Africa-Press – Angola. Until Tuesday, eight Heads of State had confirmed their presence at the 10th Summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OEACP), which takes place on Friday and Saturday at the Intercontinental Hotel, in Luanda, with a focus on peace, security, development and human rights.
The information was provided at a press conference by the Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Domingos Vieira Lopes, who confirmed the participation of the 79 Member States of the Organization, with emphasis on Prime Ministers, Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
The conference took place at the Aníbal de Melo Press Centre, under the guidance of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and coordinator of the Organizing Committee, Téte António. On the occasion, the Secretary of State for Cooperation, Domingos Vieira Lopes, stressed that in addition to the participation of member countries of the Organization, the OEACP invited other important personalities, who will participate in the dialogue with strategic partners, on Friday.
As an example, the Secretary of State highlighted that the meeting with strategic partners included individuals such as the president of the African Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations, Commonwealth and other international organizations.
The head of diplomacy, Téte António, said that with the assumption of the rotating presidency of the OEACP for the period 2022-2025, Angola will have the responsibility of contributing to the growth of the organization.
For the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the potential of the organization represents a very important platform at an international level. Hence the interest of Member States, but also of other partners.
During the Summit, he stressed, there will be several moments, with emphasis on the opening, strategic dialogue of the partners and general debate on specific themes and also on the theme of the Summit itself: “Three Continents, three Oceans, a common destiny, building a resilient OEACP and sustainable”.
Téte António highlighted the role of the press for the organization’s success. “The press has a big role to play in the growth of this International Organization,” he said.
Asked about the gains that the presidency of Angola at the head of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States will bring to the country, the head of diplomacy underlined that “when we assume these responsibilities, we will seek the objectives that the organization itself determines, with which the Republic of Angola identifies”.
Among the objectives, Téte António highlighted the values of solidarity and the search for solutions, characteristics of the three continents that meet in Luanda, as well as development.
“The trilogy: peace and security, development and human rights is part of the philosophy of the OEACP. This means that the Republic of Angola, identifying itself with these objectives of the organization, will certainly make them serve the interests of its own population ”.
Forums before the Summit
During his speech, the head of Angolan diplomacy said that the Summit of Heads of State and Government will be preceded by four forums, namely, Youth, Diaspora, Women and Business.
The forums, he said, will feed the results of the Summit. “This means that what will be discussed at the Forum of Youth, Diaspora, Women and Business, must necessarily impact the results of the Summit, including the final Declaration that is under negotiation”.
For Minister Téte António, the Business Forum will be an opportunity to share experiences among businessmen and not just from Member States. It will also be a moment to address the experience of Angola and the presentation of its potential, a visit to the Economic Zone so that all Summit participants have the opportunity to contemplate, in loco, what Angola is doing.
Téte António highlighted, in his speech, that the World Bank financed the participation of around 100 businessmen for the Luanda Summit, which he considered an opportunity to “sell” the country’s image.
With the Business Forum, he reinforced, there is also an opportunity for the participants in the meeting to visit an exhibition in the Special Economic Zone. “This will make it possible for those who come to Angola not to be left with just the image of the conference room, but to know what the country is doing, thus contributing to what are the objectives of the OEACP”.
The Youth Forum, under the theme “The responsibility of youth in road accidents” will have a comprehensive approach, taking into account that the problems of all young people are common. employment and the need to have a window of opportunity after graduation are common and this youth needs to debate and find solutions.
“Given what is the pyramid of our population as a country, but also that of the African continent, we have a mostly young population, so it is important that the voice of this fringe of society is heard and participates in all the objectives of the Organization”, he stressed. .
First Ladies address empowerment
The 10th Summit of Heads of State and Government will also be marked by the First Ladies Forum, reserved on Friday’s programme. The Forum will address issues such as “the education of girls and women as an empowerment factor and the blue economy: a path to sustainability and resilience of communities”.
On this panel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, considered the transversal gender issue. Having underlined in this regard that “we simply cannot imagine a world without the contribution of this important part of our life and society”.
The Diaspora Forum, he said, is the most explored aspect of the OEACP and will be the contribution to development. The expo is a very important factor for the development of our country.
Participating in the press conference on the organization of the Summit were the Secretary of State for Social Communication, Nuno Caldas, and the national director of Information and Institutional Communication of MINTTICS, João Demba.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
