Programme

Thursday 16 December

UTC +1

9:00 am – 9:30 am    Connection tests

9:30 am – 10:45 am    The new OACPS-EU partnership: Toward greater recognition and independence of stakeholders?

Chair: Carlos TRINDADE, President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee

  • Welcoming address by Christa SCHWENG, President of the European Economic and Social Committee
  • Opening remarks by Dr Stanislav RAščAN, acting Minister for Development Cooperation, Republic of Slovenia
  • H.E. Colin Michael CONNELLY, Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Chairperson of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Subcommittee on Political, Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs
  • MEP Carlos ZORRINHO, Co-chair of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
  • Introductory statements by George GRAY MOLINA, Head of Strategic Engagement and Chief Economist of UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support
  • Sandra KRAMER, Director for Africa, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission

Exchange between participants

10:45 am – 11:05 am    20 minutes break

11:05 am – 1:30 pm     Post-COVID 19: Social, economic and environmental recovery in Africa

  • Agroecological transition, a way to achieve food security for small farmers in Senegal, Seynabou MBENGUE, Gender and Development Facilitator, Federation of Senegalese NGOs FONGS-action paysanne
  • Smart partnership: training for employment targeting migrants, refugees and nationals affected by COVID-19, Torky EL SAYED, Federation of Egyptian Employers
  • The socio-economic dimension of post COVID-19 employment recovery in Africa and perspectives for workers, Rosa OMAMO, Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers, Kenya
  • Post COVID-19 recovery, the perspective of Economic and Social Councils and Similar institutions of Africa, Abdellah MOUTTAQUI, Member of the Moroccan CESE and rapporteur of the UCESA Working Group on Climate Action

Debate

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm     Break

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm    Green Deal: Management of natural resources in the Caribbean region

  • Climate change and water management in the Caribbean, Francisca JIMENEZ, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA)/ITUC America
  • Bio-renovation of depleted and heavily-used agricultural soils, William USHER, General Manager, Belize Agro Enterprise Ltd.
  • Reducing climate change contributions in small island developing states through the promotion of food in local communities, P'Della'P STANLEY, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) and The Ripple Institute, Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency: a EU – Caribbean partnership, Bogdan STEFANESCU, Team Leader for Green Economy, Energy and Resilience, EU Delegation to Barbados
  • Sustainable Electricity Supply: A cooperative response to Jamaica's dilemma, Clayton HALL, TIP Friendly Society, Representative of Jamaica to the Cooperative Regional Board for the Americas (International Cooperative Alliance)/ICA

Debate

End of day 1

Friday 17 December

8:00 am – 8:30 am    Connection tests

8:30 am – 11:00 am    Resilience and infrastructure: Challenges and experiences in the Pacific region

  • Climate change: stakeholder engagements, Florence WILLIE, Employers federation of Papua New Guinea
  • Democracy and rights, including workers' rights, in the face of COVID-19, Felix ANTONY, Fiji Trade Union Congress
  • The Tonga rural innovation project, Soane PATOLO, CEO of the NGO MORDI
  • Presentation of the Locally Managed Marine Area Network in the Pacific, Alifereti TAWAKE, Council Chair & Adviser, LMMA Network International Trust
  • EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Stavros PETROPOULOS, Desk officer, Regional Affairs, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and Indo-Pacific, European External Action Service (EEAS)

Debate

11:00 am – 11:15 am    Break

11:15am – 12:30 pm    Closing session

  • Conclusions by Carlos TRINDADE, President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee and EESC Member
  • Closing remarks by Dimitris DIMITRIADIS, President of the EESC External relations section (REX)

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Programme