The Eastern and Southern African Non-state Actors Forum (ESANAF) is an evolving network of individuals and non-state organisations who are concerned about the social and economic impacts of regional and international trade and co-operation agreements, such as the Cotonou Agreement. Its purpose is to provide a forum for its members to build partnerships, share information and play an effective part in the negotiation and implementation of agreements that impact the stakeholders they represent.

The ESANAF was launched at a workshop entitled: ‘Exploring the Possibilities of Meaningful Participation of Non-state Actors at the Regional Level in the Implementation of the Cotonou Agreement’, on April 28-29, 2003. This was in response to the provisions provided within the Cotonou Agreement for Non-state Actors to contribute to the economic, social and political co-operation that it envisages between the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. This workshop called for an increased involvement of Non-state Actors in the process of negotiating the trade provisions of Cotonou, the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), and in relation to monitoring the impact of the development assistance Cotonou provides. (Click here for a full report)

Participation

Any individual or organisation who would like to contribute to the decision-making processes of agreements, like Cotonou, in order to promote greater social equity, pro-poor trade policies and more effective poverty reduction strategies, is encouraged to join the forum through this website, or contact us by phone, fax or email for more information.

We encourage broad participation and diverse contribution to the ESANAF by any individual or organisation engaged in questioning the current format of negotiations and seeking alternatives which promote greater social and trade equity and effective poverty alleviation. You can join the forum through this website, or contact us by phone, fax or email for more information.

The Cotonou Agreement

In June 2000, the EU signed a co-operation agreement with the ACP group of countries. The agreement, signed in Benin, Cotonou, provides a framework for economic and political cooperation between the EU and 77 ACP countries until 2020. The Cotonou Agreement is a successor to the Lome Conventions, through which the EU provided non-reciprocal trade preferences for a wide range of ACP exports between 1975 and 2000.

The Cotonou Agreement provides a new framework for trade, aid and economic and political co-operation between the EU and ACP countries that is World Trade Organisation (WTO) compliant, focussed on ACP poverty reduction and based on the principles of   equality of partners, ACP ownership of development strategies, all inclusive participation, dialogue, mutual obligations, differentiation and regionalisation.

For the complete Cotonou Agreement, please click here

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)

The Lome trade regime is due to end in December 2007 and the future EU-ACP trade regime will be governed by EPAs that are currently being negotiated between six ACP regions, including the ESA region, and the EU. These EPAs have the following objectives:

It remains to be seen whether the EPAs will deliver on these objectives and Non-state Actors have an important role to play in monitoring the EPA negotiation process to make sure that they are at the forefront of the final agreement.

For more information on EPAs, please click here

Non-state Actors and the Cotonou Agreement

The Cotonou Agreement recognises Non-state Actors’ participation. This is very important in order to bring on board poor people's concerns in relation to trade and economic policies. Non-state Actors include civil society, trade unions and the private sector. This is a complete departure from the Lome Convention, which did not put the inclusion of Non-state Actors as a condition of cooperation and was government-Centreed. This agreement clearly states that Non-state Actors should be informed and involved in cooperation, policies and strategy formulation.

Although ACP countries were not keen to have Non-state Actors included, the insistence of the EU that they should be included in the negotiation process resulted in Cotonou legislating that 15 percent of Cotonou funds should go to them. 

Comments

Various stakeholders have posted comments. Please click here to view them.

ESANAF Partner Activities

More partner activities to be added

Regional co-ordination

CUTS-ARC/ESANAF
P O Box 37113
Suite 4,11, Main Post Office Bldg, Cairo Road, Lusaka
Zambia
Tel: +26 (0)1 224 992
Fax: +26 (0)1 225 220
Email: cutsarc@zamnet.zm
lusaka@cuts.org