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African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States 
(ACP Group) 
Groupe des Etats d'Afrique des Caraïbes et du Pacifique
(Groupe ACP)
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Summary Record of the 41st Ordinary Session  of the Council of ACP Ministers 

held from 1st - 3rd December 1986,  at the ACP House

Brussels, 20th February, 1987 

Or: Eng. AMS/kh/fk 

Opening Ceremony

The 41st Ordinary Session of the Council of ACP Ministers was presided over by its President-in-Office, Honourable EJIGU MERSIE, Minister in Charge of the General Planning of Ethiopia, who indicated that it was a greet honour for him, his country and region to have been appointed to serve as President of Council. He extended warm welcome to all delegations including representatives of regional organisations.

The President evoked the tragic and untimely death of late President Samora MACHEL of Mozambique who in the words of the President, "devoted his like to the struggle against colonial domination and against apartheid". The memory of Samora MACHEL's struggles, he recalled, "should inspire all in redoubling efforts to achieve that for which he gave his life : the dignity of man and his freedom to choose his way of life".

Pursuing his introductory remarks, the President referred to the need to review and analyse the functioning and working methods of Council in the light of past experience. In his regard, as a first practical step, he advised that in future Council could consider devoting its budget session exclusively to ACP internal matters and Intra-ACP co-operation matters, the session which precedes immediately could be devoted to ACP/EEC matters falling outside the scope of a given session and which require urgent and specific attention could however, well be taken on board by that session. At the level of the institutions, he suggested that the Bureau of Council could also be entrusted with powers to take decisions between Council meetings and to plan Council's work more effectively.

Reverting to the main subject on the agenda of the session, the President recalled that at its 40th Session in Barbados, Council urged all States which were in arrears in the payment of the contribution to the Secretariat budget, to make an urgent effort to pay those arrears.

Other important subjects referred to by the President included:

With respect to (a) above, the President made reference to the several initiatives taken by the Committee of Ambassadors in conjunction with OAU Ambassadors in Brussels, in particular, the specific recommendation for convening a special ACP/EEC Foreign Ministers meeting. He urged that in addition to the relevant provisions of the Lomé Convention, the ACP should adopt its own programme of sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa.

Finally, the President informed the session that he had the honour to address the Joint Assembly meting in Greece in September 1986 and of the action by the Committee of Ambassadors in sending a delegation to participate at the special UN Session on the critical economic situation in Africa.

COUNCIL's PROCEEDINGS

1. Adoption of the agenda [AC¨/25/10/86 Rev.6]

The meeting adopted the draft agenda contained in document ACP/25/010/86 Rev.6.

2. Communication from the President

In his communication the President informed Council that he

(a) attended the meeting of the ACP-EEC Joint Assembly in September 1986 in Greece;

(b) arrived in Brussels on 26 November, 1986, for the preparation for the 41st Session of Council and had briefing sessions with the Bureau of the Committee of Ambassadors and the Secretary-General;

(c) visited the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (TCA);

(d) had a meeting with the Bureau of the Staff Association, and

(e) was invited with the Ministerial Bureau to a luncheon hosted by Commissioner NATALI of the European Commission.

3. Appointment of a Rapporteurs :

In accordance with Council's procedure for rotation with respect to the appointment of a Rapporteur, the West African region was invited to nominate one. Accordingly Guinea Bissau was nominated by West Africa to serve as Rapporteur of the 41st Session of Council. The participants endorsed this appointment by acclamation.

The countries indicated hereunder were selected by their respective regions to be Friends of the Rapporteur:

Central Africa - Cameroon

East Africa - Uganda

Southern Africa - BOTSWANA

Caribbean - GRENADA

Pacific - WESTERN SAMOA

4. Approval of the summary record of the 40th Session of the Council of ACP Ministers: (ACP/25/11/86 Rev.2 1 ref. doc. List of decisions and resolutions, ACP/25/009/86 Rev.2.)

The draft summary record was presented for adoption by H.E. Mr. R. HARRIS, Ambassador of Barbados, who expressed his Minister's regret for not being able to present in person the said record. The Ambassador further expressed his country's pleasure at Council's decision to hold its 40th Session in Bridgetown.

