Tayebwa Urges OACPS States to Unite in Negotiations with European Union

Deputy Speaker of Parliament and President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly, Thomas Tayebwa, has urged lawmakers from the three regions to strengthen regional unity and negotiate with the European Union as a single bloc.

Speaking while chairing the 65th session of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels, Tayebwa emphasized that the collective leverage of the 79 member states is crucial for influencing international engagements on trade, investment, climate finance, and sustainable development. He noted that Europe’s unified regional approach grants it significant diplomatic advantages, a strategy OACPS should emulate to protect its population of nearly two billion people.

The discussions also focused on the implementation of the Samoa Agreement, which provides the overarching framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the EU. However, Tayebwa expressed concern over the slow pace of ratification, noting that only 15 OACPS member states and 15 EU states had ratified the agreement as it approaches its second anniversary. He urged delegates to question their foreign affairs ministers upon returning home to accelerate the process and unlock development opportunities.

Financial sustainability was another major topic, with Tayebwa advocating for a common parliamentary fund to reduce reliance on external European support. Regional leaders from the Pacific, Caribbean, and Africa backed the proposal, with the African group suggesting an initial fund of approximately €1 million starting in 2027. The current assembly sessions precede the broader OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly meetings in Brussels, where pressing issues like climate finance, debt sustainability, and digital learning will take center stage.

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