Tayebwa Briefs Pacific Lawmakers on Assembly Reform
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa outlined proposed reforms to the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly to Pacific parliamentarians in Brussels.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Legislative Policy
Thomas Tayebwa, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and president of the OACPS, briefed members of the Pacific Parliamentary Group in person in Brussels on proposed reforms to the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly. The proposals include establishing a common fund supported by contributions from the Assembly's three regions.
Why it matters
The Assembly's reliance on external financing has made planning difficult and limited its ability to act on its priorities. Earlier discussions with African parliamentarians and the Caribbean group raised similar concerns about that dependence.
The Assembly's office-holders rotate on a two-year cycle, and the proposed common fund would draw contributions from its three regional groups. The source does not state how much the fund would hold or how contributions would be apportioned among regions.
The players
Thomas Tayebwa
Thomas Tayebwa is Deputy Speaker of Parliament and serves as president of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly, and as co-president of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
The details
Tayebwa met members of the Pacific Parliamentary Group in Brussels and stressed that equitable regional representation in the Assembly's leadership should be maintained. He presented the reform proposals in person as part of wider consultations across the Assembly's regions.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Tayebwa met the Pacific Parliamentary Group in Brussels to brief them on the proposed reforms.
Legislative Policy Trajectory
The proposed common fund would build on the two-year office rotation that already structures the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly, which Tayebwa also co-presides over within the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. It represents an attempt to shift the Assembly away from dependence on outside donors toward regionally funded capacity.
For parliamentary staff and officials in OACPS member states, the proposed common fund would change how the Assembly is financed and how its priorities are set. The shift would be felt most in how members plan activities without relying on external donor timing.
The takeaway
Stable, regionally funded parliamentary institutions depend on shared financing that does not rely solely on external partners. Equitable regional representation in leadership is presented as central to that stability.
Further reading
For broader context on how parliamentary bodies organize their structures and finances, explore the Legislative Policy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by New Vision.
