ECES has taken an important step towards strengthening its cooperation with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) following a high-level meeting at the organisation's headquarters in Lisbon.
ECES Founder and Executive Director Fabio Bargiacchi, accompanied by ECES Vice-President José Manuel Pinto Teixeira, met with H.E. Ambassador Maria de Fátima Jardim, Executive Secretary of the CPLP, to discuss opportunities for closer collaboration in promoting democratic governance, electoral integrity, leadership development and institutional capacity-building across the Portuguese-speaking world.
The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the CPLP's longstanding role in fostering political dialogue, cooperation and sustainable development among its Member States. Established in 1996, the CPLP brings together Portuguese-speaking countries across four continents and serves as a unique multilateral forum for strengthening friendship, cooperation and democratic values among its members.
Building on the strong alignment between the missions of the two organisations, ECES and the CPLP agreed to work towards signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the near future. The agreement will formalise their partnership and establish a framework for long-term cooperation in areas including democratic governance, institutional strengthening, electoral assistance and professional capacity development.
For ECES, this prospective partnership also reflects a long-standing commitment to supporting democratic processes throughout the Lusophone world.
Earlier in his career, Fabio Bargiacchi managed a European Union-funded programme supporting electoral cycles across the PALOP-TL countries—Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. He also contributed to the establishment of the Network of Electoral Management Bodies of the PALOP-TL countries and promoted institutional exchanges with Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal, helping to strengthen peer-to-peer cooperation and the sharing of electoral good practices.
These experiences laid the foundations for ECES' continued engagement with Portuguese-speaking electoral stakeholders and reinforced the organisation's conviction that sustainable democratic development is best achieved through long-term partnerships, institutional dialogue and locally owned capacity-building initiatives.
Commenting on the meeting, Fabio Bargiacchi highlighted the significance of strengthening relations with the CPLP:
"I have always felt a strong connection to the Portuguese-speaking community. I am therefore particularly pleased that ECES will deepen its cooperation with the CPLP, building on many years of collaboration and shared commitment to democratic governance and institutional development."
ECES extends its sincere appreciation to H.E. Ambassador Maria de Fátima Jardim and the CPLP Secretariat for their warm welcome and constructive discussions. The organisation looks forward to developing this partnership further and contributing jointly to stronger democratic institutions, credible electoral processes and effective leadership across the CPLP community.
