Africa-Press – Tanzania. Tanzania’s Vice President, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, has represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The summit took place at the Sipopo International Conference Centre, bringing together leaders from the 79-member bloc to discuss reforms and cooperation aimed at strengthening the organisation’s role in addressing major global challenges.
During the opening session, leaders underscored the need for urgent institutional and structural reforms to enable the OACPS to respond effectively to current global pressures, including political instability, armed conflict and climate change.
Speakers also called on member states to ensure the timely payment of their financial contributions, stressing that consistent funding is essential for the organisation’s financial independence and credibility as an independent voice in international affairs.
The summit further highlighted the need to harness the bloc’s combined population of approximately 1.5 billion people through investment in skills development, innovation and the use of artificial intelligence to accelerate socio-economic progress.
Leaders also stressed the importance of strengthening trade relations among member states and expanding cooperation with other regional organisations.
The empowerment of young people and women was identified as a key priority to ensure broader participation in development efforts.
Tanzania’s participation in the summit forms part of its continued engagement in regional and international platforms, reinforcing the country’s contribution to global development discussions and international cooperation.
During the meeting, Angolan President João Manuel Lourenço officially handed over the OACPS chairmanship to Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
The OACPS, established in the 1970s to support African, Caribbean and Pacific nations formerly under European colonial rule, was legally founded through the Georgetown Agreement of 6 June 1975.
The group was previously known as the ACP Group before it was renamed the OACPS in April 2020 following amendments to its founding agreement.
The summit is being held under the theme: “A transformed and renewed OACPS at the service of an inclusive, sustainable and trust-based multilateralism,” reflecting the bloc’s push to reposition itself as a stronger and more self-reliant international organisation.
Vice President Nchimbi was accompanied by Suleiman Masoud Makame, Zanzibar’s Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock, as well as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation James Milya.
Also in the delegation were Tanzania’s Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, resident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Said Juma Mshana, and Tanzania’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Jestas Nyamanga.
