Joint Council of Ministers agree to strengthen ACP-EU partnership
The ACP Council and the ACP-EU Council of Ministers meeting held in Burkina Faso from 17th-22nd June, have signed the revised ACP-EU Partnership Agreement aimed at eradicating poverty and supporting sustainable development and the gradual integration of the ACP states into the world economy.
 The agreement which was finalised in 2000, is reviewed every five years. The 2010 amendments seek to improve EU policy coherence for development, the promotion of domestic resource mobilisation, and the role of non-state actors in cooperation.
Cooperation and political dialogue is also enhanced to address the Millennium Development Goals, climate change, food security, state fragility, HIV/AIDs, organised crime and aid for trade. The revision further contains enhanced regional integration provisions and makes the African Union a partner to the agreement.
The parties also adopted joint statements on the Millennium Development Goals and on climate change which should strengthen their position in the upcoming international negotiations on these issues.
The ACP Council adopted unilateral declarations asking the EU to revisit its position on contentious issues in the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations and on trade arrangements in bananas, sugar and cotton.
The Hon. Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Richard Konteh signed on behalf of Republic of Sierra Leone.
Other members of the Sierra Leone delegation include Mr. Ibrahim Soriba Kanu – Director, National Authorizing Office, Ambassador Umaru B. Wurie – Development Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and Mr. Alan E. George – First Secretary, Embassy of Sierra Leone Brussels, Belgium.
Chernor Ojuku Sesay, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Brussels, EU
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