ACP-EU hold 10th regional seminar

MPHO TLALE
Correspondent | Friday July 3, 2009 00:00

 

Speaking at the seminar, the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Dikgakgamatso Ramadeluka Seretse who is also the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that although the Cotonou Agreement initially began as a framework agreement for trade and development aid, there can be no doubt that it is one of the most successful development cooperation arrangements in place today which brings together four large regional groupings of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

As a result, the common objective of poverty reduction while contributing to sustainable development will be fulfilled without undermining the equality of its partners, he noted.

Brenda Lloyd, chairperson of the Botswana Organising Committee and director, Botswana Institute of Bankers, said that one of the main innovations of the Agreement is that it incorporates civil society and the private sector on a political level. She highlighted further that Non-State Actors (NSAs) will no longer be seen as mere beneficiaries of cooperation but strengthens their role in planning and implementing development cooperation for their countries.

The regional seminar will allow for Non-State Actors to get an opportunity to be informed on what Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are as well as discover a chance to communicate their views on the EPAs directly to the negotiators.

Lloyd mentioned that the trade negotiations provide a window of opportunity for them to contribute, put forward proposals for workshops as well as suggestions for establishing national or regional committees in which NSAs would be more closely involved in monitoring of the negotiations.

Llyod also added that if NSAs are to successfully contribute to the partnership process, there is need for a legislative framework and/or avenues for communication with the national authorities and with the European Commission (EC) as well as sufficient human and financial resources.

On his part, Minister Seretse commended the organisers of the seminar saying 'The seminar provides a good opportunity to further strengthen existing partnerships between Government and NSAs by further enhancing the quality of our dialogue with our European partners in many issues of mutual concern, including ongoing ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)'. Regional as well as civil society organisation representatives attended the seminar.

The agreement was signed in Cotonou, Benin, on June 23, 2000 and will last for 20 years (2000-2020). It contains a clause that allows it to be revised every five years. It was revised for the first time in 2005.