MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
MEDIA RELEASE
Johnson Smith to Preside over OACPS Council Meeting in Brussels
Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith of Jamaica will assume the Presidency of the 117th
Session of the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States
(OACPS), scheduled take place in Brussels, Belgium, during the period July 23-26.
Foreign Minister Johnson Smith explained that this meeting of the Council takes place at a particularly
critical juncture for the Organization and that Ministers from across the Caribbean, African and Pacific
regions will therefore be gathering, in hybrid format, to engage in dialogue on the OACPS Work
Programme. The intention is to address growing resource challenges, and to agree on concrete ways
in which the Organization can respond more effectively to the needs and interests of its members.
Ministers are also expected to consider the work being done to facilitate the implementation of the
Samoa Agreement between the European Union (EU) and OACP Parties.
“Jamaica remains committed to regional and multilateral cooperation focussed on addressing
shared challenges. We look forward to collaborating with colleagues and partners to advance
common goals and strengthen our collective voice on the global stage. This is particularly
important for the OACPS as it seeks to position itself as a stronger force on issues of interest to
the Global South, including the development imperatives of world trade, climate change,
migration, and political, social and economic inclusivity and stability”, Minister Johnson Smith
said.
Johnson Smith was similarly requested to chair a Special Session of the Council convened in April and
has the distinction of also presiding over the Council of the OACPS in 2018, leading the Organization
in its work to establish the Negotiating Mandate for the post-Cotonou negotiations with the EU.
The OACPS comprises a membership of 79 countries which represents over 41 per cent of the total
membership of the United Nations. Come 2025, the OACPS will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. The
OACPS was established in 1975 through the Georgetown Treaty and has among its primary objectives,
the achievement of sustainable development and poverty reduction, as well as enhanced integration of
Member States into the global economy. Jamaica has been a member since its inception
