Tayebwa pushes for inclusive OACPS-EU partnership, greater youth representation
Tayebwa, who is President of the OACPS and Co-President of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, said young people should be at the centre of development discussions, particularly on climate change, natural resources and job creation.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa with Chair MEP Francisco Assis. (Courtesy)
_______________ Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa speaking at the event in Brussels. (Courtesy)
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has called for a more inclusive and equitable partnership between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU), urging greater representation of young people and marginalised communities in decisions shaping their future.
Tayebwa, who is President of the OACPS and Co-President of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, said young people should be at the centre of development discussions, particularly on climate change, natural resources and job creation.
“If we are talking about climate adaptation, we are talking about young people. If we are talking about critical raw materials giving more value to the countries producing them, we are talking about young people because they are the ones going to get the jobs out of this,” he said.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa greeting Chair MEP Francisco Assis. (Courtesy)
He made the remarks at a press conference in Brussels on Monday, alongside his European Union counterpart, Francisco Assis.
Tayebwa also pointed to ocean protection and climate resilience as critical issues with far-reaching implications for future generations, arguing that young people must have a voice in decisions that directly affect their livelihoods.
His remarks come as OACPS and EU parliamentarians meet in Brussels from Monday to Friday to discuss the future of their
partnership and the implementation of the Samoa Agreement.
Push for faster implementation
Although the agreement is already being provisionally applied, he said completing the ratification process should be a shared political priority.
He called on parliamentarians to engage their respective governments, address outstanding concerns and build domestic support for the agreement.
Tayebwa further emphasised the need for a partnership founded on equality, mutual respect, shared responsibility and mutual benefit, saying OACPS countries must have a meaningful voice in setting common priorities.
On critical raw materials, he argued that resource-producing countries should move beyond exporting unprocessed resources and instead invest in local industries, expand processing capacity and create skilled jobs.
“Our people must share fairly in the wealth their resources generate,” he said.