The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP countries). It was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, by 79 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union. It entered into force in 2002 and is the latest agreement in the history of ACP-EU Development Cooperation. The first two pages of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in (left to right) German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ottoman Turkish and Russian A treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. ... ACP States The ACP States are the countries that are signatories of the Lomé Convention. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ... EU member states and candidates There are currently 25 member states in the European Union. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Development cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP countries) is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2007. ...

Aims

The Cotonou Agreement is aimed at the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty while contributing to sustainable development and to the gradual integration of ACP countries into the world economy. The revised Cotonou Agreement is also concerned with the fight against impunity and promotion of criminal justice through the International Criminal Court. A boy from Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. ... The world economy can be evaluated in various ways, depending on the model used, and this valuation can then be represented in various ways (for example, in 2006 US dollars). ... The official logo of the ICC The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[1] was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. ...

Main principles

The Cotonou Agreement replaced the Lomé Convention which had been the basis for ACP-EU development cooperation since 1975. The Cotonou Agreement, however, is much broader in scope than any previous arrangement has ever been. It is designed to last for a period of 20 years and is based on four main principles: The Lomé Convention is a trade and aid agreement between the European Union (EU) and 71 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries, first signed in February 1975 in Lomé, Togo. ...

• Equality of partners and ownership of development strategies. In principle, it is up to ACP states to determine how their societies and their economies should develop.
• Participation. In addition to the central government as the main actor, partnership under the Cotonou Agreement is open to other actors (e.g. civil society, the private sector, and local governments).
• Dialogue and mutual obligations. The Cotonou Agreement is not merely a pot of money. The signatories have assumed mutual obligations (e.g. respect for human rights) which will be monitored through continuing dialogue and evaluation.
• Differentiation and regionalisation. Cooperation agreements will vary according to each partner's level of development, needs, performance and long-term development strategy. Special treatment will be given to countries that are considered least developed or vulnerable (landlocked or island states).

Central government or the national government (or, in federal states, the federal government) is the government at the level of the nation-state. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force-backed structures of a state (regardless of that states political system) and commercial institutions. ... The private sector of a nations economy consists of all that is outside the state. ... Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state or province. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Map of the Least Developed Countries as defined by the United Nations Least Developed Countries (LDCs or Fourth World countries) are countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world. ... Current LLDCs Africa (15 countries) Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Central African Republic Chad Ethiopia Lesotho Malawi Mali Niger Rwanda Swaziland Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Asia (12 countries) Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bhutan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Lao People’s Democratic Republic Mongolia Nepal Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Europe (2 countries) Republic of Moldova Republic of... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Political dimension

The Cotonou Agreement wishes to give a stronger political foundation to ACP-EU development cooperation. Therefore, political dialogue is one of the key aspects of the arrangements and addresses new issues which have previously been outside the scope of development cooperation, such as peace and security, arms trade and migration.

Furthermore, the element of good governance has been included as an 'essential element' of the Cotonou Agreement, the violation of which may lead to the partial or complete suspension of development cooperation between the EU and the country in violation. It was furthermore agreed that serious cases of corruption, including acts of bribery, could trigger a consultation process and possibly lead to a suspension of aid.

New actors

A second new feature of the Cotonou Agreement relates to the participation of non-state actors and local governments in development cooperation. They are now considered complementary actors to central governments who traditionally have been the key actors of cooperation between the EU and the ACP countries. Non-state actors, in international relations, are actors on the international level which are not states. ... Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state or province. ... Central government or the national government (or, in federal states, the federal government) is the government at the level of the nation-state. ...

Although ACP governments continue to be responsible for determining their own development strategy, non-state actors and local authorities are now involved being consulted with regard to its formulation. They are furthermore provided with access to financial resources and involved in implementation. They also receive capacity building support. Non-state actors, in international relations, are actors on the international level which are not states. ... Look up Implementation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up capacity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Cotonou Agreement focuses especially on the private sector as an instrument for sustainable economic development. A new comprehensive programme has been introduced in Cotonou in order to support the private sectors of the ACP countries with new tools such as access to funding via the European Investment Bank (EIB). The private sector of a nations economy consists of all that is outside the state. ... The European Investment Bank (the Banque Européenne dInvestissement) is the European Unions financing institution and was established under the Treaty of Rome (1957) to provide loan finance for capital investment furthering European Union policy objectives, in particular regional development, Trans-European Networks of transport, telecommunications and energy...

