Parliamentary Assembly
Overview / Role
- The Assembly is regularly informed by the Council of Ministers and the Secretariat about decisions and their implementation.
- Its work “feeds into” the work of all the other OACPS organs, ensuring parliamentary oversight and linkage.
- It functions with its own Rules of Procedure.
Composition / Structure
- Composed of one member from each parliamentary house of each Member State.
- The Assembly is linked with the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA): under the Samoa Agreement, MPs from OACPS countries and MEPs form a joint body.
- Bureau structure in the JPA: Co-Presidents, Vice-Presidents, working committees etc. (per JPA rules)
Meetings / Frequency
- Meets at least once per year.
- The JPA (OACPS-EU) also meets annually; regional Parliamentary Assemblies (RPAs) meet once a year.
Powers / Decisions
- It makes resolutions/recommendations in accordance with its Charter.
- Provides parliamentary oversight, feeding its reports to the Council of Ministers.
- The JPA contributes to the evaluation of the OACPS-EU partnership.
Key Historical Notes / Milestones
- Under the Samoa Agreement, the JPA is institutionalized with annual meetings and three Regional Parliamentary Assemblies (RPAs) – Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific.
- In Sept 2025, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly convened and urged swift ratification of the Samoa Agreement, underlining its role in institutional reform.
Contact / Secretariat
- Supported administratively by the OACPS Secretariat (Brussels).
- Secretariat address and contact: Place Charles Rogier 16, Brussels, Email: info@acp.int
