08/27/2023 – 12:30
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated, this Sunday (27), in the 14th Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), in São Tomé, capital of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country located on the west coast of Africa.
At the event, the temporary presidency of the CPLP passed from Angola to São Tomé and Príncipe, for the 2023-2025 biennium. The main themes of the Santomean Presidency are “Youth and Sustainability”. Already during the Angolan presidency, in the period 2021-2023, in addition to political understanding and an agenda in the social and cultural areas, cooperation in the economic and business spheres began to be intensified in the community.
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President Lula recalled that the CPLP countries gather almost 300 million consumers, spread across four continents and with a GDP of US$ 2.3 trillion.
“The digital and ecological transitions need to be taken advantage of to generate opportunities and avoid income concentration and inequality. The promotion of trade and investment must guarantee dignified and green jobs, and aim to diversify our export basket beyond commodities. The Angolan initiative to incorporate economic cooperation as a new pillar of our community will help to connect our markets”, she said.
This Sunday, the heads of state and government approved the administrative reform of the CPLP, with the creation of the Directorate of Economic and Business Affairs, which will expand partnerships in these areas.
For Lula, countries are facing the challenge of boosting their economies to guarantee decent work, fair wages and protection for workers. In this sense, he mentioned that he will announce, in September, alongside the president of the United States, Joe Biden, a joint program for the generation of employment and decent work.
Youth and sustainability
Lula reaffirmed that sustainability must be worked on in the social, economic and environmental dimensions. He cited the results of the Amazon Summit, held at the beginning of the month, in Belém (PA), and said that tackling climate change is one of the central axes of current Brazilian foreign policy.
“Many there [em Belém] they were young people who are engaging in different ways in the fight against climate change. We need to place people at the center of public policies, creating solutions that equitably reward the preservation of forests and biodiversity. We must avoid neocolonialism that leads to a new cycle of predatory exploitation of critical minerals and other natural resources. Nor should the ecological transition serve as a pretext for new green protectionisms. With their energy and creativity, young people are the driving force in the search for innovative solutions to the challenges of sustainable development,” said Lula.
For the Brazilian president, current times are much more complex for young people, while climate change puts the future of the planet in check.
“The new generations live with the uncertainty of a changing job market. The new technologies are an extraordinary achievement of human intelligence, but with them, unemployment and precariousness reach new heights. The irresponsible use of social networks with the spread of fake news and hate speech threatens democracy. The cult of individualism leads many young people to disbelieve in collective action. These trends were exacerbated by the pandemic, which pushed children and adolescents away from school and social life, further widening inequalities,” said Lula.
For the president of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, the CPLP heads of state and government should make a “committed reflection” on youth and adopt “more assertive measures” to combat climate problems and create opportunities.
“The younger generations are recognized as catalysts for the changes needed to ensure a more sustainable future for the planet. This relationship becomes even more relevant when applied to small island states, which face unique challenges due to their environmental vulnerabilities and the presence of a predominantly young population, eager for new opportunities”, said the president of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova.
mobility agreement
During the Angolan presidency, a mobility agreement was approved between the citizens of member countriesto facilitate the granting of visas and residence permits and also the movement of people in the territories.
According to Lula, to implement this agreement, Brazil will regulate the issuance of visas for the academic, scientific, cultural and business community.
The Brazilian president also highlighted the joint work of CPLP member countries in promoting food and nutritional security, in the development of family farming and in school feeding programmes. The president reaffirmed the capacity of the African continent to become “an agricultural power”.
“Brazil will continue to be a partner in this endeavor”, he said, citing that the version of the More Food for Africa must be resumed. Through the program, small producers have access to credit for the purchase of equipment.
The CPLP is formed by nine countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. In addition to them, the Portuguese is also an official language in Macau. Created in 1996, the community aims to facilitate integration and cooperation between these nations, both among themselves and to act together in other international instances.
>> Understand what the CPLP is
bilateral relations
Brazil and São Tomé and Príncipe have maintained diplomatic relations since the African nation gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The Brazilian embassy in the capital, São Tomé, was established in 2003.
The two countries maintain various technical cooperation programs in the areas of education, health, local government computerization, agriculture, adult literacy, defense, urban infrastructure, police, social security, water resources, and HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
During this Sunday’s visit, Brazil and Sao Tome and Principe also signed two new bilateral instruments of cooperation, one to facilitate mutual investments and another in the area of diplomatic education and training.
The CPLP conference is the last appointment on the president’s trip to Africa. Lula arrived in the African continent last Monday (21). The first stop was in South Africa for the[https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/internacional/noticia/2023-08/seis-novos-paises-integrarao-o-brics-partir-de-janeiro-de-2024″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>15ª Cúpula de chefes de Estado do Brics, grupo formado por Brasil, Rússia, Índia, China e África do Sul. Na sequência, na sexta-feira (25) e ontem (26), ele cumpriu agenda oficial em Angola.
Em seus discursos, Lula afirmou que quer estreitar as relações do Brasil com a África e defendeu uma maior cooperação entre os países em desenvolvimento do Sul global .
A previsão é que a comitiva presidencial retorne a Brasília ainda neste domingo.
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