EU: Council clears the way for new post-Cotonou Agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific States

The European Council gives the green light to the new post-Cotonou Partnership Agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific States which will boost cooperation on sustainable development, growth, human rights, peace and security for the next 20 years. In a statement today, the Council said that a decision was adopted on the signature and provisional application of the European Union and Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Partnership Agreement, as the new legal framework for the relations between the EU and its Member States and 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The Partnership will succeed the Cotonou Agreement. The document sets the common principles and thematic areas: human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility. The Agreement includes a common foundation, which applies to all Parties, combined with three regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific with a focus on the regions’ specific needs.
Irene Giuntella