Council adopted by acclamation the draft summary record of its 40th Ordinary Session as set out in document ACP/25/011/86 Rev.2.

5. Report of the Committee of Ambassadors on its activities since the 40th Ministerial Session(ACP/25/009/86 Rev.1)

The above draft was presented by H.E. Mr. P. IPU PEIPUL, Ambassador of Papua New Guinea and Chairman of the Committee of Ambassadors. In his presentation, the Chairman drew Council's attention to a number of issues and areas where the Committee encountered difficulty in the discharge of its duties. He requested Council's guidance and directive with a view to resolving those outstanding problem areas.

After hearing the presentation and noting the report, Council agreed to examine the latter by head and hereunder is a summary of its conclusions on the subjects indicated, as emerged from the discussions.

ACP/EEC MATTERS :

TRADE CO-OPERATION :

Live animals : Council requested the Committee of Ambassadors to enquire from the Commission on the progress made in solving the difficulties currently being experienced by Belize in the export of live animals to the FODs (Martinique and Quadeloupe).

Rum : The definition of rum should take into account the interest of the traditional ACP suppliers. There should be a link between the price of rum and its cost of production. Regarding the enlargement of the Community, it was advised that the procedures contemplated by the Commission for the accession of Spain and Portugal should be addressed in the protocol accession. The export of rum from those two countries should be closely monitored to assess the imports from traditional ACP suppliers. Furthermore, the threshold of 170 000 hector litres of pure alcohol should be increased to take account of the enlarged Community market.

Bananas: The meeting noted that the United Kingdom's application to the EEC for a derogation under Article 115 to the Treaty of Rome was pending. The Committee of Ambassadors was instructed to keep a close eye on this development so as to ensure the protection of the traditional ACP suppliers on the United Kingdom market.

System of Generalised

Preferences : Council expressed concern regarding the erosion of ACP preferential margin and therefore instructed the Chairman of the Committee of on Agricultural Commodities to draw that concern to the attention of the Community.

GATT Multilateral Trade

Negotiations (MTN): Council recognised the need for the ACP to safeguard the trade provisions of the Lome Convention in the context of the GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations. However, the meeting noted that there was no ACP position on the issues raised in the negotiations in question. To correct this state of affairs the ACP should organize itself in such a manner as to be able to take an active part in the current round of negotiations launched in Punta del Este, Uruguay. To this end Council agreed that the ACP Group should be represented in Geneva at expert level to ensure the Group's active participation in the MTN. This expert should be selected from the Secretariat's team of experts. The Committee of Ambassadors was mandated to work out the modalities for ensuring the most effective manner in which this representation could be ensured within the existing manpower resources of the Secretariat and also propose funding of this participation through EDF for consideration by Council at its following session.

Stabex: Council was informed that a draft resolution would be tabled on granting of all destination derogation to Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. I.. made on behalf of those three countries, as an improvement to the text on Stabex in the report under consideration. In addition Council was invited to exercise its powers in accordance with the provisions of Article 150 (3).

INTERNAL MATTERS

Conditions of service of the Staff of the ACP General Secretariat

In his introduction of the above subject the President recalled that he had had a meeting with the Bureau of the Staff Association at which a number of issues were raised concerning mainly the conditions of service of the staff. The Bureau indicated the Staff Association had made proposals for the improvement of the conditions of service of the Staff members of the Secretariat. The Bureau was of the view that Council could take a number of decisions of principle on the issues in question at its 41st session and give mandate to the Committee of Ambassadors and its organs to work out the modalities of application of such decisions.

Further, the meeting was informed of an industrial action taken by the Staff Association a few days before Council convened. That action, the President indicated, reflected a low state of morale among the staff of the Secretariat.

In his intervention on the subject, the Secretary-General referred to the difficult atmosphere in which the Secretariat functioned owing to notably limited manpower and inadequate financial resources. In addition, a lot of time was spent on the work on restructuring of the Secretariat which did not seem to bear any fruit. He expressed belief that Council could only take a meaningful decision on the conditions of service of the staff of the Secretariat at its 42nd ordinary session.

