President Uhuru Kenyatta was on Monday, December 9, appointed the new chairman of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).
A press release by the President's Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU) indicated that President Kenyatta was set to hold the position for the next three years after his appointment during the ongoing head of states summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.
ACP is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975 and is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
President Kenyatta assumes the position to a full-in tray of intense lobbying needed to ensure that the group's goals and agendas are fully realised.
Knowing well the task ahead, the president lay his agenda to ensure the total transformation of the partner countries by forging closer ties to enhance bilateral trade not only across the involved countries but the world in general.
“I will champion the group’s solidarity and unity; advocate for an enhanced intra-ACP and South-South and Triangular Cooperation; champion a reform agenda for the ACP Group and push for the integration of our states into the global economy," he announced.
The president also promised to push for the conclusion and implementation of the New Partnership Agreement, an agreement on trade and relationships between the European Union and the ACP countries after 2020.
“We look forward to a more balanced trading arrangement with the European Union in the New Partnership Agreement, which gives priority to emerging opportunities especially in e-commerce and trade in services,” he stated.
President Kenyatta took the opportunities to urge the world leaders gathered to emulate Kenya's example and undertake a deliberate path of structural transformation, and identified four priority sectors: manufacturing, affordable housing, universal health coverage and food and nutrition security.
“These four areas were prioritised to drive equitable and inclusive economic development and improved quality of life, create jobs particularly for the youth, and improve our economy's resilience against the anticipated challenges posed by climate change.”
Seventeen heads of state and 70 of the 79 ACP Member States were in attendance at the summit which is set to end on Tuesday, December 10.
Among head states present were, Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Hage Geingob (Namibia) and Prime Minister Andrew Holness (Jamaica).
Other leaders who spoke at the summit included the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley and the President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo among others.
Deputy President William Ruto was also in attendance.
