BRUSSELS, CMC – The Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Council of Ministers has ended a meeting with essential trade, climate change, and restructuring decisions.
According to a statement issued at the end of the meeting, “These wide-ranging decisions reflect the OACPS’s commitment to adapting to global challenges while promoting the interests of its diverse member states.”
The virtual meeting, which was chaired by Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, covered a wide range of issues, from international trade to climate action and internal restructuring.
Regarding the Samoa Agreement, the Council noted that 77 out of 79 members had signed it and agreed to hasten its ratification while also pushing to finalize the rules of procedure for the functioning of its joint institutions and guidelines for political dialogue.
The Samoa Agreement is the framework for EU relations with African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. It serves as the new legal framework for EU relations with 79 countries, including 48 African, 16 Caribbean, and 15 Pacific countries.
The new agreement, which replaced the decades-old Cotonou accord, was officially signed on November 15 last year by the EU and its member states and OACPS members in Samoa. Its provisional application started on the first day of the second month after the signature.
In response to the global clamor for access to mineral resources, the Council endorsed the Yaoundé Declaration issued by OACPS Ministers responsible for mining. It adopted a position and action plan on critical raw materials.
The Council also sought to protect OACPS market access and enhance trade relations with the European Union in the wake of EU regulations on sustainability while agreeing to boost intra-OACPS trade cooperation.
“As OACPS States confront multiple crises, including climate-induced disasters, food insecurity, indebtedness, disruptions in global supply chains, conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and pockets of its membership, financial prudence was a major theme. The execution of the 2024 budget comes with strict conditions, including limiting expenditure to essential operations, a moratorium on new hiring, and travel expense restrictions.”
The OACPS is set for significant structural changes, including acquiring new premises.
“ In a move towards greater efficiency, the Secretariat structure will be streamlined, notably reducing the number of Assistant Secretaries-General from five to two and rationalizing operations to account for implementing the Samoa Agreement.
“A leadership transition is also on the horizon, with the Council initiating the recruitment of a new Secretary-General to be drawn from the Central Africa region, in adherence to the established regional rotation principle.”
The statement said addressing climate change remains a priority for the OACPS, particularly for its Small Island Developing States (SIDS) members.
The Council approved a Resource Mobilization Conference focused on climate finance needs for SIDS and passed resolutions on building resilience against climate-related disasters.
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