Council had an exchange of views on the need to improve the conditions of service of the staff of the Secretariat as a matter of priority, taking into account the above presentations. At the close of the discussions, the following conclusions were reached:

(a) Council took full cognisance of the inadequate manpower,

particularly in the light of the gap created by the suppression of the post of Deputy Secretary-General. It requested the Committee of Ambassadors to come up with proposals on the level of responsibility of the office who would fill the gap.

(b) The problem of shortage of manpower in general should be examined by the Committee in the light of the decision taken by Council on restructuring at its 40th session in Barbados, with a view to redeploying staff of the Secretariat. There should be strict adherence to that decision.

(c) With respect to the conditions of service of the staff of the Secretariat, the Committee was mandated to review those conditions, in particular, examine all the demands made by the staff and present in a comprehensive manner recommendations concerning duration of contracts of employment, assessment procedures, rules for internal promotion, new structure of salary scales, termination benefits, pension scheme and any other related issues. The Committee was further requested to complete this review and transmit its recommendations to the ACP States by 31st March, 1987.

(d) There should be room for the adoption of a supplementary budget to meet the financial implications consequent on the adoption of the recommendations submitted by the Committee.

6. Situation in Southern Africa [ACP/27/056/86 Rev.1]

The above subject was introduced by H.E. Mr. R. CHASLE, Ambassador of Mauritius and Chairman of the Working Group set up jointly by the Committee of ACP Ambassadors and OAU Group of Ambassadors in Brussels to study the situation in Southern Africa and prepare a Plan for implementing the relevant provisions of the Lome III Convention with regard to that issue. Such a Plan would be conceived within the institutional framework of ACP/EEC relations.

In his presentation, Ambassador CHASLE recalled that the recent deterioration in the situation in Southern African brought about by the policies of the racist regime In Pretoria demonstrated that South Africa was already bent on precipitating a dangerous war, turning the entire Southern African region into a war zone. It was, in his view, certain that the consequences of such a war would spread to the rest of Africa and beyond and could thereby threaten international peace and stability. The tragic and untimely death on 19 October, 1986 inside South Africa, of the first President of the People's Republic of Mozambique, H.E. President Samora MACHEL, constituted a new dimension in the overall problem of the deteriorating situation.

It was in the light of that dramatically deteriorating situation that the Committee of Ambassadors decided to recommend the holding of a Special Session of the ACP/EEC Council of Ministers at Foreign Ministers level to determine further action to be taken in the context of ACP/EEC Co-operation to halt that deterioration and help in bringing about the eradication of apartheid in South Africa.

To that end, it was recommended that the President of ACP Council together with the Chairmen of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors and OUA Group of Ambassadors in Brussels should be mandated to make necessary contacts with the Community and its Member States. In addition the Chairman-in-Office of the OAU Heads of State and Government who would be visiting Europe early 1987 could be asked tot take advantage of his contacts to canvass the necessary support for such a meeting at the required level.

Council also heard a statement(1)made by the Head of delegation of Zambia on behalf of the Southern Africa region on the situation in Southern Africa.

The afore-mentioned interventions were followed by an exchange of views by Council from which emerged the conclusions reflected

hereunder :

  • Council appreciated the work of the Committee of Ambassadors on the question and noted that the recommendation submitted in document ACP/27/057/86 Rev.1 constituted a step forward in the Group's demonstration of solidarity with the victims of apartheid and its efforts to hasten the dismantling of that system.
  • Council accepted the principle of having a meeting of ACP-EEC Foreign Ministers on the question and therefore agreed to invite the ACP Foreign Ministers to convene a special meeting to be devoted mainly to elaborating an ACP Programme of Sanctions against South Africa.
  • The modalities of the meeting of ACP Foreign Ministers should be worked out by the ACP General Secretariat in collaboration with the OAU Secretariat and invitations indicating, inter alia, details of agenda, should be addressed to all ACP States.
  • The approach to be adopted regarding the joint Ministerial meeting would be the task of the ACP Foreign Ministers.


    • 7. Intra-ACP matters :

    - Finalisation of the Harare Programme of Action

    - Part B of Committee of Ambassadors' report to Council & docs.- ACP/87/037/ Rev.3 and ACP/87/057/86.

