From Rome to Cotonou, the emergence of the ACP Group

Founded in 1975 with the Lomé Convention, the OEACP has its origins in the 1957 Treaty of Rome, linking the EEC to the colonies. Under the impetus of Senghor and Houphouët-Boigny, it expanded with the Yaoundé and Lomé Conventions, integrating the Commonwealth. This^firstepisode recounts its evolution up to the Cotonou Agreement (2000), between economic cooperation and the politicization of relations with the EU.

The Roman origins of the OEACP (1975–1975)

History will record that on March 25, 1957, the date of the signing of the Treaty of Rome that created the European Economic Community, only three of the 79 current members of the OEACP were independent.

How strange it is to talk about this treaty as we begin the history of the OEACP. Although the story of this organization is colored and punctuated by the independence of countries that are now sovereign, this date is nonetheless of paramount importance.

It was under the impetus of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands (three of the six signatories to the Treaty of Rome with colonial empires) who sensed that decolonization was coming, that an article of the treaty initiating European unity included provisions to maintain privileged economic and trade relations with overseas colonies and territories. The French and Belgian governments, in particular, pushed to involve their African colonies in the European Economic Community (EEC) in order to preserve their economic and political influence.

After 1960, relations between the EEC and the former colonies were updated. In 1963, in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, 19 countries (knownas the Associated African and Malagasy States (EAMA)) signed the Yaoundé Convention, which is considered to be the^firstformalization of structured cooperation between the EEC and the newly independent countries of Africa. In 1969,the Yaoundé II Conventionfurther developed the mechanisms for trade and financial cooperation through the EDF (European Development Fund).

The enlargement of the EEC, notably with the accession of the United Kingdom in 1973, was an important turning point in the development of the group of African countries that signed the initial cooperation agreements with the European Community. The United Kingdom wanted and obtained the inclusion of its former Commonwealth colonies (particularly in English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific) in the agreements with the EEC, thereby extending the Yaoundé Convention to a larger and more diverse group.

Birth of the ACP Group (1975)

It was under the leadership of Leopold Sedar Senghor and Félix Houphouët Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire (President of the Republic from 1960 to 1993), and against a backdrop of global economic tensions (the 1973 oil crisis, volatility in commodity prices, etc.) that the countries of the global South highlighted the need to negotiate collectively with the EEC, given the need to protect their export-dependent economies.

The two West African heads of state used their influence to convince their new counterparts to join this bloc strategy. Other southern players then joined the initiative: Forbes Burnham of Guyana (Prime Minister 1966-1980), Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago (Prime Minister 1962-1981), and Ratou Sir Kamisese Mara of Fiji (Prime Minister 1970-1987).

The two African leaders, with the support of two Caribbean leaders and a Pacific head of state, joined by France's Claude Cheysson (European Commissioner for Development 1973-1981), initiated the creation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group). This was formalized by the Georgetown Agreement on June 6, 1975, in the capital of Guyana. Although the formalization bears this date, the states concerned had already been working as a single bloc since the end of 1973.

Lomé Conventions

On February 28, 1975, in Lomé, Togo, a historic act sealed the alliance between 46 nations from the Pacific, Africa, and the Caribbean and the EEC. This was the Lomé Convention, which marked the birth of the ACP Group of States. Phillipe Lemaitre, a journalist at Le Monde Diplomatique, wrote in April 1975 that this agreement was "forged in the crucible of decolonization and the aspiration for economic sovereignty, embodying a bold ambition: to transcend colonial legacies and establish equitable cooperation."

At the heart of this new dynamic was an innovative element known as the Import Revenue Stabilization System, or STABEX, which was ardently and brilliantly championed by President Senghor. It was designed to protect the still fragile economies of ACP countries from fluctuations in world market prices.

How did this mechanism work?

In an article (The European Community’s Lomé Convention: STABEX and the third world aspiration) dated 1976, economist David Wall explains:"STABEX functions as a financial safety net for ACP countries, offering them compensation for losses in export earnings due to the volatility of commodity prices.

Although STABEX has brought a certain degree of stability, it has been criticized for not encouraging economic diversification, David Wall continues: "STABEX covers a list of strategic agricultural products. Although it brings a certain degree of stability, it does not encourage economic diversification."

The ACP-EU cooperation agreements were expanded by the Lomé II Convention, signed in 1979 and entered into force in 1980, this time with 58 countries. New stabilization mechanisms were introduced to complement STABEX. These included, for example, the introduction of SYSMIN (Stabilization of Mining Revenues) and an increase in EDF funding for industrialization.

Lomé III (between 1985 and 1990) and Lomé IV (1990 and 2000)

Despite significant progress, criticism remains regarding the persistence of economic dependence and insufficient diversification of ACP economies. Lomé III and IV thus laid the foundations for a new form of partnership, which would culminate in the Cotonou Agreement in 2000.

These two new agreements mark a strengthening of cooperation by focusing on food self-sufficiency, rural development, and combating desertification, while reinforcing STABEX and SYSMIN.

Lomé III was extended by Lomé IV, which involved 70 ACP countries. This latest version of the Lomé Convention focused on sustainable development and promoted structural adjustment. However, the complexity of the mechanisms and the continuing dependence of ACP countries on raw material exports continued to attract criticism.

The politicization of reports

The period covered by the latest agreements (1985-2000) marks a turning point in relations between the ACP countries and the European Economic Community (EEC), which became the European Union (EU) after the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. This development was accompanied by a growing politicization of relations, with a new focus on human rights, political dialogue, governance, and democracy. From Lomé III onwards, the agreements incorporated human rights concerns, reflecting a desire to move beyond purely economic issues and address socio-political challenges. It introduced clauses encouraging respect for fundamental freedoms, although these remain limited in their application.

Lomé IV establishes political dialogue as a key element of cooperation, including clauses on governance, democracy, and the rule of law, particularly in Lomé IV bis (1995). This politicization, influenced by the end of the Cold War and the enlargement of the EU in 1995, imposes conditions on European aid. Some ACP countries perceive this as external interference.

Despite these differences, this approach paved the way for the Cotonou Agreement (2000), which reinforced these principles while balancing economic cooperation and political dialogue.

Chérif Adoudou (political blogger)