Ethiopia particpates at the OACPS and the EU-OACPS Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) Honorable Speaker Tagesse Chaffo has expressed Ethiopia’s unwavering stance in playing its part in strengthening the institutional capacity of OACPS to make it fit for purpose, efficient, independent and a visible actor in the multilateral fora.
Honorable speaker Tagesse Chaffo. Credit: The Embassy of Ethiopia in Brussels Ethiopia as a founding member of the Organization of Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), which has 78 member countries, has been taking part in the OACPS-European Union Parliamentary Assembly, which was established under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between OACPS and European Union. The Joint Parliamentary Assembly is a platform to exchange views on global political, economic, social, and environmental issues between members of Parliament of OACPS on the one hand and OACPS-EU assemblies on the other. This year, the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly was held for the 60th time from 29 to 31 March 2022, followed by the 41st session of the OACPS-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly held between 01-03 April 2022, in Strasbourg, France. This meeting has been the first in-person Session of the Assemblies since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Ethiopia participated in those Assemblies with a high-level delegation led by the Speaker of the House of Peoples Representatives, Honorable Tagesse Chaffo. The Assemblies were preceded by three meetings of the OACPS Committees, i.e., Committee on the Political Affairs, Committee on the Economic Development, Finance, and Trade, and the Committee on Social and Environmental Affairs, held between 29-30 March 2022. The Committees’ meetings discussed issues related to the challenges of peace and security, trade barriers as well as climate change among Members of the OACPS. The 60th OACPS Parliamentary Assembly The 60th session of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly started its meeting by deliberating on the outcomes of the various committee meetings that dwelt on the status of peace and security issues in the region, ways and means to collaborate in managing the adverse impacts of the COVID pandemic and strengthening the stature of the OACPS to make it fit for
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purpose to the current global reality. Based on the reports presented by the Committee on the Economic Development, Finance and Trade, and the Committee on Social and Environmental Affairs, Participants noted that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) will put pressure on exporters to the EU, to decarbonize the production of certain goods and that many exporters and producers in the least Developed Countries (LDCs) and other developing countries such as those members of the OACPS will face difficulties to finance necessary investments. They also discussed trade issues guaranteeing access to the European Market for producers in the framework of new regulations arising from the green pact for Europe. The OACPS members also discussed the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions and the list of high-risk third countries with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regime. Members requested that a study be carried out on the impact of the list on their countries. Around-table discussion of Speakers and Deputy Speakers of National Assemblies also took place under the title “OACPS: Innovation and Resilience” and Honorable Mr. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, Secretary-General of OACPS called on Members to support the work of the OACPS, enhance the visibility of the OACPS and its work in their respective countries and the international arena, and invited them to commemorate key OACPS days in their national assemblies. During this discussion, Honorable Speaker Tagesse Chaffo has expressed Ethiopia’s unwavering stance in playing its part in strengthening the institutional capacity of OACPS to make it fit for purpose, efficient, independent and a visible actor in the multilateral fora. He also pointed out important items that would enrich the Rules of Procedure of the OACPS-EU joint parliamentary assembly under revision.
