Mbuende’s term as chair of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors comes to an end
The Namibian Ambassador to the European Union, HE Dr Kaire Mbuende has just ended his term as the chairman of the Committee of Ambassadors of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. Ambassador Mbuende is succeeded by Ambassador Joshua Kalinoe of Papua New Guinea.
At a handover ceremony last week, Dr Mbuende summarised his activities and thanked his co-bureau members for their useful contributions to the work of the ACP Group. He expressed satisfaction with the work they had accomplished and acknowledged the support of the group secretariat throughout their tenure.
The Secretary General of the ACP Group, HE Dr Patrick Gomes thanked the outgoing bureau for steering the group over the previous six months from 1 February to 31 July 2019. He welcomed the new bureau and pledged the continued assistance of the secretariat. The ACP Secretariat is based in Brussels, Belgium.
Incoming chairman, Ambassador Kalinoe said his focus will be on the negotiation of a new partnership agreement with the European Union; the finalization of the review of the Georgetown Agreement; the renewal of the ACP Secretariat’s Senior Management and the preparation of the 9th ACP Summit of Heads of States and Government that will take place in December in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Committee of Ambassadors is an important decision-making body of the ACP Group of States. It comprises one representative from each of the Group’s 79 member countries. It meets at least once a month in Brussels to monitor the implementation of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, and carry out any mandate tasked by the ACP Council of Ministers.
Caption: The Namibian Ambassador to the EU, Dr Kaire Mbuende (front centre left) has steered the Committee of Ambassadors of the ACP Group of States for the past semester. He is succeeded by Ambassador Joseph Kalinoe (front centre right) of Papua New Guinea.
