Final Communiqué: Africa - Europe Ministerial Meeting, Ouagadougou, 28 November 2002

1. The Second Africa-Europe Ministerial Meeting following up on the Cairo Plan of Action, was held in Burkina Faso on 28 November 2002, under the co-chairmanship of the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Dr Nkosazanna Dlamini Zuma, and State Secretary for the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Carsten Staur.

2. The Meeting was officially opened by His Excellency the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore. Opening statements were also made by Senior Ministers, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso, Youssouf Ouédraogo; Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; State Secretary for the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Carsten Staur; Commissioner for Development Affairs of the European Commission, Poul Nielson and Mr Amara Essy, Interim Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

3. Ministers adopted the Joint Africa-Europe Declaration against Terrorism on 28 November 2002 (see annex 1), reiterating their commitment to fighting international terrorism and condemning all acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, irrespective of their motivation, forms and manifestations. They strongly condemned the acts of terror that were perpetrated in Mombassa on the morning of 28 November 2002.

4. Ministers reiterated serious concern over trafficking in human beings, considered the Draft Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, especially Women and Children (see annex 2), and requested the finalisation of outstanding work before recommending it for adoption at the second Europe-Africa summit under the aegis of the European Union and the African Union, to be held on 4-5 April 2003 in Lisbon, Portugal.

5. Ministers evaluated progress made in the eight identified priority subjects of the Africa-Europe dialogue, welcomed an intensification of the dialogue between Europe and Africa and concluded as follows:

5.1 Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance

Ministers highlighted the principles laid down in the Constitutive Act of the African Union as well as those of its major programme NEPAD. They agreed to continue to work together to implement programmes promoting human rights, democracy and good governance.

Ministers underlined the importance of a global response to corruption, including the issue of illicit state funds and welcomed the ongoing work on the UN Convention against Corruption. In this regard, Ministers welcomed the adoption of the African Union Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Corruption. Ministers took note of the EU explanation that there will be provisions for technical assistance within the framework of the UN Convention against Corruption.

5.2 Prevention and Settlement of Conflicts, including Anti-personnel Mines

Recalling the commitments reached in Cairo and subsequent meetings, Ministers urged the Bi-regional Group of Senior Officials to continue its work in the agreed areas of action, including:

Regular exchange of information,
Establishing an inventory of existing institutions in Africa dealing with conflict,
Strengthening of African institutional capacity in the area of early warning and preventive diplomacy;
Reinforcement of good governance and rule of law as indispensable elements of conflict prevention and resolution.
The Ministers welcomed the progress in the follow-up of the agreed areas of action, including the initial support of 10 million euro from the EU earmarked to the AU Peace Fund. African Ministers took note that other contributions have been given by individual EU Member States in 2001 and 2002.

They further expressed satisfaction at the development of the AU Indicative Work Programme on Peace and Security in Africa.

The Ministers underscored the need to work towards a more comprehensive and long term co-operation and stressed the importance of peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction as part of the efforts aimed at addressing the conflict situation in Africa including addressing the problems of refugees and internally displaced persons.

5.3 Food Security

The Ministers expressed grave concern with the serious humanitarian crisis currently plaguing the Horn of Africa and Southern Africa. The EU reaffirmed with force its commitment to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and food aid to hunger stricken regions.

Ministers considered that food security remained one of the essential elements for stability, poverty eradication and the sustainable development of Africa. They underscored the need to consider including food security as one of the priority objectives of national poverty reduction strategies. The Ministers reiterated the urgent need to improve production, distribution, and access to agricultural and food products in order to ensure sustainable food security.

Concerning bioltechnologies, the Ministers expressed their commitment to taking the necessary measures to ensure the entry into force, as soon as possible, of the Cartagena Protocol and the International Treaty on the Phytogenetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Africa as well as their common will to strengthen African capacities for its implementation.

The Ministers took note of joint document on food security presented by the Bi-Regional Group and agreed that a joint task team should be set up to conduct a common evaluation of existing early warning systems in Africa.

5.4 HIV/AIDS and other pandemics

The two sides again welcomed developments in the fight against communicable diseases; the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GEATM), the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, the UN Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Ministers noted that an African summit on the HIV/AIDS and malaria was held in Abuja, Nigeria. The conference noted the EU stated commitment to continue to combat communicable diseases in Africa through concrete measures.

Ministers welcomed further progress in identifying common approaches to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other pandemics, and reaffirmed their commitment to developing a comprehensive, coherent and mutually reinforcing strategy to combat the crisis facing Africa.

Ministers agreed to work together towards securing an adoption of the procedures of the Global Health Fund so as to ensure rapid disbursement of the funds in order to tackle urgently the HIV/AIDS pandemic and infectious diseases raving Africa.

The African Ministers noted significant progress made in relation to the polio eradication initiative in Africa and stressed the need for assistance in mobilisation of adequate funds for polio eradication in 45 African countries where polio cases still exist.

