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    "id": 798712,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/798712/?format=api",
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    "content": "The assembly regularly forms exploratory and fact-finding missions such as missions for election observation or for any issue that may be emerging in partner states. The impact of the work of the joint parliamentary assembly goes well beyond the economic considerations and embraces the fundamental objectives of the development of mankind and the establishment of peaceful relations among nations and the world at large. The ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly is a democratic parliamentary institution which aims to promote and defend democratic processes in order to guarantee the right of people to choose their own development objectives, agendas and decide on how they govern themselves. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the joint parliamentary assembly has made an active contribution towards the implementation and enforcing of successive ACP conventions. It has also put forward numerous proposals. I will just mention a few of them:- (1) Advocating for the role of women in the development process. There is a whole gender committee that looks into such matters. (2) The integration of the environmental policy in development process especially in this age of climate change and sustainable development activities. (3) Promotion of trade as a tool of development particularly by way of the economic partnership agreements which are overseen by the founder Cotonou Agreement. (4) The drawing up of rural development programmes and micro projects tailored to the needs of specific communities. (5) The promotion of regional, political and commercial co-operation. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the forum has elected members as I had mentioned before, drawn from the EU and the parliaments of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific states. Prior to the joint parliamentary assembly, the ACP committees hold meetings which are followed by a meeting of the ACP parliamentary assembly which brings together the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific states before the joint ACP and EU meetings. This has promoted a lot of inter-regional relations and has given birth to collaborations among the regional blocs in Africa itself. It is gratifying that in the last meeting - the 49th meeting - whose report is not here yet, when the African group was meeting, the meeting in Rwanda was taking place and we were extremely excited to hear that our heads of states were opening up so that there is a trade flow among the African states. This is one of the principles contained within the Cotonou Agreement; that the EU should deal with Africa as a bloc. However, since we have regional groupings, they have sometimes had to deal with the regional groupings rather than Africa as a whole which would have been more advantageous. It is very gratifying that has taken place. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the year 2002, the EU and individual as well as groups of countries that together form the ACP group of states have been negotiating free trade under the economic partnership agreements. The general framework for negotiating the free trade is found in the Cotonou Agreement. The overall objective of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) is to ensure sustainable development of the ACP The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}