"Today, we endorsed Canada's candidacy as an associated observer country," Cape Verde's ambassador to Lisbon, a member state that holds the organization's rotating presidency until July next year, told Lusa.
According to Eurico Monteiro, who was speaking after a meeting of the CPLP's Permanent Consultation Committee, in which all the ambassadors of the organization's member states sit, "the opinion was unanimous".
Canada delivered, in early June, its candidacy as an associate observer country of the CPLP, the organization's executive secretary then told Lusa.
In this way, Canada joins a list of 11 other states and international organizations that are developing their processes so that they can formalize accession, with the status of associate observer, at the next meeting of heads of state and government, to be held in Luanda, Angola, in July of the next year, during which these applications should be analyzed.
Representatives of CPLP member states have also endorsed India and Ireland's application processes for associated observers.
Altogether, there are 12 candidacies that will go to the next CPLP summit: United States of America, Spain, India, Ireland, Canada, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Peru, Qatar, Romania, European Public Law Organization (EPLO) in English) and Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB).
Currently, the CPLP has 18 associated observer countries and one organization, OEI - Organization of Ibero-American States.
States wishing to acquire associate observer status will have to share the guiding principles of the CPLP, namely with regard to the promotion of democratic practices, good governance and respect for human rights, and continue, through their government programs, objectives identical to those of the CPLP, even if, at the outset, they do not meet the necessary conditions to be full members of that organization, according to the official website of that community.
Associated observers can participate, without the right to vote, in the summits and in the Council of Ministers, being given access to the corresponding non-confidential documentation, and may also present communications provided they are duly authorized for that purpose. In addition, they can be invited to technical meetings.
However, any member state of the CPLP may, if deemed appropriate, request that a meeting be held without the participation of observers.
CPLP member states are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste.
