Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister plugs for modalities to reinstate lost funds
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett yesterday addressed the issue of sugar at the 39th Joint Council of the African/Caribbean/Pacific- European Union (ACP-EU) meeting being held in Nairobi, Kenya.Highlighting the need for the Council to monitor the “Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol (AMSP)” countries in a manner that no financial resources are lost as a result of the EU’s own financial regulations, Ms. Rodrigues-Birkett said: “It is most unfortunate that, in spite of our calls, some 100 million euros are lost. This is a significant amount, and we urge the EU to seriously examine modalities and mechanisms for this amount to be reinstated.
“There is also need, not only to display flexibility in implementing the AMSP to allow full utilisation of allocated resources through reallocation amongst beneficiary countries, but also to consider reallocating such funds which may be decommitted by any beneficiary in respect of any unimplemented project to other projects proposed by the beneficiary.”
NEW SUPPORT MEASURES
She said that in view of the new challenges which the ACP sugar-supplying states are likely to face with the end of the EU quotas in 2017, the EU should seriously consider putting in place new accompanying support measures to enable the ACP sugar producing countries complete the necessary reform to render their sugar sector competitive.
The minister said, “We are nearing the end of the ACP sugar research programme, which benefited from EU support. This programme has been welcomed by the ACP industries, and has been of great value to them.”
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett added that the current difficult context brings new challenges and raises new questions, which should be addressed to ascertain a sustainable future for our sugar industries.
She said, “In that regard, we have launched a call for proposals for a new Research and Innovation Programme. To date, 50 proposals had been received from 18 countries in the ACP and in Europe, thus indicating a great interest for such programmes. It is of note that many proposals have been prepared jointly by ACP and EU research centres.”
The minister said the proposals would be examined by the ACP Scientific Committee in conjunction with the private sector, to ensure that the programme is industry-oriented and able to assist in improving the competitiveness of the sector.
“I have no doubt that you will agree that research and development, at both field and factory levels, will contribute significantly to supporting the ACP sugar sector in its bid to improve its competitiveness. I am confident that you will ascertain that this new Research and Innovation Programme is endowed with adequate resources to ensure that benefits are fully realized from the results obtained so far,” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said.
COHERENT POLICIES
The minister called on the Council for coherence in development, agricultural and trade policies, and in ascertaining that EU lives up to its commitments contained in both EPAs and the Cotonou Agreement.
“The ACP sugar-producing countries will remain open to discuss with EU and EC officials on the most appropriate ways and means of pursuing the above issues…it is equally important to ascertain that ACP preferences are not eroded as a result of market access concessions which the EU is likely to give to third parties…these concessions will create market imbalance and further depress market prices. It is also crucial to ensure that our preferences are maintained to the maximum extent possible in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations,” Rodrigues-Birkett said.
The minister also attended the 99th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers, from June 17th to June 18th, 2104. She called on the ACP group to give full support to the upcoming Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to be held in Samoa in September 2014, and moreso, the issues that affect SIDS.
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett posited that 2014 is designated as the International Year of SIDS, to call attention to the peculiar issues affecting those States, and she said that if meaningful progress is to be made to address these issues, it must be done this year. As such, the support of the ACP, whose membership consists of many SIDS, is extremely important.
Additionally, following some clarification, and in keeping with the principle of rotation and the equitable distribution among the ACP groupings, it was decided that the next Secretary General for the term 2015-2020 would come from the Caribbean region. The Caribbean, in the person of Sir Edwin Carrington, last held this position from 1985 to 1990. The current Secretary General, His Excellency Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, hails from Ghana in the West African Region.
Accompanying Minister Rodrigues-Birkett to the ACP and ACP-EU Council Meetings was Guyana’s Ambassador to Brussels, Dr. Patrick Gomes, who also chairs the Ambassadorial Working Group on the Future Perspectives of the ACP.
(By Vanessa Narine)