02 Jun 2016

The African Caribbean Pacific-European Union(ACP-EU) partnership has proved its worth over the past 40 years hence the need to strengthen rather than diminish the modes of structured cooperation that has served the group well, says ACP deputy secretary general, Mr Leonardo Ognimba.

Speaking at the 8th ACP Summit on May 31, Mr Ognimba said the coming to an end of the Cotonou Agreement in 2020 would need to be replaced by an accord that would respond to the current challenges and the people’s need in keeping with the objectives of Agenda 2030.

He said a post Cotonou Agreement offered the parties an opportunity for reflection on the way forward in terms of improving and making ACP-EU cooperation adaptable to new ideas, challenges and impetus needed to speed up the realisation of common ambitions for the attainment of sustainable development.

In addition, Mr Ognimba said the milestone agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provided appropriate frameworks to further pursue the ACP Group’s mission of improving the livelihoods of its citizens.

Moreover, Mr Ognimba said the Group enjoys a comparative institutional advantage, at least in trade advocacy for developing countries, development finance and cultural cooperation.
These, he said had earned success by converging disparate geographical, cultural, linguistic and historical differences into a united Group.

“This should give us the conviction to speak with one voice in the global community of nations and to demonstrate the maturing self-confidence and self-determination that we possess,” he said.

He further said poverty remained an abiding challenge for most of ACP countries citing that several countries in the Carribean and Pacific continued to grapple with the realities of increased vulnerability and loss of bio-diversity and rising sea levels.

The sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly threatened not only by terrorism, but also floods, drought and famine which recently manifested in the Eastern and Southern Africa.

The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change is another unique opportunity for ACP Group to consolidate its position as a global player. Ends