Executive summary

Recommendation 3 (Long-term – political and development)

Since the EC has given itself wide room for manoeuvre by a reallocation of intra-ACP funds and the conditional €1 billion in programmes like the water project, the African Peace Initiative and the World Health Organisation (Global Health Fund for the Fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) programme, the ACP has a right under the Cotonou Agreement to ensure partnership and co-management of these funds.

Recommendation 4 (Urgent – political and efficiency)

Member States of the ACP Group should, for the purposes of Regional Integration Organisations and for negotiation at regional level with the EC Delegates, declare their participation in only one Regional Grouping (See also under “Revising the Georgetown Agreement” Chapter 6)

No extra resources required.
Recommendation 5 (Priority urgent – political, development and economic)

The further study requested in the Committee of Ambassadors’ report and the study proposed by the Joint Parliamentary Assembly’s Economic and Finance Committee concerning budgetisation of the EDF under conditions ensuring the quantum of the EDF, co-management and its predictable and multi-annual use should be drawn up rapidly and the ACP Group should lobby, through a mandate issued by the Council of Ministers to the Secretariat, for political support by EU Member States and their political representatives for the ACP Council of Ministers’ decision.

Recommendation 6 (Long-term – political, development and economic)

It is recommended that the reasons proffered by the EC for budgetisation be subjected to a critical study to assess whether the ACP States will be in a better position by budgetisation with particular reference to flexibility and the use of uncommitted/decommitted funds, co-management at country level and predictability.

Recommendation 7 (Urgent – political, economic and development)

Heightened attention should be given to cultivating political and economic relations with the New EU Member States, firstly by lobbying and briefing where common diplomatic representation exists and secondly by organising seminars and workshops in Brussels for presentations, both national and all-ACP concerning trade, investment and tourism possibilities in ACP countries to the top cadres of the 10 NMS in conjunction with EC Trade and EC Development, harmonising activities and priorities with the CDE.

New resources required: as it is in the interests of both the EC and the ACP Group that the New Member States are aware and sympathetic to the aims of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, funds from the Intra-ACP envelope should be unlocked.
Recommendation 8 (Urgent –political and economic)

An expert representative of the Secretariat or Rapporteur should be designated to follow in a professional manner with the EPA Technical Monitoring Committee, at the Regional Integration Organisation, the process of negotiation for feedback to the Secretary General and to the Council of Ministers in order to ensure a consistent and cohesive policy position of the ACP Group. South Africa has offered its assistance in this. This is in line with the Observer Status the ACP Group has already acquired at the RIO’s, repeats the 1993 attempt to create regional bureaux, militates against a division in ACP ranks and matches the professional EU team with a professional team. There is no reason why this should not lead to a search for an overarching Free Trade Agreement on an all-ACP level. Because of the reverse effect of cheap EU agricultural products landing in ACP countries squeezing out local production, urgent consideration must be given to negotiating with the EU in EPAs on a sector-by-sector basis.

Additional resources will be required for placing an expert at the negotiation table – the South African offer of their team’s help should be accepted. An application should be made to the Programme Management Unit for the services of an expert/s to follow the regional EPA process for management, consistency and compatibility purposes.
Recommendation 9 (Long-term – economic and development)

The registering of Non-State Actors with their offered services to facilitate the capacity-building for trade and development should begin in the Member States of the ACP Group and an audit made of their possible contribution. The drawing up of a registration form for use in the Member States and the audit should be performed at Secretariat level. The CDE’s database should be used for the extension of information to the Non-State Actors.

New resources will be required for the form and the audit. An application should be made to the PMU for the required services and maintenance of the register of resources or found in the Intra-ACP envelope.
Recommendation 10 (Long-term – economic and cohesion)

The idea of an ACP Forum proposed at the Santo Domingo Summit should be revived in synchrony with the CDE and the EIB to organise joint trade & investment seminars/conferences both in Brussels and in the regions to promote regional integration and investment from EU and New Member States on the model of the EU-Mercosur Joint Business Forum which has held successful workshops.

Additional resources must be unlocked for these seminars/conferences through project finance and from the Intra-ACP envelope and the CDE. The proposed help from a Member State on the lines of the 2001 seminar in Sandton should be accepted.
Recommendation 11 (Urgent – economic and development)

It is recommended the ACP Secretariat seek urgent discussions with the relevant EU Commissioners (Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) to propose a solution to the problem of the brain exodus to Europe which must entail compensation for use of trained resources and education fees and preventing acting recruiting in ACP States.

