Brussels, 01/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - One of the priorities of the new Presidency of the ACP group of states - a Presidency held by Botswana for six months (February-July 2013) - is to define the future outlook for the ACP Group and its partnership with the European Union 37 years after it was created, and with a view to the expiry of the Cotonu Agreement in 2020. Governmental bodies and the various ACP institutions will be assisted in this task by an “Eminent Persons Group”, which will meet for the first time in Brussels on 25 March.
“We have the opportunity in the next few years to work hard and strategically on the future and its possible paths”, said Samuel O. Outlule, the new chairman of the ACP committee of ambassadors, upon taking office on 25 February. The last summit of heads of ACP states (13-14 December in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea) focusing on “The future of the ACP Group in a changing world: challenges and opportunities” gave political and strategic direction to this debate, and recommended developing this outlook in order to re-position the group in the new international context (which is marked in particular by the rise in power of the emerging countries). The heads of ACP states wanted greater cohesion to be guaranteed to the group which is half-composed of LDCs (out of the 49 LDCs, 40 are from the ACP countries).
The negotiation of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) for 2014-2020 with the European partners, and the need to overcome constraints (linked to supply and infrastructure) to signing the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the EU, are two other priorities for the new presidency of the ACP Group.
The ACP Council of Ministers, planned for 26 March, under the chairmanship of Phandu T. Skelimani, Botswana's minister for foreign affairs, will also have to choose the future secretary general of the ACP Group - to replace Gabon's Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who was recently appointed UN-AU joint special representative and chief mediator for Darfur. (AN/transl.fl)