South Atlantic states are deepening cooperation on maritime security and preparing for a 2026 ministerial meeting in Brazil, Cape Verde’s defence minister said on Thursday.
Janine Lélis told reporters at the opening of a two-day technical forum in Praia that the gathering aims to shape contributions to the “future Rio de Janeiro declaration” and its action plan, to be adopted at the 9th ministerial meeting of the South Atlantic Zone of Peace and Cooperation (Zopacas).
“Arm in arm we are working to ensure the South Atlantic remains a space that rejects confrontation and favours peaceful solutions,” Lélis said. The forum brings together experts from government institutions, defence and security bodies, academia and multilateral organisations.
Zopacas members are focusing on cooperation in maritime surveillance, interoperability and coordinated responses to threats such as illegal fishing, drug and human trafficking, as well as broader public security challenges. The talks also cover oceanographic research to strengthen scientific and technical capacity across the region.
Officials hope the meeting will produce a regional mapping of capabilities and needs, helping mobilise resources and reinforce scientific cooperation networks. Expected commitments include joint projects on oceanographic studies, continental shelf mapping and marine spatial planning.
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Lélis said Zopacas remained an “indispensable platform” for strengthening cooperative security and stability in the South Atlantic, especially as countries face “new transnational threats from maritime organised crime to energy and environmental vulnerabilities”.
Brazil’s Secretary of State for Multilateral and Political Affairs, Carlos Márcio Cozendey, said the priority ahead of the 2026 ministerial meeting was to “increase the density of cooperation within the zone”.
“For Brazil, the South Atlantic is a strategic space… rich in biodiversity, a corridor for commercial, cultural and scientific exchange, and a platform for mutual understanding,” he said.
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Zopacas comprises 24 countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in South America, and 21 African states, among them Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe.
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