Transcript AFRICA-EU DIALOGUE: STATE OF PLAY AND IMPLEMENTATION

11th Regional Seminar of the ACP-EU
Economic and Social Interest Groups,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
8 July 2010
Ensuring the successful implementation of the
Joint Africa-EU Strategy
8 July 2010
Dr. Maxwell M. Mkwezalamba
Commissioner for Economic Affairs
African Union Commission
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Presentation Outline
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The Joint Strategy
The First Action Plan
Implementation architecture
Progress to date
Challenges
Way ahead: Improving implementation
Way ahead: Key recommendations
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1. The Joint Strategy
 Background
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Strategy jointly developed by Africa and EU
Takes account of new and emerging challenges:
Facing Africa
Facing the EU
Facing the whole world
Long term approach
New approach (characterised by equality)
Complements existing bilateral relations
 Adopted in December 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal
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Context
• Common values: Respect for human rights,
freedom, equality, justice, democracy, etc.
• Emerging challenges
Principles
• Unity of Africa; one and undivided Africa
• Interdependence between Africa and EU
• Ownership and joint responsibility
• Equality
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1. The Joint Strategy
Objectives
• To reinforce and elevate the Africa-EU political
partnership to address issues of common concern
e.g. peace and security, migration,
• Address challenges facing Africa e.g. sustainable
economic development, regional integration, MDGs
• Jointly promote a system of effective multilateralism
and address global challenges and common concerns
e.g. climate change, terrorism, HIV/AIDS
• Facilitate and promote broad-based and wideranging people-centred partnership by empowering
non-state actors and creating the enabling
environment for their effectiveness
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1. The Joint Strategy
The four clusters
• Peace and security
• Governance and human rights
• Trade and regional integration
• Key development issues
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2. The First Action Plan
Adopted in Lisbon in December 2007
Eight Partnerships
1. Partnership on Peace and Security
2. Partnership
Rights
3. Partnership
Infrastructure
4. Partnership
5. Partnership
6. Partnership
7. Partnership
8. Partnership
on Democratic Governance and Human
on Trade, Regional Integration &
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the Millennium Developments Goals
Energy
Climate Change
Migration, Mobility and Employment
Science, Information Society and Space
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3. Implementation architecture
- Stakeholders
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The two Commissions
Member States
PAP and European Parliament
Civil society, ECOSOCC, European Economic and
Social Council (EESC), research institutes and
think-tanks
Regional Economic Communities (RECs)
The private Sector
Other international actors
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4. Progress to date
-Structure and process
Implementation architecture endorsed
Implementation teams formed on both sides
Joint Expert Group (JEG) guidelines adopted
8 JEGs formed
• Member States actively participating
• A number of RECs have joined the
implementation process
• 12th Ministerial Troika paved the way for civil
society participation in JEG activities
Enlargement of the AUC-EU Joint Task Force to include
RECs, parliaments, JEG co-chairs, civil society
Joint website launched: www.africa-eu-partnership.org
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4. Progress to date
-Concrete deliverables?
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The level of success recorded has become a subjective matter
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African perspective: Development focus
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EU perspective: Political focus
Assessment Report of October 2009 has highlighted some
achievements:
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Enhanced political dialogue at continental level (AU PSCEU PSC meetings); 1billion Euro funding in support of
African peace and security etc.
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1 million Euro AU Electoral Assistance Fund; AU observers
participation in EU Parliamentary elections; 2.7 billion Euro
Governance Initiative Tranche
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1 billion Euro EC food facility, with 560m Euro earmarked
for Africa, etc.
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4. Progress to date
-Concrete deliverables?
• There is near consensus that implementation
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performance since Lisbon has not been impressive
The First Action Plan (2008-2010) remains largely
unimplemented
As we approach another Summit, scheduled for
29-30 November 2010, we need to look back to
see areas of weakness and discuss ways of
improving performance
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5. Challenges
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Respecting the principle of Treating Africa as one agreed in the
Joint Strategy
Adequate financial resources for:
– Implementation of the projects/activities
– The architecture (Cost of participation in JEG meetings and
related activities)
Full involvement of all stakeholders, including
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RECs
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Private sector
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The Parliaments
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Civil society
Capacity of the JEGs to deliver
Lack of ownership/commitment
Lack of effective communication
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
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Respecting the principle of Treating Africa as one
agreed in the Joint Strategy
Africa must be treated as one and undivided entity within
the framework of continental cooperation
The present situation where the continent is divided into
three parts (North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and South
Africa) is not in conformity with the Joint Strategy
To show commitment to continental cooperation therefore,
the EU needs to take adequate steps to amend existing
instruments to support the requirements of the Joint
Strategy
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
B. Resources/Financing
• Addressing the question of financing is fundamental to the
success of the Joint strategy. Without financing, not much
can be achieved.
• This is a shared responsibility, so the two sides must
continue to work together to find a lasting solution
• Private sector and other sources
• A Pan-African envelope or Africa’s Integration Fund should
be established
• More information on existing instruments, including ways of
accessing them should also be provided
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
C. The next Action Plan
• Should not be very different in substance from the current one
• Should indicate clear timelines, benchmarks, deliverables, actors,
cost estimates, financial resources available, etc.
• Activities should be streamlined and have clear added value, not
duplicating existing initiatives
• Should focus on activities that have clear regional, continental and
global dimensions
• Should be based on African strategic priorities
• Principles of comparative advantage, subsidiarity and
complementarity must be respected
• Should have a proven buy-in of key actors such as RECs
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
D. Joint Expert Groups (JEGs)
• Address the problem of linkage with national and regional levels
(current disconnect)
• Need to identify existing relevant structures and processes
[MDGs; Climate change; Trade; Regional Integration and
Infrastructure]
• Address the issue of lack of political guidance (due to informal
nature)
• Improve quality of participation in JEG meetings, and ensure
broader participation
• Member States should pay for experts’ participation in JEG
meetings
• Clearer definition of the role of co-chairs
• Possible secretarial support and technical assistance
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
E. Balance between political and development
dimension
• Africa emphasises development; EU emphasises
political aspects: Need to strike a balance between
the two
• Should be clear that political dialogue is a means to
an end, not an end in itself
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
F. Stakeholder involvement
All stakeholders will continue to be engaged
with a view to bringing them on board:
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RECs: The AUC-RECs coordination meetings will
have the Joint Strategy as a constant agenda item
The private sector: The EU-Africa Business Forum
could be a good platform for engagement
Civil society, Pan-African and European Parliaments
will also be engaged through appropriate fora
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6. Way ahead
How do we ensure successful implementation?
G. Ownership
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To date, one of the key problems of implementation
is the lack of ownership
All aforementioned stakeholders must own the
process
Member States in particular, need to demonstrate
ownership by committing resources and
participating fully at all stages of the
implementation process
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7. Way ahead
Key recommendations
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Take political decision to initiate and speed up the
process of aligning existing financing instruments to
the requirements of the Joint Strategy
Take a political decision to establish a Pan-African
Fund or an African Integration Facility
Strike a balance between development and political
dimensions
Ensure full participation of all stakeholders
Member States should demonstrate greater
commitment by providing appropriate expertise
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7. Way ahead
Key recommendations
• Make political commitment to implement a joint
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project that is promising and visible in each of
the five regions of Africa, e.g. constructing the
Inga Dam in Central Africa
Put in place a strategy for the adoption of
common positions on key issues such as Reform
of the UN, climate change, environmental
protection, global economic and financial crisis,
attainment of the MDGs, etc
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Thank you for your kind attention.
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