Economy - The African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Group that is headquartered in Brussels recently held the 93rd Session of its Council of Ministers to which for the first time, the institution invited Journalists from some selected member states to cover the proceedings of the meeting. What came out strongly of this meeting was the issue of the future of the ACP after 2020 when the agreement which binds it together with the European Union (EU), the Cotonou Agreement comes to an end. Another issue that was discussed at length was that of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and different regions of the ACP Group.

The EPAs were supposed to be concluded in 2007 but since then have been dragging on without any conclusion.

The meeting which culminated into the ACP/EU Ministerial Council received reports from various chairpersons of ministerial committees on Development Finance Cooperation, Cotton, Bananas, and EPA configurations from the Cariforum, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC), Pacific ACP states, Eastern and Southern Africa, Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS) and CEMAC.

ACP secretary general Mohamed Ibn Chambers said during the council that democracy is important in the ACP Group if economic development is to be achieved.

Dr Chambers appealed to all states that are going through strife to always dialogue rather than use arms to discuss.

He bemoaned the delays in concluding the EPAs negotiations saying this is not the kind of response that stakeholders had anticipated.

He said it is important to engage the European countries to come out of this impasse.

Dr Chambers said rising fuel and food prices, issues of climate change, etc will undermine the livelihoods of millions of people especially in third countries, hence the importance of concluding the EPA negotiations.

He said ACP countries signed the Cotonou Agreement without clear knowledge of funding and now Europe is ready to diversify its economy with its neighbours and North Africa.

"ACP will lag behind. That is why we need a working group in ACP to look at all these aspects. China, India and other countries in Asia are energising their economies.

ACP member states can work with these countries. Africa should take responsibility for its development rather than always look to Europe," he said.

He said in fact, Europe looks to ACP countries for its raw materials.

The ultimate goal for ACP is to escape from poverty, establish institutions that enhance human development and those to tackle climate change.

Dr Kanayo F Nwanze, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) director said the ACP represents a powerful advocate.

He said 44 million people are living in abject poverty as a result of rising food prices and it is up to the ACP to do something about this.

He appreciated the assistance from Europe and said ACP nations should now emphasise their agriculture activities on improving the small-scale farmers who produce the bulk of the food.

He said by 2050, the world's population would double and food requirements would also double, hence the need to find ways of assisting the small-scale farmer who hold the key to food security.

Another area that needs exploration is that of organic farming and cited the Caribbean region where he said this is working well.

President of the Council Dede Ahoefa Ekoue allayed fears that the ACP would go into oblivion in 2020 when the Cotonou Agreement comes to an end.

She said the EU remains the biggest development partner to Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific regions and she was hopeful that a solution would be found as to the way forward.

She said Europe has been a partner with the ACP for many years from the time the Cotonou Agreement was signed and the relationship cannot be over just because of the coming to an end of the Agreement.

She said the ACP working group was tasked to come up with solutions, the president alluded to the issue of acquiring new premises for ACP in Brussels saying the current facility was not adequate to cater for the growing grouping.

Zambia was represented at the conference by Dr Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika who is ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the EU.

Enock Ngoma

Times of Zambia/08/06/2011