Countries meet to coordinate policies and efforts

Representatives from the governments of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Angola met last week in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, to synchronise their policies and efforts on behalf of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region. The meeting was organised by the l'Association des Parlementaires Europeens pour l'Afrique (AWEPA), in collaboration with the government of the DRC and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, from 24 to 26 Oct. AWEPA is an association of current and former members of national parliaments in Europe that works "to support the functioning of parliaments in Africa and to keep Africa on the political agenda in Europe". Primary objectives of the conference included the promotion of human rights and in particular the rights of refugees, with special attention to women and children in light of their vulnerability; seeking long-term solutions to the problems of refugees and IDPs with a view to a safe return to their place of origin; and adoption in each country of national legislation and a national commission for refugees where no such thing already exists. Discussions were held regarding the possibilities of expanding the mandate of UNHCR to increase their capacity to assist IDPs uprooted by war, and providing assistance to local populations that host refugees. Participants also sought to address such issues as the promotion of peaceful relations among the countries as a necessary condition for "harmonious and integrated development"; the promotion of democracy and good governance as imperative for peace and sustainable development; and the fight against exclusion, racial discrimination, xenophobia and "all forms of ethnic tension". Representatives agreed to encourage feasibility studies for projects of common interest to central African states with a view toward elevating the standard of living At the end of the conference a statement was issued, called the "Declaration de Kinshasa", that summarised the themes discussed and called for continued cooperation among the nations to ensure that proposals made during this meeting would come to fruition. AWEPA is due to publish a complete account of the conference.