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{
    "id": 951639,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/951639/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 206,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "When it comes to immigration it touches both; where the immigration is taking place and the recipients are going to settle. This became very important topics of discussion during the 50th Session of the ACP-EU and the 35th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Group. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Standing Committee on Political Affairs, Economic Development, Trade and Finance and the Committee on Social Affairs and Environment considered the following several areas for purposes of reporting: The ACP- EU looked at the relations between the ACP and EU post Cotonou. The Cotonou relations are coming to an end in the year 2020 and this has become a major point of discussion. Also discussed was the social and environmental consequences of urbanization, particularly the signed management of industrial waste in the ACP group of countries. Also brought forward was the impact on the illegal trade in sanitary products, including seeds and other agricultural inputs on the ACP countries’ economies. On the sidelines of the two sessions, a number of conferences and meetings also took place, which had a lot of bearing to the agenda that was being discussed. Two specific side events that were very important under the ACP-EU umbrella were the women and youth forums. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in line with its unique role of parliamentary scrutiny over the ACP and EU institutions by this membership, holding of formal question time sittings with the European Commission and the ACP and EU Council presidency in every session is also emphasized. The Assembly sought the European Commission on a number of matters on the partnerships between the European Union and the ACP group of States post 2020, when the Cotonou agreement will be expiring. The external action of the EU in the coming years with the emphasis on the increase in the external expenditure proposed by the Commission for the next multi annual financial framework was also put on the table. In addition, the new corporation and development financial structure and the proposal for integration of the European Development Fund (EDF) into the EU’s budget were discussed. Other debates also included urgent motions on the urgency of new measures to fight international terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in the current context of the conference, the delegation noted that the discussions on the future of the ACP-EU corporation picked up pace in the year 2015, with both the EU and the ACP group of states engaging in a soul searching exercise and preparing the future positions. This is because this has been discussed for quite a while now. For the last three years, the discussions on post Cotonou have been going on and there have been meetings of councils of ministers at the regional level, including the East African region, the African Group, Caribbean Group and the pacific Group. Therefore, the future post Cotonou is very high in the agenda in the forum of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. The complex policies and the process of reaching consensus on how post Cotonou will look like is evidence based and requires a lot of debate. That debate is going on even now under different groupings. The stakes involved in the review process are high and The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}