West Africa, Caribbean forum opens in Cotonou to discuss future cooperation

Benin's President Boni Yayi on Wednesday presided over the opening ceremony of a West African regional consultative forum on the African-Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) beyond 2020. "Our regional conference provides opportunities for formulating strategic recommendations on the future of ACP Group," he said. He said the talks came at a crucial moment for the ACP group and its future. "There have been many changes in the political, economic, social and environmental domains on the international scene in the last few years. These changes have posed a lot of challenges to our states and region, and we therefore need to reposition our organization in this new context," he said. In this regard, he affirmed, the ACP group has already started reflecting on its future beyond 2020. "The ACP Group today constitutes the biggest transregional intergovernmental organization, bringing together 80 countries in the South, united by historical and cultural links," he said, adding that the huge number of countries should be seen as a precious asset and an undisputable political force on the international scene. "Despite these advantages, majority of ACP countries are still classified in the category of least developed countries on the planet, representing only 2 percent of the world GDP against 28 percent for the European Union and 7 percent for China.