European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica will represent the EU on Saturday 30 June at the 31st European Union-African Union (AU) summit in Nouakchott (Mauritania), 25 June to 2 July on the main theme of fighting corruption and supporting Africa's transformation towards sustainable development.
Commissioner Mimica will co-host together with acting African Union Chair, Paul Kagame, a high-level AU-EU joint side-event called “Women in Power.”
Women in power is inscribed in AU Agenda 2063 (aspiration No. 6) and is one of the universal sustainable development goals. It was widely addressed in the last European Development Days, attended by Kagamé (see EUROPE 12034). The aim of the joint event in Nouakchott is to strengthen political support for the action needed to make gender equality and women in power a fact rather than an aspiration.
The AU’s gender equality ministers recently adopted a new joint strategy for the continent for women in power, which will be enshrined at the highest level in Nouakchott.
Aid of €47.6 millions for Mauritania. Commissioner Mimica will sign two programmes for Mauritania, for a total of €47.6 million under the 11th European Development Fund. Commissioner Mimica said: “Mauritania is a strategic partner for security and stability in the Sahel.
The two programmes improve the lives of citizens by promoting investments in rural areas and strengthening the judicial system” in Mauritania, which the Commissioner described in a press release as ‘a strategic partner for security and stability in the Sahel” (see EUROPE 12043).
Mimica will also meet the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, and the President of Sierra Leone. Julius Maada Bio, and will participate in the sixth Board Meeting of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, which aims at the development of capacity of 300 gigawatts by 2030. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)