5.5 Environment, including combating drought and desertification

Ministers recalled the principles of the Joint Paper on the Environment including Combating Drought and Desertification, which touches upon some of the most important and timely environmental questions particularly relevant to Africa-Europe co-operation.

Ministers endorsed the Africa-Europe strategic partnership on water affairs and sanitation, signed during the WSSD in Johannesburg as well as the partnership initiative on energy for poverty eradication and sustainable development.

Water management was considered also as an issue of regional integration, when trans-boundary lake and river basins are concerned.

Ministers further stressed the need to look into the managing of coastal and marine areas and underlined the importance of bio-diversity and forestry issues as reflected in already agreed multilateral environmental agreements.

5.6 Regional Co-operation and Integration/Integration of Africa into the World Economy/Trade

Ministers noted that the strengthening of the Regional Economic Communities and (RECs) and the acceleration of the establishment of the African Economic Community (AEC), as provided for in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, on key priorities in order to achieve sustainable development, to combat poverty and to accelerate the smooth integration of the African Continent into the global economy. They agreed on the need for harmonisation and rationalisation of the integration policies of the RECs and the role of the African Union in this regard was stressed.

Ministers emphasised the strategic economic partnership that has long existed between African and Europe, which should be further reinforced by the relevant trade and economic partnership agreements. Furthermore, they emphasised the importance of ensuring coherence and mutual reinforcement between the RECs engaged in the negotiations of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the establishment of the African Economic Community.

The EU expressed its commitment to continue supporting the process of regional integration and to enhance African trade capacity. The EU agreed to consider the projects presented by the African side and lend support to the African Union in the context of its operational programmes.

Ministers reiterated the importance of a rapid granting of observer status to the AU at the WTO, as this is a necessary condition to ensure co-ordination of African positions in the ongoing WTO negotiations.

5.7 External Debt of African Countries

Both sides agreed that the problem of Africa's external debt is an important one, whose resolution is critical for the sustainable socio-economic development of African countries.

Ministers agreed that the issue of external debt of African countries is an important matter that should remain on the agenda of the BI-Regional Group. Discussions and the corresponding report should be prepared by the experts meeting in this framework.

5.8 Return of Stolen or Illicitly Exported Cultural Goods

Theft, clandestine excavations and illicit export in cultural goods in today's world are a serious problem, which African and European countries continue to suffer from.

Ministers took into consideration the report on the return of stolen or illicitly exported cultural goods elaborated by the Joint Ad Hoc Group of Experts in Addis Ababa from 13-14 November 2002, and its recommendations, and welcomed the progress achieved at the 6th Bi-Regional Meeting. The Ministers considered the recommendations of the Expert Group expressing the hope that co-operation between the African and European countries may lead in the future to the signing of an agreement between the two sides regulating the return of the stolen and illicitly exported cultural goods.

In accordance with the report's recommendation, Ministers asked for the establishment of an inventory of all on-going co-operation activities between the EU and African institutions with regard to cultural goods. They also asked the Bi-regional Group to assess this inventory and to formulate proposals for co-operation, in consultation with UNESCO and other partners as appropriate.

6. Evaluation of the Cairo Plan of Action and the future of the Africa-Europe Dialogue

Ministers noted the importance of the Africa-Europe dialogue. Ministers stressed the need to further review the modalities and mechanisms for the dialogue in order for it to efficiently obtain its objectives:

The African side expressed the need for:

the respective co-chairs and the Commissions to continue to exchange view on the ways and means of improving the overall outcomes of future meetings under this initiative;
reviewing the working methods and modalities with the view of enhancing the effectiveness of the dialogue;
introducing a balanced agenda that allows for dialogue on broad strategic policy issues of mutual concern to both parties in the context of their regional and international implications;
focusing on achieving tangible results within clearly defined timeframes;
mandating the Commissions supported by the co-chairs to strengthen their inter-action to implement the Cairo Plan of Action and explore all possibilities for co-operation.
displaying commitment to the structure of the dialogue at all levels;
co-ordinating the activities of the two parties for the implementation of commitment made in other international fora.
The EU referred to its platform on Future Relations Between Africa and the EU that the EU handed over to the African side during the Bi-regional Meeting and stressed the importance of:

establishing a common vision on the post-Lisbon dialogue, and adapting it to take full account of the creation of the African Union and NEPAD,
streamlining and increasing the efficiency of the dialogue,
a stronger focus on political and pan-African issues,
increasing the flexibility of the dialogue, including the possibilities of dialogue in smaller and more operational formats,
increasing the value added by the dialogue and its complementary with other fora.
7. Ministers welcomed the offer by Portugal to host the second Europe-Africa Summit for Heads of State and Government in Lisbon planned for 4-5 April 2003.

8. Ministers expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the government and people of Burkina Faso for the warm hospitality extended to the delegates and for the excellent arrangements and facilities provided for the meeting.

Contact: Ms Basetsana Thokoane, Burkina Faso, 083 437740

Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, 2 December 2002