Samoa Agreement: EU & OACPS partnership

Apia, 15 November 2023 (TDI): The European Union (EU) and its Member States have recently entered into a fresh “Samoa Agreement” Partnership Agreement with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS).

This agreement succeeds the Cotonou Agreement and will be known as the “Samoa Agreement”, which, will act as a comprehensive legal structure for their interactions for the next two decades.

The comprehensive scope of agreement encompasses various crucial areas, including sustainable development and growth, human rights, as well as peace and security.

The Agreement’s denomination decided during the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, right before the signing ceremony in Samoa.

The Partnership Agreement focuses on promoting human rights, democracy, peace, inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, and effective migration management.

The Partnership Agreement focuses on promoting human rights, democracy, peace, inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, and effective migration management.

However, the agreement includes a shared basis for all participants, along with three regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific regions.

Moreover, the EU and 79 ACP countries, with a population of 2 billion, jointly hold over half of the UN seats. This Agreement focuses on challenges like climate change, ocean governance, migration, health, and peace and security.

The provisional application of the Agreement will start on 1 January 2024. The Agreement will be effective upon approval by the European Parliament, ratification by the Parties, all EU Member States, and at least two thirds of the OACPS Members.

Also Read: EU Global Gateway Investment Package for Africa

The ACP-EU partnership stands as a longstanding and all-encompassing structure for collaboration between the European Union and third countries. In the year 2000, the Cotonou Agreement was signed, serving as the preceding legal framework for this partnership.

Albeit, the negotiations for the Cotonou Agreement began in September 2018, led by Commissioner Neven Mimica, in New York.

Furthermore, the chief negotiators initiated the new Agreement in April 2021. The Council adopted a decision on the signature and provisional application of the Agreement on 20 July 2023.