The sixth African Union-European Union Summit must be a milestone for opening up a new stage of partnership.

 

Africa & Europe: a growing appetite for a real partnership By Paul Watson, Director of the Africa-Europe Foundation The sixth African Union-European Union Summit is happening against a backdrop when the world needs a strengthened and enlarged partnership between the two blocs. With geopolitics veering towards a dangerous power competition, neither Africa nor Europe want to be pawns in this power struggle. Both continents are deeply committed to multilateral cooperation and the shared values embodied in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030. Through the building of a partnership that reaches way beyond the current institutional architecture of Africa-Europe relations, the two unions could be in a stronger position to address common challenges, from the climate emergency to future health pandemics. Yet, this new chapter will only have real meaning if its gains and benefits are understood by our respective societies.  Traditionally, summits of this kind have produced conclusions that have been strong on declarations of intent but weak on deliveries with content. On paper, the joint declaration provides a framework for tackling structural common challenges in areas such as economic and trade cooperation, energy transition, digitalisation, security, governance and migration. This is why the aspirational tones have to be followed-up with new mechanisms focused on removing existing obstacles to implementation, involving diverse stakeholders and turning dialogue into action at different levels of society. It is equally critical, for the credibility of the political dialogue, that we seize this milestone in Africa-Europe relations to acknowledge the prevailing power dynamics and inequalities of where we stand. The existing Africa-Europe relationship, as the past eighteen months have so vividly illustrated, is not a partnership of equals. The responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate emergency have highlighted the clear economic and power imbalances between the continents. Unequal allocation of vaccines, unfulfilled pledges on climate finance and an increasing gap when it comes to energy access have all undermined trust between peoples and nations. Acknowledging this reality, we must take steps to restore balance and build a solid foundation for our future coexistence. While the AU-EU Summit will not herald a new partnership of equals, behind the scenes a level of maturity is growing – one where the links are becoming strong enough to take on the complex, sometimes contentious issues in key sectors of cooperation from energy and agri-food systems to vaccine manufacturing and migration. When it comes to facing the climate emergency, this will be key to ensure that the respective strategies of the two continents complement and do not undermine one another. Working at the nexus of climate and sustainable development is central to such an alliance, underpinned by the need to address the future of work and deal with the current crisis of employment that ensures broad economic inclusion for young people. Africa brings abundant natural resources, a vibrant labour force and an appetite for innovation and creativity. Europe brings regulatory experience, capital investment and technical know-how in building infrastructure. Such distinct strengths can be leveraged to mutual benefit as well as to working together effectively on mobility and migration. The Africa-Europe relationship, historically, has suffered from a lack of authenticity, credibility and visibility among its peoples. This week's AU-EU Summit must therefore be a milestone for opening up a new stage of partnership. A partnership that is mature enough to acknowledge and tackle the diverging approaches and perspectives to address the most pressing challenges in the world today. A partnership that is significantly enlarged beyond the current institutional architecture with a central role for youth voice, agency and leadership on both continents. A real partnership that has the capacity to transform dialogue into action. We cannot wait for another summit to make this shift.