BRUSSELS, Belgium, November 13, 2019 — Dr. Brave Rona Ndisale, the Republic of Malawi’s candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Darren Henfield, Bahamas Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Her Excellency Maria O’Brien, Bahamas Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of Missions to the European Union, on Wednesday, November 13, at The Bahamas Embassy and Mission to the EU in Belgium.
Foreign Affairs Minister Henfield is in Brussels along with a delegation of senior government officials, headed by Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, for the official opening of the Embassy of The Bahamas and Mission to the EU. Also included in the delegation are the Hon. Carl W. Bethel, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs; the Hon. Elsworth Johnson, Minister of Financial Services, Trade & Industry and Immigration; and Mr. Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister.
H.E. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, candidate of The Republic of Angola for the post of Secretary-General of the ACP, also paid a courtesy call on Foreign Affairs Minister Henfield and Ambassador O’Brien on Wednesday, November 13.
“The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) is a group of countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975,” according to Wikipedia. “The group’s main objectives are sustainable development and poverty reduction within its member states, as well as their greater integration into the world’s economy. All of the member states, except Cuba, are signatories to the Cotonou Agreement with the European Union.
“The Cotonou Agreement (signed in Cotonou, Benin in June 2000) is the successor to the Lomé Conventions. One of the major differences from the Lomé Convention is that the partnership is extended to new actors such as civil society, private sector, trade unions and local authorities. These will be involved in consultations and planning of national development strategies, provided with access to financial resources and involved in the implementation of programmes.”
The current Secretary-General of the ACP is Dr. Patrick Ignatius Gomes of Guyana, who was elected at the 100th Session of the Group’s Council of Ministers, held at ACP Headquarters in Brussels on December 10, 2014, for a five-year term, 2015 – 2020, according to the ACP website.
