MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2004

(2004/C 120/03)

(The sitting opened at 3.15 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mr SARDJOE

Co-President

Mr Bounkoulou (Republic of Congo) raised a point of order concerning the reproduction in the press report of the remarks made by Mr Khanbhai with regard to the Congo, and requested that his comment be included in the press report on the day's sitting.

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: André-Léonard (for Manders), Bébéar (for Averoff), Boumediene-Thiery (for Lucas), Bremmer (for Gouveia), Bushill-Matthews (for Balfe), Gahler (for Foster), Klass (for Vidal-Quadras Roca), Knolle (for Sudre), McAvan (for McCarthy), Pomés Ruiz (for Ayuso González), Ribeiro (for Vinci), Roure (for Carlotti) and Scarbonchi (for Wurtz).

2.   Approval of the minutes of Tuesday morning 17 February 2004

The minutes were approved.

3.   Situation in Haiti

The Co-President gave the floor to Mr Straker, in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and current Chairman of the CARICOM Council, to make a statement on behalf of the Caribbean region on the situation in Haiti.

The following spoke: Khanbhai, Ramotar (Guyana), Junker, Hay-Webster (Jamaica), André-Léonard, Sauquillo Pérez del Arco, Schörling, Jean-Pierre (Haiti) and Malin (European Commission).

Mr Straker (CARICOM) asked the Co-President how long he was entitled to for his reply under the Rules of Procedure, considering this to be two minutes. The Co-President authorised Mr Straker to speak for a minute and a half.

4.   Report by Mr Betkou (Madagascar) and Mrs Scheele — ‘Poverty diseases and reproductive health in ACP countries in the context of the ninth EDF’ (ACP-EU 3640/04)

The Co-President gave the floor to Mrs Scheele, co-rapporteur, to present her report. A video on reproductive health was shown.

The Co-President gave the floor to Mr Fanjava (Madagascar), speaking on behalf of Mr Betkou, the co-rapporteur, who was absent.

The following spoke:

Mrs Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, and Mr Steven W. Sinding, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

IN THE CHAIR: Dr Rob DAVIES (South Africa)

Co-Vice-President

The following spoke: Sithole (Mozambique), Wijkman, Metsing (Lesotho), Junker, Touray (Gambia), Schörling, Ramotar (Guyana), Sandbæk, Arouna (Niger), Martens, Faure (Seychelles), Mgaya (on behalf of Mporogomyi) (Tanzania), Kiraso (Uganda) and Sjöstedt.

The Commission spoke on this matter.

The co-rapporteurs responded to the debate.

5.   Regional integration in Africa in the context of the African Union and NEPAD

Mr Patrick Kayumba Mazimhaka, Vice-Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, spoke on activities in the area of regional integration into the African Union and NEPAD, and thanked the European Union for the support it had given.

The following spoke: Bébéar, Bawa Bwari (Nigeria) and Metsing (Lesotho).

Vice-Chairperson Mazimhaka responded to the debate.

IN THE CHAIR: Mr YA FRANCE (Namibia)

Co-Vice-President

6.   Activities of the Centre for the Development of Enterprise

The chairman invited Mr Matos Rosa, Director of the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE), to address the Assembly.

Mr Matos Rosa spoke on the activities developed by the Centre and regretted the limited resources available to meet the level of demand.

The following spoke: Arnaoud (Djibouti), Schörling, Khanbhai, Theorin, Bawa Bwari (Nigeria) and Matos Rosa.

(The sitting closed at 6.40 p.m.)