Ghana will host the 7th Organisation of African Caribbean Pacific States (OACPS) Meeting of Ministers in charge of Fisheries in 2022.
The meeting will be attended by policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders within the fisheries and aquaculture sector from the 79 OACPS nations from April 5 to 8, 2022.
The purpose of the meeting is for the member countries to develop strategic policies and guidelines that will help develop the fisheries sector of the 79 OACPS nations to improve the economic benefits, including the livelihood of fisher folks and fishing communities.
At an event to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to host the meeting, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, said her Ministry would collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that Ghana successfully hosts the meeting.
“The signing of the agreement is a confirmation of Ghana’s acceptance and commitment to host the meeting,” she added.
She said the Government of Ghana was delighted to be selected from the many OACPS nations to host the 7th meeting. That, Mrs Koomson added, was a significant milestone and pledged that the government would take full advantage of the opportunities the meeting presents.
The Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Freema Osei Opare, said fishing was an important economic activity and source of livelihood for fisher folks and fishing communities.
She said the fisheries sector also contributed to foreign exchange earnings and the food and nutrition security of OACPS countries, including Ghana.
She indicated that the meeting was necessary because it would help improve the fisheries sector, leading to more economic opportunities for member countries.
Therefore, Mrs Opare assured the Assistant Secretary of the OACPS, Ms Cristelle Pratt, who signed the MoU for OACPS, of Ghana’s readiness to host the meeting next year.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, signed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
OACPS, formerly known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. It comprises 48 countries from Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 from the Caribbean and 15 from the Pacific.
Ishmael Batoma, ISD