    Introducing Intra-ACP matters, H.E. Mr. J.A.B. IROHA, Ambassador of Nigeria and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Intra-ACP Co-operation, told the meeting that in accordance with Council decision at its 40th session on the Harare Programme of Action, the Committee of Ambassadors had sent to all ACP countries and ACP Regional and International Organisations the relevant documentation for their observation. The Secretariat had also addressed a communication to financing agencies in which it defined the purpose for which financing was sought. There were favourable responses to this latter communication, however, for the former, there was little response from ACP countries. Responses had been received from some ACP Regional and International Organisations.

    In addition, Council's attention was drawn to the fact that the various programmes in the Harare Declaration had been considered and approved under previous Intra-ACP Declarations and had been included in the programmes already adopted in forums to which ACP countries and regions participated. In view of this, Council was requested to recognise that these programmes were and should be implemented as regional or inter-regional programmes. It was hoped that ACP States and/or regions would include those projects in the Harare Programme of Action which they considered important in their regional programmes. Council was further requested to recognise that these projects should be executed with the participation of regional or inter-regional organisations duly authorised by the States concerned within the framework of those organisations' responsibilities.

    It was recommended that the EDF be considered as one of the possible sources of funding the Harare Programme. The ACP General Secretariat and the regional bodies would act as the project's executing agencies and would consult with each other with a view to seeking, where necessary, additional finance.

    Council heard interventions in support of the Harare Programme of Action from representatives of a number of ACP regional and international organisations; namely AFCAC, MNOCONMAR,(2) IATA, SPEC and the Conference of National Chambers of Commerce, Industry and other Economic Operators. The speakers referred mainly to the relevance of the Harare Programme to the activities of their organisations and their readiness to cooperate in its implementation within the context of regional co-operation as laid down in Lome III Convention.

    Following the various interventions Council had an exchange of views on the recommendations referred to above, reflected in the reference documents submitted under this item (Intra-ACP Matters.) Council's debate took full account of the Group's various declarations and decisions relating to Intra-ACP co-operation and also the budgetary implications of the said recommendations. Consequent upon its deliberations on the matter, the session concluded as follows:


    8. Administrative and Financial matters :

    (a) Report on the implementation of Council's decision on the settlement of arrears of contributions and financial situation of the ACP Secretariat [ACP/45/038/86 and ACP/45/034/86 and Corrigendum ACP/45/045/86].

    The Secretary-General introduced the subject by recalling the decision adopted by Council on the matter at its 40th session in Barbados namely:

    - that the States in arrears of contribution to the Secretariat budget should settle those arrears as quickly as possible, and

    - that the States should pay their 1986 contributions to the Secretariat's budget within the time limit set by Art. 2(3) of the Financial Regulations.

    He told Council that there had been a measure of effort by some countries in arrears and some others had respected the provisions of Art. 2(3) of the Financial Regulations. The cumulative effect of those efforts was a slight improvement in the Secretariat's finances. However, the situation was still not satisfactory and it was necessary for countries to continue to make sustained efforts to pay their arrears of contributions and thereafter, remain in good standing.

    The Secretary-General's remarks were followed by a debate by Council which centred on the measures and mechanisms to be adopted for inducing countries to pay their arrears of contributions and current commitments to the Secretariat on a regular basis. At the close of the debate Council reached the following conclusions :

    Finally Council appealed to States to make yet a greater effort in honouring their commitment to the Secretariat and requested the latter to improve its method of communication with ACP States concerning their contributions, in particular, with those ACP States with Missions outside Brussels or Belgium.

    (b) Draft budget of the ACP General Secretariat for 1987. (ACP/45/030/86 Rev.2 and list of accompanying documents.)

    The draft budget proposals for the ACP General Secretariat for 1987, were presented by H.E. Mr. P. BUNE, Ambassador of Fiji and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Establishment and Finance. In his introductory remarks, Ambassador BUNE told the session that in examining the 1987 Budget estimates, the Committee of Ambassadors was fully conscious of the appeal by the General Secretariat for realistic budget to take account of the reality of price and cost increases over the past three years, and the need for the Secretariat to effectively service the Group's various institutions in order to facilitate the implementation of the Lome III Convention. The Committee also recognised that in adopting a realistic budget, due account out to be given to the financial crisis of serious proportions which faced the organisation and the Member States' own ability to pay their assessed contributions.

