Africa-Press – Eswatini. The 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the OACPS is set to be a turning point in its 50-year history.
At this summit, which also marks the organisation’s 50th anniversary, the leaders are expected to make key commitments that will affect the approximately 1.2 billion people they represent across three continents.
His Majesty the King is attending the summit together with leaders from the 79 member countries of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The members comprise 48 countries from Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific.
The King will play a key role by leading a session on resource mobilisation, during which he will invite member countries to make significant financial contributions towards the sustainability of the OACPS.
In a preamble to the summit on the OACPS portal, the Secretary-General of the organisation, Moussa Saleh Batraki, stressed the importance of the event, describing it as a strategic shift away from a post-colonial cooperative framework towards a more active role in shaping a new global order.
He warned that the ambitious goals set out at the summit could become empty promises if member nations and partners fail to honour their financial commitments. He emphasised that a transformed OACPS will require substantial funding and new financing mechanisms to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Batraki recalled that the OACPS, founded in 1975 as the ACP Group and renamed in 2020, has always advocated for fair trade and sustainable development.
He noted that the theme of the summit, “A transformed and renewed OACPS in a changing world,” is more than a celebration; it represents a call for institutional reform.
“The goal of the summit is to give the Global South a stronger voice, improve coordination with the African Union, and strengthen collaboration across multilateral forums,” he said. “The Samoa Agreement with the European Union will be a major focus, as it aims to create balanced cooperation based on reciprocity.”
The summit will address the vulnerabilities exposed by recent global shocks and advocate for a shift away from reliance on traditional government development assistance towards more diversified and sustainable sources of funding.
A Business Summit, to be led by Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, will emphasise the shift towards inclusive growth driven by investment and entrepreneurship.
A session on climate change, which disproportionately affects small island developing states at risk of extinction, will be held during the Small Island States Forum. According to Batraki, the forum agenda will include the development of country-specific adaptation plans aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while reinforcing the OACPS’s moral authority on climate justice.
As the leaders gather in Malabo, the Secretary-General says they have a rare opportunity to redefine the OACPS’s role in global politics. The decisions made at this summit will determine whether the organisation remains relevant or fades into irrelevance over the next 50 years.
Attending the summit as part of His Majesty the King’s delegation are Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Senator Philipe Shakantu; Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry Manqoba Khumalo; and Eswatini’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Ambassador Sibu Mngomezulu, among others.
The summit began with a session for the Council of Ministers and will conclude on Monday. The King is also expected to hold bilateral talks with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
