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10 Quick Facts About the Controversial Samoa Agreement |
The Samoa Agreement has sparked controversy in Nigeria amid claims that it includes clauses mandating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) rights.
Recall that the European Union and its member states signed a partnership agreement, known as the Samoa Agreement, on November 15, 2023.
The member states that signed the agreement, which aims to address global challenges, are part of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Here are some quick facts about the Samoa Agreement:
1. The Samoa Agreement is a partnership and a crucial legal framework for cooperation between the EU and its member states, and the members of OACPS.
2. The agreement is colloquially called the ‘Samoa Agreement’ because it was signed on the Island of Samoa in Oceania during the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers.
3. Nigeria and other OACPS members signed the agreement, which is based on six key priorities to tackle major challenges in member countries over the next two decades.
4. The Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the European Union, Obinna Onowu, signed the agreement on behalf of the Nigerian Government at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels on June 28, 2024.
5. The priorities include human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and mobility/migration.
6. An important principle of the agreement is that “the Parties shall make decisions and undertake actions at the most appropriate domestic, regional or multi-country level.”
7. There is no clause in the agreement mandating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) rights.
8. The EU and all its member states signed the agreement on November 15, 2023. Out of the 79 members of the OACPS, 74, including Nigeria, signed before the deadline of June 30, 2024.
