8/9/2019 Conference ACP EU 12 13 July 2010

1/2

Conference of ACP-EU Intermediary Organizations: Partnership for the

Development of Enterprise-12-13 July 2010, Brussels

Statement by Mr. Achille Bassilekin III Assistant Secretary-General for Sustainable

Economic Development and Trade at the ACP Secretariat

Honorable Minister Charles Michel,

Distinguished ACP Ambassadors,

Colleagues from the European Commission, the CDE and ProInvest,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to convey the apology of the Secretary General, Dr. Chambas

for not being personally present here today as he is, at this very moment, participating inthe 5TH Regional Meeting of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, in Seychelles.

It is therefore an honor for me to make this intervention on behalf of the ACP Secretariat.

First and foremost I would like to thank Minister Michel, whose presence here today is a

clear testimony of the importance that Belgium, which has recently taken EU Presidency,attaches to the development of Private Sector in ACP Countries.

I would also wish to thank the CDE and ProInvest teams for this initiative and for hosting

this very important event. It is indeed with great satisfaction that I note the presence,here today, of so many participants from ACP and EU Intermediary Organizations. It is

worth noting that many of our ACP colleagues have travelled from very far to attend this

meeting.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Intermediary Organizations have key and catalytic roles to play in the development of a

strong and dynamic Private Sector in our countries. It is therefore of no surprise that the

Cotonou Agreement explicitly provides for their support.

The roles of Intermediary Organizations are even greater in the wake of the financial

crisis, where so many Private Sector actors have had to reengineer themselves to survive.

Nonetheless the crisis has provided an opportunity for many to draw the correct lessons

and lay the ground for improved practices. Likewise approaches aimed at fosteringdomestic, regional and international markets and boosting trade exchanges, have taken on

new urgency and this is where we see the contribution of Intermediary Organizations as

pivotal.

8/9/2019 Conference ACP EU 12 13 July 2010

2/2

We note from the agenda of this conference that thematic panels and bilateral meetings

are foreseen. We hope that the various Panel discussions and exchanges, willmeaningfully contribute to reinforcing the capacity of ACP Intermediary Organizations in

their day to day assistance to enterprises. It is to be noted that ACP Intermediary

Organizations are beset by a number of inherent constraints, which if properly addressed

will enhance their capacity to drive the development of a strong ACP private Sector.

We also hope that concrete operational partnerships between ACP and EU organizations

will emerge from these encounters and that these will be translated into tangible projects

in ACP countries.

Equally, I believe that while we are here to discuss Private Sector issues, it would be

appropriate for us to take this enriching opportunity to touch on the question of

competitiveness of ACP countries.

This is where we see the importance of ACP-EU programs such CDE and ProInvest,

which have the potential to assist ACP enterprises in becoming more competitive.However we continue to believe that the CDE, following its recent reform, should be

provided with appropriate resources to enable it to meet the ACP Private Sectorexpectations, especially in the context of the implementation of the EPAs.

On this note, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish you all a fruitful deliberation.

Thank you for your attention.