    It was against this rather unfavourable economic and financial background that the Committee of Ambassadors had formulated budget proposals for 1987.

    He referred to a number of difficulties that had bedevilled the annual budgetary exercise in the past and which had been the cause of considerable misgiving to the Committee of Ambassadors. The most notable of these was the continuing failure of the Secretariat to submit an Action Programme which, under the Financial Regulations, it is required to submit together with the draft budget to the Committee of Ambassadors. This Action Programme was absolutely essential for the purpose of budgeting and programme planning so as to enable the Committee of Ambassadors to assess and evaluate the appropriateness of each programme, particularly in considering the ACP Group's priorities against availability of resources. Lack of this Action Programme, as revealed by a cursory glance at the 1987 budget proposals and previous ones, resulted in an alarming trend towards over budgeting as reflected by repeated requests for virement.

    The Sub-committee Chairman made a detailed presentation of the budget proposals chapter by chapter. He concluded his presentation by advising that there ought to be stricter control on expenditures by the Secretariat which ought to improve its current method of budget preparation. An annual and long-term work programme should be adopted urgently to enable the Committee of Ambassadors to set its priorities and organise meetings in an orderly and efficient manner.

    He assured Council that the decreases in the 1987 Budget had not been the result of any deliberate cost-cutting exercise. Due to insufficient or lack of justications, previous years' budgets had been based largely on assumptions which had based largely on assumptions which had given rise to an inflated budget and consequently over budgeting.

    Thus, in its approach to this year's budget, the Committee of Ambassadors had to apply the closest scrutiny on each expenditure head, ensuring that all requests fell within the guidelines set by the Council at its recent session in Barbados. In this regard, every effort was made to examine each proposal most carefully, in close consultation with the General Secretariat, to ensure that to the degree possible, the selection of areas for increases or reductions, (where necessary) coincided with the ACP Group's priorities. He stressed that staff entitlements which were their right under the Staff Regulations were more than adequately catered for and there was no intention whatsoever in the budget proposals to erode those privileges.

    In his intervention the Secretary General pointed out that a number of the technical difficulties raised by the Chairman of the Sub-committee stemmed from the lack of the services of a Budget Officer and an Accountant in the Secretariat. He recalled that the Secretariat's draft proposals represented an increase of 6.9% over the 1986 budget after deducting non recurrent expenditure. He invited Council to give a favourable consideration to these initial proposals with some small adjustments in a number of areas.

    Following the above presentations, Council agreed to examine the budget proposals on a global basis after dropping the idea of a had-by-head consideration. The debate which ensued gave rise to the following conclusions:


    Mini computer : The session direct that ACP should have recourse to alternate financing through EDF on presentation of a project by the Secretariat justifying the need for such equipment. The Committee of Ambassadors should, through its Chairman, address a request to this effect to the European Commission.

    Purchase of Residence for Secretary General : Council accepted in principle the idea but postponed its consideration in detail. However, it was agreeable to renting a suitable residence for the Secretary General pending a decision on the purchase of one. In regard to renting, Council took note that the provision in the budget was an estimate and that the Committee of Ambassadors had undertaken to look accommodatingly at this matter again if necessary.

    Joint Assembly fund : Council accepted to contribute to this fund the sum of BF 200 000 and requested that the Committee submit a report on the subject at its following session.

    Legal Dispute Regarding ACP House : The Committee was asked to settle the amount requested from the Reserve Fund.

    Manpower Resources : Council gave mandate to the Committee of Ambassadors to unfreeze the posts which were frozen and to proceed to recruit staff with the limits set by the decision taken in Barbados on filling vacancies. The Committee was further requested to work out an interim solution to the general problem of manpower shortage through redeployment of staff of the Secretariat. Meanwhile, Council approved the employment of 2 experts on a temporary basis for a period of 12 months to assist in the on-going work ion the Subcommittee on Financial and Technical Co-operation.

