PORT MORESBY DECLARATION

I. PREAMBLE

We, Heads of State and Government of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group), meeting at our 8th Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on 31 May and 1 June 2016 under the theme “Repositioning the ACP Group to respond to the challenges of sustainable development”,

A. Renewing our commitment to the objectives and principles enshrined in the Georgetown Agreement establishing the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, and the United Nations Charter, and reaffirming our adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

B. Conscious of the common identity of our 79 Member States that share specific cultural, values as well as historical, economic and demographic characteristics and aware that our Group is the largest official and structured organisation of the world’s developing countries spanning three continents;

C. Building on the commitments made during our previous Summits and reiterating, in particular, the determination we declared at our 7th Summit held in Sipopo, Equatorial Guinea, in December 2012, to create the necessary conditions to transform our Group into an influential actor in global economic and political governance;

D. Reaffirming our vision to make our Group the leading multilateral Group of developing countries organisation working towards increasing benefits to be gained by each of its 79 members States in terms of improving the living standards of our peoples through good governance, preservation of peace and security, social justice, entrepreneurship, building capacity in the private sector, promotion of trade, investments and access to technology, sustainable development as well as through South-South, North-South and Triangular Cooperation;

E. Recognising the contribution that the long-standing partnership with the European Union has made to the development of our States; Acknowledging however the need to count primarily on our own efforts and strengths, as well as the need for diversified partnerships if we are to achieve a level of social and economic development in keeping with the expectations of our populations;

F. Noting that despite a slight improvement in global economic growth and the concerted efforts to resolve political problems and conflicts throughout the world, the prevailing international socio-economic and political situation continues to pose numerous challenges to our Group;

G. Recognising and acknowledging that corruption is a serious threat to sustainable economic growth, good governance and the rule of law, steps should be taken to eliminate corruption in all its forms in government and the society at large;

H. Cognizant that the promotion of strong, inclusive, equitable economic and social growth, driven by policies that ensure that no one is left behind is a major concern for our States and is still the most appropriate way to ultimately eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty;

I. Recognising the need for closer cooperation among ourselves and with our partners for the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to which all United Nations Member States committed in September 2015; and underlining, the urgency of mobilising adequate resources and financing to ensure the sustainable development to which all peoples aspire as well as capacity building and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed;

J. Recognising in particular the role and place of South-South and Triangular Cooperation and innovative financing in the implementation of the SDGs;

K. Recognising the nexus between migration and development and, within the framework of Agenda 2030, to mainstream migration in sectoral policies to achieve policy coherence across all sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, education, health and economic planning, as well as institutional interventions for the protection of migrant rights;

L. Deeply concerned by the urgent threat of climate change and conscious that the ACP countries are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects;

M. Deeply concerned also by unsustainable practices arising from, inter alia, land-based and coastal activities, Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing that are threatening marine ecosystems, fish stocks, food security and livelihoods.

N. Conscious of the vulnerability of a large number of ACP countries in the Horn of Africa, Southern Africa, the Sahel and in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and their need to face the climatic and environmental challenges related to climate change;

O. Determined to reposition our Group within the current multi-polar world that is characterised by a shift in the balance of economic powers in order to ensure that our Group plays a more influential role in global governance with a view to fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of our peoples;

P. Deeply concerned by the escalation of the phenomenon of terrorism and violent extremism in the world in general and in the ACP Member States in particular, notably exacerbated by the acts of violence perpetrated by such criminal groups as Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin, AQIM and Ansar Dine in the Sahel region, Islamic State in Libya and Europe, Al-Shabaab in East Africa, the LRA in the DRC, CAR and South Sudan which represents a serious threat to international peace and security, fundamental rights and economic development in ACP States;

Q. Convinced of the need for firm political commitment and a global approach, by not only intensifying security measures, but also by strengthening cooperation for human development, so as to significantly reduce economic imbalances at the global level – a potential cause of the spread of terrorist ideologies – and establishing a sustainable environment for peace and security in ACP States;

R. Determined to tirelessly combat terrorism and all forms of violent extremism, veritable threats to international peace and security, and to the efforts of our States to achieve development;

S. Convinced that the fight against terrorism and all forms of extremism is a challenge that cannot be overcome without the firm and unrelenting commitment and solidarity, that will enable us to continuously work towards creating an environment of peace and stability in ACP Member States.

