The European Union and the African Union published, on Monday 14 October, a joint report setting out the progress made in implementing the commitments made at the 6th EU-AU Summit held in February 2022 (see EUROPE 12894/1).
The report notes the results of the first implementation plan (2014-2023) of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which is intended to represent the continent’s long-term development vision. It also includes the joint commitments of the EU and the AU to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030, which aim to eradicate poverty and achieve global sustainable development.
The services of the EU and AU Commissions, in collaboration with the AU Development Agency (‘AUDA-NEPAD’), have assessed the progress and results of the Africa-Europe Investment Plan under the ‘Global Gateway’ initiative, which aims to mobilise at least €150 billion of investment by 2027.
A total of 95 Team Europe Initiatives have been set up in partnership with Africa, out of a total of 165 worldwide.
“The first two years of implementation have provided a unique opportunity for all actors to galvanise around a common cooperation agenda for both Africa and the EU”, the report states.
The experts noted “many examples of concrete progress in different areas with visible results”. However, they highlight that other elements in a preparatory phase need more time to come to fruition which is specifically the case for projects “where more complex technical and financial arrangements” are needed.
“Work is progressing on 12 priority transport corridors, on providing more people access to clean energy and on strengthening Africa’s health and education systems. And that’s just couple of examples!”, commented the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, on the X platform on Monday.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/dwn (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)