Brussels, 19/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - The group of 79 ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) states, which is linked to the European Union by the Cotonou agreement until 2020, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on 4-5 June. Debates, an exhibition and cultural festivities will be organised at the ACP Group's headquarters in Brussels to celebrate this milestone anniversary of a group which has reached a turning point in its existence.
The theme of the festivities is From Georgetown to Sipopo and beyond, in tribute to the two ACP towns that hosted two important events. Indeed Georgetown (Guyana) is where the group's founding agreement was signed on 6 June 1975, and Sipopo (Equatorial Guinea) is where the group's heads of state and government met for their seventh summit in December 2012 and gave the mandate to a group of eminent figures to begin strategic reflection on the ACP Group's future (see EUROPE 11224).
“Four decades of existence is a milestone for the ACP as an international alliance of developing countries. With the organisation currently repositioning itself for more strategic engagements with regards to its future, this is an opportunity not only to review the past, but also to project to the decades ahead, especially in terms of how to be more effective and better respond to the development needs of our member countries in the 21st century”, said ACP Group Secretary General Patrick I. Gomes.
The focus will also be on how to strengthen regional and intra-ACP relations so as to position the ACP Group better in order to reach the post-2015 sustainable development goals. “One of the main areas the ACP countries are working on is to diversify our partnerships beyond and in addition to the EU, to include other potential development partners as well as the emerging economies”, Gomes stated. The ACP Group's 40th anniversary will be celebrated a few days after the annual meeting of the ACP-EU Joint Council (25-29 May). The ACP Group comprises 48 sub-Saharan African states, 16 Caribbean states and 15 Pacific states. (Aminata Niang)