DECLARATION OF THE ACP PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ON PRESERVING THE UNITY AND SOLIDARITY OF THE ACP GROUP
The Parliamentary Assembly of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, meeting at its 49th Session in Brussels, Belgium, on 21 March 2018.
A. Recalling the objectives of the Georgetown Agreement which includes consolidating and strengthening the solidarity and unity of ACP Group;
B. Cognisant of the preamble to the Georgetown Agreement wherein the Founders expressed their desire to enhance the political identity of the ACP Group to enable them to act and speak with a single voice in all international fora and organizations;
C. Having regard to the Sipopo declaration of the 7th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government held in Malabo Equatorial Guinea on 13-14 December 2012 wherein the Heads unequivocally stated that the ACP Group will remain united as an inter-governmental organization composed of 79 member states from Sub-Sahara Africa (48), the Caribbean (16) and the Pacific (15);
D. Having regard to the Port Moresby declaration and the Waigani Communiqué on the future perspectives of the ACP Group adopted by the 8th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on 31May and 1 June 2016;
E. Welcoming with satisfaction the support and commitment of the African union, Pacific Forum and the CARICOM to the common ideals of poverty eradication and the attainment of Sustainable development Goals;
F. Desirous not to take any position that will fragment the ACP Group which will threaten the unity that is embedded in the values of the ACP Group;
G. Giving due regard to the need for robust and even stronger objectives that will tackle the current challenges in ACP Countries, is convinced that the ability to address these challenges will be achieved through a model of unity of the African Caribbean and Pacific States;
1. Welcomes the historic position of the Heads of States and Government upholding the unity of ACP Group as an indivisible entity of nations, leveraging its combined numerical strength to become a prominent player in matters of international development;
2. Encourages All Member States to remain committed to the ideals and values expressed in the ACP Policy framework document “Towards the ACP We Want” adopted by the 105th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers held in Brussels on 3rd to 4th May 2017.
3. Calls upon all Member States of the ACP Group to maintain its unity and undertake the negotiation of the Post Cotonou Agreement as a single entity in line with the vision and mission of the ACP Group as articulated at the 7th and 8th Summit and the ACP Policy Framework document “Towards the ACP We Want”;
Brussels, 21 March 2018