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Southern Africa: Europe/SA Cooperation
Southern Africa: Europe/SA Cooperation
Date distributed (ymd): 981013
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Southern Africa
Issue Areas: +political/rights+ +economy/development+ +security/peace+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains excerpts from the advance conference program of the
Vienna Conference on European - Southern African cooperation in a globalising
world, touching on a range of issues in future European/African relations.
The full program can be found at http://www.niza.nl/nl/eniasa/vienna_programme.htm (no longer available 12/99) ; for inquiries about future availability of more information from the conference,
please contact the sources cited in the posting. The previous posting contains
a statement by the European NGO coalition Eurostep on the new Lome negotiations.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
European - Southern African cooperation in a globalising world
The Vienna Conference
hosted by the Austrian Parliament
in cooperation with the European Network for Information and Action on
Southern Africa (ENIASA)
October 12-14, 1998
For additional information, please contact:
Southern African Documentation and Co-operation Centre (SADOCC)*
A-1061 Wien, Postfach 146
tel./fax +431/505 44 84
e-mail: [email protected]
Vienna Institute for Development and Cooperation (VIDC)
A-1030 Vienna, Weyrgasse 5
tel. +431 7133594; fax: +431 7133594-73
e-mail: [email protected]
ENIASA (http://www.niza.nl/nl/eniasa)
Introduction
Leading up to the Third European Union / Southern African Development
Community Ministerial Conference in November, this conference will provide
a platform for parliamentarians as well as NGO representatives both from
Southern Africa and from the European Union to discuss relations between
these two regions in context of a changing global political and economic
environment.
Issues arising from the forthcoming new WTO round, debt management initiatives,
structural adjustment programmes as implemented by the international financial
institutions and current talks on a Multilateral Agreement on Investment/MAI
will be among topics addressed. In addition, the conference will look into
current trade negotiations between the EU and South Africa, and into talks
about a Post-Lome dispensation starting under the Austrian EU Presidency.
Other topics on the agenda include security issues and the contribution
of parliaments, social partners and NGOs towards the governmental political
dialogue.
The Vienna Conference of parliamentarians and NGOs therefore aims at
reviving the spirit of the largely defunct North/South dialogue and at
broadening the EU/SADC political dialogue.
All the subjects covered by the conference are of crucial importance
for the economic development of the SADC region, and indeed of Africa as
a whole. But as there is also a crucial correlation between societal/individual
well-being and democracy, the issues before the conference are also highly
relevant for the advancement of human rights and social progress.
The conference will take place between October 12-14, 1998 in the House
of Parliament in Vienna. The conference will be opened by the president
of the Austrian parliament, Dr Heinz Fischer. As keynote speakers, Mrs
Graca Machel and EU Commissioner Prof. Joao de Deus Pinheiro have been
invited.
Southern African participants who have already confirmed their attendance
include high-level representatives of national parliaments in Angola, Botswana,
Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participation
from the NGO sector includes prominent representatives of trade unions,
universities and economic research institutions as well as of developmental
organisations from Angola, Moçambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
European participants will include high-level representatives of the
European Commission, the national parliaments of EU member states, the
European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
as well as of international organisations. Also a wide range of European
NGOs will be participating.
Opening addresses
Dr. Heinz Fischer, President, Austrian Parliament; Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
Austrian Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Univ. Prof. Paulette
Pierson-Mathy, President, ENIASA
Keynote addresses
Southern African - European cooperation in a globalising World
Mrs Frene Ginwala, Speaker, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
[invited]
Democracy, human rights and social justice - the main goals for a renewed
global cooperation
Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer, Chairman, Subcommittee on Development Issues, Austrian
Parliament
Agora 1: Structural adjustment - means or obstacle to poverty eradication?
The eradication of poverty worldwide is among the goals agreed upon
unanimously by the international community. However, experience gained
in many countries shows that unemployment, social marginalisation and povertisation
are on the increase. The exclusiveness of economic structural adjustment
policies as recommended by international financial institutions and implemented
by many governments is therefore increasingly questioned. This debate will
be taken up by the first working group of the conference:
- Have international financial institutions like the IMF or the World
Bank changed their role in and behaviour towards countries in Southern
Africa?
- In order to eradicate poverty, are there national/regional (SADC) economic
strategies alternative or supplementary to macro-economic stabilisation
programmes?
- How can Europe support its partners in Southern Africa to create within
the international community a political and economic climate conducive
to poverty eradication?
Panelists: Morgan Tsvangirai (Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Harare);
Leya Chatta Chipepa (Zambian Association for Research and Development,
Lusaka); Kumi Naidoo (S.A. National NGO Coalition, Johannesburg); repr.
