By Leanne Jorari – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Delegates from the 79 member countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states will meet in Port Moresby next week, from Monday the 30th to Wednesday the 1st of June for the 8th summit of ACP Heads of State and Government.
Amongst the members are 15 countries from the pacific region, including Papua New Guinea.
The summit will allow the ACP heads of state to discuss recent key international developments, including agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals, issues of migration, climate change and the fight against terrorism.
Chaired by Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, the summit’s theme is ‘Repositioning the ACP Group to address the challenges of Sustainable Development’.
The leaders will focus on three main areas, including; equitable and sustainable development for ACP peoples, Enhancing the role of the ACP Group in global governance for development and Peace, Security and political stability as a prerequisite for development.
According to Prime Minister O’Neill, many of the member countries are developing countries and therefore need to work together for a sustainable future.
The discussion will also take into consideration the future of the ACP group as a strengthened cohesive force, advocating the interests of its member states in the international arena.
The ACP Group of states is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975.
It is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states, with all of them, except Cuba, signatories to the Cotonou Agreement, which binds them to the European Union.
Cooperation among its members has gone beyond development cooperation with the European Union and covers a variety of fields spanning trade, economics, politics and culture, in diverse international fora such as the World Trade Organisation.