Recommendation 12 (Priority long-term –development and economic)

Pro-active steps need to be taken by the ACP Council of Ministers to activate collaboration between ACP States together to improve production and marketing of export goods to the EU and to other countries to protect local industries ahead of the EPAs. Directives should be given to the ACP office in Geneva to use the formal contact with UNCTAD and expand contact with the FAO, also through the FAO office in Brussels. The several ACP research and development institutes covering tropical fruits, veterinary and zootechnical services, tropical flowers, leather, yams, cassava, plantains, cocoa, coffee, tea need to be listed and strong efforts made to make inter-institute co-operation a rule which can be stimulated by a seminar held between them at ACP Headquarters and synchronised with efforts by the CTA. Also to be invited would be companies transforming such products into juice, dried fruits, leather goods, confectionaries, paste and chocolate so as to stimulate investment and trade promotion programmed to harmonise with CDE initiatives .

Additional resources will be required for such steps to be initiated and Intra-ACP funds are apposite. It is proposed that approaches be made to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and its representative in Brussels with a request for the placing of resources at the disposal of groups of producers, and for Member States to offer input from their research institutions.
Recommendation 13 (Urgent – political, economic and development)

Pro-active steps should be taken by the ACP Council of Ministers to associate the ACP Group with bodies taking active steps to have subsidies rendering ACP products uncompetitive removed and should request a briefing from organisations and NGO’s active in this sphere like OXFAM. The ACP representative’s role in Geneva is crucial in following this debate.

No additional resources required.
Recommendation 14 (Priority urgent – economic, development and political)

Urgent action needs to be taken to revise EU and the developed world’s Rules of Origin and non tariff barriers which hamper the diversification of trade away from primary products as is already recognised by the Joint Technical Monitoring Committee on the EPAs and the Cotonou Agreement and it is recommended that an expert be appointed who could be the same expert/panel of experts envisaged in Recommendations 2 (streamlining EU project procedures) and 8 (expert for Regional Integration Organisation negotiation).

No additional resources
Recommendation 15 (Long-term – economic and development)

In the negotiation of EPAs, support needs to be given by the ACP Group to the regional organisations to carry out impact studies to ensure that compensatory methods be found for revenue losses as a result of lowered tariffs which do not affect the poor and that this forms part of the negotiating agenda of the Joint ACP-EC Technical Monitoring Committee.

No additional resources required
Recommendation 16 (Long-term – political and economic)

The proposed Rapporteur for the Regional negotiations, should report to the Secretariat on any infringements of customs agreements and other actions which impinge upon the flourishing of free trade within the ACP with a long term view to creating an all-ACP Free Trade Agreement

CHAPTER 4: INTRA ACP RELATIONS AND COHESION

Recommendation 17 (Priority urgent – political, cohesion)

It is recommended Ministers and Heads of State of ACP States issue a directive to their diplomatic missions in New York, Washington, Paris, London, Pretoria, Addis, Dakar, Tokyo, Geneva and Rome to meet on a regular monthly basis to discuss matters of common ACP concern and to report back to the ACP Secretariat on issues which can involve ACP joint action, lobbying and intervention; the ACP Group should be confirmed on every possible occasion as being the preferred vehicle for promoting development aid, in collaboration with the bodies listed in Annex ”M”.

Recommendation 18 (Long-term – political, cohesion, visibility)

It is recommended the Geneva Office of the ACP Group report on multilateral issues, conferences and requests for inputs (such as comments and recommendations on draft resolutions) to the Secretariat; since the ACP Group has Observer Status at the UN, the informal grouping of Permanent Representatives to the UN in New York must do the same through the Permanent Representative to the UN of the country of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Recommendation 19 (Priority urgent – political, cohesion, efficiency, visibility)

A common position must be adopted on inputs at Conferences and Conventions where members of the ACP Group are present as is required by the repeated declarations of the Heads of State Summits – the example of the failure of the Group to make an input on the disclosure requirements for the Convention on Biological Diversity and absence from the Air Ministers’ Meeting are apposite. Other Conventions such as Trafficking in Persons need serious attention in the light of cross-border traffic in Africa and Member States should be encouraged to ratify the Conventions. A joint declaration and position at the MDGs Summit in Sept 2005 must be expressed.