HEREBY DECLARE:

II. PROMOTING EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR PEOPLES

1. We recognize that people are at the centre of development and reaffirm, in this regard, our commitment to pursue policies that will promote equitable, inclusive, balanced and sustainable economic growth and social development that will benefit all our peoples.

2. We further recognise that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are vital to poverty eradication, reducing inequalities, and achieving growth and sustainable development; and we welcome the decline in poverty recorded in our States in recent years and call for specific and targeted actions to further advance progress on SDGs;

3. We welcome the conclusions of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, We urge for the earliest entry into force and implementation of the Agreement, in particular the provision of accelerated access to climate change financing for mitigation, adaptation and other relevant actions to address the impacts of climate change in countries that are particularly vulnerable to its impacts;

4. We recognize the imminent displacement of people, internally and beyond borders, due to impacts of climate change, We also call on the UN for the earliest adoption of a General Assembly Resolution to develop an international legal framework to address the protection of the human rights and interests of people displaced by impacts of climate change”.

5. Recognizing the crucial role agriculture and small and micro enterprises (SMEs) play in transforming the economies of ACP countries, particularly in LDC countries, in terms of jobs creation, as a major source of revenue and employment and as key element of poverty alleviation strategy in these countries, and given the impact of climate change on agricultural production and productivity, we call up on all member countries of the ACP group to give priority to the agriculture sector and SMEs with appropriate policies, strategies and financial allocation for their implementation;

6. We reiterate our commitment to tackle the root causes of poverty and to eradicate them in an integrated manner, taking into consideration the importance of national priorities, strategies, different national circumstances, capacities and levels of development;

7. We reiterate our conviction that the economic and social development of our States can only be realised in an environment of sustainable peace, security, political stability and respect for human rights and while we acknowledge progress made in conflict resolution and prevention, as well as the consolidation of democratic processes and the rule of law, we are concerned by the escalation of terrorist attacks in some member states;

8. We commit to continue working towards embedding a culture of peace and democracy and we underscore in this respect, the central role of regional integration organisations and the importance of intra-ACP cooperation in promoting architectures for regional peace and security, as well as dialogue and reconciliation mechanisms;

9. We emphasise the important role of political dialogue in promoting peace, security and stability; and we encourage a more systematic implementation of the Framework and General Principles for enhanced Intra-ACP Political Dialogue;

10. We are determined to ensure strict observance of all human rights in keeping with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and other international human rights agreements, by strengthening the political, legal, economic and social institutions of our States;

11. We reaffirm our absolute condemnation of all acts of terrorism, piracy and transnational crime, including human trafficking and smuggling of migrants and we commit to establishing, among our States and our regions, multidimensional cooperation to tackle both terrorist and criminal threats, notably through pooling efforts, resources, experiences, knowledge and information, as well as taking coercive measures on the perpetrators of these acts;

12. We underscore that good governance is vital to the realisation of development objectives and the eradication of poverty and we commit ourselves to continue to strengthen our democratic institutions to promote a more transparent and a more responsible management of human, natural, economic and financial resources for equitable and sustainable development;

13. We are convinced that multiculturalism and our rich common cultural heritage must be valued and preserved as they contribute to the cohesion of our communities and are the cement of our unity and solidarity;

14. We acknowledge the need to place culture at the heart of development policies and strategies, given that cultural industries are not only sources of employment and innovation, but also vectors of peace, social cohesion and sustainable human development;

