AFRICA-EUROPE FAITH AND JUSTICE NETWORK
RESEAU FOI ET JUSTICE AFRIQUE-EUROPE

174, rue Joseph II
B-1000 Bruxelles - Belgique
Tel. 32-2 234 6810 Fax 32-2 231 1413
aefjn@aefjn.org http://www.aefjn.org

AEFJN is a network of 41 catholic religious and missionary Institutes with members in Africa and Europe, promotes equitable economic relations between Africa and Europe, providing information and analysis on economical policies that affect Africa adversely and seeks to influence positively the policies of national governments and the European Union Institutions.

Since 1988 the Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN), a faith-based international network mandated by 42 catholic religious and missionary Institutes working in Africa and Europe, promotes equitable economic relations between Africa and Europe.

The Executive Committee, elected from among the member institutes of the network, directs AEFJN.

An international secretariat based in Brussels (Belgium), co-ordinates the activities of the network.

Groups of religious in African and European countries, AEFJN antennae, represent our concerns on national level, while a contact person in each of the member institutes' administrations, integrates our objectives in the JPIC programmes of the institutes.

As religious and missionaries, motivated by our faith and rich with the social teaching of our Church, we are present where political decisions are made concerning economic relations between Africa and Europe.

As citizens, using the networks of our communities and personal relations, we join the national and international community of civil society, to advance the common cause for a respectful, compassionate and just world.

As a network, we inform one another on issues of structural injustice rooted in European policies that affect Africa adversely. We empower one another to lobby our national political decision makers and the European Institutions, so as to influence positively decisions taken by the Union that affect adversely peoples of Africa.

1) AEFJN Working Papers

Each year, AEFJN publishes some working papers, providing a comprehensive packet of information on the issues related to the Network's plan of action. The dossiers aim at enabling members to take part in discussions on the issue with other civil society groups. Papers available are:

· Water and sanitation, a right for all, 20p, 2003
A Guide for Lobbying, 20p, 2002
· Debt reduction and Poverty Reduction Strategies in Africa, 20p, 2002
· The African Model Legislation on Protection of Intellectual Property Right,
20p, 2002
· Trans-national Companies in Africa, 17p, 2001
· The Impact of World Trade on African Economies, 28p, 2001
· Trade in small Arms between Europe and Africa, 20p, 2000
· Child Soldiers in Africa, 20p, 2000
· Africa and the New Round of Trade Negotiations of the WTO, 27p, 2000
· Debt Cancellation for African Countries, 21p, 2000

2) "Forum for Action", "Updates", "Info Flash" and AEFJN website

The AEFJN bulletin "Forum for Action", published 3 times a year, is the link between members and friends of the network. "Updates" offers ad hoc information on the issues of our plan of action. "Info Flash" provides last minute news on issues of concern. Our website: http://www.aefjn.org offers all the AEFJN publications and links for further information as well as to AEFJN antennae and other groups of civil.

3) Workshops

From a faith based and holistic point of view, AEFJN staff offers to provide inputs on structural injustice issues for your congregation's workshops on Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation.

While AEFJN position papers clearly state our Christian vision on the issues, AEFJN antennae join forces with national groups of civil society for more efficiency in their advocacy work. Likewise, on an international level AEFJN often associates with the advocacy work of international NGO platforms such as: International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity (CIDSE), the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), the Trade Action Network (TAN), the European Solidarity Trust for Equal Participation of People (EUROSTEP), JUBILEE+ or the European network on Development and Debt (EURODAD).

a. "Water in Africa, a right for all"

Within the framework of the World Trade Organisations Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), public services for water distribution and sanitation may be forced to be privatised, thus making water and sanitation a commodity for sale available for those who can pay and no longer a right for all! AEFJN, joining other NGOs, defends that the public sector management of distribution of water and sanitation is a necessary option to be considered in African countries. Since 2003, AEFJN lobbies multinationals involved in water and sanitation services to sign "pro-poor" contracts with national and local governments. For this we made appeal to local community groups in Africa to collect specific information on contracts for water distribution in their towns.

b. " Seeds and Medicines for Africa"

Aiming at the EU position at the negotiations on the World Trade Organisation's Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), AEFJN joined the international lobby to allow African countries to override commercial patents on biological resources, drugs and seeds so as to guarantee people access to affordable healthcare, food security and to protect Africa's biological resources and traditional knowledge. In 2004 AEFJN continues to lobby the EU to recognise the "African Model Legislation on Protection of Intellectual Property Rights that respects and protects the rights of farmers and local communities in Africa" as a valid system of protection of intellectual property and to implement the agreement, reached in August 2003, that would allow African countries to produce or import generic medicines in order to assure access to essential drugs.

c. "Trade in Small and Light Arms with Africa"

The issue of illicit trade in small arms has been many years on the AEFJN agenda. Since September 2001 several European countries introduced a more constraining legislation on trade in small arms. In 2004 AEFJN joins the worldwide "Control Arms!" campaign, seeking to obtain at the United Nations a binding Arms Transfer Treaty

d. " Debt Cancellation for Africa"

AEFJN has been an active member of the Jubilee 2000 movement demanding the cancellation of unpayable debts of African countries. Since 2002, AEFJN lobbies the European Union, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy, members of the G8 and major shareholders in the IMF/World Bank, for the need of an equitable way of calculating debt reimbursements and the establishment of a fair and transparent arbitration mechanism for indebted African countries. In 2004 AEFJN asks the Irish presidency to bring back on the European agenda de issue of indebtedness of African countries.

e. "The European Agricultural Policy and Africa"

The current review of the European Common Agricultural Policy has important consequences for African small farmers. In 2004 AEFJN monitors this policy within the framework of the Cotonou Agreement between the 77 ACP countries and the 25 EU countries.

f. "Actions of National AEFJN Antennae"

National groups of AEFJN join coalitions in their countries, some work on the issue of traffic in humans, the UN Summit on the Information Society, the Great Lakes or the cause of African cotton farmers.

Luc Coppejans, MAfr
AEFJN, Bruxelles,
AFRICA-EUROPE FAITH AND JUSTICE NETWORK
RESEAU FOI ET JUSTICE AFRIQUE-EUROPE

174, rue Joseph II
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel. 32-2 234 6810 Fax 32-2 231 1413
aefjn@aefjn.org - www.aefjn.org