Brussels, 30 June 2017/ ACP: An ACP delegation headed by the Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and the Pacific Group of States H.E. Dr. Patrick I. Gomes will visit the Republic of Haiti in a show of solidarity with the country, which has been devastated by recurring natural disasters, including Hurricane Mathew which struck in October 2016.

The mission, which also includes the Brussels-based Ambassador of Guinea Bissau and former Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General to Haiti H.E. Mr. Alfredo Lopes Cabral, as well as the Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean representatives in Brussels, the Ambassador of Guyana H.E. Mr. David Hales, will take place from 3rd to 5th July.

“As an integral member of the ACP Group, the Republic of Haiti has the support of all Member States in its efforts to rebuild after the recent Hurricane Mathew. The recurrence of such events and the severe impacts they leave behind demonstrate how crucial the issue of disaster risk reduction is for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as Haiti,” stated the ACP Secretary General.

“The ACP Group calls on the international community to increase its efforts for Haiti beyond emergency aid, with a view to reviving economic activity, reconstructing the country, building resilience and managing the risk and impact of future disasters.”

In November 2016, the ACP Council of Ministers adopted a declaration on the humanitarian situation in Haiti, voicing its deep concern about the grave economic, social and environmental consequences of recurring natural disasters in the country. A further decision take by the Council of Ministers in May 2017 instructed that a delegation be dispatched to Haiti to express solidarity with its Government and People, encourage the promotion of good governance, and explore ACP support through the Intra-ACP envelope of the European Development Fund (EDF).

The ACP delegation is expected to meet with high level officials, including the President, Prime Minister, and Members of the Cabinet, as well as parliamentarians, civil society members, private sector representatives and international cooperation agencies. Consultations will look at immediate and long-term needs, with a view to mobilising support under the Intra-ACP envelope of the 11th EDF./

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About the EDF

The European Development Fund (EDF) is the main ACP-EU instrument for development cooperation, aimed at addressing poverty eradication and sustainable development in ACP countries and OCTs, through development programmes and actions at the national, regional, and intra-ACP levels. The total financial resources of the 11th EDF amount to €30.5 billion for the period 2014-2020. Of this, approximately €3.5 billion is made available for the Intra-ACP envelope, which is managed jointly by the ACP Secretariat and the European Commission. Priorities under the Intra-ACP envelope include human and social development, climate change resilience and the environment, private sector development, and the African Peace Facility.

About the ACP Group

The ACP Group is the largest trans-regional intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the international system with a permanent secretariat, encompassing 79 member countries from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The main goal of the Group is to drive North-South and South-South cooperation for poverty eradication and sustainable development in its Member States. The ACP Group was founded in 1975 by the Georgetown Agreement, and is party to a partnership treaty with the European Union (ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement) covering trade, development cooperation and dialogue.

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