Uganda's Deputy Speaker of Parliament and President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly, Thomas Tayebwa, has urged African, Caribbean and Pacific legislators to close ranks and negotiate with the European Union as a united bloc, saying their collective strength will determine their influence on international trade, investment, climate finance and development.
Tayebwa made the call as he chaired the 65th session of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels on Sunday. It was his first session as the Assembly's president.
The OACPS brings together 79 member states from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to promote cooperation and advance their shared interests. Tayebwa said the three regions must develop coordinated positions on issues affecting their nearly two billion people.
He argued that Europe's ability to negotiate as a regional bloc gives it considerable influence in international engagements, a model the OACPS should emulate to advance the interests of its member states.
“When we are engaging with our European countries, our partners, you will not hear them talking about their country. They will be talking about Europe as a region. We want in our engagement tomorrow with our European counterparts to be guided by unity,” Tayebwa told delegates.
“When you are speaking, you are speaking for Africa, you are speaking for the Caribbean, you are speaking for the Pacific, not just for your country. That's the only way we shall be able to match these people,” he added.
The session brought together 46 heads of delegation and more than 220 participants from the three regions to discuss common priorities and prepare for engagement with European counterparts through the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, which runs from November 9 to 13 in Brussels.
Tayebwa urged delegates to participate actively, coordinate with colleagues across the three regions and support their negotiators.
The appeal comes as he seeks to strengthen the OACPS's institutional structures and redefine its role in international parliamentary diplomacy under the Samoa Agreement, which provides the framework for cooperation between the organisation and the European Union.
The agreement covers areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, sustainable development, climate change, governance, peace and security. Its implementation provides a framework through which member states can advance their development priorities in partnership with the EU.
OACPS Secretary-General Moussa Batraki also appealed to delegates to make the organisation's diversity a source of strength rather than a barrier to collective action.
“Our collective force resides precisely in this ability to combine the diversity of our priorities and the solidarity that unites our 79 Member States,” he said.
Batraki noted that the new parliamentary architecture emerging under the Samoa Agreement places an additional responsibility on the organisation to preserve its unity while allowing each region to articulate its particular interests.
He cited the Caribbean-EU parliamentary meeting held in Antigua and Barbuda in February 2026, the Africa-EU parliamentary meeting held in Eswatini in May 2026, and preparations for the Pacific region's parliamentary engagement in Brussels.
Slow ratification of Samoa Agreement
Tayebwa also raised concerns about the slow ratification of the Samoa Agreement by member states.
He told delegates that, according to the latest update presented to the OACPS Bureau, only 15 OACPS member states and 15 EU member states had ratified the agreement, despite it approaching its second anniversary.
The delay risks slowing its full implementation and limiting opportunities available to member countries. Tayebwa disclosed that he had written to speakers of parliaments across the OACPS, asking them to help accelerate national ratification processes.
“I encourage colleagues to follow up with their national authorities so that ratification moves fast and we move from provision to full implementation,” he said.
He urged legislators to question their respective foreign affairs ministers about progress when they return to their national parliaments.
“When you go back, I will request you to ask your ministers in charge of foreign affairs, on the floor of parliament, to give you an update on how far they have gone with ratification. Because it unlocks a lot of opportunities for your country,” he added.
Batraki also appealed for faster ratification, explaining that although the agreement had been provisionally applied since January 2024, its full implementation required ratification by at least 53 OACPS member states.
“We are still far from this goal. Your role in accompanying national procedures will therefore be decisive,” he told the Assembly.
Push for financial independence
Another major issue discussed was the Assembly's financial sustainability. Tayebwa has been pushing for mechanisms to finance its activities without depending entirely on support from the European Union.
He said institutional reforms and changes to the Assembly's rules would have limited impact if the organisation lacked the resources to implement its priorities.
“Reliable financing is essential if we are to organise our own activities and follow through on our priorities. We cannot continue to depend on external support only to determine when and how we meet,” he said.
His proposal received support from the regional groups, with Pacific Regional Parliamentary Group President Renata Tamapua backing the establishment of a common parliamentary fund.
She said contributions should take into account the financial capacities of member states, geographical constraints and high travel costs. She also emphasised the need for predictable and sustainable financing to support the Assembly's activities between formal sessions.
The Caribbean group, represented by its president and Jamaica's Deputy Speaker, Heroy Anthony Clarcke, also supported the proposal for a common fund, with contributions from the three regions based on their respective capacities and proper financial accountability.
The African group similarly endorsed the principle of independent parliamentary financing and proposed an initial fund of approximately €1 million from 2027.
Climate finance, debt and digital development
The agenda for the parliamentary engagement with the EU also includes challenges facing developing countries, particularly climate financing and digital learning.
Tayebwa said these issues directly affect decisions taken by national parliaments and governments' ability to protect their populations. He highlighted the challenge of financing climate action without placing additional pressure on already indebted developing economies.
“Our discussions on climate finance and digital learning also concern choices we face in our own parliaments. That is how to protect communities without depending on debt, and how to strengthen the skills and institutions needed to serve them,” he said.
Batraki called for a stronger parliamentary role in international discussions on climate change, debt, trade, investment and food security, arguing that decisions in these areas have direct consequences for people's daily lives.
“Our parliaments must be able to contribute more to these international debates, promote common positions and ensure that commitments are translated into rational national policies,” he said.
The OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, scheduled for November 9–13 in Brussels, will provide an opportunity for legislators from both sides to deliberate on these priorities and strengthen cooperation between the two blocs.
