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A Pivotal Year at a Time of Consolidation

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A Pivotal Year at a Time of Consolidation A pivotal year at a time of consolidation Activities of the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States in 2012 and future perpectives This brochure is a publication of the Secretariat of the $IULFDQ&DULEEHDQ3DFLŵF*URXSRI6WDWHV ACP General Secretariat 451, av. Georges Henri / 1200 Brussels Belgium Telephone: 00 32 2 743 06 00 wwww.acp.intww.acp.int / [email protected]@acp.intt / [email protected] above : ACP Council of Ministers, Port Vila, Vanuatu, June 2012 PPartialartial or total reproduction of this brochure is authorized cover : Burundi, Public Awareness campaign on the ssubjectubject to mentioning the ssource.o protection of citizen rights Activities of the Secretariat of the ACP Group in 2012 and future perspectives 3 Contents Foreword by the Secretary General H. E. Alhaji Muhammad MUMUNI ........................... p.04 1. Introduction 2012 A Pivotal Year in the History of the Group ................................... p.06 2. The ACP Group. Finding strength in unity .................................................................. p.10 3. Towards an equitable world and a sustainable economy ......................................... p.12 4. A steadfast commitment to environmental protection .............................................. p.16 5. Expanding the effects of aid ........................................................................................ p.18 6. ACP countries taking ownership of their wealth ....................................................... p.22 7. Promoting happiness — Empowering all ACP citizens and defending their rights ......................................... p.24 8. Promoting bold, successful ACP entrepreneurship ................................................... p.28 9. The ACP Secretariat: Organizing, Assembling, Unifying, Defending ......................... p.30 10. Future Perspectives ..................................................................................................... p.32 11. ACP Maps ...................................................................................................................... p.34 Activities of the Secretariat of the ACP Group in 2012 and future perspectives ForewordForewo by the Secretary General H. E. AlhajiA Muhammad MUMUNI 2012 Banking on the future for a second time hortly before the start of Then, there is the so-called 4 S 1975, when three groups JOREDOȴQDQFLDODQGHFRQRPLF of States that were sepa- crisis which began in 2008 and rately negotiating cooperation has caused our main partner agreements with the European to limit, if not reduce, its devel- Commission decided to come opment aid. Doubt has arisen together to strengthen their about the future of ACP-EU position and to adopt a charter cooperation beyond 2020. And - the Georgetown Agreement the ACP States have certainly - this was a bold venture for been apprehensive. However, the future. It was moreovereover a 2012 was a year for expres- question of trusting inn them-them- sing faith in the future. The selves and their capacityacity to most edifying symbol was the overcome the temptationtion of success of the Summit of the isolationism. Heads of State held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, at the end Despite ups and downs,s, thisthis solidaritysolidarity hasha RIWKH\HDUZKHUHWKH$&3OHDGHUVDɟUPHG lasted and, instead of diminishing with their determination to forge a degree of the enlargement of the Group, has become autonomy for the ACP Group through con- stronger and broadened its scope of action. crete, enhanced intra-ACP cooperation, a Cooperation between the two parties is no PRUHHɟFLHQW$&3(8SDUWQHUVKLSDQGUH- longer limited to development aid; it in- ceptiveness to other partners, particularly creasingly concerns political consultation the BRICS 1. in international organizations. 1 Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa Activities of the Secretariat of the ACP Group in 2012 and future perspectives A “minor” victory over the recession An agenda based on well-grounded optimism 5 )URPWKHHQGRIȴQDQFLDODQDO\VWVFRQ- sidered that the regions of the ACP Group All of these elements no doubt contributed had weathered the crisis pretty well. For ex- to the thinking of the ACP Heads of States ample, a specialist like Jacques Attali noted who met at the end of 2012, and chose that Africa was posting a growth rate of more well-grounded, realistic optimism based than 5% because the continent has largely on the Group’s potential in establishing an adopted the rules of economic governance. agenda that they asked the organs of the The World Bank observed that extreme pov- Group to execute. erty is diminishing on the continent. Michel Camdessus 1, former director of the IMF