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€20M Trade Partnership For 78 ACP Countries

21 October 2004

The Commonwealth is taking a lead role in providing trade negotiating capacity for 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific states. The 'Hub and Spokes' project is a creative new approach to developing trade capacity in developing countries.

The partnership is funded by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the European Commission together with La Francophonie, with further support from the ACP Secretariat

A €20 million partnership between the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Commission, La Francophonie and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) Secretariat will benefit 78 ACP countries through the provision of more than 50 trade experts to advise governments on trade policy and negotiations.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said: "The Commonwealth is taking a lead role in providing trade negotiating capacity for 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific states. The 'Hub and Spokes' project is a creative new approach to developing trade capacity in ACP countries. This project is a huge vote of confidence in the Commonwealth by governments and other international organisations.

"The expansion of this programme comes as more Commonwealth countries are grappling with the ongoing trade negotiations which will have a huge impact on their future."

'Hub and Spokes' aims to enhance the capacity of the ACP states in trade policy formulation and enable them to integrate trade in their poverty reduction strategies, and participate in international trade negotiations.

The initiative puts in place a network of nine trade policy advisers -- or 'hubs' -- at the headquarters of regional organisations and 48 trade policy analysts -- or 'spokes' -- in the national ACP capitals. The analysts, most of whom will be ACP citizens, will work with local counterparts, to be selected by the host governments.

The Commonwealth Secretariat will manage and implement the project in 55 of the 78 ACP member states.

Mr McKinnon said: "Every euro invested by the Commonwealth has generated four more euros for developing states. The Commonwealth has contributed €4 million and unlocked €16 million from other partners in the project. We have the funding and expertise to add some practical value.

"The Commonwealth Secretariat's mission is to work as a trusted partner with our 53 member governments, to act as a catalyst for building global consensus, and to work towards the eradication of poverty. The project is one of the ways we are delivering on this mission to our membership and beyond it through the ACP Grouping."

Note to Editors:

The Hub and Spokes project is one of the three components of the Trade.Com Facility of the European Commission's capacity-building initiative for ACP countries. It aims to enhance the capacity of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states in trade policy formulation, mainstreaming trade in their poverty reduction strategies and to participate in international trade negotiations.

The Commonwealth Secretariat will manage and implement the project in 55 of the 78 ACP member states. The Secretariat has already recruited and deployed three regional advisers in Lusaka, Zambia, at the headquarters of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); in Suva, Fiji, at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat, and in Gaborone, Botswana, at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. Twelve trade policy analysts have also been posted to the Governments of Fiji Islands, Guyana, Malawi, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Rwanda, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Zambia and the PIF Secretariat.

Recruitment is under way to place additional advisers at the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union (AU) and to position trade policy analysts in an additional 17 countries.

The European Development Fund and Commonwealth Secretariat-funded portion of the project envisages funding of approximately €16 million and €4 million respectively over the four-year life of the project. Activities to be undertaken will primarily focus on capacity-building for ministries and organisations responsible for trade policy formulation and negotiations.