Media Statement

10 December 2019

Deputy Minister Botes concludes Working Visit to the Ninth ACP Summit in Kenya

The Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Alvin Botes, has concluded his Working Visit to Nairobi, Republic of Kenya, where he led a South African delegation to the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 09-10 December 2019.

Amongst other decisions, the Summit adopted the revised Georgetown Agreement. The revised Agreement sets the ACP on a course of reforming itself in order to deal with the global developmental challenges facing countries of the South in the twenty-first Century. Moving forward, the he ACP Group of States will be known as the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

The Summit endorsed the nomination of H.E. Mr Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti from the Republic of Angola as the Secretary General-Designate for a five-year period, with effect from 01 March 2020.

The Summit formally launched the ACP Endowment and Trust Fund. This mechanism will facilitate for the ACP countries to explore alternative sources of funding in order to take the Organisation into the post-2020 period. Additional resources will facilitate for all ACP countries to effectively deal with the development challenges of the countries of the South.

The Summit was informed of the current state of play regarding the ongoing Post-Cotonou negotiations. It is envisaged that the negotiations will conclude at the end of March 2020.

At the conclusion of the Summit, the leaders adopted the Nairobi Nguvu ya Pamoja Declaration. The Declaration focuses on the ACP Group of States playing an influential role in multilateralism and global governance and addresses areas relating to good governance, peace and security, environmental sustainability and climate change and intra-ACP cooperation aimed at socio-economic development.

The 10th ACP Summit is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Angola.

Enquiries: Mr Clayson Monyela, Spokesperson for DIRCO, 082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

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