had A new ACP organ, the “Eminent Persons already declared in 2011 “After a vigorous Group” was created by a decision of the recovery and without having a negative ef- Heads of State, to advise the Group during fect on growth, unlike the rest of the world, the anticipated transition. The Chairman, Africa is again at 5.5% and has every poten- former president of Nigeria, Chief tial to do better. It may know the experience Olusegun Obasanjo, after declaring on the that China underwent 30 years ago and India day of his investiture that “we must re- two years ago.” One could add that extreme invent our group” because the Group has poverty has decreased in Africa according to no other choice but to go forward, para- :RUOG %DQN ȴJXUHV SXEOLVKHG LQ 7KH phrased Hamlet when he said: “The world other ACP regions have also withstood the is off kilter. Too bad I’m the one who has recession well. The Caribbean, for example, been asked to put it back on course”. And boasts an average growth rate of more than he concluded: “That’s our job”. DFFRUGLQJWRȴJXUHVSXEOLVKHGLQ 1 Quoted by Christophe Boisbouvier (RFI) Activities of the Secretariat of the ACP Group in 2012 and future perspectives Introduction – 2012 A pivotal year in the history of the group TheThe greatg renewal effort Development Bank, free-trade agreements) that represents an opportunity for eco- heh last Summit of the ACP Heads of nomic growth given the potential wealth of T StateS and Government in Malabo, the ACP, not only in terms of basic “strate- Equatorial Guinea, in December 2012 gic” products, which are still considerably conducted a profound analysis of the global underexploited, but also from a human ȴQDQFLDODQGPRQHWDU\FULVLVDQGSDUWLFX- standpoint. larly of the situation in ACP countries. It noted that the crisis has affected all conti- The kick-off for the new position of the nents and all economies, Europe and the ACP on the international scene was giv- United States being particularly hard hit, en in November 2010 when the Council of with Asia and the emerging countries and Ministers began to assess the perspectives several ACP countries more moderately so. for the future of the ACP Group after the 6 Cotonou Agreement, which binds it to the Despite — or because of — this particular European Union, expires in 2020. Their context, 2012 will remain the year of a new work was approved by the 7th Summit departure for the ACP, when the Group as- of the Heads of State and Government in sessed the extent of transformations in the 0DODERZKLFKRɟFLDOO\ODXQFKHGWKHJUHDW world and decided that moving forward to renewal by deciding to set up a Group of better respond to Eminent Persons which has been asked the new reality was to present proposals in 2014. This group, This reorientation crucial. This reality consisting of 14 highly-distinguished per- represents a of course includes VRQDOLWLHVZDVRɟFLDOO\LQDXJXUDWHGDWDQ our traditional extraordinary Council meeting in Brussels fantastic opportunity SDUWQHUVȇ ȴQDQFLDO on 25-26 March 2013. GLɟFXOWLHVEXWDOVR for economic the interest that the ACP countries The ACP Group, connecting blocks development have sparked in new potential part- The ACP Group, which comprises 79 ners, institutions or countries from Africa, the Caribbean countries, including DQG WKH 3DFLȴF EULQJV WRJHWKHU VXE some of the BRICS 6DKDUDQ &DULEEHDQ DQG 3DFLȴF 1. One indication is the increase in the States with a shared vision. It establishes a number of ACP embassies in China. This link between the populations of the zones reorientation is also visible in the growing and continents that make up the Group. It interest in developing more cooperation works to promote diversity and tolerance between ACP States (a proposal for an ACP among peoples of different races and reli- gions. All of this represents a considerable 1 Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa asset. Activities of the Secretariat of the ACP Group in 2012 and future perspectives $EXMD1LJHULDHFRQRPLFERRP7KH$&3UHJLRQVKDYHUHVLVWHGWKHŵQDQFLDOFULVLVUHODWLYHO\ZHOO This is why the ACP political authorities ACP - EU Cotonou Agreement. have emphasized the urgency of foster- Sticking to the spirit and the letter of ing greater South-South cooperation and the text developing triangular cooperation as an engine of growth. The memorandum of un- The Cotonou Agreement, which binds 7 derstanding on South-South cooperation the 79 ACP countries and the 27 Member between the ACP Group and Brazil is an States of the European Union, is based on illustration of this. Brazil has cooperation three pillars: political dialogue, trade and SURMHFWVLQVHYHUDO$&36WDWHVLQWKHȴHOGV GHYHORSPHQW ȴQDQFLQJ FRRSHUDWLRQ ,W LV of agriculture, health, education and bio- managed jointly by the ACP Secretariat and energy, and it offers training programmes the European Commission. Financial co- in high-level
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