Food crisis: the EU takes action to support Africa's Sahel and Lake Chad regions
In the context of the aggravation of the food security and nutrition due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Union is today reinforcing its political and financial commitment to partner countries in Africa. A total of €554 million in 2022 will be targeted at increasing food security in Sahel and Lake Chad, where millions of people already suffer an acute situation and whose situation could worsen.
The EU support, announced at the high-level event on food security in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions co-organised by the EU, the Sahel and West Africa Club and the Global Network against food crises, includes both a humanitarian response and support to work on the root causes of food insecurity in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.
Global Gateway: President von der Leyen announces major participatory event on 21-22 June
The 2022 edition of the European Development Days (EDD) will take place on 21 and 22 June under the theme ‘Global Gateway: building sustainable partnerships for a connected world’. The event will bring together high-level participants from around the world to take stock of progress on the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “In a world marked by rising instability and shared global challenges, our partner countries need reliable friends. With Global Gateway, the European Union redoubles its efforts and offers partnership based on mutual values and common objectives for green, smart and inclusive investments. I’m looking forward to welcoming political leaders, representatives of civil society and the private sector from around the world to the European Development Days, where we will discuss concrete implementation of Global Gateway.”
Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, added: “Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 billion of investment by 2027, in a Team Europe approach between the EU, Member States, Development Financial Institutions, and the private sector. The Global Gateway Initiative has been largely welcomed, and several Member States have already presented their concrete contributions. The European Development Days will be the key event in 2022 to discuss how we, as Team Europe, can work with partner countries, including the private sector and European businesses, to deliver flagship initiatives.”
Commission adopts a roadmap to improve the European financial architecture for development
The European Commission adopted a roadmap to ensure a more impactful, efficient, coordinated and inclusive European financial architecture for development.
Amidst ongoing global geopolitical challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a new approach to EU’s cooperation with partner countries is needed, promoting EU political, economic and security interests around the world.
While the EU and its Members States are the world’s biggest development donor, public resources are not sufficient to address the magnitude of financing gaps for our partner countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), estimated at €3.7 trillion.
Food security: Commission steps up support for global action to transform food systems via eight Global Coalitions
In light of the dire food security situation and high food prices, after two years of COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commission is today stepping up its support to the transformation of food systems by actively engaging in eight global Coalitions for Action. These will assist partner countries in their efforts to transform food systems and help to advance the Farm to Fork Strategy agenda internationally. The decision to actively engage in these eight voluntary alliances for collective action is a follow-up to the Food Systems Summit held on 23-24 September 2021 in New York. The alliances gather national representatives, civil society organisations, researchers and international organisations to achieve transformation action in the field of food security. The Commission will be a major partner in eight coalitions:
EU strengthens partnership with WHO to boost local manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa
The Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) are strengthening their partnership to improve equitable access to safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced today in Geneva.
Commissioner Urpilainen said: “The European Union and WHO share a common ambition to boost local production capacity and access to quality, safe, effective and –importantly – affordable medicines and vaccines. Under the Team Europe initiative for local manufacturing in Africa, today with Dr. Tedros we agreed on stepping up support to our African partners in tackling some of the main barriers to access and availability, with concrete projects financed with at least €24.5 million from the EU budget. Together, we are strengthening the foundations of resilient health systems, universal health coverage and health security for now and in the future.”
Sustainable finance in low and middle income countries: Call for applications for the high-level expert group
The European Commission has launched a call for applications for up to 20 high-level members for the expert group on scaling up sustainable finance in low and middle income countries. The group will provide recommendations to prepare a dedicated Commission strategy that is scheduled for adoption in 2023. The strategy is part of the EU efforts to address inequalities and foster a green, just and resilient global recovery by mobilising private capital for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The call for applications is open until 27/04/2022.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said: “The pandemic has reversed years of progress on sustainable development, and now the war in Ukraine is affecting negatively the global economy, increasing the funding gap needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The EU has long supported partner countries in a strong, inclusive, green and digital recovery. As Team Europe, we are stepping up our efforts to accelerate the flow of private capital towards sustainable investments where it is the most needed so that no one is left behind. The forthcoming EU sustainable finance strategy for low and middle income countries will be in line with the EU Global Gateway strategy which will boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport, and strengthen health, education and research systems. I invite high-level experts around the world to apply and help us build the forthcoming strategy on sustainable finance.”
African Union and European Union step up digital cooperation for sustainable development in Africa following EU-AU Summit
Digital cooperation is a cornerstone of the AU-EU strategic partnership. This was underlined by representatives from the European Union and the African Union at the first Africa-Europe Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Multi-Stakeholder Forum, which took place on 18 March 2022, under the theme “Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development in Africa”. The event, which took place virtually, was co-hosted by the African Union Commission and the European Commission with the aim of promoting exchanges and collaboration with private sector, enterprises, civil society organisations, and experts in the digital field from both continents.
Ms Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships said: “Today we kicked off a much-needed dialogue with our private sector and civil society partners in Africa and Europe to build a shared digital future that leaves no one behind. This is the first step in implementing concretely the deliverables of the recent EU-AU Summit. In line with the Global Gateway Strategy, the EU will scale up investments, support innovation, and promote digital rights. Bridging the digital divide is key in fighting inequalities. To achieve this, we must work together with all our partners in the digital ecosystem.”
Sustainable forestry for a sustainable future: the Ghana-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement
Forests are a key pillar of sustainable development, providing priceless ecological, economic, social benefits at local, national and global level. They perform key ecosystem services, create jobs for communities, revenue for governments, and hold cultural and spiritual value.
In Ghana, the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union has brought a transformational change. The VPA’s aim is to improve forest governance, address illegal logging and promote trade in legal timber products. But the VPA’s impacts have gone way beyond the legality of the timber traded by Ghana.
COP15 global biodiversity negotiations: EU leading the ambition for a new deal to protect people and planet
From 14 to 29 March, the EU will participate in resumed global biodiversity meetings to advance on the development of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework – a new global accord to halt and reverse the loss of the planet's plants, animals and ecosystems. The talks in Geneva are the last official session for governments to negotiate on the once-in-a-decade global agreement before it arrives in Kunming, China, to be adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP15 later in the year. The Framework will guide global action for nature and people, which is vital for tackling climate change and building a fairer, safer, healthier world for everyone, everywhere.
Tenth African Fiscal Forum – Joint Statement by the European Commissioner for International Partnerships and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, today issued a statement on the occasion of the Tenth African Fiscal Forum titled ‘Fiscal policies and reforms for the post-pandemic era’. Delegates at the Forum, which is taking place virtually on March 10-11, 2022, include high-level participation by the Fund and Commission by Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, and Mr. Koen Doens, Director General of DG International Partnerships, respectively, as well as delegates from African ministers of finance, policymakers and representatives from bilateral partners, multilateral institutions, and civil society.
Ms. Urpilainen and Ms. Georgieva stated: “Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is recovering from an unprecedented crisis. Following the sharp contraction of 2020, growth accelerated in 2021, supported by improvements in international trade and commodity prices.