Transparency, inclusiveness and sustainability in global (land) investment
Date: 16 May 2022, 12:30-14:00 (CET)
Online
Notwithstanding aspirational global frameworks and policy reforms at national levels with regards global investment, in general and in agriculture and land in particular, an essential question remains: how have these significant legal improvements impacted on the practices on the ground? On one hand, this Infopoint conference endeavors to contribute to answering this question by presenting track records of agricultural and land investments with regards the implementation (or the lack thereof) of the VGGTS/RAIs/and other global frameworks, using Land Matrix data. On the other hand, it will discuss these results in the framework of the EU’s new rules for companies to respect human rights and environment in global value chains.
The objective of this Infopoint is to mobilise for more responsible and inclusive investment. This Infopoint conference, organised by the Land Matrix (a EU funded project, tracking large-scale land investments worldwide) will be structured around the release of its latest report focussing on evolution, impacts and VGGT implementation in the framework of large-scale land acquisitions (ref report: little progress in practice. Transparency, inclusiveness and sustainability in global (land) investment in Africa (see www.landmatrix.org). The presentation of these results will be complemented by a presentation of the International Federation for Human Rights, discussing the above results in the framework of the EU’s new rules for companies to respect human rights and environment in global value chains.
Human Rights and Digital Technologies
Date: 24 March 2022, 14:00-15:30 CET
SUPPORTING CIVIC ACTIVISM AND PARTICIPATION BY LEVERAGING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
The session will present experiences that challenge disinformation by producing initiatives that help create resilience among citizens and empower the various actors impacted.
Disinformation on social media is one of the most important sources of disruption of the political discourse. It has been proven to affect elections results, trigger ethnic violence and discriminatory behaviour. This Infopoint Conference showcases two CSOs initiatives which tackle disinformation on social media. One is a succesful EU funded project - Exposing bot disinformation in Brazil. The second is a toolkit for monitoring disinformation and hate speech around elections, developped by Democracy Reporting International, with initial EU funding. The aim of the Conference is to provide good examples and lessons learned to EU staff interested in digitalisation, human rights and democracy. Secondly, the Conference will raise awareness and knowledge among EU colleagues on these topics.
EU-Angola Business Forum
Date: 24 March 2022, 08:00-18:00 CET
Online
The first-ever EU-Angola Business Forum will kick off a series of public-private dialogues around Angola´s reforms to support private sector investment and business links.
Besides the panels on 24 March, you can connect with business and government officials from 17 to 31 March organising bilateral meetings.
10th African Fiscal Forum - Fiscal policies and reforms for the post-pandemic era
Date: 10-12 March 2022
The European Commission (EC) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will host the Tenth African Fiscal Forum. The virtual forum will discuss wide-ranging fiscal reforms needed to preserve the sustainability of public finances and enhance the resilience of African economies in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how to address the policy constraints that countries are likely to face in the coming years.
Clean Energy Summit
The European Business Summits is happy to announce that the next edition of the Clean Energy Summit will be taking place on the 29th of March 2022.
Accomplishing a clean and just energy transition is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, which aims to be at the forefront of innovation while protecting consumers and ensuring the markets' fairness.
THE UNINTENDED IMPACT OF EUROPEAN SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS ON GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS
Date: Tuesday 22 February 2022, 15:00 CET
In a partnership between Euractiv and the European Landozners' Association, this online conference will discuss the unintended impact of European sustainability standards on global food systems.
Food systems are directly related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is often an assumption that EU standards only affect European farmers, but the Green Deal architecture will have a significant human impact on rural activities around the globe. Latin America, Africa and India among others, will have to adapt and integrate this shift in the paradigm of sustainability within their own food systems. Therefore, new sustainability standards will most probably affect the EU-third countries trade relations.
The conference will explore how the EU Green Deal and its environmental standards will directly and indirectly affect the international food sector and livelihoods of farmers in vulnerable rural areas of export nations.
EU-African Union Summit: making the most of the European Green Deal and Global Gateway
Date: Tuesday 15 February 2022, 15:00 - 16:00 CET
The European Council on Foreign Relations is hosting an event on making the most of the European Green Deal and the Global Gateway project.
To what extent can the European Green Deal and Global Gateway be shaped to satisfy both European and African interests?
Towards a new partnership between the African Union and the European Union?
Date: Friday 11 February 2022, 14:00 - 15:30 CET
Join the Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development at their online event about the question of moving towards a new partnership between the African Union and the European Union.
On 17 and 18 February, the EU-AU Summit 2022 will take place. At this important conference, European and African leaders want to lay the foundations for a renewed partnership. Many strategic issues are on the agenda: the energy transition, migration, responses to the pandemic.
The FRDO-CFDD is organising an informative webinar on the stakes of this conference on Friday 11 February at 2 pm. Representatives of the AU, the EU, the Belgian government and experts will explain the importance of this conference. Afterwards, there will be room for reactions from FRDO-CFDD members and other webinar participants.
The webinar will be conducted in English.
First Africa-Europe D4D Hub Multi-Stakeholder Forum
Date: 18 March, 10:00-17:00 (CET)
The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) are co-hosting, online, the first Africa-Europe Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Multi-Stakeholder Forum with the aim of advancing the partnership between African and European digital actors.
The forum’s objective is to make sure that all African and European stakeholders (including private sector, governments, academia, and civil society) contribute to joint AU-EU efforts to build an inclusive digital economy and society that leaves no one behind.
It will also be an opportunity for the African Union Commission and the European Commission to give an update on the status of the implementation of digital initiatives and programmes.
Vaccine access and equity in the Africa-Europe partnership: Leading the way to the AU-EU summit
Date: 3 February, 17:00-18:30 (CET)
Friends of Europe will be hosting an event focussing on vaccine inequity in the lead up to the AU-EU Summit.
This debate on Vaccine Access and Equity will touch upon not only the need for effective vaccine equity, only way to ensure a fully efficient fight against the current pandemic, but also the development of local vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa, in order to ensure long-term security against further pandemics.