Leaders of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) have praised the leadership of His Majesty King Mswati III as a resource mobilisation champion for the organisation.
They hailed the king for exceeding expectations by raising 12.8 million Euros (approximately E255 million), which is 2.8 million Euros more than the initial target of 10 million Euros.
Tanzania Vice President Dr Emmanuel John Nchimbi, whose country contributed one million Euros, was among the leaders who praised the king.
He stated that no one was better suited to lead this resource mobilisation effort than His Majesty, noting that the king’s role had been endorsed by the entire membership of the 79 member States.
Dr Nchimbi pledged his country’s continued commitment to the objectives of the OACPS and conveyed President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s gratitude for the excellent work done by His Majesty in saving the organisation.
OACPS Secretary General Moussa Saleh Batraki thanked the king for his timely intervention, stating that without his help, the organisation would have struggled to keep the lights on in its Brussels offices.
Batraki told leaders at the roundtable session during the 11th Summit that, before His Majesty assumed the role of being the resource mobilisation champion, the organisation had been facing a 12 million Euros debt.
It was struggling to hold in-person meetings and meet its staff obligations.
The European Union (EU) was reportedly unhappy with the situation and had suspended its funding until member States took responsibility.
It was at that point that the king was approached to lead the exercise, which received overwhelming support from OACPS leaders.
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Working with the country’s Ambassador to Brussels, Sibusisiwe Mngometulu, the king tasked him with engaging all OACPS members and writing letters urging them to contribute above their normal subscriptions to save the organisation.
Mngometulu said the king’s message was clear: members must reassert the importance of the OACPS and take it upon themselves to rescue the organisation rather than relying entirely on the European Union.
He added that the OACPS was pursuing reforms in executive management and focusing on building stronger, fairer and more inclusive financial systems to regain confidence.
Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly President Patrick Achi was also among the leaders who commended the king’s efforts.
He said African leaders were pleased with His Majesty’s leadership in mobilising resources and pledged their support to both the king and OACPS.
Several speakers explicitly or implicitly commended the king for leading by example and for dedicating his time to advancing the organisation’s resource mobilisation initiative.
Others acknowledged his guiding role and vision in strengthening the OACPS’ institutional and financial sustainability, noting that his efforts were encouraging trust and consistent contributions going forward.
His Majesty, as leader of the resource mobilisation drive, pledged 1.5 million Euros.
Equatorial Guinea followed with a contribution of five million Euros, Angola with three million Euros and Mozambique with one million Euros.
During the roundtable session facilitated by the king, many other African, Caribbean and Pacific countries pledged to contribute, pushing the total beyond the 12.8 million Euros already raised.
Meanwhile, in a communique after the meeting His Majesty was commended in his capacity as OACPS champion for resource mobilisation for his steadfast commitment, strategic leadership and proactive engagement in advancing both immediate and long-term solutions to strengthen the organisation’s financial sustainability.
Member States further pledged their full political support to his efforts to mobilise the necessary resources to secure the immediate stabilisation of the organisation’s finances and to reinforce the financial resilience, autonomy and long-term sustainability of the OACPS.
What You Should Know
The OACPS plays a critical role in fostering cooperation between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, particularly in trade, development and international negotiations. Financial instability had threatened its operations before this intervention.
