professor Peter Katjavivi, the assembly suggested that military leaders should be issued with clear instructions that protecting civilians is a priority.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Katjavivi said members called for an urgent, coordinated initiative to improve the deplorable situation of migrants and refugees within the European Union or en route to Europe.
He said the meeting also agreed that complex links between climate change and migration deserve special attention, and that countries concerned should get technical assistance.
He said the assembly further reiterated the inalienable right to migrate in order to escape persecution and seek better living conditions.
He added that the assembly stressed the importance of exploiting the possibility offered by legal migration policies and inclusive reception programmes.
Additionally, he said the assembly also suggested that a clear election timetable be drawn up for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying they are worried by the unstable pre-electoral climate in that country. The prevailing instability in the mineral-rich African country is being attributed in part to the incumbent President Joseph Kabila stifling political rivals and seemingly trying to cling to power by all means necessary.
Katjavivi said that after debating the issue on Tuesday, the assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday afternoon calling for authorities there to approve an election timetable.
The meeting also called on DRC to pursue democratisation, and voiced concerns about the deterioration of security, human rights and growing political violence, and urged the DRC to pursue a national policy dialogue open to all.
Katjavivi said another important topic discussed was the post-Cotonou framework of partnership between the EU and ACP States.
He said the post-Cotonou partnership needs to take account of the Sustainable Development Goals, adding that very importantly it was mentioned by several speakers that there is a need for a stronger nexus between development interventions, peace and security.
He said he is convinced that on post-Cotonou there is no lack of interest from EU or ACP countries to continue cooperation.
“It is more a matter of agreeing how this should be done – for instance it was stated that the private sector and civil society should play a stronger role in such a framework,” he said.
The 42nd session of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the 31st EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was opened on Monday in the capital by Vice-President Dr Nickey Iyambo, and ended on Wednesday approving resolutions related to the topics on the agenda.
Ambassador of the European (EU) Delegation to Namibia, Jana Hybášková, said the session was a great success and heaped praise on the Namibian government for hosting the event.
The session attracted about 350 parliamentarians from 28 EU and 79 ACP countries.