Luanda - Angolan Head of State João Lourenço has chaired the virtual summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), which brings together 79 countries, including 48 from Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific.
The OACPS is currently chaired by President João Lourenço. Angola took over the chairmanship of the organization in December 2022, during the 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the body, held in Luanda.
The Secretary General of the OACPS is the Angolan George Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, who has held the position since 2019.
The summit, according to the Angolan Foreign Minister Téte António, aimed to analyze issues related to the election of the organization's new Secretary General, as well as to choose a champion for the mobilization of the institution's financial resources, given the critical situation it is currently in.
Téte António added that the OACPS Council of Ministers will meet again to seek consensus on the next election of the organization's Secretary General.
Regarding the organization's financial situation, an issue that had already been addressed at the previous extraordinary session, the Angolan diplomat said that a recommendation has been made for member countries to make efforts to strictly comply with their respective contributions.
The Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, formerly known as the ACP Group, was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975 with the main objective of coordinating cooperation with the European Union (EU), particularly on issues of economic development, trade and aid policies.
Its main objectives are to promote sustainable development and the integration of its members into the world economy by strengthening economic, political and cultural cooperation among member countries.
The negotiation and implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union, such as the Cotonou Agreement (2000) and the recent Samoa Agreement (2023), as well as the promotion of peace and security, especially in vulnerable regions, are also part of the institution's objectives.
The OACPS countries have traditionally enjoyed a special relationship with the EU through economic cooperation agreements, trade concessions and development assistance programs.
The Cotonou Agreement, signed in 2000, was one of the most important milestones of this partnership and has now been replaced by the Samoa Agreement, signed in 2023.
The OACPS has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. AFL/SC/AMP
