Abidjan, 6 December 2017/ ECOWAS/ ACP: A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Marcel de Souza, and the Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States Dr Patrick Gomes, in the margins of the AU-EU Summit in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on 30 November.

Also present at the ceremony was the Chairperson of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors, the Ambassador of Senegal Amadou Diop, and the Executive Secretary of the Council of the Entente, Patrice Kouamé.

The signing of this document presents a milestone for closer relations between the two organisations, who jointly committed to cooperate and hold regular consultations in various areas, including peace, security, rule of law, good governance, migration, humanitarian issues, health, education and culture.

Other areas of collaboration include regional economic integration, capacity building, environment, private sector development, investment promotion, and development cooperation.

This new partnership is in line with the ACP’s aims to on strengthen its engagement with regional bodies, and is expected to promote South-South cooperation between Member States of both organisations and other developing countries.

(Photos from top: ACP Secretary General Dr. Patrick Gomes exchanging documents with ECOWAS Commission President Marcel de Souza; MOU signing ceremony held in Abidjan)

– ECOWAS/ ACP Press