CHOGM Media Conference - Second Executive Session

CHOGM Media Conference
Media Centre
Second Executive Session
Joel Kibazo
March 3 2002

MR KIBAZO: We are making this rather short because apparently the Canadian Prime Minister is about to come in from the retreat. Briefing earlier but we did have here at the time and it is not quite proper to sort of in the room and in the vicinity, and so that is why I forgot to do that.

For today the September executive session, much of the debate centred around economic issues. You will recall what I said yesterday that they decided to roll today's sort of discussion yesterday's discussion on the Commonwealth and the international monetary environment into today and much of the session actually ended up talking about those events. In other words, the global monetary environment.

In terms of the discussion, the discussion centred very much around the issue of access for third-for the developing countries and the talk was very much in a sort of the what the kind of plan they should be looking at the Monterrey Financing For Development Conference. And also you are going to see the millennium had been prepared in any way near realisation or at the very least are on their way to being realised.

There were a lot of calls for the voice of the developing world to be heard in those fora, particularly in Monterrey and also at the World Summit On Sustainable Development. The issue that came out-and there was one where I regret today was of the relationship with the WTO, and many of the heads and nationalities sort of talk about how there should be a focus on that matter, to enable particularly developing countries to be able to take part in the proceedings at the WTO and in organisations the hope being that they would be a good result in a consistent position for Monterrey and the summit in South Africa taking place in August.

The discussion then talked to environment questions for the heads touched around the questions in the context of development. That debate did not sort of last very long for it was sort of rolled into the issues of poverty and development to poverty reduction. Many of the heads did sort of indicate these return to the G8 meeting in Canada, and the hope that at that meeting there would be quite a lot of attention on Africa's development, and so the sort of discussion there ensued around what their position should be for all some of the things hopefully achieved from Monterrey are being discussed at Canada in June.

There was quite a long debate on NEPAD economic plan for Africa and some explaining for those heads perhaps would not be aware of on NEPAD and also to some thrashing out issues of the way the African countries particularly feel that should be advanced, particularly in relationship to the developed countries and those countries particularly Canada and the UK I think one can say they sorted of were engaged in that debate with the heads from the more developed countries.

In terms of so much of the morning was taken up with that. They then turned to the debate on issues the Commonwealth in the 21st century continued in the main and here the main discussion centred on the High Level Review Group and the report that had been tabled by that group which was chaired by President Mbeki. The report-many of the heads sort of-much of the discussions centred around recommendations of that report and it looks as if many of the issues in that report will actually sort of be adopted.

However there was some debate or some clarifications on the future role of CMAG, some of which were going to be sort of sorted out or discussed I would say during the retreat. Also the other thing was the small states debate. That occurred and will be rolled into the next executive session as there were one or two issues there. So that had been set today. But as you well know heads decided that the retreat this afternoon would be dealing with-take some of the issues that they felt they wanted to discuss on their own, and in particular the issue of Zimbabwe and all matters were taken into that particular debate.

The only thing I can say on that is that my understanding is that the Canadian Prime Minister had tabled a document to heads and my understanding is that that includes some conditionality or some conditions for. This document it was obtained this afternoon for the heads to consider with a particular timetable in place for certain things to happen. But as I said, I am not in that debate that debate is still going on on whether that paper is adopted or not I do not know and it will be up to heads I just thought I would pass on just a little of what I know.

As I said this is a very short briefing because as I say the Canadian PM is actually going to be briefing the media in a short while.

QUESTION: On the question of the Canadian paper, is it taking place in that so that there is a scenario being handed to President Mugabe when they hold the elections simply regulated by innocent observers but then a mechanism will be in place for a suspension along those lines?

Secondly, on the High Level Working Group report, are you saying that there are some members of the Commonwealth which oppose expanding CMAG's mandate to when breaches of political values of the organisation and the need to take disciplinary action in those circumstances?

MR KIBAZO: Your first question was whether there is a timetable for conditions?

QUESTION: Yes, because the British delegation is pressing or for a mechanism do prevail for consideration to take against Zimbabwe and those circumstances.

MR KIBAZO: From my understanding put it this way now it was just understanding that I had that the Canadian position does put in place the framework of a timetable for certain things that might be met. Now these are being only discussed now and there is nothing to say that heads will adopt it or heads will actually like to do anything about that. So it is one that from my understanding it is but one proposal. It may well add I do not know. So I cannot actually give you a definitive answer on that because it is on-I do not know if anybody else has submitted a paper for an idea on which way the discussion could be going or could go. Nobody knows Zimbabwe. They were just sitting down and this was one thing that was being come at. But do not forget the retreat is today and tomorrow.

