EU Ambassador to Kenya Simon Mordue, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee and Ambassador Martin Kimani at UNON on March 9, 2020
The European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Monday announced a new strategy for cooperation with Africa.
The communication sets out five key areas of green transition; digital transformation; sustainable growth and jobs; peace and governance; and migration and mobility as the new basis for relations between the two continents.
The new joint strategy is set to be endorsed at the European Union – African Union Summit in October this year.
“Today’s strategy with Africa is the roadmap to move forward and bring our partnership to the next level. Africa is the European Union’s natural partner and neighbour. Together we can build a more prosperous, more peaceful and more sustainable future for all,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quoted as having said in a statement.
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who is also the Vice-President of the European Commission for a stronger Europe in the World, Josep Borrell, said a part of Europe’s future is at stake in Africa.
“To face our common challenges, we need a strong Africa, and Africa needs a strong Europe. There is everything to gain from reinforcing our already very strong partnership in areas such as peace and stability, poverty and inequalities, terrorism and extremism,” Borrell said.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said with the proposed five partnerships, built around shared interests and values, Africa and Europe will together lead on the green and digital transformation and promote sustainable investment and jobs. ,
“My key priority now is to ensure that the strategy with Africa is owned by the youth and women, as it responds to their aspirations,” Urpilainen said.
EU will partner with Africa to one, maximise the benefits of the green transition and minimise threats to the environment in full compliance with the Paris Agreement; boost the continent’s digital transformation; increase environmentally, socially and financially sustainable investments that are resilient to climate change; promote investment opportunities by scaling up the use of innovative financing mechanisms and boost regional and continental economic integration, particularly through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement
The partnership also seeks to attract investors by supporting African states in adopting policies and regulatory reforms that improve the business environment and investment climate, including a level-playing field.
It will also rapidly enhance learning, knowledge and skills, research and innovation capacities, particularly for women and youth, protecting and improving social rights, and eradicating child labour
The partnership further aims at adapting and deepening EU support to African peace efforts through a more structured and strategic form of cooperation in vulnerable areas.
In addition, it will also help in integrating good governance, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and gender equality in action and cooperation; secure resilience by linking humanitarian, development, peace and security interventions at all stages of the cycle of conflicts and crises; ensure balanced, coherent and comprehensive partnerships on migration and mobility and strengthen the international rules-based order and the multilateral system, with the UN at its core
The renewed cooperation will build on an ongoing dialogue with African partners, which will be taken forward ahead of the next EU-AU Summit in Brussels in October to define future joint strategic priorities.
Even as this happened, the EU in Kenya held a retreat dubbed Partnerships for success in 2020 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi on Monday. The discussions centred on how the EU and the UN can jointly support Kenya in achieving sustainable development.
EU Ambassador to Kenya Simon Mordue, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee at UNON, Gigiri on Monday, March 9, 2020
“The retreat at the UN headquarters in Nairobi discussed creating a common understanding about current and future UN- EU development cooperation frameworks, financing mechanism and structures,” UNON said.
Among those who attended were EU Ambassador to Kenya Simon Mordue, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa, ICT CS Joe Mucheru, Amb Martin Kimani and Treasury PS Julius Muia.
“I affirm government’s commitment towards enhancing cooperation framework with the EU and the UN on priority issues to deliver on governance, devolution, job creation for youths, climate change transition and sustainability and digitalization solutions,” Wamalwa said.
Chatterjee said the retreat looked at how the p[artnership between the two continents will look like in 2020-21 “to achieve the vision articulated by Leyen and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of multilateralism in helping to leapfrog development and leave no one behind.”
UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya Walid Badawi said the meeting was about joint support for the government of Kenya’s development objectives, and how the EU and UN can use development assistance to leverage private sector investment.
The proposals seek to build on the growing momentum in EU-Africa relations, with the six Summit between the African Union and the EU and the conclusion of the negotiations of the new partnership agreement between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
The partnership should be based on a clear understanding of our respective and mutual interests and responsibilities, EU said.
