The virtual 113th Session of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) commenced on Wednesday, December 1, and concluded yesterday (Friday, December 3).
In his welcoming address, President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola Tete António encouraged the maximisation of current areas of collaboration and exploration of potential opportunities to build back better in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other global challenges.
While delivering Fiji’s intervention in response to the Committee of Ambassadors’ Report, Minister for Defence, National Security and Policing, Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu called for solidarity among the OACPS member States to advance partnerships for sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council of Ministers was informed of the progressive steps Fiji has taken to vaccinate over 90 per cent of the target adult population, and reopening of Fiji’s borders on December 1 after closure to international visitors for almost two years.
Minister Seruiratu reminded the Forum of the importance of continuing the momentum on climate action, and that climate change-related sea-level- rise remains one of the greatest threats facing our region, the Blue Pacific.
OACP member States shared similar climate change-related concerns, given that 64 out of the 79 member states of the OACPS are coastal states and 37 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Fiji.
He further emphasised the importance of implementing the commitments secured in Glasgow.
He called for the convening of a regional seminar to facilitate the implementation of the new development cooperation instrument of the EU, namely the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation (NDIC), and its implications on the OACPS member States.
The Minister called for alignment of priorities identified in the new Partnership Agreement between the EU and the OACPS, in the NDIC and for a mechanism to ensure greater collaboration among OACPS countries and regions.
He conveyed Fiji’s call for the EU to suspend its blacklisting of countries as non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, anti-money laundering, and countering terrorism financing during the prevailing COVID-crisis.
He acknowledged the need to continue to engage in meaningful dialogue with the aim of providing necessary technical and financial support to enhance tax good governance in the affected countries.
The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, is an organisation created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975.
It is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific States, all but Cuba being signatories to the Cotonou Agreement, also known as the “ACP-EC Partnership Agreement”, which binds them to the European Union.
There are 48 countries from Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 from the Caribbean, and 15 from the Pacific.
