Partnerships good for Africa and Europe

As we face the challenges of the 21st century there is more that unites Africa and Europe. More than ever, we need to work together to build our common future and to work jointly on the defining global issues.

We have a shared view of the benefits of cooperation. Europe’s journey from the devastation of 1945 to a Union of more than half a billion citizens based is well known.

So too is Africa’s liberation from colonial rule to independence and greater integration through the creation of the African Union (AU).

The African Union Commission and the European Commission work jointly to help drive this process forward.

This was well recognised by the leaders of Africa and Europe at the last EU-Africa Summit when they put Human Development at the heart of our cooperation.

Africa’s population is growing fast. By 2035, those entering the job market will exceed that of the rest of the world. As the African Union’s Agenda 2063 recognises, no society can reach its full potential unless it empowers women and removes all obstacles to women’s full participation.

We know that sustainable development can only occur in stable and secure societies. We know, too, that security will be undermined if equal access to the benefits of sustainable development is not assured. This is becoming even more evident in times when terrorist groups are targeting disenchanted and often unemployed youth groups that seek to spread violent sectarian ideologies to destroy the pluralism of our societies.

We must guarantee that all citizens, in particular the youth, find a place in society and be fully empowered to reach their potential.

Security cannot exist without justice, democracy, the rule of law, good governance and the effective respect for human rights. 2016 is the African Year of Human Rights and the European Union has also designated 2016 as a year of human rights activism and global campaigning.

Africa can be proud of having one of strongest human rights’ frameworks in the world: by the end of 2016 we should ensure that all our member States have ratified all human rights treaties.

The African Peace and Security Architecture is designed to enable Africa to manage its own peace and security. The work that has been done in countries like Somalia, the Central African Republic and Mali bears testimony to this.

The African Peace Facility has pioneered a shared EU-Africa commitment by giving Africa the means to develop and use its own capacity to carry out essential mediation work, to prevent conflicts and to secure peace.

Today’s migration crisis, partly rooted in violent conflicts, also makes a compelling case for closer cooperation.

Europe is confronted by an unprecedented flow of refugees and asylum seekers. In Africa, too, people are on the move – from villages to cities, to neighbouring countries and sometimes towards Europe. Those moves are mainly motivated by fear and hope.

If we want to ensure integration, we must manage human mobility. We will work together to address the root causes of illegal migration, support mobility and labour migration, reduce the cost of remittances, strengthen international protection, facilitate return and to combat human trafficking.

There is optimism about Africa’s future, and rightly so. For more than a decade, Africa has enjoyed sustained economic growth. Africa is an increasingly attractive place to do business. Trade with the EU has increased by 50 percent since 2007.

Around 40 percent of Africa’s exports are made up of processed products, with a consistent trade surplus in Africa’s favour. The EU remains Africa’s main trading partner.

Investments by European companies and their subsidiaries in Africa total over €200 billion annually; making the EU Africa’s leading investment partner. Europe also remains Africa’s main development partner with more than €20 billion official development assistance (ODA) per year. But continued growth cannot be taken for granted.

Decreasing price of oil and other commodities as well as reduced demand from China and other emerging economies will have negative impacts.

Africa’s reliance on raw material exports makes it vulnerable to downturns in demand in overseas markets, hence the need for value addition through industrialisation.

Last but not least, we are working together to boost agriculture to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

This is why creating a Continental Free Trade Area which promotes free and fair trade is so important.

Our Unions, our two continents face common challenges from climate change, migration, ensuring sustainable economic growth to the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

We know well that we are stronger when we are working together. We are starting preparations for the 5th EU-Africa Summit to be held in Africa in 2017 with these objectives well in mind.