Brussels, 12 October 2011: Top executives from regional banks, economic communities and financial and industrial holdings in the ACP region will gather in Brussels this Thursday for the Second High Level Workshop on Enhancing Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) financing in ACP countries.

Chair of the ACP Group Committee of Ambassadors,
Representatives of the European Commission,
Excellencies,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Brussels, 10 October 2011: The ACP Group continues to celebrate the achievements of three women jointly awarded the Noble Peace Prize on Friday, including two Africans.

Brussels, 10 October 2011: A meeting of between the ACP Secretary General Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas and regional heads of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) last week underlined the importance of environmental protection to sustainable development programmes in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

PRESS RELEASE, 6 October 2011: The Second Open Day of the Sustainable Economic Development and Trade Department (SEDT) is scheduled for Tuesday 11 October at the ACP House in Brussels.

The one-day event aims to bring together African, Caribbean and Pacific embassies and regional organizations, along with leaders of various Programme Management Units and facilities to exchange information on ways to improve access to these facilities, including funding opportunities.

Brussels, 4 October 2011 

Mr. President,
Hon. Members,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors of ACP States,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Brussels, 1 October 2011: The Chief of Protocol from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Development Cooperation paid a special visit to the Committee of Ambassadors last week to bolster relations with representatives of the ACP family of nations.

Mr Pierre Labouverie, who has a long history of ambassadorship in various ACP countries, led the visiting delegation, accompanied by Deputy Chiefs of Protocol Mr Christian Van den Hove and Adviser to Embassies Mr Carl Peeters.

Brussels, 1 October 2011: In progressing ACP’s outreach to civil society forums, Secretary General Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas has joined the board of trustees of International Alert (Alert), one of the world’s largest peace building organizations.

Brussels, 30 September 2011: The ACP Group regrets the loss of two distinguished statesmen and one Nobel laureate from its family of nations who all passed away within days of each other last month.

National hero and former Prime Minister of Belize, Rt. Hon. George Price passed away 19 September at age 92. Rt Hon. Price is considered the founding father of Belize, having led the nation to independence from Britain three decades ago in September 1981. He served as Belize’s first Prime Minister from 1981-1984 and again in 1989-1993. 

Brussels, 30 September 2011: Ambassadors of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States welcomed the recent victory 25-year-old Angolan Laila Lopes, who won the Miss Universe crown in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 12 September.

Miss Lopes beat out contestants from nearly 90 countries to take the coveted title at the pageant’s 60^th anniversary.