President Cyril Ramaphosa participates in OACPS Summit on Coronavirus COVID-19, 3 Jun

His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), will join Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) in a virtual Summit to discuss responses to the COVID-19 pandemic among member states.

This will be the first Extraordinary Inter-Sessional Summit of this association of nations.

The virtual OACPS Summit, on Wednesday, 03 June 2020, will be chaired by His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya.

The Summit theme is “Transcending the COVID-19 Pandemic: Building Resilience through Global Solidarity”.  

The Summit is expected to discuss multiple challenges faced by members of the OACPS in public health, the economy, food security and education. 

The Summit is also expected to discuss the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the maintenance of international peace and security. 

The Summit will assess the  global situation of COVID-19 with a particular focus on its effects and consequences for OACPS members.

Leaders will also review opportunities and actions for immediate responses to the pandemic and identify opportunities for global solidarity and action involving the United Nations, G20, European Union, the World Bank and regional development finance institutions.

It is expected that the Summit will chart an intra-OACPS response aimed at mitigating the effects of the pandemic.

South Africa’s participation in the Summit is within the context of promoting the African Agenda and advancing South-South solidarity and cooperation.

President Ramaphosa has in his capacity as the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) spearheaded a number of initiatives under the AU umbrella to deal with the serious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) member states comprise Angola, Barbados, Congo Brazzaville, Fiji, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tuvalu and Zambia.

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President at media@presidency.gov.za