Madam Deputy Speaker, hon members, this is a report on the revised Cotonou Partnership Agreement. The African-Caribbean-Pacific Group and European Community, ACP-EC, Partnership Agreement is a covenant 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 European Union, of the other part. It was signed in Cotonou, Benin, on 23 June 2000.
The Cotonou Agreement encompasses various aspects, including trade, development and political co-operation. The underlying objective of this partnership is embodied in Article 1 of the agreement, which provides that it is meant to eradicate poverty and create an environment for sustainable development to take place and eventually facilitate the integration of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries into the world economy.
The origin of the ACP group of states dates back to the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community in 1957. The ACP countries formalised their relationship with the European Community in 1975, when parties engaged in the preferential trade arrangement as part of the Lom Convention. The external parties only enjoyed preferential trade as part of the general system of the preferences. Due to the fact that external parties could not enjoy the same benefits as the ACP countries, this arrangement put the Lom trade regime at odds with the rules of the World Trade Organisation. Hence, it had to be amended.
The 2005 revision of the agreement focuses on strengthening the political dimension, by placing emphasis on the effective dialogue end results. In addition, it also introduces new dimensions to the co-operative arrangements, so as to include the new issues, such as co-operation in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, co-operation in the fight against terrorism as well as against mercenary activities.
The revised agreement marks an important break with the past. It was designed to promote economic, social and cultural development of the ACP states, contribute to peace and security, and promote a stable and democratic political environment.
South Africa participates in three joint political organs of the ACP-EU, namely the Council of Ministers, the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and the Committee of Ambassadors. The ACP-EU also provides South Africa with the opportunity to promote its policy objectives of strengthening South-South co-operation, advancing the consolidation of the African agenda, and advancing economic regional integration.
South Africa has to accede to the agreement, as the stipulated time for the ratification of the agreement lapsed in June 2005. The Portfolio Committee on International Relations has engaged intensively with this subject and adopted it unanimously. The committee moves that the House adopts the report in order for this agreement to satisfy the constitutional arrangement. I thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Accession to the revised Cotonou Partnership Agreement: Agreement Amending the Partnership Agreement 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 approved.
We will now take Orders ten to fourteen together. These are reports of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development concerning magistrates.
Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: We object to taking four together. We want them to be taken separately.
Uthini mhlonipheki? [What are you saying, hon member?]
Madam Deputy Speaker, may I help you out? I suspect that what we too would like, when it comes to voting, is for voting to be taken separately. If the chairman wants to speak on all four as a whole, that's one thing, but when it comes to voting, we would like it to be done separately.
That is acceptable, but as long as the speaker is going to speak about all four of them. Is that what you meant?