Brussels, 5 August 2022/OACPS: At a meeting of the Outgoing and Incoming Bureau of the Committee of Ambassadors (CoA) of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on 19 July 2022 at OACPS House, Brussels, the Central African Republic handed over the leadership of the OACPS Committee of Ambassadors to the Caribbean region, represented by Trinidad and Tobago.

Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago, H.E. Mr Colin Michael Connelly, will preside over the Committee of Ambassadors during the Caribbean presidency for the period of 1 August 2022 to 31 January 2023. H.E. the Hon. Dr Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago, will concurrently assume the presidency of the Council of Ministers of the OACPS.

The current Bureau of the Committee of Ambassadors, consists of the following:
Chair – H.E. Mr Colin Michael Connelly; East Africa – H.E. Mr Negassi Kassa Tekle of Eritrea; West Africa – H.E. Mr Obinna Chiedu Onowu of Nigeria; Central Africa – H.E. Mr Serge Thierry Mickoto Chavagne of Gabon; Southern Africa – H.E. Dr Mekondjo Kaapanda-Girnus of Namibia; Caribbean – H.E. Dr Jesse Jean of Haiti, and for the Pacific – H.E. Ms. Maureen Francella Strickland of Samoa.

The Bureau of the Committee of Ambassadors, which coordinates the work of the full committee, comprises one representative from each of the six regions of the OACPS, as well as a Troika made up of of the current, outgoing, and incoming Chairs. The current Troika includes the Ambassadors of Trinidad and Tobago, Central African Republic, and the representative of the East African region, which will be next to hold the presidency.

The Committee of Ambassadors is an important decision-making body of the OACPS, comprising one representative from each of its 79 member countries. It meets at least once a month in Brussels to carry out any mandate tasked to it by the Council of Ministers of the OACPS. Much of its work is carried out through six technical sub-committees (on Political, Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs; Trade and Commodities; Investment and the Private Sector; Sustainable Development; Financing and Development; and Establishment and Finance), as well through ad-hoc working groups and task forces.

Photo: Members of the Outgoing and Incoming Bureau with the Executive Management of the OACPS.