Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States Organisation des États d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique
Flag
Secretariat	Brussels, Belgium
Official languages	English French
Government
• Secretary General	Georges Chikoti
Establishment	6 June 1975

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) is a group of countries from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. It was formed in 1975 by the Georgetown Agreement. Before, it was known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).

The main goals of OACPS are to help its member countries grow in a way that lasts. They also work to reduce poverty and help these countries join the world economy better. Almost all OACPS countries, except Cuba, have signed an important agreement with the European Union called the Cotonou Agreement.

The Cotonou Agreement was signed in Cotonou, Benin, in June 2000. It replaced older agreements like the Lomé Conventions. A big change in this agreement is that it includes more people and groups. This means that regular citizens, private businesses, worker groups, and local governments can now help plan how their countries develop. They can also get money and help to carry out these plans.

Many small island countries are part of OACPS. The Lomé Convention was updated in 1995 in Mauritius to give special attention to these island nations. Together, the European Union and OACPS countries represent over 1.5 billion people. They also hold more than half of the seats at the United Nations.

OACPS Member Countries

The OACPS has many member countries across three main regions: Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. These countries often work together in smaller groups when dealing with the EU.

     Caribbean group      East and South Africa group      Pacific group      West African group      Southern African group      Central African group      East Africa group

African Countries

African OACPS countries work in five different groups when they talk about trade with the EU. These groups are West Africa, Central Africa (CEMAC), Southern Africa, East African Community, and Eastern and Southern Africa.

Caribbean Countries

All countries in the Caribbean Community, plus the Dominican Republic, work together. They negotiate a trade agreement called the CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU.

Pacific Countries

All developing countries that are part of the Pacific Islands Forum, along with Timor-Leste, negotiate a Pacific EPA with the EU.

Special Groups of Countries

The Cotonou Agreement understands that some countries face bigger challenges in their development. Because of this, certain countries get special help. These include countries that are less developed, those that are landlocked (have no coast), and island nations.

Least-Developed OACPS Countries

These countries are recognized as needing the most support for their economic growth.

• Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Togo, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia.

Landlocked OACPS Countries

These countries do not have direct access to the sea, which can make trade and transport harder.

• Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Island OACPS Countries

These are island nations that often face unique challenges like rising sea levels and limited resources.

• Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

How OACPS Works

The OACPS has different parts that help it achieve its goals. These parts work with the European Union to make sure plans are carried out.

• ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly: This is where lawmakers from OACPS and the EU meet to discuss important issues.
• ACP–EU development cooperation: This involves working together on projects that help OACPS countries develop.
• European Centre for Development Policy Management: This center helps with ideas and advice on development policies.
• Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA): This center focuses on helping with farming and rural development.

Trade Agreements

• EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA): These are special trade deals between the EU and OACPS countries. They aim to make trade fairer and help OACPS countries grow their economies.

See also

• The Courier (ACP-EU) : A magazine about cooperation between Africa, the Caribbean, Pacific, and the European Union.
• Everything but Arms: A special trade agreement by the EU that helps the world's poorest countries.