World Bank (invited); EU MP
Agora 2: Social standards versus freedom of investment: A contribution
to the social rights debate
The adoption of a binding Code of Conduct for transnational investors
is one of the longstanding demands made by the trade union movement in
Southern Africa, but also in Europe. In a period of globalisation however,
priority is often given to the liberalisation of trade and investment regimes
whereas social, workers' or environmental rights are denounced as hampering
economic progress. But ongoing negotiations about a Multilateral Agreement
on Investments could also lead to the weakening of bargaining positions
of national governments as well as entrepreneurs and employees vis-a-vis
transnational companies. This workshop will therefore discuss the pro's
and con's of
- a Code of Conduct for transnational companies investing in Southern
Africa
- the establishment of Export Processing Zones as a viable long-term
economic strategy
- the inclusion of social clauses in trade agreements
- multilateral negotiations on WTO or OECD level concerning trade and
investment
Panelists: C.R. Haikali (National Union of Namibian Workers); Congress
of S.A. Trade Unions - invited; Mr Masuku (Zimbabwe National Chamber of
Commerce); Jose Luis Cabaço (Maputo); John Evans (TUAC, Paris);
SA-Initiative der dt. Wirtschaft - invited
Agora 3: EU/Southern African economic relations - a model?
In September 1994, the Declaration adopted by the first EU/Southern
Africa Ministerial Conference in Berlin raised high hopes for the development
of mutually beneficial relations between the two regions. In the meantime,
however, a good deal of these expectations has been frustrated by economic
realities. This Agora will investigate whether and if so to what extent
trade relations between the European Union and Southern Africa contribute
towards economic development and social progress. Moreover, are current
EU trade policies with Southern Africa an appropriate model for EU relations
with other regions in Africa, Asia and Latin America? Is there cohesion
with the stated goal of EU development cooperation towards fostering sustainable
development, democracy and human rights? In particular, presentations will
refer to
- effects caused by the Free Trade Agreement between South Africa and
the EU
- progress and obstacles regarding economic integration in the SADC region
- perspectives for negotiations on a new Lome-Dispensation between EU
and ACP countries
Chair: Maj Britt Theorin MEP (Sweden) - invited Panelists: Dot Keet
(University of the Western Cape, Cape Town); Manfred Rukoro (Namibia National
Farmers Union); Ben Turok MP (Institute for African Alternatives, Johannesburg);
Rob Rozenburg (EU Comission, Brussels)
Plenary Session 2: Political dialogue and the role of parliamentarians
and the civil society
On the first day of the conference, important topics like social impacts
of structural adjustment policies, relations between social/environmental
standards and investors' strategies as well as current trade policy issues
have been assessed. Based on the rapporteurs introductions, the main conclusions
and demands of the agoras will now be addressed by the plenary:
- What are the possibilities and limitations of parliamentarian, social
partner and NGO activities in dealing with the effects of globalisation?
- Do interests of governments and civil society necessarily correspond
or contradict each other?
- What should be the role of the Political Dialogue between SADC and
EU governments, and on which matters should it concentrate? In which areas
can/should a dialogue between parliamentarians, social partners and NGOs
on the one hand and governments on the other be strengthened? Are there
any practical proposals for fostering/conducting this dialogue?
Presentation of Agora Reports
Panel statements, followed by general debate
Chair: Mose T. Tjitendero MP (Namibia, SADC Parliamentary Forum) Panelists:
Per Gransted, AWEPA (Stockholm); Jeanette Minnie (MISA, Windhoek); Mohao
Pheko (Women's National Coalition of S.A., Johannesburg); Ibbo Mandaza
(SAPES Trust, Harare); Lucchiano Vecchi (Rome), MEP
Agora 4: Debt issues in Southern Africa: Lack of legitimacy and economic
dependence?
Recent initiatives have tried to ease the foreign debt burden accumulated
by some of the SADC countries. The European "Jubilee 2000" campaign
calls for further and more radical measures. But presently, many issues
are still unresolved: In South Africa, the democratically elected government
is faced with repayment contracts entered into by the former Apartheid
regime. At that time, destabilisation strategies against neighbouring countries
in Southern Africa were responsible for the accumulation of debt; it is
here that the international legal debate on legitimacy becomes relevant.
