60TH SESSION OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES (OACPS) PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nassau, The Bahamas
31 March 2022
Press Release
60TH SESSION OF THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN
AND PACIFIC STATES (OACPS) PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Her Excellency Leslia Miller-Brice, High Commissioner-Designate to CARICOM and Representative of The Bahamas to the Caribbean Forum-European Union (CARIFORUM-EU) Parliamentary Committee, is currently leading The Bahamas’ delegation at the 60th Session of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, France, from 29th-31st March, 2022.
On 30th March, 2022, Mrs Miller-Brice made her first address and exchange of views on the ongoing climate change crisis with fellow OACPS Parliamentary Representatives at the Special Meeting of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment. The Bahamas currently serves as a member of this committee within the OACPS body and the Caribbean region is also the current Chair of the aforementioned committee.
Her Excellency, in her address, underscored the need for the balancing of climate financing and emphasised that adaptation support must be increased for countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. In addition, she called on polluters to reduce their carbon emissions and to live up to the many years of unfulfilled promises to help the vulnerable states.
The Meetings of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly will precede the 41st Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU JPA) scheduled for 1st- 4th April, 2022, where negotiations will occur between OACPS Member-Countries and the European Union (EU) on the role of Parliament relative to the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate change crisis (including the upcoming COP27), trade issues and sustainable development policies.
On 2nd April, 2022, Mrs Miller-Brice will be engaged in a debate with Mrs Jutta Urpilainen, Member of the European Commission with responsibility for international partnerships, and other EU Council of Ministers on the theme, “Enhancing the resilience of Small Island Developing States against climate change and natural disasters.” The debate is also expected to discuss possible priorities of The Bahamas at the COP 27 Climate Change Conference, the European Commission Proposal for establishing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the role of Parliament on the control of pandemics, particularly the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the future of the OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement (A new agreement is expected to be signed by mid-2022).
Accompanying Mrs Miller-Brice is Mr Antonio V. Butler, Jr, Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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