56th Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States
Parliamentarians of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) will, on 23 October 2020, participate in the 56th Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. The virtual meeting will be preceded from 19 to 22 by reports from the standing committees on Political Affairs; Economic Development, Finance and Trade; Social Affairs and the Environment.
Monday, 19 October 2020
Committee on Political Affairs
Chair: The Hon. Boniface Balamage, the Democratic Republic of Congo
Parliamentarians of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) started their meetings on 19 October 2020 via video conference, under the chairmanship of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The first meeting was the Committee on Political Affairs, and was attended by more than 100 members of Parliament from across the three regions of the OACPS. The Committee meetings are critical as they allow the OACPS Parliamentarians to discuss, at the committee level, issues which will be discussed at the Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
The Committee on Political Affairs strongly called for the need for Members of OACPS, and specifically the Parliament, to ensure the continuation of the discussion of human rights abuses and violations in Member States of the OACPS with a view to addressing them.
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
Chair: The Hon. Noxolo Abraham, the Republic of South Africa
During the meeting on the second day, the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, chaired by South Africa, discussed, primarily, the amendments related to the Draft report on diversification of ACP economies: challenges and opportunities. Amendments to the joint report on the consequences of COVID-19 were also tabled for discussion.
Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Committee on Social Affairs and Environment
Chair: The Hon. Dr. Ana Rita Sithole, the Republic of Mozambique
The Hon. Ana Rita Sithole of Mozambique chaired the final committee meeting which consided of two main items, the Draft report on reducing the number of unemployed youth in the Members States of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the Draft report on the consequences of COVID-19 on ACP and EU countries.
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Bureau of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly
Chair: the Hon. Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, the Independent State of Samoa
The Bureau of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly (PA), was chaired by the Hon. Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, of Samoa, interim President of the OACPS (PA). The main item on the Bureau’s agenda was the preparation for the 56th Session of the OACPS PA and the joint meeting to take place on 29 October and 5 November, 2020.
The Bureau also received a report on the Post-Cotonou Negotiations from H.E. Mr. Nayo Mbeou, Chair of the Ambassadorial Central Negotiating Group.
Friday, 23 October 2020
56th Session of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly
Chair: the Hon. Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, the Independent State of Samoa
OACPS Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, will give an address during the 56th Session, which will be chaired by the interim President of the OACPS PA. Participants will also consider the reports and proceedings of the meetings of the Standing Committees, which took place in the preceding week. The recommendations from the Bureau of the OACPS PA will also be tabled for consideration.
Remote Voting Procedure
A system of remote voting has been instituted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amendments tabled to the reports discussed during the Standing Committees will be put to the vote. The ballot papers required for the required votes, have been sent by email.
Kindly print these four ballot papers before 29 October 2020, to have them ready for the vote. Members of each Committee are encouraged to fill them out following the meetings.
Voting will take place in two sessions:
* The first voting session on the amendments will take place between Thursday, 29 October 2020, 20:30 and Friday, 30 October 2020, 11:30 CEST.
* The second voting session on the final report as adopted will be between Thursday, 5 November 2020, 20:30 and Friday, 6 November 2020, 11:00 CEST.
Members are advised to complete and sign the ballot papers as requested in the communication that was previously sent to them.