In addition, a great portion of the region's debt is due to continuing
economic dependence to high interest rates. This workshop will therefore:
- identify the reasons for the continuing financial dependence both of
South Africa and of most other SADC countries
- discuss options for national economic policies to deal with debt issues
- propose strategies to be adopted by the European Union with regard
to foreign debt obligations of the SADC countries
Panelists: Opa Kapijimpanga (Afrodad, Harare); Dr Molefe Tsele (ESSET,
Johannesburg); Joe Hanlon (Maputo/London); IMF representative
Agora 5: Addressing the roots of conflicts and instability
The break-through of a non-racial and democratic political dispensation
in South Africa has also put an end to regional destabilisation in Southern
Africa. Chances to maintain peace in an important sub-region on the African
continent are quite high. On the other hand, violent conflicts at local
levels still exist. There is little tradition of seeking non-violent solutions
for diverging interests, and deteriorating social and environmental standards
are likely to bring about - at different levels of the societies - new
potentials for armed confrontation. This workshop will therefore address
questions such as
- what is the situation regarding regional disarmament (with particular
reference to landmines and small firearms)?
- what are the root causes of violence in Southern Africa, and how can
they be addressed?
- how can political actors in the SADC region and their European partners
contribute best towards the establishment of conditions of long-lasting
peace and stability in the region?
Panelists: Liz Clegg (Saferworld, London); John Stewart (Harare); Sergio
Viera MP (Maputo); Colette Braeckman (Le Soir, Brussels) - invited; Aldo
Ajello - invited
Plenary Session 3: European Union - Southern Africa: Towards renewed
cooperation?
The conference has extensively dealt with some of the key economic and
political challenges brought about by the globalisation process and affecting
European/Southern African cooperation. Based upon this analysis, parliamentarians
and NGOs have discussed their own role as well as the role of their governments
in addressing these issues. What are their expectations for the SADC/EU
partnership in the future? Particular reference will be made to what parliamentarians
and NGOs expect from the forthcoming third Ministerial Conference with
regard to
- the effects of current EU negotiations on trade and development cooperation
on Southern Africa and its regional integration
- possible joint EU/SADC initiatives vis-a-vis multilateral institutions
and agencies (e.g. concerning debt issues)
- the further participation of parliaments and non-governmental organisations
at the EU/SADC Political Dialogue
- the opening of venues for mutual cooperation in the interest of the
advancement of democracy and human rights in Southern Africa
Presentation of Agora Reports
Keynote address
The relations of the European Union with the Southern African Development
Community - Prospects for the Future
Joao de Deus Pinheiro, Member of the European Commission - invited
Panel statements, followed by contributions from the floor
Panelists: Rob Davies (MP, Cape Town); Simba Makoni (former SADC Secretary
General, Harare); Michel Rocard MEP
Conclusions of the Chair (to be submitted to the Ministerial Conference)
presented by Alfred Gusenbauer (Austrian Parliament) and Paulette Pierson-Mathy
(ENIASA)
The following organisations support the conference:
AAB Suedliches Afrika - Austausch-Aufbau-Bildung* (Bern), Action for
Southern Africa - ACTSA* (London), Afrika Sued Aktions-Buendnis - AAB*
(Bonn), Afrikagrupperna* (Stockholm), Associazione per un Sudafrica Democratico*
(Roma), Austria Zimbabwe Friendship Association - AZFA (Linz), Austrian
Journal of Development Studies - JEP (Wien), Avances Datos Africa Sur -
ADAS* (Madrid), Comite Afrique Australe - CAA* (Brussels), Cooperacion
con el Africa Austral - CAA* (Madrid), Erlajahr 2000 Oesterreich - Initiative
96 Entschuldung (Wien), EU platform of Austrian non-governmental development
organisations (Wien), European Parliamentarians for Africa - AWEPA (Amsterdam),
Fellesradet for Afrika* (Oslo), Greek Committee for International Democratic
Solidarity* (Athens), Institute for Environment, Peace and Development
- IEPD (Wien), Institute for Security Studies - ISS (Johannesburg), Irleand
South Africa Association* (Dublin), Koordination Suedliches Afrika - KOSA*
(Bonn), Movimento Portuguese para Cooperacao e Solidaridade con Africa
- MPCA* (Lisboa), Nederlands Instituut voor Zuidelijk Afrika - NiZA* (Amsterdam),
Network Southern Africa (Stockholm), OED - Austrian Service for Development
Cooperation (Wien), OEKO-Invest Verlagsgesmbh. (Wien), Rencontre Nationale
Avec Le Peuple d'Afrique du Sud* (Arcueil), Senatsinstitut fuer internationale
Entwicklung/Universitat Wien (Wien), Solidaritatskomitee Mosambik (Wien),
SydAfrika Kontakt* (Kobenhavn).
* ENIASA member or observer organisations
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the Africa
Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary objective is to widen
the policy debate in the United States around African issues and the U.S.
role in Africa, by concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and individuals.
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