African Cotton Producers get organised

Cotonou Declaration

Faced with the current crisis in the cotton industry affecting 10 million people in West and Central Africa, cotton producers met in Cotonou, Benin, on the 21-22 December 2004 to analyse the present crisis together and to define the strategies for mobilising, position-taking and action, enabling them to defend their interests.  

Six countries answered the appeal:  Burkina Faso, Togo, Mali, Benin, Cameroon and Senegal. The participants discussed the international situation in order to frame the problem in a more global context, then went on to analyse the crisis situation as it is experienced by each country.  

On the basis of this analysis and with regard to the most urgent problems to solve, the participants decided to indicate their objectives for change and actions to implement in view of future negotiations at the WTO taking place in Hong Kong, China, in December 2005. 

Unanimously, cotton producers decided to take their destiny in hand and to become in fact the engine for change. To do this, they decided to join together in a networking of cotton producers at continental level, entitled the Association of African Cotton Producers, or AproCA. It is reckoned capable of validly representing the cotton industry at all stages of reflection and decision.  

The Association of African Cotton Producers pursue the following aims: 

Group together the cotton producing organisations operating on the African continent;

Promote solidarity among the members of the organisation; 

Advance discussion and cooperation among members in order to deal with problems of mutual interest.  

Collect, handle and distribute any information concerning cotton to members.  

Defend cotton producers against any disparity in the world cotton market.  

Share experiences between member organisations.

A Bureau has been set up composed of the following members:

President: TRAORE B. François, Burkina

Vice-President: Moussa SABALY, Senegal

Secretary General: SANOGO Gaoussou, Mali

Assistant Secretary General: BEBNONE Payouni, Cameroun

Treasurer General: SERO Zorobouragui, Bénin

Assistant Treasurer: SOH Essohana, Togo

At the exit of this meeting a forum will be held within the core organisations of the participants in order to identify the lines of action to take, faced with the number of problems identified. This process will result in a plan of action that will be presented and confirmed at the next Extraordinary General Meeting in January 2005, which will be attended by current members and new adherents. 

The Association of African Cotton Producers wish to thank its partners and launches an appeal to all those who are genuinely committed to defending African cotton to join this movement. 

The time has come! We cannot wait any longer.

Cotonou, 22 December 2004

Signed :

Léopold LOKOSSOU (FUPRO-Benin)

Moussa SABALY (FNPC Senegal)

SANOGO Gaoussou (GSCM Mali)

BEBNONE Payouni (OPCC.GIE Cameroon)

SOH Essohana (URGPC Togo)

TRAORE B. François (UNPC-B Burkina Faso)