It gives me great pleasure to bring you
greetings on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the African, Caribbean
and Pacific (ACP) Group of countries. Georgetown is a special place for the ACP
for it was here in Georgetown 30 years ago, on June 6, 1975, that forty six
(46) countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific signed the
Georgetown Agreement that created the ACP Group of countries.
The Georgetown Agreement brought together
countries, which are different but have in many ways common interests
including the socio-economic development of the ACP countries and its
people. The coming together of this Group in 1975 was to enable cooperation
among countries to negotiate the Lome 1 Convention, which was signed the
same year. Guyana was a signatory to the first Lome Convention and was
pivotal in the negotiations not only from the national perspective, but also
from the CARICOM perspective. CARICOM, as a Group under the newly ratified
(1973) Treaty of Chaguaramas, was in the forefront in the negotiations.
Trade and Economic interests of Guyana and the region were the principal
concerns at that time.
The ACP is not only significant to Guyana
because of our involvement in the Lome Negotiations, but the esteem and
pride of Guyanese, one of whom designed the logo for the ACP.
The membership of the ACP has expanded with
the consecutive Lome Agreements Negotiated with the European Union. Today,
79 countries from Africa, the
Caribbean and the Pacific are
members of the ACP. In 1999, at the WTO Ministerial Conference, in Seattle,
the ACP Group inserted firmly itself in the mainstream of the negotiations
at the WTO as a group of small, vulnerable economies and commodity dependent
countries.
Forty years of enduring trade and economic
relations between the ACP and the EU is an indication of the strategic
importance of the EU to the members of the ACP. The recent challenge by
Australia, Brazil and Thailand to the EU Sugar Regime forged a greater sense
of unity and solidarity among ACP countries, and between the ACP and the EU
as regards the WTO Panel and Appellate Body processes. The ACP looks
forward to the EU upholding its international obligations as regards the
Sugar Protocol, and to seek prior consultations and engagements with the ACP
before any reform of the Common Market Organization (CMO) for sugar is
realized.
The Cotonou Agreement signed by the ACP in
2000 makes provision for the ACP and the EU to enter into Economic
Partnership Arrangements that is WTO compatible and reciprocal in nature.
These negotiations are already underway and should be completed by December
31, 2007. The new trading relations with the EU will pose new challenges to
all ACP countries including Guyana. The private sector and civil society
will have key roles to play in all areas of importance to trade and
development.
Guyana had the opportunity in June 2004 of
brining together some ACP members as part of the G-90 Group to develop a
common platform on market access, agriculture and development issues in
preparation for the WTO Ministerial Session to be held in Hong Kong
in December of this year. These are core matters at the heart of ACP
countries and which jointly, we are pursuing to advance our cause and to
fight against the threats against our economies.
The solidarity and unity of the ACP Group
is critical and have been demonstrated on several occasions at the
political, economic and social levels.
In celebrating the ACP’s 30th
Anniversary, I would like to encourage you to reflect on our past relations
intra-regionally, our relations with the EU and other countries and to
consider what are the next steps that are needed to strengthen and deepen
the ACP integration process. The consolidation of ACP unity over the past
30 years has forged a bond which will make it difficult to envisage a
weakening of the ACP Group.
I take this opportunity to salute the
Secretary General of the ACP, Staff of the ACP Secretariat and sister states
on reaching this milestone.