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Skriven 2005-06-20 23:52:56 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0506203) for Mon, 2005 Jun 20
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EU-US Declaration on Working Together to Promote Peace, Stability,
Prosperity, and Good Governance in Africa
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For Immediate Release
June 20, 2005

EU-US Declaration on Working Together to Promote Peace, Stability,
Prosperity, and Good Governance in Africa



We remain committed to combining and accelerating our efforts in support of
Africa and its leadership, while acknowledging its ownership of present and
future African development.

We share the same belief that solidarity is an essential principle that
should guide our action and that we, together with all other members of the
international community, have an obligation to assist African efforts in
the quest for peace, stability, democracy and prosperity. We share the same
objectives with poverty eradication as the primary aim of our relations
with the developing world and we therefore undertake to increase our
efforts to assist Sub Saharan Africa in its efforts to achieve sustainable
economic growth and reach the internationally agreed goals contained in the
Millennium Declarations.

We share the same hope built on the realisation that today there is an
environment and leadership in much of Africa with a genuine commitment to
better governance and a new resolve to take care of Africa's own conflicts.

We are working to support Africa's efforts to expand peace and security
across the continent. In this context, we welcome that an increasing number
of African nations are committing themselves to holding democratic
elections, thereby paving the way for more representative government.
Improving respect for human rights and governance, consolidating democratic
processes and reforming the security sector are central prerequisites for
development. African nations are undertaking increased efforts to resolve
conflicts and have achieved important progress in establishing their own
security structures through the African Union and its Peace and Security
Council as well as at the sub-regional level.

Together we have been working to strengthen the African Union and other
regional organisations that aim to improve stability in Africa and we are
collaborating on the G8/African Union action plan to enhance capacity for
peace support operations. We are committed to continue to assist African
peace support operations as the EU has done through its African Peace
Facility and contributions from its Member States and the US through the
Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative by increased contributions to
enhance the Peace Support Operations capacity and support for ongoing
operations in Africa.

The African Union/NEPAD have provided Africa with an ambitious vision and
strategy for the 21st century. We will work closely with the African Union
as a key political interlocutor in our relations with Africa.

The African Union and the sub-regional organisations have decisively
assumed responsibility and leadership for resolving many of the armed
conflicts that for so long have marred the continent. We are prepared to
contribute to these efforts through:

Supporting broad and inclusive processes of implementing the comprehensive
peace agreement in Sudan, capable of reconciling and accommodating the
aspirations of all sectors of society and all regions of the country, while
ensuring that the fight against impunity from violations of international
humanitarian law and human rights law is sustained. To end the continuing
violence and suffering of hundred of thousands in Darfur is an immediate
priority. We reaffirm our strong support for the AU leadership in resolving
the crisis and urge the parties to commit themselves wholeheartedly to
resolve the conflict peacefully and engage constructively in the
AU-sponsored negotiations in Abuja.

Reaffirming our continued support to the Somalia reconciliation process and
assisting the Somali people and institutions, in their efforts to
re-establish stability and governance. We are also committed to support
efforts to resolve the border stalemate between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Both
processes have much to contribute towards stability, development and
security in the strategic region of the Horn of Africa.

Combining support for stability in the Great Lakes region, including
through the disarmament of armed groups, Security Sector Reform in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, assistance in the organisation of the coming
democratic elections in Burundi and the DRC and international observation
thereof, and participation aimed at a successful outcome of the
International Conference on the Great Lakes region. We have instructed the
Joint Contact Group to continue to work together in order to address the
problems in the region.

Continuing to support a regional approach to peace and security in West
Africa, with a view to enhancing conflict management in ECOWAS and
particularly by supporting United Nations and African efforts to
consolidate transition processes in C te d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone
and Guinea-Bissau and encouraging national reconciliation in Togo.

Effective and well-governed states are critical to a peaceful and secure
environment and protecting human rights; encouraging transparent and
accountable public management and private sector growth delivering
essential services and allowing resources to be used effectively. We will
support the African Peer Review Mechanism as an important tool for peer
learning and reforms it will trigger at the country level.

The U.S. and the EU note with deep concern the continuing governance and
human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, which has led to a near breakdown of the
economic situation of one of the most promising economies in Africa and
caused huge flows of Zimbabweans to flee to neighbouring countries. We call
upon the Government of Zimbabwe to reverse anti-democratic policies and to
open a genuine dialogue with all stakeholders. We also note that serious
food shortages are looming in Zimbabwe, and we stand ready, as in the past,
to assist the Zimbabwean people with food aid and other humanitarian
assistance.

Life expectancy is increasing in every continent except Africa, where it
has fallen for the last 20 years. HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
continue to affect too many people in Africa. We are committed to continue
our support for the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. We recognise the
importance of education and gender equality for life expectancy and agree
to intensify efforts in this regard.

We commit to work together to address both the immediate needs and the
underlying causes of natural disasters and complex emergencies which plague
the continent, including through collaboration on the assessment process,
to ensure that needs are identified in an accurate and timely fashion, that
assistance is appropriately targeted and arrives in time to save lives.
Together, we commit to urgently increasing both our funding and engagement
in these humanitarian emergencies.

To ensure a longer-term solution to the problem of famine and poverty in
Africa, we will work with AU/NEPAD to support implementation of its
Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Plan, which will help expand
production and market opportunities, enhance agricultural productivity, and
thus reduce the risk facing Africa's poorest farmers. We further commit to
support AU/NEPAD's efforts to increase regional economic integration in
Africa as an important element of efforts to increase agricultural
productivity, open our market to allow African exports to enter duty free
until 2015 and, in this regard, will undertake efforts to promote accession
of African countries to the WTO.

These commitments require resources. These should come from many sources,
as set out at Monterrey, including increased foreign direct investment,
trade, remittances, public aid and private charitable contributions. We
recall the responsibility of developing countries for their own development
through good governance, the rule of law, and sound policies, and the
crucial importance of national ownership for development strategies. We
stand ready to increase our financial assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa to
meet urgent needs, promote development and economic growth, reinforce sound
policies and good governance and support their efforts towards meeting the
Millennium Goals.

In today's globalised world, developments in one continent often have
immediate and far-reaching repercussions on life in other continents.
Peace, stability and better economic prospects for all people in Africa are
therefore in the interest of Americans and Europeans alike. The long road
towards sustainable social, political, and economic development in Africa
is a road that Africa should not be left to walk alone.

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