Recommendation 20 (Long-term – political, economic, development, efficiency, visibility)

Sectoral Ministerial meetings must continue to be the norm, but the Ministers of Trade should meet in conjunction with the Trade seminars proposed in Recommendation 10 to which businessmen and investors can be invited, resulting, it is to be hoped, also in combined investment and trade intra-ACP; on an annual basis, the ACP Group must seek to harmonise herewith the budget programme of the CTA and the CDE.

Recommendation 21 (Long-term priority – political, development and visibility)

ACP Parliamentarians must be obliged to attend the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in far greater numbers thus to influence their MEP colleagues and Ministers must brief them on issues where the interests of the ACP Group countries are at stake.

Recommendation 22 (Long-term – political and economic, cohesion)

Where customs unions and trade arrangements exist on a regional level, Ministers must influence government policy to ease ACP rules of origin, common external tariffs and tariff and non-tariff barriers to regional trade in advance of the EPAs to engender regional cohesion and trade improvement and the Secretariat should monitor the effectiveness of regional unions with a view to a larger ACP free trade area.

Recommendation 23 (Long-term priority – political, economic, cohesion and visibility)

Tourism must be tackled as an ACP priority, as being one of the fastest generators of wealth, with the inclusion of national airlines, in conferences which involve big tourism operators, hotel groups and cruise lines to bring this sector closer in the ACP; this should be combined with an effort to harmonise immigration, visa and entry permit regulations between ACP States themselves. The tropical nature of the tourism should be used as a lead incentive.

Recommendation 24 (Long-term – economic, development and cohesion)

Ministers, at the planned Science and Technology Conference and as a follow-up to the Cape Town meeting, should draw up together directives to their tropical disease, agricultural and veterinary research institutes to exchange information and form a network to continue collaboration thereafter; direct channels between the ACP Secretariat to the FAO are already open and together with the CTA the databases should provide a platform for intra-ACP collaboration. Education Ministers at their conference should launch discussions on better use of University facilities and the revisiting of the idea of Universities of reference like Maseru, Makerere, Dakar, the University of the West Indies.

Recommendation 25 (Long-term – economic, development and cohesion)

Ministers of Telecommunication, Posts and Transport should also assemble to regularise direct communications links between ACP States. Links with non-state wireless telecommunications operators should be encouraged at the same time. The ICT experience of the CTA should be generalised to areas other than agriculture for the dissemination of information and co-operation across frontiers.

Recommendation 26 (Urgent priority – political and cohesion)

Heads of State need to show due respect to the ACP Group to which they belong by making every effort to attend the Summits and the Secretary General must make early and concerted efforts to ensure attendance and preparation long before the date set.

Additional resources from Intra-ACP funds on the model of past Conferences need to be unlocked for Conferences recommended above and harmonised at an early stage with CTA and the CDE and with the help of donor states as took place with the Culture Ministers’ Conference. No additional resources required for joint meetings of ACP delegates and Mission Heads and caucus meetings, or for lobbying/briefing to ACP Parliamentarians.
CHAPTER 5: RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES ORGANISATIONS

Recommendation 27 (Long-term – political, cohesion and visibility)

To ensure visibility and to follow the precepts of consecutive Heads of State and Government directives, leadership needs to be shown in the ACP Group to take up formal relations with international and regional organisations not included in Table 15 including the FAO (which already recognises the ACP Group), ILO, AU, MERCOSUR, ASEAN, FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas): the activities of the ACP Group should be the object of consistent press coverage; Member States must encourage their Ministries to give publicity to the doings of the Group.

Recommendation 28 (Urgent priority – political, cohesion and visibility)

Where Members of the ACP are already members of groupings like the NAM and the Group of 90, prior lobbying must take place at meetings and the precept of the S Domingo Declaration of ensuring ACP primacy must be adopted vis à vis the remaining members.

Recommendation 29 (Long-term – development and cohesion)

Special attention needs to be given to the close relations with the WIPO for reasons of protection of interests and potential future income from genetic material and Traditional Knowledge through patenting for the ACP Group and individual countries.

Recommendation 30 (Long-term – political, economic and cohesion)

Two groupings of countries need to be courted – 1. those with identity of interests with the ACP Group 2. those who can be included in future investment and development communally or individually and sponsor activities of the ACP Secretariat. It is recommended the Secretary General be mandated specifically by the Council of Ministers, as the body identified herefor by the S Domingo Declaration, to make approaches to these countries’ governments for the raising of the profile of the ACP Group and the enhancement of co-operation with them as a Group.