    Finally, Council fixed the Secretariat's budget for 1987 year at BF 159 148 555 to be financed as follows :

    - Contributions from ACP States BF 91,022,071

    - Contributions from EDF 68,049,484

    - Renting of ACP House 77,000

    (c) Adoption of the revised Financial Regulations of the ACP Secretariat[ACP/41/027/86 Rev.1]

    Council mandated the Committee of Ambassadors to finalise and adopt the revised Financial Regulations of the ACP Secretariat contained in document ACP/41/027/86 Rev.1, and report at the 42nd Ordinary Ministry Session.

    9. Review of the Georgetown Agreement including the question of the rotation of the Presidency of the ACP Council: Progress report
    [ref.doc.ACP/45/013/86 Rev.1 p.77]

    The Chairman of the Committee of Ambassadors reported that the latter had not completed its work on the review of the Georgetown Agreement as mandated by Council. Various regional groupings of the ACP had made their representations on the subject. However, they had been requested to submit or indicate the specific areas and proposals with which they had difficulty. It was hoped that that would enable the Committee of Ambassadors to accelerate its work by concentrating on the areas where divergence of views emerged. The Committee requested Council to take note of the progress made in the work and also extend the mandate to enable the said Committee to pursue and complete the task.

    Council duly noted the progress made by the Committee of Ambassadors and proceeded to have an exchange of views on the subject. In its discussions Council examined, inter alia, the following proposals :

    - entrusting the work to a Ministerial ad hoc Committee;

    - creating a special task force, and

    - the need to address specifically the issues of rotation of Presidency, voting system and the institution of the Secretariat as an organ of the ACP Group.

    After examining fully the above proposals, Council concluded as follows:

    (i) Council extended its mandate with a view to giving opportunity to the Committee to pursue and finalise its work by end of April 1987.

    (ii) Depending on the outcome of the work of the Committee, Council shall establish an ad hoc Committee to review and resolve pending issues, with a view to submitting a definitive report to the 42nd Ministerial Session.

    (iii) Council decided to consider the review exercise as a priority item for its 42nd Session.

    10. ACP-EEC Matters

    (a) Sugar : Report from the Sugar Ministerial Group

    The Session adopted the report on matters pertaining to sugar, presented by the Ministerial Spokesman on Sugar, Honourable.

    The integral text of the intervention is attached as appendix III. Council endorsed the course of action outlined in the report and requested the Committee to report on the progress made in implementing the Ministerial mandates at its 42nd Session.

    (b) Special Commodities Problems

    Guidelines on the Committee on Agricultural Commodities[ACP/61/078/86 and ACP/61/079/86]

    Council adopted the proposed guidelines on the Committee on Agricultural Commodities as contained in the above draft. The participants referred to the problems facing commodities both in the Community and world markets and agreed to adopt a resolution on Agricultural Commodities.

    This resolution would be submitted to the Commission by an ACP Ministerial delegation which would raise the issue of the urgency of rendering operational the ACP/EEC Committee on Agricultural Commodities.

    (c) Article 193 : Report from the Article 193 Committee

    Council took note of the report of the Article 193 Ministerial Committee contained in document ACP/81/031/86, attached as appendix IV. Council gave authority to the said Committee to implement the work programme outlined in the report in question.

    (d) Negotiations of the Protocol of Accession of Spain and Portugal to Lomé III (see relevant section in Report of the Committee of

    Ambassadors to Council [ACP/25/013/86]

    Council had noted the progress made by the Committee of Ambassadors on the above subject in the context of the consideration of that body's report submitted to the session. Council agreed to extend, by written procedure, its Decision No. 6/86 which sets out Transitional arrangements pending the conclusion of a Protocol of Accession, for a period of 6 months starting from 1st January 1987 or until the negotiations were satisfactorily concluded. Council stressed the importance of respecting the deadline set (six months) and urged the Committee to take up the matter as an urgent priority as another extension of the mandate could no longer be envisaged.

    11. Contact with International Organisations on major international developments

    (a) Address by the Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD on preparations for UNCTAD VIII and other UNCTAD work relevant to the ACP Group

    On its second day of deliberations, that is on Tuesday 2nd December Council suspended its work to hear a statement by Mr Alister Mc INTYRE, Deputy Secretary General of UNCTAD to the ACP Council of Ministers on the forthcoming UNCTAD VII. The text of this intervention is attached as appendix V.

