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6TH SUMMIT OF ACP HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ACCRA, GHANA MESSAGE BY H.E. JOHN A KUFOUR, PRESIDENT OF GHANA The Government and people of Ghana are pleased to welcome the ACP Group to Accra for the 6th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government. This is not the first high level meeting to be hosted in Accra this year, and it is perhaps fitting to say that “all roads lead to Accra in 2008.” Most importantly however is the need for us from ACP States to ask ourselves what exactly we expect to achieve during the 6th Summit. Central to all our development endeavors is the advancement of human security and development. These two concepts are inextricably linked and positively re-enforcing. The ACP Group of States is not alone in being concerned about these issues. For many years, the United Nations Organisation has been promoting a development agenda that challenged governments and multilateral institutions to recognize the nexus between the two concepts. The environment, climate change, migration, rising food and oil prices, as well as Economic Partnership Agreements are some of the facets of the challenge of development that confront ACP States at the moment. In the Preamble to the ACP-EC Cotonou Partnership Agreement, the parties acknowledge that a political environment guaranteeing peace, security and stability, respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, and good governance is part and parcel of long term development, and that the responsibility for establishing such conditions rests primarily with the countries concerned. The ACP Group will take the opportunity of the 6th Summit to re-affirm once again its commitment to such principles in our quest to improve the well-being and lives of our peoples. I am honoured and indeed privileged to welcome you all to Ghana for the 6th Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government. |
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