Additional resources will be needed for the Secretary General to take initiatives (under the aegis of the Council) in certain cases where he is not on business in any case in the receiving State concerned or the Organisation’s meetings. Project aid should be requested from the donor states for these initiatives.
CHAPTER 6: INSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS OF THE ACP GROUP

Recommendation 31 (Priority – political and visibility)

To provide for its recognition as a true international organisation and the assurance of its visibility, the ACP Group should alter its name, while maintaining the institutional memory of ACP. As a uniquely organised representative of the Developing World, the words “development” and “organisation” and possibly “tropical” should be considered.

Recommendation 32 (Long-term – political)

The expansion of Membership of the Group pursuant to the change in name, should be welcomed, especially in the light of the new role of the group outside the EU and to increase the critical mass of the Group and to emphasise its representative strength.

Recommendation 33 (Urgent – political and cohesion)

The Committee of Ambassadors should create a sub-Committee on foreign affairs to help the Secretary General in these initiatives.

Recommendation 34 (Priority – political, visibility and cohesion)

To make it possible for the ACP Group to achieve the goals set by the various Summit Declarations, it is recommended the President in Office speak at international conferences and where possible the UN on behalf of the Group and the powers and functions of the Secretary General must be defined more widely so as to permit the Secretary General to act on the mandate of the Council of Ministers and in line with the objectives of the Georgetown Agreement as Chief Executive Officer on a day-to-day basis.

Recommendation 35 (Priority – political, efficiency, visibility and cohesion)

The Secretary General, as Chief Executive Officer of the Group, must be spokesman for the Group to ensure the credibility of the Group in international relations and the Press Office must be given the independence to make statements on a regular and pro-active basis, while the President of Council remains the chief spokesman for ceremonial and state occasions.

Recommendation 36 (Priority – political and efficiency)

The spirit of consensus must continue, but, to streamline the innovations demanded of the Group, voting by Region should supplement the consensual politics of the Group.

Recommendation 37 (Long-term – efficiency)

The principle of rotation of staff, rotation of chairman of committees and presidents should not be rigidly applied and the anomaly of not filling posts because of inability to reach a combined position such as occurred in the Deputy-directorship of the CDE, should come to an end.

Recommendation 38 (Long-term – political, visibility, efficiency and cohesion)

The Presidency of the Council of Ministers, with the past and future Presidents linked in a cycle of six years, should be prolonged to 2 years instead of six months to ensure greater continuity and the ability to proceed with the directives, policies and Declarations of the Summits.

Recommendation 39 (Urgent – political, cohesion and efficiency)

Greater contributions to the budget of the Secretariat should be obtained also by services rendered by the Secretariat to Members in unlocking funds through the WIPO and others and by lobbying like-minded countries like Brazil, South Africa and India and by approaches to organisations and countries seeking umbrella control over programmes and projects of a more universal nature.

Additional resources required from prompter and greater contributions by Members and from sponsor countries and organisations by exploiting the ACP Group’s wide reach in the developing world as agent for the use of programme aid like the G8 Plan for Africa. The South African offer of expertise must be constantly kept in mind.
Recommendation 40 (Long-term – efficiency)

The appointment of senior staff should be staggered so as not to leave a vacuum when many leave at the same time.

-o0o-


ACTION PLAN
The Heads of State and Government of the ACP Group want an organisation that responds to modern challenges and works like a model corporation: it shall be efficient in its core business, it shall be credible and relevant, it shall be visible and shall play its political role as a respected member of the international concert of nations. It shall endow itself with the mechanisms and the vision to expand its activities in the protection of its Members interests:

1. 
   The leadership acknowledges the ACP Group’s status as an international organisation and recognises its political role in the concert of nations. Between Summits the President of Summit addresses the UN and Conferences.
   

2. 
   The Management of the ACP Group endows itself with a Chief Executive Officer in the person of the Secretary General and a Chairman in the President of Council and amends the Georgetown Agreement.
   

3. 
   The Secretary General becomes the spokesman of the ACP Group and uses the Press Office pro-actively to good effect. (The President of the Council remains chief spokesman for the ACP Group.)
   