15. We re-affirm the statement of the 7th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government, and hereby condemn the use of unilateral coercive measures such as illegal sanctions against Cuba and certain other developing countries with a view to preventing those countries from the exercise of their right to determine their own political, economic and social system, and reject the application of unilateral and extra-territorial laws and measures contrary to international law such as the Helms-Burton Act;

16. We welcome the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the USA, and call for the immediate lifting of the USA trade embargo against Cuba and that the occupation of Cuban territory by any foreign power be brought to an end in order to speed-up the full normalisation of relations between the two countries;

17. We note with concern the territorial and maritime border disputes that threaten peace, stability and the well-being of people in some ACP Sates; We reaffirm our unequivocal support for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, the sanctity of international treaties as well as peaceful and lawful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes;

18. Recalling the Resolution of the 103rd Council of Ministers entitled, ’Escalating Claims by Venezuela on Guyana’s Territory’, we note the adverse impact of the controversy and of escalating territorial and maritime claims on Guyana’s development and the welfare and well-being of its people. We note with alarm reports of the recent eruption of violence directed against Guyanese citizens and officials in the Cuyuni river as well as threats against enterprises operating within the borders of Guyana as defined in the 1899 Arbitration Award. In the interest of maintaining regional peace and stability we call on all parties to the controversy to support in good faith the commendable efforts of the UN SG to resolve the controversy within the confines of international law in keeping with his responsibilities and the principles set out and agreed by all signatories to the 1966 Geneva Agreement;

19. Recalling also the Resolution at the 103rd Session of the Council of Ministers, we strongly reaffirm unequivocal support for Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to on-going tensions along the border of Belize caused by the Republic of Guatemala’s persistent territorial claims. We call on the Government of the Republic of Guatemala to respect the borders of Belize as established in the 1859 Treaty, and move with urgency to agree on protocols for the use of the Sarstoon River on the southern border of Belize. We urge both governments to refrain from the threat or use of force, to respect international agreements, and to move with expedition to hold national referenda with the goal of submitting all Guatemala's claims to the International Court of Justice for final resolution. We renew our call on the international community, including the European Union, to support the efforts of Belize and the Republic of Guatemala to seek a peaceful, final and just resolution to Guatemala’s claims, and to in particular to support the facilitation work of the Organization of American States through its Office in the Adjacency Zone;

20. We call upon all nations to negotiate in good faith in delimitating and defining maritime boundaries and to ensure that Small Islands States are granted the sovereign rights in line with international law especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the See;

21. We recognise that the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, which was unlawfully excised by the former colonial power from the territory of Mauritius prior to its independence in violation of international law and UN Resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and 2066 (XX) of 16 December 1965, forms an integral part of the territory of the Republic of Mauritius and are resolved to support Mauritius in its efforts to effectively exercise its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.

22. We are concerned about the persistence of social and wealth inequalities at national and international levels, which have negative impacts on national and global economic growth, as well as social and political stability. In this regard, we commit, at national level, to progressively reduce these discrepancies by strengthening our national social protection systems and supporting families to have access to enough food, invest in productive activities, and overcome financial and social barriers to health and education;

23. We believe that investing in social safety nets for children and women is an investment in greater prosperity for all in the future. We urge international organisations and developed countries to also increase their cooperation and to address these inequalities at national and international levels;

24. We call for the integration of social protection systems in all sustainable development efforts and we affirm our commitment to continue working together for the implementation of the engagements agreed at regional, continental and international levels;

25. We salute the driving force of women as engines for sustainable development in our communities, and commit to supporting their advancement notably through promoting gender equality and equal representation, improving rural livelihoods, and their socio-economic development. We recognise the need to assist women’s organisations in our States and regions to strengthen their organisational and operational capacities;

26. We reaffirm the commitment of our States to implement the Beijing Platform of Action and to mobilize all actors for accelerated and effective implementation of the Action. We therefore call for strong collaboration with all stakeholders to jointly address gender equality and women's empowerment, which should be considered vital objectives in their own right;

