Ezulwini – The Kingdom of Eswatini will host one of the world’s largest inter-regional parliamentary gatherings next week, bringing together legislators from 106 countries across Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Europe.
The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) African Regional Parliamentary Group of Meetings and the First Session of the Joint Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) will be held in the Kingdom from 7 to 14 May 2026. The assembly brings together legislators from the 79 member states of the OACPS and the 27 member states of the European Union, collectively representing over 1.5 billion people, making it the largest inter-regional partnership of its kind in the world.
Eswatini’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu, explained the significance of the assembly within the broader partnership framework. 
“The European Union operates through a structured and rules-based institutional framework that brings together its Member States, its executive institutions and its parliamentary bodies in shaping collective policy and external engagement. Within the OACPS-EU partnership, this structure interfaces with an equally comprehensive framework on the OACPS side, creating a unique inter-regional system of governance,” she said.
Mngomezulu added that hosting the assembly speaks to the Kingdom’s growing standing on the world stage. “The Joint Parliamentary Assembly sits at the heart of this architecture, providing a platform where elected representatives from both sides engage directly on shared priorities. Its convening in Eswatini therefore reflects not only the Kingdom’s growing diplomatic profile, but also its role in supporting dialogue that connects institutions, regions and peoples across this partnership,” she said.
The Parliament of Eswatini is leading the hosting arrangements, working alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and other government institutions.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu said the occasion carries deep significance. “The upcoming JPA in Eswatini symbolises not only a meeting of minds but also a renewed commitment to the ideals of partnership, cooperation, and progress among the OACPS and the EU,” she said.