4. 
   Decision-making in management becomes streamlined by the strict application of committee rules, strong chairmanship and a voting process by region.
   

5. 
   Efficiency increases through greater continuity in prolonging the length of the Chairmanship, by not rigidly applying rotation of chairmanships and by ensuring material interests are protected through strong chairmanship.
   

6. 
   The ACP Group changes its name to give it an identifier moniker and a role indicator so that the initials ACP remain and “development” and “organisation” are included.
   

7. 
   Commitment to the Group is enhanced by ensuring the presence of Heads of State/Government at Summits and Ministers at Council Meetings.
   

8. 
   The unique status of the Group as the world’s only large development group which is an organisation with a secretariat, organs, wide geographic spread, the overwhelming number of LDCs, small islands and land-locked countries, contractually-based on a Treaty with 25 developed nations gives it preference as a vehicle above all other rival international vehicles for protecting interests and promoting development.
   

9. 
   The Management launches a programme to give body to Summit decisions.
   

9. Programme content for Management:
Management

1. 
   Capacitates the Secretariat by enlarging membership contributions, by seeking sponsors for projects enumerated below endowing it with additional experts in trade and taking up the South African offer of their team of negotiators. The ACP Group offers its services as agent, against payment, for the deployment of development funds and for the use of its network for the G8 Plan for Africa.
   

2. 
   Makes greater use of the two Organs of the Group, namely the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE) and the Technical Centre for Agriculture (CTA), as provided in the Cotonou Agreement in a unifying, coherent fashion and harmonises their programmes with the ACP Group policies.
   

3. 
   Management increases contact with the European Investment Bank as the main organ for the dispensing of EDF finance. The Secretariat maintains its role in monitoring EIB initiatives. Secretariat facilitates EIB funding to the private sector in states under sanctions (eg Zimbabwe).
   

4. 
   Initiates Group meetings on a regular basis in other capitals for Group diplomats in New York, London, Paris, Rome (FAO), Tokyo, Ottawa, Canberra, New Delhi, Addis Ababa, Pretoria, Dakar & capitals where large numbers of Members are accredited.
   

5. 
   Initiates Group lobbying at these outposts and feedback from the Ambassador of the country holding the Presidency to the Secretariat.
   

6. 
   Continues with the already launched efforts to enter memoranda of understanding and obtain observer status with International Organisations like WHO, FAO, UNESCO (not a numerus clausus of potential international partners), makes full use of its Observer Status at the UN and other organisations and mandates the President of Summit to address the UN and Conferences.
   

7. 
   Makes alliances with like-minded countries in the G-20 India, Brazil, South Africa and others for joint actions at international forums and conferences.
   

8. 
   Continues the programme of country alliances with donor countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Russia, Japan with a view to engaging them in projects like Group Science, Agriculture, ICT, Investment and Trade seminars and conferences and providing experts for the Group’s core business.
   

9. 
   Caucus together as a matter of course and under Secretariat supervision for a joint standpoint, as was done at Doha, at every major meeting, conference and forum and link up with other alliances – G90, NAM: the Committee of Ambassadors forms a sub-committee on foreign affairs to follow up.
   

10. 
    Prepares information kits for use by the Members, on the model of the CTA electronic distribution, to enhance the visibility of the Group in Member countries.
    

11. 
    Makes special efforts to lobby the ten New Member States of the EU both in Brussels and in their capitals (on the model of one Member’s efforts for its Trade, Development & Development) at an early stage of their EU Membership.
    

Action Programme for Management (Cont.) CORE BUSINESS OF THE GROUP
10. The core business of the Group remains the co-management of funds from the European Development Fund in terms of the ACP-EU Treaty (Cotonou Agreement) for poverty alleviation.
11. Management protects its Members’ interests by a thorough awareness of relationship the radical changes occurring in the derivative and tributary nature of the Group’s relationship with the European Union by ensuring that these changes enhance rather than diminish Members’ national and international position.

12. 
    Management remains aware of the dangers to the spirit of Cotonou in Budgetisation of the European Development Fund and ensures protection of:
    
    1. 
       multi-annuality of the Fund
       
    2. 
       co-management in terms of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement
       
    3. 
       specificity and quantum of the Fund which has already been used to give the EU greater margins of manoeuvre: Water, WHO, Africa Peace Initiative with no oversight or co-management by the Group.
       