27. We affirm the need to pay close attention to our peoples’ health issues, notably by establishing universal health coverage, and accessible health systems through the strengthening of solid and effective health systems offering quality services in a wide range of priority areas;

28. We are concerned by all types of communicable and non communicable diseases that are exacting a heavy toll on our people and public health and social systems with negative consequences on economic growth. We are committed henceforth to tackling them by expeditiously taking appropriate measures for their prevention and eradication within the framework of relevant international instruments;

29. We attach the highest importance to the training and development of human resources, inclusive, in particular of youth and young people, who represent a future demographic dividend, and we are determined to continue prioritising funds for the promotion of programmes in support of youth entrepreneurship, together with vocation skills training, higher education, research, science and technology and ICTs;

30. We reiterate that education systems for the future should train our students to be innovative, capable of lifelong learning and adapting to change, and therefore ACP Cooperation strategies in education should include the enhancement of non-cognitive competences in the context of investing in knowledge-driven economies;

31. We recognise the potential development benefits of investing in youth, especially in countries experiencing youth bulge, to accelerate sustainable development and social and economic transformation as a way of reducing poverty and harnessing the demographic dividend through empowerment, quality education, health and decent work. We therefore commit to promote appropriate development and support programmes, to pursue and mainstream policies of youth inclusion, to better supervise the role of youth in the economy, increase investment and coordinated urgent action to revitalize and expand appropriate educational curricula such as Technical and Vocational Education and Training to provide a credible pathway to skills for life, decent work and quality employment, all aimed at the strengthening and development of our societies;

32. We acknowledge that rapid population growth rates could make it difficult for countries to raise standards of living and protect the environment due to the impact on the need for food, health care, education, houses, land, jobs, and energy; and we commit to addressing this challenge in a comprehensive manner taking into account the social and cultural specificities of each of our Member States;

33. We are concerned at the harmful impact on public health and the environment of chemical and electronic waste emanating from developed countries that is dumped in our Member States through legal, illegal and fraudulent means; and we commit to taking appropriate action at national levels and in collaboration with international institutions to combat this scourge, while urging our development partners in particular the EU to take strong measures against their nationals and registered companies against legal, illegal and fraudulent dumping of chemical and electronic waste in ACP countries;

34. We are deeply concerned that the quest to achieve sustainable development in our States has been severely compromised by environmental challenges, particularly the adverse impacts of climate change, such as droughts, floods and sea level rise, as well as ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and desertification, increasing water scarcity, and other climate change induced natural disasters;

35. We are committed to combining our efforts to enable those countries in the Horn of Africa, Southern Africa and the Sahel, that have been hard hit by drought, desertification, land degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and other natural disasters, to have capacity for resilience that is commensurate with the climatic and environmental threats related to the adverse effects of climate change;

36. We recognize that access to energy, including renewable energy, remains a major challenge impacting our States and call for the removal of barriers as well as technology transfer and development, developing the capacity of ACP entrepreneurs in the sector and facilitating access to finance in order to increase production and energy efficiency and to promote the use of, and investment in, renewable energy in ACP countries with the aim of increasing global welfare and quality of life;

37. We recognize that the green economy could be used as one of the tools in attaining sustainable development in our countries, as appropriate, through, inter alia, poverty eradication, increased employment, increased food security, enhanced efforts in natural capital valuation and accounting, improved management of freshwater resources and increased energy efficiency and emphasize that transitioning to a green economy should be supported by adequate new and additional financial resources, capacity-building, systems for data collection and knowledge generation, and technology development and transfer;

38. We are conscious of the special environmental and developmental challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in achieving sustainable development and we welcome the outcome of the Third International Conference on SIDS and commit to the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway;

39. We underscore the importance of the blue economy – oceans and marine resources to the survival of many of our States and in particular, SIDS, and we fully support the establishment of the ACP Forum on SIDS in order to sensitise stakeholders and public opinion in general to SIDS specific concerns and to mainstreaming the SIDS agenda and the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway in the various activities of the ACP Group of States;

