The Cotonou Agreement is particularly vital for Africa’s destiny. On it depends the political and economic future of African countries, their regional integration, their weight in multilateral systems as well as their relations with their main trading partners and donors, such as the EU and the USA. The fundamental objectives of the Agreement are the reduction and eradication of poverty, sustainable development and the integration of the ACP countries into the world economy.
The Cotonou Agreement is a legal document that binds Europe and Africa in a long term perspective. Both parties have committed themselves to promote the economic, cultural and social development of the ACP states as well as to a stable and democratic political environment. Non-compliance with the Agreement has consequences for both parties.
Respect for human rights is a declared fundamental element of the ACP-EU relations (Article 9). This clear commitment offers African citizens an additional legal basis for demanding their political and social rights.
The Cotonou Agreement reshapes substantially the relationship between the ACP group and EU countries:
- Firstly, the political dialogue has been introduced as a permanent forum to discuss matters of ACP, as well as those of ACP-EU common concern.
- Secondly, non-state actors shall be consulted and involved in the ACP-EU relations and in the implementation of the Agreement.
- The third innovation is related to trade. The current non-reciprocal tariff preferences offered to the ACP countries by the EU will, from 2008 on, be replaced by reciprocal Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) in line with WTO rules.
- Last but not least, the EU and ACP countries are committed to promote and to strengthen the regional integration of ACP states.
Being based on the idea of partnership, the ACP-EU cooperation has developed three official joint institutions: the Council of Ministers, the Committee of Ambassadors and the Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
Africa is part of the global community
The Cotonou Agreement is part of the general globalisation process. Globalisation can foster peace, democracy and social justice when the process is channelled in the right direction. Making oneself heard in the international dialogue is of vital importance in the age of globalisation. The new world trading system and the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement are major challenges for both African governments and non-governmental organisations. Therefore, the FES wants to support African decision makers to contribute actively to the process.
Besides its offices in several EU member states, the FES is represented in 21 national offices in subsahara Africa, all but one (South Africa) are ACP countries, all but one (Ethiopia) are members of the WTO, and nine of them are Least Developed Countries.
The FES has experience with state and non-state actors in Africa for nearly forty years. Partners are trade unions, political parties, parliaments, research institutes, advocacy groups, NGOs, the media and governmental institutions. The cooperation extends from human rights, labour relations, social market economy and media policy to many other fields of concern of the Cotonou Agreement.