12. 
    Management continues to insist on a central role for the Secretariat in the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements. The major partner of the Group in the negotiation is the EC Commissioner Trade: experts in trade act as Rapporteurs to oversee the negotiations with the Group with the help of the CDE.
    

12. 
    Management remains wary of the potentially divisive nature of Economic Partnership Agreements for their regional bias which can be exploited by a giant economic “partner” to cause the break up of the Group into more manageable bites, and gives consideration to an all-ACP Agreement.
    

12. 
    Management’s Guidelines warn Members in the context of Economic Partnership Agreements and impact studies on:
    
    1. 
       the effect of diminished States’ tax revenue caused by free trade arrangements
       
    2. 
       protection of infant industries in Member states with the help of CDE
       
    3. 
       import replacement
       
    4. 
       heightened cheap EU imports made possible by the Common Agricultural Policy and enlargement of the EU
       

are drawn up for those Members not yet furnished with one.

12. 
    Management considers a sectoral negotiating process especially agriculture and fishing on the model of the South African TDCA.
    

12. 
    Management seeks the support of Group Members of Parliament in the Joint Parliamentary Assembly for its standpoint.
    

Action Programme for Management (cont): CORE BUSINESS

18. 
    Seeks sponsorships for capacity-building in donor states for Non-State Actors in the run-up to the trade liberalisation portended by the World Trade Organisation and the institution of Economic Partnership Agreements.
    

18. 
    Together with the CDE makes an audit of private sector Non-State Actors to build up industry in preparation for the free trade regimes. Arranges seminars/conferences in trade and investment particularly in the agricultural transformation sector with the CTA and the CDE.
    

18. 
    Petitions the EC, at the highest political level, about Rules of Origin and non-tariff barriers hindering diversification of industry in Members’ countries and penetration of EU market while EU product imports continue to climb in volume.
    

18. 
    Makes alliances with NGOs in studying the effect of EU subsidies which favour unfairly agricultural and downstream products to the detriment of Group agricultural producers and transformers.
    

18. 
    Acts as warehouse for regular feedback on Mid Term Reviews and JARs from the National and Regional Authorising Officers so that EDF absorption is facilitated and central role of the Secretariat is maintained; acts as a clearing house for consistency in National Indicative Programmes use; assists NAO/RAOs and facilitates help from “good spender” NAOs to neighbours in the region. Registers mid-term review of Country Support Strategy from the Development and Finance Committee.
    

18. 
    Activates the ACP Forum and the CDE to arrange trade & investment seminars and workshops throughout the Group and lobbies the New Member States of the EU to improve trade possibilities and tourism from the new states.
    

INTRA-ACP RELATIONS AND COHESION
The credibility and cohesion of the Group depends on how the Group hangs together:

18. 
    Besides caucusing together at Conferences and in other capital cities where there is diplomatic representation, takes practical steps to combine efforts in:
    

24.1 improving tropical product quality, marketing and transformation (coffee, cocoa, cassava, nerica rice, yam, pineapples, kava, bananas etc) across frontiers and using already existing institutions with the help of CTA




INTRA-ACP RELATIONS AND COHESION (Cont.)
24.2 Considers rationalisation of tertiary education through a return to Universities of reference to obviate duplication and arranges an Education Ministers Conference on the lines of that of the Culture Ministers Conference and utilises the Education for All Fast Track Initiative.

24.3 Creates networks of Research Institutions especially in the Agricultural field & arranges Conferences of the Group’s Science, Technology & Agricultural Ministers to follow up the Cape Town meeting. Considers the creation of an Event Division in the Secretariat.

4. 
   Formulates means of arranging joint tropical tourism across oceans and its promotion in collaboration with the CDE (which has identified tourism as a growth industry) and with cruise and airline companie.s
   
5. 
   Examines means of making transport and travel between ACP Group States easier and cheaper and facilitating and harmonising entry requirements and immigration between Group countries.
   
6. 
   Oversees the application of regional customs and free trade unions in the various regions, audits their application in practice and helps facilitate the elimination of barriers, bans on products and movement of persons and tradesmen with a view to an all-ACP Free Trade Area.
   
7. 
   Advises on the exploitation of genetic plant material across Group frontiers with a view to obtaining royalties for pharmaceuticals and acting as an agent for ACP Members.
   