40. We acknowledge the importance of the oceans, seas and associated coastal areas as essential component of the earth’s ecosystem and are intrinsically linked to sustainable development and the wellbeing of our people particularly for Small Island developing States and are critical for food security, livelihoods, poverty eradication and economic development; and in this regard, call for additional financial resources from the international community to assist Member States concerned to facilitate the protection, preservation and sustainable use of these marine resources;

41. We commit to address trans-national issues that undermine effective fisheries management, including, active engagement in the global efforts of the fight against Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and work within the WTO context in developing multilateral measures to discipline harmful fisheries subsidies;

42. We underscore the importance of the blue economy based on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, coastal tourism, the sustainable utilization of seabed resources and potential sources of renewable energy inter alia, as the main building blocks and drivers to unlock the vast potential in the marine and maritime sector for economic growth;

43. We commit to support actions towards building resilient and productive marine ecosystems, ensuring effective fisheries management systems, sustainable utilisation and trade of fisheries products, and promoting investments and innovations in the marine sector for social economic development;

44. We note with appreciation the major role played by the ACP Group in the adoption of an ambitious, legally binding and universal Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), that aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, and we commit ourselves to contributing to its implementation in the context of sustainable development. In this context efforts should be taken to reduce poverty in favour of the needs of the LDCs and SIDS and increase financial allocations to combat climate change and its impacts:

45. We are conscious of the vital role of sustainable development financing to effectively respond to the aspirations of our peoples and, in line with the Sipopo Declaration, we reiterate our commitment to ensure the appropriate mobilisation of all resources, both external and internal and also to develop and strengthen, through partnerships, financial sectors accessible to all, in particular the LDCs;

46. We recognise that ODA remains an important source and a catalyst to development financing for several Member States of our Group and therefore, we are calling on developed countries that have not yet done so to honour their development aid commitments, in particular those agreed to in the Monterrey Consensus, the United Nations Conferences on the LDCs and Rio+20, and the Addis-Ababa Action Agenda;

47. We acknowledge the important contribution of the European Development Fund, which is the world’s largest and most advanced financial and political contractual framework for North–South cooperation, to supporting development programmes in ACP states and regions; We welcome the conclusion of the programming exercise for the 11th EDF, and look forward to cooperating with the EU in identifying other resources for financing the SDGs;

48. We support the Addis-Ababa Action Agenda adopted by the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development, which if adhered to, will help close the funding gap for the realisation of the SDGs;

49. We underscore the active contribution of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in building capacities, particularly through sharing development experiences and in that context, we encourage the development of cooperation programmes based on comparative advantages and complementarity, in line with the development priorities of beneficiary countries; We emphasise that South-South cooperation is a complement for North-South cooperation;

50. We request that a conference be organised, with the support of the European Commission and its Member States, and in collaboration with the United Nations and international financial institutions, on the strategies for financing multiannual development programmes for ACP countries, and the intensification of South-South and Triangular Cooperation to build the productive capacities of ACP countries;

51. Faced with the limited public resources available in our Member States, and to ensure sustainable investment financing, notably with regard to infrastructure, we emphasise the need to improve security and the investment climate in order to develop innovative mechanisms to mobilise the private sector in favour of development financing;

52. We deplore the haemorrhage of financial resources from our member States through all forms of capital flight, in particular, tax evasion schemes of multinational enterprises, and other forms of illicit financial flows;

53. We are deeply concerned by the deleterious economic impact of such capital outflows, and note that illicit financial flows facilitate transnational organized crime, foster corruption, undermine governance, and decrease revenues that should be used in the cause of sustainable development. We therefore commit to cooperating with the international community to put in place measures to arrest these phenomena of capital flight and illicit financial flows;

