The UK Parliament will host, on 8 January, the official inauguration of the PALOP Society, a diaspora-led organisation established to strengthen economic, institutional and policy cooperation between the United Kingdom and the Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP). The ceremony will be formally opened by José Gomes (Utola), President of the Confederation of Angolan Associations in the United Kingdom (CAARU), marking a moment of significant political, institutional and community importance.
The event is sponsored by Calvin Bailey MP, the UK Trade Envoy to Southern Africa, whose remit includes Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. This sponsorship highlights the growing strategic importance of structured engagement between the UK and Southern African nations, as well as the role of diaspora-led initiatives in advancing trade, investment and policy collaboration.
The PALOP Society was developed under the strategic guidance of Ângelo da Costa Mengwako, Secretary for Political Marketing of CAARU. The project positions itself as a strategic, diaspora-led platform dedicated to advancing collaboration between businesses, investors and institutions, with the aim of unlocking opportunities for investment, trade and skills partnerships that support long-term African development.
By convening structured dialogue, sharing evidence and mobilising diaspora expertise, the PALOP Society seeks to contribute to the design of policies and initiatives with measurable impact. The organisation is strictly non-partisan and politically impartial, both in the UK and across PALOP nations, and is firmly focused on community benefit, credible partnerships and tangible outcomes.
The inauguration ceremony on 8 January will be attended by a distinguished group of institutional stakeholders, underlining the relevance and credibility of the PALOP Society from its inception. The event will be honoured by the presence of Members of the UK Parliament, Mayors and Council Leaders, representatives of the embassies of PALOP countries, as well as Namibia, Zambia, and leaders of PALOP community organisations in the United Kingdom. This broad representation reflects the inclusive, cross-sector and international character of the initiative.
The opening of the ceremony by Angelo, Calvin and José Utola reaffirms the confederation’s role as a key reference organisation in the representation, organisation and empowerment of the Angolan and wider Lusophone diaspora in the UK. More than a symbolic act, the inauguration of the PALOP Society represents a milestone in the civic, economic and institutional affirmation of PALOP communities in the United Kingdom, demonstrating strategic vision, organisational maturity and a strong commitment to sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Through this initiative, CAARU and its partners lay the foundations for a new phase of cooperation between the UK and the PALOP countries, placing the diaspora at the centre of dialogue, action and the development of solutions with real and lasting impact.