In a joint declaration issued on Tuesday 25 November at the seventh EU-AU Summit in Luanda (Angola), the European Union and the African Union (AU) set out their vision for the future of the political partnership between Europeans and Africans. Outlined the day before in a series of solemn speeches (see EUROPE 13758/3), this declaration formalises a more symmetrical partnership between two continents with their own political agendas - the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the EU’s strategic priorities - and projects long-term joint cooperation beyond the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
“On the 25th anniversary of the AU-EU partnership, we look back with pride on our achievements, and we look forward to future cooperation based on mutual ambition for integrated, prosperous and peaceful continents for the wellbeing of our people”, the two blocs said.
Their text reaffirms the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, which are presented as non-negotiable, and applies them to a wide range of crises, from Ukraine to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia and the Sahel region (see EUROPE 13756/6). In addition, the partners agreed that AU peace operations should be funded through mandatory UN contributions.
Trade, investment and industrialisation. The partners agreed to “improving the investment and business climate” in Africa, in particular for the implementation of the EU’s Global Gateway investment package, but also to speed up the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and to support the industrialisation of African countries.
“We will promote the sustainable development of value chains to enhance the capacity of local industries to participate in regional and global markets and to diversify and secure global supply chains, for instance in the field of strategic and critical minerals”, they said.
In addition, the EU says it “stands ready to support the development of a strong legal and institutional framework for corridor development, inspired by the Trans-European Transport Network, fully tailored to the specific needs, opportunities and dynamism of Africa’s transport sector”.
Energy transition. The two Unions have pledged to support a “fair, just, and sustainable” energy transition in Africa, with the stated aim of giving at least 100 million people access to clean electricity by 2030. The declaration highlights African electricity interconnections, the development of renewable energies and ‘climate finance’, which the two blocs are calling for to be strengthened on a large scale.
Health. The AU and EU are calling for a reform of the global architecture to better reconcile health security, universal health coverage and equity, while also supporting the development of “African health sovereignty”.
Remembrance and reparations. Finally, the declaration devotes an unprecedented passage to the issues of remembrance, colonialism and reparations. In particular, the partners recognised the African Union’s theme for 2025 and the forthcoming “Decade of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”.
See the joint statement: https://aeur.eu/f/jmv (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)