54. We also deplore that the European Commission in its Communication on a “Fair and Efficient Tax System in the European Union” of 17 June 2015 unjustifiably listed 15 ACP States as non–cooperative tax Jurisdictions, causing prejudice and severe damage to the financial sectors of these states and we call on the EU to immediately withdraw the list and refrain from issuing such publications in future;

55. We note with great concern that the benefits of world trade have continued to be unevenly distributed. While welcoming the outcome of the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference, we reaffirm the need for the multilateral trading system, even as it retains its rules-based character, to be reformed, fair and responsive to global dynamics in order to serve the interests of small, weak and vulnerable economies. In this regard, we reaffirm our full commitment to conclude the negotiations of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and to fulfil its mandate in order to address the needs of developing countries and facilitate their effective participation in the development and implementation of multilateral trade rules;

56. We are deeply concerned at the negative consequences of trade pacts outside the WTO system being negotiated by the EU and other partners; and are committed to increasing intra-ACP trade as a way of addressing preference erosion for ACP trade;

57. We recognise the link between migration and development, as well as the significant contribution of ACP diaspora to the development of our States, and deplore the adverse effects of the skills drain and other adverse impacts of migration as mentioned in SDG 10 which among others, highlights the need to reduce inequalities within and among countries given that this is one of the causes of migration;

58. We are concerned that all ACP States have not been able to conclude Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) due to the excessive demands from the European Union that has weakened regional economic integration processes. We urge the European Union to make firm commitments with the ACP Countries in advancing deeper trade and investment relations through the EPAs. The trade Agreements should enhance and compliment inter and intra regional integration in the ACP regions and seek additional resources for the effective implementation of the EPAs in ACP States and regions;

59. We underline the vital contribution of the ACP-EU Dialogue on Migration and Development to the global discourse on migration, and in this regard, we commit to collaborating with the Khartoum and Rabat processes for innovative approaches aimed at addressing the multidimensional aspects of migration as we commit to also support, through active participation, international dialogue aiming at making migration, that is, north-south, south-south and circular, a development asset.

III. ENHANCING THE ACP GROUP’S ROLE IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT

60. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of development accrue to all our peoples through transparent and accountable governance. We reaffirm our confidence in multilateralism as a major instrument of global political, economic and financial governance carried out in strict compliance with universally recognised principles of international law and in conformity with the United Nations Charter;

61. We are concerned that the structure, composition and working methods of global governance institutions have failed to take account of changing geopolitical, demographic and economic realities. The urgency and interconnectedness of global challenges and risks such as financial and economic imbalances, food and energy insecurity, disease epidemics, climate change, as well as transnational security threats require more representative and effective global governance institutions;

62. We support, therefore, the continued democratisation of the institutional architecture of multilateralism and in particular the United Nations bodies and the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as the discussions on the matter pertaining to the reform of the UN in order to ensure their transparent, fair, balanced and effective functioning and representation;

63. We commit ourselves to strengthening coordination and dialogue among our States, in all international fora, so that our numbers will work in favour of creating reforms to the multilateral architecture that will serve our interests and enhance the role of our Group, in all the areas of global governance in order to contribute to the development of our States and meet the expectations of our peoples.

64. We recognise the importance of the international visibility of our Group in moving our development ideals and objectives forward, furthermore we will actively seek to obtain observer status for the President of the Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government and the Secretary-General of our Group in major international meetings that are of strategic interest to our Group, notably those of the G20 and other international organisations;

IV. FINAL PROVISIONS

65. We agree to meet at our 9th Summit at a time and place to be advised by the ACP Council of Ministers in consultation with the President of the 8th Summit and the authorities of the future host country;

66. We entrust the Secretary-General of the ACP Group with transmitting the present Port Moresby Declaration to the United Nations Secretary-General, the President of the European Council, ACP regional integration organisations and all relevant international organisations and development partners.

Done at Port Moresby, 1 June 2016

For the Summit,

Hon. Peter O’NEILL

Prime Minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea

President of the 8th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government