Title
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS MEMBER STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES, OF THE OTHER PART
Preamble
THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM,
THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA,
THE CZECH REPUBLIC,
THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK,
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY,
THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA,
IRELAND,
THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC,
THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN,
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA,
THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS,
THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA,
THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG,
HUNGARY,
THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA,
THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS,
THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND,
THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC,
ROMANIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA,
THE SLOVAK
REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND,
THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN,
Contracting Parties to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, hereinafter referred to as the "Member States of the European Union",
and
THE EUROPEAN UNION,
hereinafter jointly referred to as the "EU Party",
of the one part, and
THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA,
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA,
THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS,
BARBADOS,
BELIZE,
THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN,
THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA,
BURKINA FASO,
THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI,
THE REPUBLIC OF CABO VERDE,
THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON,
THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF CHAD,
THE UNION OF THE COMOROS,
THE REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO,
THE COOK ISLANDS,
THE REPUBLIC OF COTE D'IVOIRE,
THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA,
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO,
THE REPUBLIC OF DJIBOUTI,
THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA,
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA,
THE STATE OF ERITREA,
THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI,
THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF FIJI,
THE GABONESE REPUBLIC,
THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA,
GRENADA,
THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA,
THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA-BISSAU,
THE COOPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA,
THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI,
JAMAICA,
THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA,
THE REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI,
THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO,
THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF MADAGASCAR,
THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI,
THE REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES,
THE REPUBLIC OF MALI,
THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS,
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS,
THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE,
THE REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF NAURU,
THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER,
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA,
NIUE,
THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU,
THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA,
THE FEDERATION OF SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS,
SAINT LUCIA,
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES,
THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA,
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE,
THE REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL,
THE REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES,
THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE,
SOLOMON ISLANDS,
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF SOMALIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN,
THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME,
THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA,
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE,
THE TOGOLESE REPUBLIC,
THE KINGDOM OF TONGA,
THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,
TUVALU,
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA,
THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU,
THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA,
THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE,
Members of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), hereinafter referred to as the "OACPS Members", of the other part,
hereinafter jointly referred to as the "Parties",
HAVING REGARD to the Revised Georgetown Agreement establishing the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, on the one hand, and the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the other;
CONSIDERING their strong links and the close political, economic and cultural ties that unite them;
REAFFIRMING their attachment to the rules-based global order, with multilateralism as its key principle and the United Nations at its core;
CONFIRMING their commitment to sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
STRESSING the importance of regular dialogue on issues of mutual interest at all relevant levels;
REAFFIRMING their commitment to consolidating their partnership by coordinating actions in international forums based on common interests, shared values and mutual respect, and cognisant of their ability to shape global outcomes when acting jointly;
CONFIRMING their commitment to democratic principles and human rights as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments, as well as to the principles of the rule of law and good governance;
RECALLING their strong will to promote peace and security and their international obligations on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as their determination to prevent and prosecute the most serious crimes of concern to the international community;
REAFFIRMING their commitment to foster multi-stakeholder cooperation in support of the achievement of sustainable development, taking account of the different roles played by different stakeholders, while ensuring that they all operate within the rule of law;
STRESSING the urgency to tackle global environmental challenges, the importance of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the urgent need to build stable and sustainable low-carbon economies and societies resilient to climate change, and to move forward to achieve common environmental, climate change and renewable energy goals;
RECOGNISING the importance of structural economic transformation in achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development;
RECALLING their commitment to the principles and rules that govern international trade, in particular those agreed in the World Trade Organization;
RECALLING their commitment to respect labour rights, taking into account the principles laid down in conventions of the International Labour Organization;
RECOGNISING the important role of science, technology, research and innovation in accelerating the transition to knowledge-based societies, facilitated through the use of digital tools in pursuit of sustainable development;
RECALLING their commitment to fostering human and social development, eradicating poverty, and fighting discrimination and inequality, leaving no one behind;
ACKNOWLEDGING that changing demographic dynamics, combined with economic, social and environmental changes offer opportunities for, and pose challenges to, sustainable development;
REAFFIRMING that gender equality and empowerment of women and girls are essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable development;
RECOGNISING the importance of youth for shaping the future and contributing to sustainable development;
REAFFIRMING their commitment to promoting a people-centred partnership and to enhancing people-to-people contacts, including through cooperation and exchanges in the field of science, technology, innovation, education and culture;
REAFFIRMING their commitment to enhancing cooperation and dialogue on migration and mobility;
RECOGNISING the increasing risks caused by natural disasters, economic and other exogenous shocks including pandemics;
CONFIRMING their willingness to collaborate in support of regional and continental integration, particularly with a view to achieving the objectives set out in Agenda 2063 of the African Union and in the integration and cooperation frameworks of the Caribbean and Pacific;
RECALLING the principles of policy coherence for development and aid effectiveness, as well as the principles of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA);
HAVING REGARD to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, as last amended (the "Cotonou Agreement"),
Body
Part I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Objectives
1. The European Union and its Member States, hereinafter referred to as the "EU Party", of the one part, and the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Members, of the other part, hereinafter jointly referred to as the "Parties", hereby agree to conclude this Agreement, establishing a strengthened political partnership to generate mutually beneficial outcomes on common and intersecting interests and in accordance with their shared values.
2. This Agreement shall contribute to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 (the "2030 Agenda"), and the Paris Agreement adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at Paris on 12 December 2015 (the "Paris Agreement"), as overarching frameworks guiding the partnership under this Agreement.
3. The objectives of this Agreement are to:
(a) promote, protect and fulfil human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance, paying particular attention to gender equality;
(b) build peaceful and resilient states and societies, tackling ongoing and emerging threats to peace and security;
(c) foster human and social development, and in particular to eradicate poverty and address inequalities, ensuring that everyone enjoys a life of dignity and that no one is left behind, with special attention paid to women and girls;