Thomas Tayebwa, who serves as Uganda’s Deputy Speaker and heads the parliamentary arm of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), called on lawmakers from the three regions to present a unified front when dealing with European counterparts. Speaking at the 65th Assembly session in Brussels, Tayebwa argued that the collective weight of the 79-member body would dictate its leverage in global talks on trade, investment, and climate finance. He observed that European nations often speak as a single regional entity, a tactic that grants them significant sway in international forums. Nile Post reported that Tayebwa urged OACPS members to mirror this strategy to better protect their shared interests.
The gathering, which marked Tayebwa’s inaugural session as Assembly president, included 46 delegation heads and over 220 attendees. It served as a preparatory step for the upcoming OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, set for November 9 to 13 in Brussels. OACPS Secretary-General Moussa Batraki also addressed the delegates, encouraging them to view the organization’s diverse membership as an asset. He pointed to recent regional parliamentary meetings in Antigua and Barbuda and Eswatini as evidence of the new framework taking shape under the Samoa Agreement.
A major focus was the sluggish ratification of the Samoa Agreement, which underpins cooperation between the OACPS and the EU. Tayebwa revealed that just 15 OACPS and 15 EU states had formally approved the deal, even as it neared its two-year mark. He cautioned that delays might restrict benefits for member nations, prompting him to ask legislators to press their foreign ministers for updates. Batraki added that full implementation requires approval from at least 53 OACPS states, a threshold the group has yet to reach.
Financial independence was another priority, with Tayebwa pushing for funding mechanisms that reduce reliance on European support. Regional groups backed a common parliamentary fund, with the African bloc suggesting an initial one-million-euro contribution starting in 2027. The agenda also covered challenges like climate finance and debt sustainability, which Tayebwa said directly impact national parliaments’ capacity to shield their citizens from economic pressures.