Prime Minister Peter O’Neill wants to see African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) member states become a global organisation.
O’Neill is the president of the 79 ACP member states and chaired the 8th Summit in Port Moresby last week.
He said the development needs of many ACP member states differ because some are developing countries while others are least-developed.
“Finding common ground is difficult,” O’Neill said.
He added that leaders agreed to restructure the ACP Secretariat so it will be effective and also encourage more trade between member states.
“ACP has largely confined itself in Brussels and allowed it to become an institution that will only develop a relationship with the European Union.
“We need to have global presence on our agenda and challenges like climate change, poverty and women empowerment. I think if we lift the presence of our group, there will be a difference in the development agenda going forward,” O’Neill said.
ACP countries are made up of 48 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 countries from the Caribbean and 15 in the Pacific.
The next ACP summit will be held in 2018, with the venue yet to be announced.