25. 
    Seeks urgent negotiations with the relevant EU Commissioners on the use of skilled workers from Group countries in the EU, particularly nurses and doctors, with a view to compensation for their loss as a resource and the cost of training; and to end of recruiting ex ACP Group (Art 80).
    

25. 
    Monitors human trafficking across frontiers in the Group.
    

THE POLITICAL DIMENSION

The Group is a political organisation and this is confirmed in the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. The Group no longer needs be coy about its political role and its status as a mature experienced international organisation. To act credibly, the leadership:

25. 
    Expresses itself openly on breaches of its principles by Members;
    
26. 
    Takes immediate political initiatives on the lines of its mission to Sudan and Guinea and its election-monitoring group to Togo;
    

29. Pronounces on its findings and makes effective use of the Press Office;

30. 
    Sanctions misdemeanours and non-payments.
    
31. 
    Changes mentality into a modernising dynamic force to be reckoned with and uses the critical mass it has built up over three decades to put the ACTION PLAN into effect. It finds strength in and is unafraid of representing the poorest and most deprived states in the world and uses its reputation for never having lost a member, growing to 79, to stand up in the concert of nations with new dynamism now turning to energy. It emphasises its net worth to the EU as a cohesive force applying efficiently the resources put at its disposal and its organisational skills in the development network.
    

Strengths Long-term agreement with EU International Organisation status with own organs and Secretariat Network with Authorising Officers Largest developing group in numbers Covers wide diverse geographical territory Contractual/treaty rights in long term gives an overt political role to Group Partnership with 25 developed states Consistent 50 year history continually adding new members and losing none Unique representation of the largest no. of fragile, LDCs, islands & land-locked states Having expert organs in agriculture and enterprise CTA & CDE UN Observer Status and number of agreements with Sates and organisations Concentrated attention through the Millennium Development Goals and UK Africa Commission on all Members’ concerns Worthy partner of EU in development goals

Opportunities EU support in trade development Potential regional cohesion and intra-ACP trade and investment Use of the prestige of President in Office Wide network of ACP diplomats as lobby cost-free outside traditional sphere, Geneva office Co-ordination of activities in agricultural products and investment also with CTA/CDE Use of inbuilt majority of voting members in most conferences/ international organisations Potential mega-projects to attract investors and coalesce Members Goodwill of similar minded middle states and donor countries leads to further networking Tropical geographic area lends itself to co-operation in genetic material and intellectual property Use of facilities offered by Programme Management Unit, South African membership, UN Millennium Development Goals co-ordinating committee to obviate fall-out from WTO rules New EU Member states provide new market Political role with Parliamentary Assembly Co-ordinator of cultural events with links intra-ACP and to Indian sub-continent

Weaknesses ACP Group competes with large number of international groupings Inability fully to carry out directives of Summit No specific leadership role in Group Lack of co-ordination between Members outside of Brussels & at conferences and internat’l organisations Unpreparedness for joint action to protect Members from effects of budgetisation, EPAs and end of commodity protocols Lack of resources for Secretariat Virtually unknown outside inside circle Failure to ensure political credibility by unwillingness to act against offending Members states

Threats Member governments neglect to use ACP as vehicle for international actions Failure of due top-level presence at meetings of Council & Summit EU trend to lump ACP with all development actions – no privileged relationship and budgetisation Dismissed as creature of the EU by potential sponsor States Visibility & hence credibility of the Group unremarkable Regional bias for political and economic development undermines cohesion EPAs contain no specific developmental element apart from trade and no coherent response by ACP as group to ensure protection of whole Protection role of Group threatened by deterioration in customs income by free trade Target for cheap EU agricultural exports in domains where Group prevalent especially after EU enlargement Assumption of subsidiary role in groupings like Group of 90, NAM Slow reaction to new world context - no leadership role yet assigned to face threats by Group

SWOT ANALYSIS

FUTURE OF THE ACP GROUP


Annex ‘A’

TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Terms of Reference of the Study on the Future of the ACP Group are shortly to evaluate how the mandate of the 3^rd Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government to:

• 
  Modify and review the Georgetown Agreement with a view to endowing the ACP Group with the resources (legal and institutional) for its enhanced visibility and improved efficiency on the international scene, to enable it to defend the interests of all the ACP members in solidarity and
  

• 
  Organise regular consultations between the ACP States and other States or regional and international organisations on issues of major interest to the Group, especially in view, or on the occasion, of major international meetings;
  

Can be carried out.