The main side events of the 10th Summit of OACPS Heads of State and Government Summit, began on the 6th of December 2022 in Luanda, Republic of Angola, with the aim of promoting business competitiveness in Members.

The event, jointly organized by the OACPS Secretariat, Business ACP, the World Bank, and the European Union brought together experts from different sectors to help improve the business climate in Members of the OACPS.

In his address, OACPS Secretary-General, H.E. Georges Rebelo Chikoti, said that the Private Sector was key in the quest for sustainable, inclusive development.

Secretary-General Chikoti praised the OACPS, World Bank and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) programme initiative to assist businesses in developing countries. He said, “The OACPS is strongly committed to ensuring that efforts in supporting the competitiveness of our private sector are fully aligned towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, the SAMOA Pathway, and the Paris Agreement, which in turn will allow us to achieve the objectives of the Revised Georgetown Agreement and the New OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement”.

The Minister of Trade and Commerce of the Republic of Angola, H.E. Mr. Victor Francisco dos Santos Fernandes, in his intervention said, “The OACPS and World Bank initiative to improve the business environment in Member States is in line with the long-term strategic aims of the Angolan state to diversify the economy and ensure value chain addition for small and medium enterprises”.

Participants also had the opportunity to taste coffee produced by traders from Liberia, Ghana and Cameroon, whose participation in the event was supported by the OACPS.