Post-conference reflection: OACPS 50th anniversary conference

On 6 June 2025, the Collaborative Research Group on Governance, Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Development (GEID) at the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL) hosted an international conference to mark fifty years of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). Held in the Herta Mohr Building and organised by Chibuike Uche and Ayokunu Adedokun, the event brought together scholars, diplomats, policymakers, and students to reflect on the organisation’s achievements, challenges, and future directions.

Opening the day, ASCL Director Marleen Dekker stressed that the OACPS is not merely a legacy of postcolonial diplomacy, but a living institution navigating today’s shifting global order.

Keynote speaker Cátia Miriam Costa (Lisbon University Institute) traced the organisation’s history and argued for a stronger, more autonomous OACPS voice in multilateral settings, moving beyond traditional donor–recipient frameworks. Mark Langan (King’s College London) examined rising sovereignty concerns among African states and questioned whether the new EU–OACPS Samoa Agreement supports equitable cooperation or perpetuates older hierarchies.

From the European Commission, Domenico Rosa presented a forward-looking view of EU–OACPS relations, emphasising trust, co-creation, and locally grounded approaches as keys to the Samoa Agreement’s success.

A team of Indian legal scholars, including Prema Elumalai and P.R.L. Rajavenkatesan, Shruti Kakkar, and O.V. Ragul, called for grassroots-driven South–South cooperation, especially in ocean governance and climate resilience. They urged OACPS states to reduce dependency and strengthen inclusive, participatory governance.

Niels Keijzer (German Institute of Development and Sustainability) argued that symbolic gestures are no longer enough; the OACPS must set clear strategic priorities, ensure institutional coherence, and pursue measurable policy outcomes.

In their joint keynote, Okey Ndubueze (African Development Documentation Initiative) and Chibuike Uche (ASCL) analysed the OACPS’s internal dynamics through a decolonial lens. They advocated for reduced reliance on European financing, greater intra-group solidarity, and development agendas shaped by shared regional visions.

A roundtable chaired by David Ehrhardt (Leiden University College) brought these themes together, with contributions from OACPS representatives highlighting the need for partnerships to move from rhetoric to practice. Throughout the day, co-organiser Ayokunu Adedokun (Leiden University College) moderated discussions with insight, drawing links between presentations and encouraging deeper exploration of the issues raised.

In his closing remarks, Chibuike Uche urged participants to see solidarity and cooperation as commitments for the future. The OACPS, he argued, should build its strength internally while affirming its relevance globally.

The conference concluded with a reception, offering space for further conversation and reflection. More than a commemoration, the event underscored the OACPS’s potential to redefine interregionalism based on equity, respect, and shared responsibility. The ASCL is honoured to be able to facilitate such open dialogue between academics, policymakers, and practitioners, and to be a platform for critical debate on issues that shape Africa’s engagement with the wider world.