Trade cooperation

Probably the most radical change introduced by the Cotonou Agreement concerns trade cooperation. Since the First Lomé Convention in 1975, the EU has granted non-reciprocal trade preferences to their ACP partners. Under the Cotonou Agreement, however, this system will be replaced by a new scheme which is to take effect in 2008: the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). These new arrangement provide for reciprocal trade agreements, meaning that not only the EU provides duty-free access to its markets for ACP exports, but ACP countries also provide duty-free access to their own markets for EU exports. The Lomé Convention is a trade and aid agreement between the European Union (EU) and 71 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries, first signed in February 1975 in Lomé, Togo. ... Economic Partnership Agreements are a scheme to create a free trade area (FTA) between the European Union and the ACP countries. ... This article is about a tax measure. ... Economics In economics, an export is any good or commodity, shipped or otherwise transported out of a country, province, town to another part of the world, typically for use in trade or sale. ...

True to the Cotonou principle of differentiation, however, not all ACP countries have to open their markets to EU products after 2008. The group of least developed countries is able to either continue cooperation under the arrangements made in Lomé or the "Everything But Arms" regulation. Map of the Least Developed Countries as defined by the United Nations Least Developed Countries (LDCs or Fourth World countries) are countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world. ... Everything But Arms (EBA) is an initiative of the European Union under which all imports to the EU from the Least Developed Countries are duty free, with the exception of armaments. ...

Non-LDCs, on the other hand, who decide they are not in a position to enter into EPAs can for example be transferred into the EU’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The Generalized System of Preferences (or GSP) is a formal system of exemption from the more general rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) (formerly, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or GATT). ...

Programming

The Cotonou Agreement introduces the idea of performance-based partnerships and abandons the old element of "aid entitlements" (i.e. fixed allocations regardless of performance).

Under the new agreement, the EU can be more selective and flexible in the way it allocated and uses its development resources. Aid allocations will be based on an assessment of each country’s needs and performance and will include the possibility to regularly adjust financial resources in the light of this assessment. In practice, it means that more money can be channelled to "good performers" and that the share of "bad performers" can be reduced.

Aid is allocated to ACP countries in five yearly cycles under the Financial Protocol of the Cotonou Agreement. Under the ninth European Development Fund (EDF) (2002-2007) €13.5 billion was allocated to the ACP region. The European Development Fund (EDF) is the main instrument for European Community aid for development cooperation in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT). ...

Fight against impunity

In recognizing that impunity is one of the factors that contribute to cycles of violence and insecurity, the preamble and art. 11.6 of the revised Cotonou Agreement include a clear commitment of ACP and EU states to combat impunity and promote justice through the International Criminal Court. Since the ICC is based on the principle of complementarity, the 2005 revised Cotonou Agreement innovates with obligations to ensure prosecution of the most serious crimes at the national level and through global cooperation. Additionally, art. 11.6 of the Agreement includes a clearcut provision that obliges States parties to: "(a) Share experience on the adoption of legal adjustments required to allow for the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and (b) Fight against international crime in accordance with international law, giving due regard to the Rome Statute. The parties shall seek to take steps towards ratifying and implementing the Rome Statute and related instruments." The official logo of the ICC The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[1] was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, although it cannot currently exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. ... ICC may refer to: // ICC Bank, Ireland ICC Productions, hip-hop record label International Chamber of Commerce, supporting global trade and globalisation Internet Chess Club, a commercial Internet site on which to play chess International Christian Communications Media Group International Code Council Membership association dedicated to building safety and fire...

Criticism

It has been argued that while the main pillar of the Cotonou Agreement is Poverty Reduction, aid allocated to Africa under the 9th EDF has had limited impact on the majority of the poor.^[1] The European Development Fund (EDF) is the main instrument for European Community aid for development cooperation in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT). ...

References

External links

• Cotonou Agreement at ACP-EU Trade
• English information website to the Cotonou Agreement by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
• African Voices in Europe A site about the reality of Europan Aid to Africa under the Cotonou Agreement