The 11^th Regional Seminar of ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, urged all OECD countries not to reduce their political and financial commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, or to combating the impact of Climate Change, and to promote the economic and social development of the ACP countries . They also addressed the revision of the Cotonou Agreement and called for greater involvement of non-state actors in its implementation. They broached the challenging issues of Economic Partnership Agreements for the East African Community (EAC) and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) regions, sustainable food security and the EU-Africa Strategy.

 Under the auspices of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organised meetings with ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups. This role has been confirmed by the Cotonou Agreement, which mandates the EESC to organise consultation sessions and meetings of ACP-EU economic and social interest groups.

Main aims of the regional seminar at Addis Ababa included:

• to discuss the involvement of non-state actors in the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement ;
• to monitor the negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and challenges specific to the region, with particular emphasis on the participation of ACP economic and social interest groups in the EPA process;
• to discuss the topic "Ensuring sustainable food security in ACP countries";
• to review the implementation of the EU-Africa Strategy;
• to examine the role of Africa's social economy in development cooperation;
• to engage in a dialogue on the consultative function and social dialogue.

The delegates called for the AU and the European Union to take urgent action to inform and to effectively involve non-state actors in the EU-Africa Joint Strategy. Grabbing the occasion, Members of the EESC and ECOSOCC of the AU officially launched their cooperation and joint involvement in the implementation of the Strategy.

AU Commissioner for economic affaires, Dr Maxwell M. Mkwezalamba, said: "As we approach another Summit, we need to look back to see areas of weakness and to discuss ways of improving performance". He called on treating Africa as one continent and to avoid division into North, Sub-Saharan or South Africa, and to adjust EU financial instruments accordingly, which would help for grater implementation of the joint Strategy.

Mr Luca Jahier , President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC, welcomed this joint initiative and stressed that “the EU-Africa Strategy was supposed to be ‘people centred" partnership” and called for a greater participatory level of the civil society.

Mr Dino Sinigallia , Head of EU delegation in Ethiopia, affirmed that "Non-state actors are development actors in their own right , distinct from governments and donors. If aid is to have the optimum impact, all 3 groups must examine how their policies and activities complement and/or undermine each other, and work together for best effect".

Conclusions of the 11^th regional seminar of ACP-EU economic and social interest groups, Addis Ababa

Speeches and presentation of participants of the seminar