The ACP Council of Ministers has concluded its 102nd session on 25^th November 2015 with a renewed commitment to ensuring the success of the upcoming 8th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government in 2016.

The ACP Group is the largest trans-national intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the international system, with 79 member countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific countries. The main goal of the Group is to drive South-South solidarity and North-South cooperation for the sustainable development of ACP countries and their successful integration into the world economy.

Council has approved the offer from Papua New Guinea to host the 8th Summit in its capital city Port Moresby from 30 May – 1 June 2016, under the theme: “Reposition the ACP Group to respond to the challenges of Sustainable Development”.

The Summit is expected to pronounce a clear direction on the future of the ACP Group as an organization, in terms of how it delivers on the sustainable development goals of its Member States and populations, as well as the future partnership between the ACP countries and the European Union.

During the meeting of 25^th November, the ACP Council of Ministers have taken decisions and have discussed the following resolutions: 2016 Budget for ACP Secretariat, Climate Change, ACP Agriculture Commodity Trade, Trade matters and ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements, Cuba-USA relations.

Valentina Gagliano