Then you asked about the high level review that was there-

MR KIBAZO: No, there was no opposition to that. I think there was need for some clarity on some of the issues on high level briefing. But as I indicated it is likely to be adopted. It isn't that that submission at all at least not from what I understand. But there is an equal clarity given that CMAG is one of those things that needs to be successfully.

QUESTION: The report's recommendations are pretty clear about CMAG. So what do they need clarity on?

MR KIBAZO: That is for Heads, it is not for me. They can discuss anything they want and seek clarification of any issue they want. It is not for me to say that.

QUESTION: Can you say which members want clarification?

MR KIBAZO: No.

QUESTION: Didn't you say that the Canadian report was addressed to heads in particular?

MR KIBAZO: Which report.

QUESTION: The report that you mentioned earlier.

MR KIBAZO: No I said they had submitted a suggestion a working paper. It was not-as a form of debate the ideas they could bring.

QUESTION: The Canadian officials were saying that Mr. Cretien was drafting a statement on Zimbabwe which called for free and fair elections will wait until the election observers report back a week after the election and if they feel that they are likely to be rigged the Commonwealth would take action within four weeks of sanctions or whatever would be decided by the leader. They in this direction met with Mr. Blair and the President of South Africa and Nigeria as well as John Howard. Now is it your understanding that the British and the Australians have now given up on their push for immediate action against Zimbabwe including suspension?

MR KIBAZO: I do not have any knowledge to that effect. My understanding is but that was just one draft and one proposal that was going to be discussed, by the other leaders attending the retreat.

QUESTION: Is there a decision taken by the leaders on the discussion for the new Afghanistan?

MR KIBAZO: Taken by the Commonwealth? The feeling is that the NAPAD plan was being discussed. Most of the acting countries have adopted it. What really the discussion centred on was further expansion of what the goals of that, the purpose of the plan and what the aims of the plan were. It was not so much that they needed to adopt it but all the same it was in the context of the environmental debate that was one of the issues that was raised.

QUESTION: It seems from what you are saying there are two proposals on the table regards Zimbabwe. The CMAG group has issued a report as well that the leaders are going to consider and they announced the Canadian proposal on the table. Is that your understanding that there are two sets of proposals or are they merging into one?

MR KIBAZO: I do not know if they were all merged into one. What I was saying is that there is a proposal at the meeting by a head of government whereas any proposal or any report of a proposal in CMAG's report from ministers does not mean that you can sort of does not mean the same. All right?

QUESTION: Has the Zimbabwe delegation contributed at all to the meetings?

MR KIBAZO: To meetings of this afternoon? You mean today's meetings or you mean internal meetings?

QUESTION: In general since the proceedings began?

MR KIBAZO: Yes. Absolutely. All right?

QUESTION: I represent Bangladesh, did you come to a resolution to ensure access of products of developing countries to economies.

MR KIBAZO: There was a debate about that and both developed and developing countries all agreed that the base today's issue for many of those problems and people in those countries was the issue of access, that there was came across both from the developing countries and access to markets in the developed world. But it was also a viewpoint that was shared by many of the Heads from those developed countries, yes.

QUESTION: Could you just tell us what is the latest that the leaders can actually make a decision on Zimbabwe, what is the latest deadline? They can they keep us out until Tuesday morning?

MR KIBAZO: If they choose to.

QUESTION: We are not sure whether we are going to get a decision not tonight or tomorrow.

MR KIBAZO: Tomorrow is the end of the retreat and I do not know. The thing is that I know they have other issues to discuss. So I have feeling to Zimbabwe there are other issues on the agenda. Okay.

QUESTION: …

MR KIBAZO: These are being only discussed now and there is nothing to say that heads will adopt it or heads will actually like to do anything about that. So it is one that from my understanding it is but one proposal. It may well add I do not know. So I cannot actually give you a definitive answer on that because it is on-I do not know if anybody else has submitted a paper for an idea on which way the discussion could be going or could go. Nobody knows Zimbabwe. They were just sitting down and this was one thing that was being come at. But do not forget the retreat is today and tomorrow.

ENDS