THE COTONOU PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT South African Head Office Foreign Affairs ZA

Introduction n The CPA as successor of the Lome Conventions F A Partnership between the 77 ACP states and the 15 member states of the EU F Builds on 25 years of ACP-EU cooperation under four successive Lomé Conventions F Has a lifespan of 20 years and contains a clause allowing it to be revised every five years

Introduction (continue) n The financial protocol indicates the total resources that are available to the ACP through the European Development Fund (EDF)- the current ( 9 th ) EDF amounts to Euro 15.2 billion n Central objective: to reduce and eventually eradicate poverty while contributing to sustainable development and to the gradual integration of ACP countries in the world economy n Three pillars: Political dialogue, trade and aid n Signed on 23 June 2000 in Cotonou, Benin

South Africa’s qualified status F Full ACP membership F Qualified CPA membership- special protocol Excluded from trade and aid pillars (alternative instruments: TDCA, EPRD) Included in Political Dialogue, i.e.Full member of the Joint Institutions: –Council of Ministers –Committee of Ambasadors –Joint Parliamentary Assembly

Political dialogue F Political foundation of the partnership based on equality of partners and ownership of development strategies participation (central government, civil society, private sector and local government) dialogue and mutual obligations: – issues of mutual concern. – “essential elements” (respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law) – “fundamental element” (good governance)

Opportunities for South Africa u Common objectives of CPA and MAP/NAI u Coordination with the high level OAU- EU dialogue F Underutilised EDF resources (some 10 billion euros unspent) u South-South cooperation F Sharing South Africa’s experience of negotiating an FTA with the EU F Ensuring that the so-called EPAs achieve maximum synergy with the TDCA, SADC Trade Protocol, AGOA etc