Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas was appointed Secretary General of the ACP Group on 16th November 2009 by the ACP Council of Ministers and too up office at the ACP Secretariat on 1st March 2010. Dr. Chambas came directly from the Economic Community of West African Sates (ECOWAS), where he had been serving as President of the Commission since January 1st 2007. Prior to this, ECOWAS was a Secretariat and Dr. Chambas had been serving as Executive Secretary since February 1st, 2002.

With a staff compliment of 530 and an annual operational budget of about 140 million Euros to oversee, Dr. Chambas acquitted himself with accomplishment and integrity in the management of human and financial resources at the ECOWAS Commission.
In addition, he administered the utilisation of the European Development Fund (EDF) under the Regional Indicative Program on behalf of the West Africa region and directed the disbursement of funds, such as the grant of 257 million Euros under the just ended 9th EDF and augmented under the 10th EDF to 600 million Euros.

Under his inspirational and visionary leadership, ECOWAS has emerged as the most dynamic and advanced Regional Economic Community of free movement of persons, goods and services in Africa.

As head of the fifteen-member West African regional organisation, Dr. Chambas successfully positioned ECOWAS as a model regional organisation in Africa. This has largely been a result of its accomplishments in economic integration and the resolution of the conflicts in Sierra-Leone, Liberia, Cote d'lvoire, Guinea-Bissau and Togo in the past, and more recently, in Guinea and Niger. Under his guidance, the Organisation adopted a new strategic vision and embarked on a profound restructuring of its institutions to make them more relevant to the needs of member states in the regional development and integration efforts. To this end, ECOWAS has facilitated the emergence of a common market for the region - a free exchange zone with a common external tariff and harmonised policies in critical sectors, such as agriculture, infrastructure development, education and health.

Dr. Chambas is an accomplished international diplomat and a convincing and astute negotiator, whose skills in seeking principled compromises and common ground has often yielded critical breakthroughs in negotiations at all levels. While at ECOWAS, he raised its profile internationally and forged beneficial relations between it and development partners, such as the United Nations, the European Union, The World Bank, The International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and numerous development partner countries.

Within the context of South-South cooperation, Dr. Chambas has forged closer cooperation between ECOWAS and its member states on one hand, and the Caribbean nations, particularly in the sharing of ideas and best practices in the areas of health, energy and tourism. With a knack for identifying new windows of opportunity for fair trade and advancement of regional integration, he has led the region to deepen economic ties with Japan (through the TICAD) and open new vistas of mutually beneficial economic cooperation with the emergent markets of Asia, such as India and China. Indeed, the partnership with Asia has provided a new impetus to regional infrastructure development in West Africa.

In recognition of his stewardship of ECOWAS and his remarkable achievements in regional integration, peace and security, the Government of Denmark honoured Dr. Chambas with membership of the Danish Africa Commission for Effective Development Cooperation. The Africa Commission was set up in April 2008 as a task force of renowned international development experts and personalities to advise the Government of Denmark on the best ways to ensure effective development cooperation in favour of youth empowerment and job creation in Africa. He was also invested by the President of the World Bank to serve on the Advisory Council of the World Development Report (2011).

Under the stewardship and guidance of Dr. Chambas, the relationship between ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) Commission has never been stronger, being acutely aware of the interrelationship between the regional and continental integration processes. ECOWAS also achieved significant synergy between its integration programmes and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) initiatives, again blazing the trail with regard to the regional approach to the implementation of NEPAD.

As Chief Regional Negotiator in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations between West Africa and the European Union, Dr. Chambas applied himself with steadfastness and vigour, and has worked tirelessly to try and bring about an agreement that would stimulate the productive capacity of West African countries through the creative and impactful EPA Development Program.

In his frequent engagements with the ACP Group, EU members States and EC, through various fora such as bilateral meetings, the EU-ECOWAS Ministerial Troika, numerous ACP meetings including ACP Heads of State and Government Summits, Dr CHAMBAS is very familiar with the functioning and procedures of the ACP and EU Institutions.

Pre-ECOWAS Profile Prior to heading the ECOWAS Secretariat, Dr. Chambas was a Member of Parliament in Ghana, where he served at various periods as First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Chairman of the Privileges Committee, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Member of the Select Committee on Education and the Committee on subsidiary Legislation.

Dr. Chambas first entered Government in 1987 as Deputy Foreign Minister of Ghana. As Deputy Foreign Minister, he was a member of the Head of State’s summit delegations to a number of countries such as the United States of America, China, United Kingdom, France, Malaysia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, etc. He also led Ghana's delegation to several countries and conferences including the United Nations General Assembly, ministerial meetings of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African Sates (ECOWAS), the Movement of the Non-Aligned Countries (NAM), the Commonwealth, etc.

Between 1991 and 1996, he was centrally involved in the ECOWAS mediation efforts in Liberia and directly participated in the negotiations leading to the agreements ending the Liberian civil war. In 1996, Dr. Chambas was a key member of the Government of Ghana's campaign team for the election of His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan to his first term as Secretary–General of the United Nations Organisation.

He was also a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which worked to facilitate a transition to constitutional democratic governance in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Between April 1997 and December 2000, Dr. Chambas was the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education. In that capacity he had responsibility for the country's five universities, ten polytechnics and agencies/institutions charged with the formulation of policies on higher education, accreditation and maintenance of standards in tertiary institutions.

Dr. Chambas, who was born on 7 December 1950, holds degrees in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon (B. A. 1973) and Cornell University, Ithaca New York (M. A. 1977; PhD 1980) and a law degree from Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio (J. D. 1984). He has been admitted to practice law in Ghana and the State of Ohio.

Dr. Chambas’s working experience in the United States includes teaching at Oberlin College, and practicing law with The Greater Cleveland Legal Aid Society and the Cleveland, Ohio, Law Office of Forbes, Forbes and Teamor. He also served a four-year term (1997-2001) on the Cornell University Council, the first African to serve on the Council of the prestigious Ivy-league American University. He was re-elected for another four-year term from 2003-2007, and has been re-elected for a third four-year term from 2009-2012.

Throughout his career, Dr. Mohamed lbn Chambas has served with dedication, single-mindedness and distinction in advancing the cause and ideals of his employers, and for the progress and dignity of mankind. He has received several citations and been decorated for his services in different domains. His list of awards include the following:

• Cote d'Ivoire: Commander of the National Order of Cote d'Ivoire, August 8, 2002.
• Guinea-Bissau: Highest National Award (for the restoration of Democracy and putting Nation on Path of Sustainable Economic Development), September 24, 2005.
• Ghana: Order of Volta 2nd Category (For Distinguished Diplomatic and Public Service to the Country), June 30, 2006.
• Ghana: LLD Honoris Causa by the University of Ghana, Legon, (For a Distinguished career in international diplomacy, contribution to tertiary education in Ghana), August 11, 2008.
• Liberia: National Legislative Assembly Certificate of Appreciation (for role in the signing of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the Civil War), October 2006.
• Liberia: Awarded, crowned and decorated with Knight Grand Band in the Humane Order of African Redemption, July 26, 2009.
• Benin: Commander of the National Order of Benin (Commandeur de l’Ordre National du Bénin), 8th January 2010, in recognition of the numerous and loyal services he rendered ECOWAS and the Benin Nation.
• Guinea: Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Guinea (Grand Officier de L’Ordre National du Merite de la République de Guinée) on 8th April 2010, in recognition of his efforts to restore a climate of peace and security in Guinea during his term as President of the ECOWAS Commission.
• German Africa Award 2010.

Dr. Chambas is the father of three children.