Representatives of organisations which build the trade capacity of countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions through a ‘Hub and Spokes’ programme, have hailed the achievements of the initiative and supported plans to expand the programme into a second phase.
At the opening of a three-day co-ordination meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 5 March 2012, senior officials from the Commonwealth Secretariat, European Commission, ACP Secretariat and La Francophonie, said they had received very positive feedback from the review of the Hub and Spokes and agreed with the recommendation to continue supporting it beyond its current mandate.
Ram Venuprasad, a senior official from the Office of the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, said the ‘Hub and Spokes’ programme has earned a high reputation as a premier provider of much needed technical assistance to countries in the ACP region, through the deployment of trade policy experts who advise government and private sector officials on important trade issues for consideration when they are participating in regional and international trade negotiations.
“Very few aid for trade programmes anywhere in the world today can match the institutional knowledge and in-country experience the ‘Hub and Spokes’ programme has accumulated since 2004,” Mr Venuprasad said.
He re-echoed the remarks of Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, who ahead of the meeting, signalled the Commonwealth Secretariat’s commitment to support the programme into the next phase.
“Now that all partners are agreed in principle that the programme will continue beyond June 2012, it is critical that the necessary decisions are taken as a matter of urgency to secure new institutional arrangements for its governance, design and funding. Time is of the essence,” Mr Venuprasad added.
“The Commonwealth Secretariat is committed to making appropriate contributions to this ongoing effort.”
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Cameroon, Raul Mateus Paula, said that going forward, trade-related assistance will continue to be a priority area of the EU’s support to ACP countries.
Achille Bassilekin III, the Assistant Secretary-General of the ACP Secretariat, hailed the excellent partnership existing among the institutions involved in the ‘Hub and Spokes’ programme and called for the consolidation of the achievements of the programme going forward.
The Administrator of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Clement Duhaime, said the Commonwealth and La Francophonie share a common vision on development priorities for their membership, particularly in terms of the need to build trade policy capacity across the membership.
Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, Minister of Trade of Cameroon, who opened the Yaoundé meeting, hailed the Commonwealth and its partners for their pragmatic approach in assisting ACP member countries in building trade capacity, which is key to their future economic development.
This meeting is also being attended by representatives from other development organisations, including the World Trade Organization.
