Ezulwini – European Parliament member from the Netherlands, Ingeborg Teelak, is said to speak at the 81st session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September, informing them of the resolutions of the concluded Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly which was held in Eswatini between 11 and 14 May 2026.
“And later this year, I will participate as a delegation from the European Parliament in New York at the UN, and I really would like to come there with something concrete and to tell them what we have achieved here today in Eswatini,” she said, speaking at the forum at the Ezulwini Palazzo ICC on Wednesday.
Teelak, who co-chaired the OACPS-EU Women’s Forum together with Botswana Deputy Speaker Helen Pushie Manyeneng, said the recommendations of the forum would also be the Africa-EU Councils of Ministers. 
Teelak will inform heads of state in both forums that increasing women’s empowerment in agriculture is just as important as creating resilient economies, guaranteeing food security, and attaining sustainable development.
“And as a first concrete action, I would like to announce that the outcome of our discussions will be reflected in the draft proposal for recommendations, and it will be addressed, of course, to the Africa EU Councils of Ministers,” she said.
“And it can inform joint approaches that strengthen agricultural systems while promoting inclusion and environmental stewardship.
Aligning the European Union’s work with African agricultural farmers with the value chain participants is equally crucial. In this regard, Teelak stated, “The European Union and its member states have reaffirmed a strong commitment to support the implementation of the comprehensive African agriculture development program strategy and action plan.”
The commitment is being advanced through the European approach and the Global Gateway Africa-Europe investment package, which aims to mobilise sustainable development and investment, boost infrastructure, and promote transformative projects in the agri-food industry.
The Africa-EU cooperation continues to move beyond traditional aid-based models and more towards a balanced, sustainable, and mutually beneficial framework grounded in trade, investment, and joint value creation.
“And this grounded in trade is so important for peace, and so it will work out in all aspects of people’s lives.
“However, this transformation requires deliberate inclusive policymaking and sustainable long-term political will. Women must be at the centre of these efforts, not only on the fields but also at the tables where the decisions are taken. Not as beneficiaries but as leaders, as entrepreneurs, as decision-making actors. As members of parliament we have a crucial role to play.
“We must ensure that this transition to a partnership based on trade and investment delivers concrete and equitable results. This forum is an opportunity to translate ambition into action. It allows us to align the objectives of the International Year of the Women’s Farmers with a broader transformation of Africa UN relations,” Teelak said.