    (b) Address by the Director of GATT on the current development regarding the Multilateral Trade Negotiations (MTN)

    On the third day of the Ministerial Session, that is 3rd December, the meeting was addressed by Mr Arthur DUNKEL, Director-General of GATT, on current developments regarding the MTN. The text of his address is annexed as appendix VI. The address was complemented by an intervention by Mr. T. KONATE, Director of Technical Division in GATT and former Secretary-General of the ACP Secretariat.

    12. Other matters

    (a) Composition of the new Bureau of the Council of ACP Ministers

    The new Bureau of Council is composed as follows :

    Central Africa : Rwanda

    East Africa : Uganda

    Western Africa : Guinea Bissau

    Southern Africa : Angola

    Caribbean : Dominica

    Pacific : Western Somao

    In accordance with Council's currently system of rotation, the Caribbean region would be the region to assume the Presidency of Council. Consequently, Dominica would be called upon to exercise the function of the office of President of Council and the mandate would come into effect as from 1st February 1987 for a period of six months. Council was informed that Honourable Eugenia CHARLES, Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs of Dominica would assume the functions of President of the Council of ACP Ministers and would chair the 42nd Ordinary Session of Council. The meeting welcomed the designation of the new President by acclamation.

    (b) Date and venue of the next meeting of

    - the Council of ACP Ministers;

    The 42nd Ordinary Session of the Council of ACP Ministers was tentatively

    scheduled to take place in Brussels immediately before the Joint Council session, the date of the meeting would be confirmed after confirmation of the proposed date for the Joint Council meeting (that is 14 and 15 May 1987) by the Co-Presidents and after consultations between the ACP President and members of the new Ministerial Bureau.

    - the Council of ACP-EEC Ministers

    The Council of ACP-EEC Ministers was tentatively scheduled to take place on 14th and 15th may 1987 in Brussels. The date would be confirmed after consultations between the Co-Presidents, and the Co-Secretary would duly inform the ACP States.

    13. Examination of the draft decisions and resolutions of the 41st Session of the Council of ACP Ministers

    Council examined and amended the draft decisions and resolutions of its 41st Session, contained in document ACP/25/017/86 [Secr.]. Council adopted the decisions and resolutions with the amendments and mandated the Committee of Ambassadors to ensure that amendments were correctly reflected in the final document. With respect to Agricultural Commodities, Council instructed the Committee of Ambassadors to prepare a resolution to be attached to the list of decisions and resolutions of its 41st Session as an appendix. The meeting rejected Draft Decision 6/86 (XXXXI) on Intra-ACP (Harare) Programme of Action.

    14. Presidents concluding remarks

    Before adjourning the 41st Ordinary Session of Council, the President observed that the meeting had made reasonable progress in its work including some in the area of Council's method of work. He recalled the major decisions taken concerning notably :

    (a) a budget for the Secretariat for 1987 financial year,

    (b) application of sanctions against ACP States that, by 31st March 1987, would not have paid their arrears of contributions to the Secretariat budget;

    (c) a commitment to settle once and for all at its 42nd Session, the long standing question of the review of the conditions of service of the staff of the Secretariat;

    (d) the principle of holding a special meeting of Council of ACP/EEC Ministers at Foreign Ministers level on the situation in Southern Africa, in pursuit of the joint commitment to Annex I of the Lome III Convention.

    He also referred to Council's initiative at inviting the Heads of GATT and UNCTAD to address the 41st Session. This was a positive move towards widening the scope of ACP influence, reinforcing relationship with international organisations and generally bringing the ACP Group to the forefront of the international community.

    Finally, he thanked all delegates for their support, assistance and business-like approach to the deliberations of Council. He extended Council's thanks to the Committee of Ambassadors and the Secretariat, whose effective preparation of the meeting enabled Council to achieve the results obtained. He made special mention of the members of the Secretariat, in particular the team of interpreters. He wished all delegates a safe journey back to their capitals and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

    In return Council had a standing ovation for the President in recognition of the very effective and efficient manner in which he chaired the deliberations of the 41st Ordinary Session.

    1. The integral text of this intervention is attached as appendix .II

    2. Ministerial Conference of West and Central African States on Maritime Transport.