By Peter Richards CASTRIES, St Lucia, July 5, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have been told that despite a changing global environment and Europe's paradigm shift regarding its future relations with its former colonies, the “imminent demise” of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping has been “has been grossly exaggerated”.
The Caribbean leaders are being urged to show their commitment to the ACP and have a “strong showing” at its seventh summit in Equatorial Guinea in December.
In an address to the regional leaders on the first day of the three-day summit here, ACP Secretary General Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas said that the meeting in the African country will be “of historic import to the future of the ACP as we seek to consolidate on our achievements while mapping the path to a more viable future”.
The summit from December 13-14 will be held under the theme “The Future of the ACP Group in a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities” and ACP top official said “given that the Caribbean – through the Georgetown Agreement – is the birthplace of the ACP, we expect that you will all make a strong showing at the coming summit so that the Caribbean voice will be heard loud and clear.
Guyana’s Ambassador to the ACP in Brussels, Dr. Patrick Gomes, is heading a Working Group mandated to explore various alternative scenarios and to come up with suggestions for repositioning of the ACP within the global arena. It has up to the end of 2014 to complete its work.
“The imminent demise of the ACP has been grossly exaggerated,” said Chambas, who was specially invited to address the regional leaders on the issue of the ACP future relations with Europe.
The ACP comprises 79 member countries with the prospect of the new Republic of South Sudan increasing the number to 80.
“We are today the largest trans-regional intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the international system.
“There is potential to build on this numeric strength to promote the collective cause of some of the poorest countries in the world – including vulnerable small island states -- with opportunity to establish crucial alliances not only with Europe but with some of the emerging global players in the world economy.”
Chambas said that while there have always been cordial relations with Europe, last month’s 95th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers held in Vanuatu, chaired by St. Lucia’s Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste, “provided a great opportunity not only to dialogue among ourselves but also to reach better understanding with our European colleagues on how to take the ACP-EU partnership forward”.
He said when the Lomé Agreement linking the ACP and EU was signed in 1975, it was widely greeted as symbol of hope in a divided world; a model of North-South cooperation based on dialogue rather than confrontation.
“Its successor, the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, signed in 2000 for a period of 20 years, has provided an element of continuity and predictability in a world of increasing uncertainty. “
Chambas said that the European Development Fund (EDF) has been the main vehicle for ACP-EU development financing, in addition to the private sector window available from the European Investment Bank.
Total resources made available under the 10th EDF to cover the six year period 2008 – 2013 amounted to EURO22.6 billion (One Euro=US$1.25).
“It is pleasing to note that we are already poised to begin discussions with our EU colleagues on EDF-11. During year’s end 2011, the Commission proposed an amount of Euro 32 billion for the 2014—2020 EDF-11 funding cycle, subject to further negotiation with EU Member States.”
Chambas said that the ACP-EU partnership remains the best model there is for the contractual approach to world development based on interdependence, dialogue and mutually shared responsibilities.
“But there are aspects that have not worked very well. The EDF has been strong on the public sector but rather weak in the area of private sector development. While financing instruments such as budget support have been well received by a good number of countries, concerns have been raised about their long-term development effectiveness.
“There is also the fact that old attitudes seem to die hard. Unlike the Chinese, the European mindset continues to view the ACP as a problem rather than an opportunity.
“With Europe’s aging population and its current fiscal and institutional challenges, we believe the rapidly growing economies of the ACP constitute a potentially huge market and investment opportunity that could help restart the engine of growth in Europe,” he added.
Chambas told the leaders that one of the principal concerns facing ACP-EU relations is obviously the slow progress that has been made so far on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) negotiations.
While Caribbean Forum countries, including the CARICOM bloc, have aready finalised an agreement, the African and Pacific regions are yet to do so.
Chambas said that the EU is proposing to withdraw Regulation 1528 that had guaranteed entry for exports from the ACP countries by January 2014.
The Caribbean leaders are being urged to show their commitment to the ACP and have a “strong showing” at its seventh summit in Equatorial Guinea in December.
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| Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas |
In an address to the regional leaders on the first day of the three-day summit here, ACP Secretary General Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas said that the meeting in the African country will be “of historic import to the future of the ACP as we seek to consolidate on our achievements while mapping the path to a more viable future”.
The summit from December 13-14 will be held under the theme “The Future of the ACP Group in a Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities” and ACP top official said “given that the Caribbean – through the Georgetown Agreement – is the birthplace of the ACP, we expect that you will all make a strong showing at the coming summit so that the Caribbean voice will be heard loud and clear.
Guyana’s Ambassador to the ACP in Brussels, Dr. Patrick Gomes, is heading a Working Group mandated to explore various alternative scenarios and to come up with suggestions for repositioning of the ACP within the global arena. It has up to the end of 2014 to complete its work.
“The imminent demise of the ACP has been grossly exaggerated,” said Chambas, who was specially invited to address the regional leaders on the issue of the ACP future relations with Europe.
The ACP comprises 79 member countries with the prospect of the new Republic of South Sudan increasing the number to 80.
“We are today the largest trans-regional intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the international system.
“There is potential to build on this numeric strength to promote the collective cause of some of the poorest countries in the world – including vulnerable small island states -- with opportunity to establish crucial alliances not only with Europe but with some of the emerging global players in the world economy.”
Chambas said that while there have always been cordial relations with Europe, last month’s 95th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers held in Vanuatu, chaired by St. Lucia’s Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste, “provided a great opportunity not only to dialogue among ourselves but also to reach better understanding with our European colleagues on how to take the ACP-EU partnership forward”.
He said when the Lomé Agreement linking the ACP and EU was signed in 1975, it was widely greeted as symbol of hope in a divided world; a model of North-South cooperation based on dialogue rather than confrontation.
“Its successor, the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, signed in 2000 for a period of 20 years, has provided an element of continuity and predictability in a world of increasing uncertainty. “
Chambas said that the European Development Fund (EDF) has been the main vehicle for ACP-EU development financing, in addition to the private sector window available from the European Investment Bank.
Total resources made available under the 10th EDF to cover the six year period 2008 – 2013 amounted to EURO22.6 billion (One Euro=US$1.25).
“It is pleasing to note that we are already poised to begin discussions with our EU colleagues on EDF-11. During year’s end 2011, the Commission proposed an amount of Euro 32 billion for the 2014—2020 EDF-11 funding cycle, subject to further negotiation with EU Member States.”
Chambas said that the ACP-EU partnership remains the best model there is for the contractual approach to world development based on interdependence, dialogue and mutually shared responsibilities.
“But there are aspects that have not worked very well. The EDF has been strong on the public sector but rather weak in the area of private sector development. While financing instruments such as budget support have been well received by a good number of countries, concerns have been raised about their long-term development effectiveness.
“There is also the fact that old attitudes seem to die hard. Unlike the Chinese, the European mindset continues to view the ACP as a problem rather than an opportunity.
“With Europe’s aging population and its current fiscal and institutional challenges, we believe the rapidly growing economies of the ACP constitute a potentially huge market and investment opportunity that could help restart the engine of growth in Europe,” he added.
Chambas told the leaders that one of the principal concerns facing ACP-EU relations is obviously the slow progress that has been made so far on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) negotiations.
While Caribbean Forum countries, including the CARICOM bloc, have aready finalised an agreement, the African and Pacific regions are yet to do so.
Chambas said that the EU is proposing to withdraw Regulation 1528 that had guaranteed entry for exports from the ACP countries by January 2014.
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