Brussels, 21 January 2022/OACPS: ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) co-presidents, the Hon Carlos Zorrinho of Portugal and the Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr. of the Solomon Islands, today issued a joint statement in solidarity with the Kingdom of Tonga following the volcanic eruption almost a week ago, during the first Bureau meeting of the ACP-EU JPA for 2022.

STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION

Brussels, 21 January 2022/OACPS: Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), H.E. Mr Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, pledged to continue joint efforts with the European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to, “further contribute to poverty reduction, attaining the effective integration of all Members of the OACPS into the world trading system and promoting sustainable, inclusive economic development.”

Brussels, 19 January 2022/OACPS: The Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), H.E. Mr Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, is very concerned for the welfare and wellbeing of the government and residents of the Kingdom of Tonga and the other affected Pacific Member States as a result of the explosive eruption of the submarine volcano, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai, and the subsequent tsunamis that occurred on Saturday, 15 January 2022, which affected the region.

Brussels, 14 January 2022/OACPS: Two reports produced following the six-month mission led by high-level international experts under the OACPS Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme's Policy Support Facility (PSF) are expected to assist the Kingdom of Lesotho to develop a new and efficient R&I Policy.

The Country Background Report and the Policy Recommendation Report will contribute to boosting the national R&I system for better impact on society and sustainable development.

Brussels, 14 January 2022/OACPS: The 113th Session of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) was held on 30 November to 2 December 2021. The Session was chaired by the Hon. Mr. Tete António, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola and President-in-Office of the OACPS Council of Ministers.

At the meeting, the ministers and their representatives approved twelve decisions and three resolutions.

Brussels, 13 January 2022/OACPS: The Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, has learnt with deep sadness of the passing of the incumbent President of the European Parliament Mr David Sassoli, on Tuesday, 11 January 2022.

A leader of one of the key EU institutions, Mr Sassoli steadfastly defended and promoted democratic ideals. Through this, he inspired the work of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Brussels, 17 December 2021/OACPS: Key policy recommendations were submitted to the Mauritanian government for developing a strategy to make research and innovation (R&I) a vector for sustainable development. They result from the OACPS R&I Policy Support Facility (PSF) service, requested by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, through the National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation.

Brussel, XX December 2021/OACPS/UNIDO: UNIDO’s 9^th Ministerial Conference of the LDCs has pushed forward the long-standing partnership between UNIDO and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). For the first time, the two partners joined forces in organizing the Ministerial Conference, together with the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

Brussels, 10 December 2021/OACPS/UNWomen: Today we mark Human Rights Day, as the 2021 UNiTE campaign “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now! concludes. We reaffirm together, in the face of continuing and even increasing gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the global context of violent conflicts, that women’s rights are human rights.