Tonga’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Titilupe Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano, has signed the Samoa Agreement at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)S Secretariat in Brussels, formally presenting the ratification of the new European Union-OACPS Partnership Agreement.
On 15 November last year, the EU and its member states signed a comprehensive Partnership Agreement with the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), intended to frame their relations over the next 20 years.
This new accord, known as the “Samoa Agreement,” replaces the Cotonou Agreement and addresses sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security.
The designation of the Agreement, the Samoa Agreement was agreed upon during the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers held in Samoa.
Following the signing, Tu’ivakano met with OACPS Secretary-General, Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti to discuss the upcoming Pacific Regional Protocol.
This protocol is scheduled for launch in Tonga in the margins of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in August 2024.
The Samoa Agreement includes a common foundation applicable to all parties, supplemented by three regional protocols tailored to the specific needs of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
