ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to convene in Mozambique

The 42nd Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will meet today.

Today’s event sees the EU and representatives of 78 different OACPS countries gather for three days in Maputo, Mozambique. States will look to deepen cooperation in climate change mitigation efforts and sustainable development ahead of COP27.

This meeting comes at a time when developing nations are facing financial hardship, as OACPS countries have suffered the most from global economic shocks such as COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. The war particularly caused disruptions in wheat and fertilizer imports, instigating a hunger crisis across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Expect increased EU initiatives with OACPS countries over the coming year as environmental degradation continues to squeeze the developing world. Nevertheless, Hungary remains in opposition to the Post-Cotonou Agreement—which governs the economic relationship between the EU and OACPS states—and has blocked attempts by the European Commission to ink a deal. Hungarian President Viktor Orban rejected the deal due to policies enabling more migration into the EU. However, the EU has had a closer relationship with the African Union in recent years, so development efforts may be channeled through there should the issue of Hungarian opposition persist.