ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) Heads of State and Government and the EU expressed their solidarity at an extraordinary virtual ACP Summit organised on 3 June by the Organisation of ACP States (OACPS, formerly the ACP Group of States) on the theme ‘Transcending the Covid-19 Pandemic: Building Resilience through Global Solidarity’.
Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and current Chairman of OACPS, reported major economic disruptions in key industries and supply chains, reflecting a dire economic situation for OACPS members.
By an overwhelming majority, ACP Heads of State called for a moratorium on debt repayment, increased consultation and dialogue with the EU on the fight against money laundering and tax evasion, and increased support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who represented the EU at the session dedicated to development partners, assured the ACP Heads of State of the EU’s support.
“We, the European Union, with our Member States and financial institutions, are redirecting €25 billion of funding to support our partners. But we need to go further - I have a personal commitment to debt relief”, he said, according to the speech that was released. Welcoming the first steps taken by the G20, he added: “We can do more, by involving major creditors in debt relief efforts. I will continue to be a strong advocate for such action in the G7, G20 and with other international partners”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)