S&D Members participated this week in the 32nd plenary session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly which took place in Nairobi, Kenya from December 19 to 21 2016.

S&D MEP and Group coordinator Norbert Neuser said after the session:

"This week's plenary session was not only another important forum of dialogue between lawmakers from ACP and European countries, but also a unique opportunity to discuss with our African, Caribbean and Pacific partners key issues in our relations. Talks focused on climate change, migration, trade, illicit financial flows, SMEs and job creation, family farming and small-scale agriculture.

"The dramatic situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo made our exchange of views over presidential terms particularly timely. Our discussions over the post-electoral situation in Gabon proved to be difficult and resulted in diverging views with our ACP partners. However, this shows the value of this Parliamentary Assembly, where we can work together and come to a better understanding of each other. We also discussed the impact of hurricane Matthew in Haiti, and we hope that the resolution we adopted will contribute to the efforts of the international community to support our Caribbean partner country.

"The S&D Group, which was represented with the largest delegation from the European Parliament in this session, will continue to play a leading role in the field of EU-Africa relations, in the framework of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and beyond, including through the second edition of the S&D Group Africa Week in 2017.”