President assents to Georgetown Agreement

THE Revised Georgetown Agreement of 2019 that moved forward the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, originally set up in 1975 under its first agreement, has been assented to by President Mnangagwa.

The ACP is composed of African, Caribbean and Pacific States that are in the partnership agreement with the European Union officially called the ACP-EU Agreement or the Cotonou Agreement.

The President’s assent is contained in Statutory Instrument 221 of 2023 published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette on Monday. The President assented to the Revised Agreement on September 13.

The Revised Georgetown Agreement was opened for signature in 2019, and came into force in April, 2020.

“Whereas Republic of Zimbabwe has not signed nor ratified the Revised Georgetown Agreement; and whereas the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of operationalising the afore-said Revised Georgetown Agreement: Now, therefore, the Republic of Zimbabwe, having considered the afore-said Agreement and accepted it, hereby accede to the same and undertakes faithfully to fulfil and carry out the stipulations therein,” President Mnangagwa said in the SI.

The ACP’s main goals are to foster sustainable development among member States and their integration into the global economy which entails poverty reduction and establishing a new, fairer and more equitable world order.

It also seeks to coordinate activities of the ACP Group in the framework of the implementation of ACP-EU Partnership Agreements and consolidate unity and solidarity among ACP States and promote peace and stability in a free and democratic society.