Media Statement

07 December 2019

Deputy Minister Botes leads South African delegation at the Ninth ACP Summit

The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Alvin Botes, is leading a South African delegation at the Ninth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 06 to 10 December 2019. The theme of the Summit is “A Transformed ACP: Committed to Multilateralism.”

The Ninth ACP Summit is being preceded by the 110th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers today, 07 December 2019.

The ACP is one of the largest groupings of countries of the South. It was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975 (amended in 2003) and its 79 members comprise 48 Sub-Saharan States, as well as 15 Pacific and 16 Caribbean states.

The ACP’s relations with the European Union (EU) have been governed by the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) which is due to expire in 2020. The Agreement is built on three pillars of (1) trade and economic cooperation, (2) development assistance (3) and political dialogue that focusses on issues such as human rights and democratic governance.

The ACP Group of States is currently undertaking negotiations with the EU on a new ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, which is envisaged to conclude in the first quarter of 2020.

It is expected that the9th ACP Summit will note and endorse the progress thus far of the post-Cotonou negotiations for a new ACP-EU Partnership Agreement.

The Summit will also consider the adoption of the revised Georgetown Agreement.  The Nairobi Declaration will be adopted by Heads of State and Government and will provide strategic political direction on ACP matters until the next Summit.

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

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

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