Relations between the EU and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States: the Samoa Agreement
On November 15, 2023, the EU, its Member States and the 79 countries of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACP) signed a new partnership agreement (so-called “Samoa Agreement”), which replaces the previous agreement (so-called Cotonou Agreement) and defines the legal and political framework for EU’s relations with the OACP countries, promoting development cooperation, political dialogue and economic relations between the two regions.
The partnership between the EU and the OACP countries is one of the first and most enduring patterns of cooperation between the EU and a regional organization, having shaped, over the years, the instruments of the European Union’s external action. It is now one of the most stable and institutionalized North-South relationships on the international scene.
The Samoa Agreement has entered into provisional implementation since January 1, 2024, pending ratification by all EU Member States and at least two-thirds of the OACP countries, a prerequisite for its full entry into force and definitive replacement of the Cotonou Agreement. This mechanism ensures greater political and institutional legitimacy, but entails a transitional phase during which the Agreement operates provisionally until ratifications are completed.
Compared to the Cotonou Agreement, the new Agreement introduces a more flexible and comprehensive structure: a common text matched by three regional protocols dedicated to Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, with a new institutional architecture based on Regional Councils. Priorities range from the promotion of democracy and human rights to the management of migration flows, from sustainable economic development to the fight against climate change, and the protection of peace and security. A specific chapter is dedicated to international cooperation and the strengthening of multilateral institutions.
Italy promoted the new agreement, recognizing it as a framework consistent with its priorities: dialogue on the abolition of death penalty and the ACP countries’ accession to the International Criminal Court; promotion of sexual rights and reproductive health; linkage with the Economic Partnership Agreements in force, and the enhancement of cultural heritage.
The Samoa Agreement strengthens the ability of the EU and its Member States to jointly address global challenges and promote universal values such as human rights, international justice and equitable development.