Thank you for the opportunity to address you on this auspicious occasion – the celebration of international women’s day. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Secretariat for organising this event, in particular, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Human Development, Mme. Michèle Dominique Raymond, who has taken the lead in organising this event for the past 4 years.

[Protocols]

The event for which we are gathered this evening takes place in the year that makes the milestone 40^th Anniversary of the creation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States by the Georgetown Agreement on June 6, 1975.

Excellencies, Ambassadors and Representatives of ACP Embassies and Missions, Representatives from the European Commission, Representatives from International Organisations, Managers from the various Project Management Units, Distinguished participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Representative of DG DEVCO, Representative of DG MARE, Representative of European Commission, Director of CTA, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your Excellencies,

Honorable Members of Parliament and

Distinguished participants

1.                At the outset, let me thank our Chair for this session, Dr Howard Sigwele from Botswana. I have been asked to speak on the subject of the “The ACP Group and the Georgetown Agreement: Vision and Objectives, Growth and Evolution, Gains and Lessons Learned”

Mr. Martin Lidegaard, Honourable  Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark,

Your Excellences; Distinguished Participants; Ladies and Gentlemen

Allow me first to thank the organisers, for inviting me in my capacity as the Secretary-General of the ACP Group of States, to participate in the WAITRO General Assembly and its 22nd Biennial Congress.