The 6th Summit Debates Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union

ACCRA: 6th SUMMIT FOR AFRICAN,CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC COUNTRIES - 'Promoting Human Security and Development'   Leaders of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are meeting in Accra, Ghana from September 30 to October 3rd, 2008 for the 6th ACP Summit in Accra. The status of play of the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) is featuring prominently in the debates along with discussion on the rise in food prices, energy crisis and climate change and its effects on development of ACP states.Formed in 1975, the ACP group now comprises 48 Sub-Saharan Africa countries, 16 Caribbean and 15 Pacific states.(Photo: Street march in Accra)

 

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The Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD) is present in Accra along with other civil society organisations to jointly lobby the high level ACP delegates and raise awareness on EPAs and food sovereignty. ACORD is aligned with the Africa Trade Network in advocating for the need to stop EPAs, since they would have a potentially disastrous trade impact on agriculture and food security in Africa.

Click here to read the statement from the African Trade Network on behalf of ACP civic organisations on the occasion of the summit. In its statement, while acknowledging that ACP economies face unprecedented and extreme economic challenges in the coming period, the Africa Trade Network states the Economic Partnership Agreements do not offer the required solutions and are likely to increase vulnerability, continue to undermine what remains of local production and are a continuation and noa an alternative to the disastrous trade performance of developing regions due to sweepig trade liberalisation.

Civil Society organisations urge the EU to re-open and review all EPA agreements including both interim and comprehensive EPAs initialed in November and December 2007, suspend all negotiations towards free trade agreements, reject the inclusion of trade-related issues in the EPAs such as Singapore issues (investment and government procurement), removal of punitive tariffs imposed by the EU on exports from ACP countries, and take all measures to ensure ACP unity at sub-regional and Pan-ACP level. Most importantly, they insist that the European Commission honours its commitment to implement the provisions of Article 37.6 of the Cotonou Agreement, and propose alternatives to EPAs which ensure that no ACP country will be left worse off.

On the ACP Summit's first day a parallel people's forum was held on EPA and the threat to agriculture, destruction of the service sector, development and democracy. A rally and public demonstration was conducted in the streets of Accra and a STOP EPA press conference organised for Ghanaian, African and international media. In addition, a mass student STOP EPA forum is expected today at the University of Ghana.

The President of Ghana and  in-coming President of the Summit, H.E John Kufuor, in his opening message to the ACP Summit, highlighted environment, climate change, migration, rising food and oil prices, as well as Economic Partnership Agreements as some of the facets of challenge of development that confront ACP states at the moment.

In addition, President Kufuor noted that in the preamble to the ACP-EC Cotonou partnership, the parties acknowledge that a political environment guaranteeing peace, security and stability, respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, and good governance is part and parcel of long-term development, and that the responsibility for establishing such conditions rests primarily with the countries concerned.

ACORD has been accompanying African community based organisations to implement rights-based development programmes for more than 3 decades. Present in 17 countries across the African continent, ACORD's core mission is to work in common cause with people who are poor and those who have been denied their rights to obtain social justice and development and be part of locally rooted citizen movements. In alliance with partners, we engage with African governments and Pan African institutions to campaign for food sovereignty as a major entry point for reclaiming social justice for Africa and its people. In this context we also promote the democratisation of the debate on the EPAs.

For more information on ACORD's Pan African Programme on Food Sovereignty Click here .