THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN,
CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES

OACPS > Bodies

Principal Organs

The Organs and functions of the OACPS are delineated in the revised Georgetown Agreement [ACP/27/005/18 Rev.13]. The Organs of the OACPS are:

Secretariat

The Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) is an organ of the OACPS, which was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. The Secretariat of the OACPS is located in Brussels, Belgium and it functions as the Headquarters of the OACPS. The Secretariat of the OACPS is charged with:

  • implementing the decisions of all Organs of the OACPS;
  • implementing, as appropriate, agreements concluded with development partners;
  • providing services to the Organs of the OACPS and, as appropriate, the joint institutions established with all external parties.

Secretary-General

H.E. Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti was elected as the new Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly the ACP Group of States at the 110th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on 7 December 2019. Secretary-General Chikoti has devoted the majority of his professional career to diplomacy and international relations.

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Chief of Staff

Doreen Walsweer-Sore took up her role as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on 15 August 2023. Breaking barriers, Mrs. Walsweer-Sore is the first female to ever occupy this post since its establishment in 2000.

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A Kenyan Native, Mrs. Walsweer-Sore brings in a wealth of experience in OACPS-EU relations. Over her tenure, she has held multiple roles, most recently as the Expert overseeing Political and Institutional Partnerships and engagement, as well as Peace and Security. Throughout her service in the Secretariat, Mrs. Walsweer-Sore has been the adviser to the Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General on promotion and reinforcement of political dialogue with the European Union. Moreover, she has actively supported member states in fostering and enhancing this dialogue and alliances with the EU, specifically within the confines of the Partnership Agreement.

Prior to her appointment, Mrs. Walsweer-Sore was a key figure in the negotiation of the Samoa Agreement. Here, she ardently steered discussions across all ACP and its regions, relating to peace and security, human rights, democracy and governance in people centered and rights-based societies. She also negotiated the chapter at the center of the OACPS-EU cooperation – global alliance and international cooperation, that will be instrumental in advancing multilateralism.

In her expansive role, she managed the OACPS’s relations with various regional and international organisations. A notable achievement under her mandate is strengthened OACPS coordination with Regional Organisations, which paved the way for a more robust collaboration leading to the establishment of the Interregional Organization Coordination Committee (IROCC).

Mrs. Walsweer-Sore until recently directed the work of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly as well coordinated the Office of the President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly. She was also charged with coordinating the preparations of the Summit of the OACPS Heads of State and Government, and the work of the President-in -Office of the OACPS Summit in collaboration with the host country.

The new Chief of Staff is a prolific writer, Mrs. Walsweer-Sore has contributed to a myriad of articles and publications, including on topics like Financing Sustainable Development within the ACP-EU Agreement context, she also was the lead expert coordinator on the OACPS Negotiating Mandate of the Post Cotonou Agreement. Her scholastic credentials encompass a range of graduate and post-graduate accolades in Economics, International Politics, Environmental Sciences, and Business Information Systems.

Mrs. Walsweer-Sore is married with two children.