Media Advisory
Friday, 25th Sept 2009
Civil Society in 30 Countries Demand Turnaround in EPA negotiations
Public Protest Against EPAs
On 25th September 2009, hundreds of farmers, traders, students, women groups and civil society from across Kenya shall congregate at Uhuru Park to proclaim their concerns about the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently under negotiation between the European Union (EU) and African countries. The protesters shall deliver a petition to the Ministry of Trade as well as Trade committee of the Kenyan parliament.
The route plan includes:
0830: Gather at Uhuru-park
0900: Proceed through Kenyatta Avenue to Ministry of Trade offices (GPO building), then onwards to the Parliament building
1030: Return to Uhuru-Park for media interviews
1100: Disperse and return home
Additionally, through a collective mass fax and e-mail action, more than 80 organisations in 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Pacific have called on decision-makers to fundamentally change the course of the ongoing negotiations. The multiple messages are aimed at stressing the importance of bold committed African leadership displayed by only supporting trade and economic policies that lead to the development of their people.
The 27th September 2009 marks the 7th anniversary since the initiation of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations. EPAs are free trade agreements that require African countries to open up their borders to duty and tariff-free goods and services from Europe.
Almost two years after the original 2007 deadline the negotiations are far from over. In fact it has become increasingly clear that EPAs are not fundamentally concerned about Africa’s development but are designed to further the geo-economic interests of European corporations and capital.
Despite the pressure from the EU, only one out of six regions has concluded a full regional trade deal so far.
Whilst a number of countries including Kenya were pressured into interim Agreements at the end of 2007 under the threat of losing market access to the EU, more than half of the African countries have not agreed to any form of EPA. Such is their degree of concern with these agreements. Many African countries are calling for the deals not to be signed and for contentious clauses to be renegotiated.
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Ruthpearl Wanjiru Ng’ang’a
ACORD is an Africa-led International Alliance Working for Social Justice and Development
ACORD – The Agency for Co-operation & Research in Development ACK Garden House, 1st Floor Wing C 1st Ngong’ Avenue P.O Box 61216-00200 Nairobi – Kenya
Tel: +254 20 2721172 OR +254 20 2721185/6 or +254 733 255 306
Fax: +254 20 2721166
Website: http://www.acordinternatinal.org/
