On July 17, 2024, His Excellency Mr. Sasenarine Singh assumed his duties as Guyana’s Ambassador to Belgium and Permanent Representative to the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS). With great enthusiasm, he led Guyana’s delegation to the 117th Session of the Council of Ministers of the OACPS, held in a hybrid format from July 23 to 26, 2024.
The Council meeting was presided over by Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jamaica. It saw the participation of officials from the 79 Member States of the OACPS. Over the course of four days, the meeting received presentations from candidates vying for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth, reviewed the work of the OACPS Secretariat over the last six months, considered the budget for 2024, reviewed the work plan of the Organisation for the next 6 months, and discussed the implementation of the 2023 Samoa Agreement.
Additionally, the OACPS will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. The meeting took the opportunity to engage in in-depth deliberations on the future of the Organisation and the necessary changes to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
Guyana is a founding member of the OACPS, established under the Georgetown Agreement signed in Guyana in 1975. The Government of Guyana remains committed to the long-term vision of the OACPS and its future success.