President Paul Kagame participated in the Organization of African, Caribbean Pacific States (OACPS)’s first Extraordinary Intersessional Summit calling for concerted cooperation on growth and poverty reduction amid the ongoing global coronavirus crisis.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), entered the 1st Extraordinary OACPS meeting held today via video conference, chaired by Kenya ‘s President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Others included South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Gambian Heads of State Emmerson Mnangagwa Adama Barrow and others.
Kagame acknowledged that the New Coronavirus had toll on all countries and societies, and not sure how long it would take, the capacity necessary to respond to the crisis, but asked for anything to be needed as a way out of collective efforts.
“Effects of Covid-19 will persist long after the virus is defeated and the road to recovery will belong. Increased cooperation and mutual interdependence will be the hallmark of the effective international response,” President Kagame said at the OACPS meet.
In particular, Kagame said it is important for African , Caribbean and Pacific states to work closely together on measures to end the pandemic and improve economic resilience.
“In particular, coordination will be needed to ensure equitable access to treatment, vaccines and medical supplies,” Kagame said.
He acknowledged the efforts being made by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Union ( AU), which he said requires joint efforts to amplify voices in order to provide an appropriate fiscal room for effective response.
In support of this notion, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Preparedness is not a cost but an investment.”
OACPS Secretary-General Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti said member countries would find between $50 billion and $60 billion this year and even more in 2021 to fulfill their international obligations in the light of foreign currency shortages.
“This will reduce their capacity to finance imports and bring the risk of default and lower ratings, which will restrict their access to the international capital markets,” Chikoti said.
The OACPS has mobilized over € 200 million from the 11th European Development Fund, which is sponsored by the European Union and co-managed by the OACPS, to support its Member States to improve health systems and preparedness, and to help counter COVID-19.
The Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly known as the ACP Group of States, was formed in 1975 by the original Georgetown Agreement and revised in 2019.
The key objectives of the OACPS are the sustainable development of its members and their gradual incorporation into the global economy; the coordination of OCPS activities in implementing the current Partnership Agreement with the European Union; the consolidation of unity and solidarity among OACPS members; and the establishment and strengthening of peace , security and stability.
