Post-Cotonou agreement to consider a different ACP

Caption:  EU Commissioner Neven Mimica.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, June 5, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

 

THE European Union (EU) has said that it will look to improve any new agreement with the ACP states post-Cotonou when the long standing agreement both groups expires in 2020 after its 40 year lifespan.

EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica made the remarks, while hailing the summit as a key milestone also reiterated the change in the ACP from the one that signed originally for cooperation between both groups under the previous Lome Convention signed in 1975.

“This summit is a key milestone in the process to reflect on the relations of the EU and ACP at the expiration of the Cotonou agreement in 2020.”

“The European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are long standing partners. What links us together is unique. There is indeed no similar treaty agreement which legally binds so many countries, which encompasses so many actors, which deals with so many actors and deals with such a variety of aspects and objectives.”

“We have a true longstanding and comprehensive partnership, but true partnerships are not set in stone, they are alive and evolving,” Mimica said.

He said the quality of any partnership as being defined by its capacity to adapt to changing circumstances.

“We are gathered here just a few months after COP21 where we could together show the world that we are strong partners.”

“Paris showed that our partnership works and delivers on its objectives contributing to the reduction of poverty, increased trade, or the provision of peace and security.”

“But there is room for improvement. Our thinking of the future should take into account lessons learned from the past as well as the strengths and weaknesses of our current relationships.”

He pointed out being self-critical as being vital in looking forward at the relationship to be a true political partnership based on common interests and away from traditional donor recipient relationship.

“Our renewed partnership should range from global issues to political, peace and security, trade, investments, science, technology and economic development, climate and migration issues.”

“Furthermore, one has to take into account the evolved contest, with substantial changes having taken place within our current partnership and in the broader international environment.”

“The countries that signed the agreement 15 years ago are not the same. The membership of the European Union has almost doubled and we experienced one of the toughest economic crisis of our times.”

“On the hand ACP countries have also changed- many countries that were considered to be developing have reached middle income status, new actors have emerged and parallel partnerships have arisen.”