Areas of action

By assessing the present, our Strategy Groups aim to shape the future.

Strategic programming pillars cutting across silos

A political and international focus on climate and health is a unique chance for Africa and Europe to build a partnership aimed at equitable economic development. Given the centrality of both of these areas to the future of both continents, a successful partnership will help address growing issues such as job creation and youth unemployment, as well as supporting a just Fourth Industrial Revolution.

  • This programming pillar covers the work on Health, Pandemic Preparedness and Digital Transformation.

  • This programming pillar covers the work on Climate Change, Energy, Agri-food Systems, Oceans Governance and Adaptation.

  • This programming pillar covers the work on Perceptions, Partnerships and Citizen Engagement.

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Our work

Discover the Foundation’s latest initiatives, ideas and proposals

    • Youth
    • Sustainable Finance

    Future Africa-Europe Dialogue on Financing Progress: Youth Championing New Paths

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — February 20, 2025

    Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH will co-organise a pivotal event on Wednesday, 19th March 2025 focused on financing the future and engaging the untapped potential of youth within the Africa-Europe partnership. Strategically timed after the UNECA ministerial meeting (March 17–18), this dialogue provides a crucial platform for translating commitments into action. By prioritising youth innovation, we can collectively redefine Africa-Europe financial collaboration. The discussion outcomes will feed into the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled for June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Spain, through participants, AEF and GIZ representation at the Conference.

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    • Energy and Climate

    Report: Revitalizing Africa-Europe Cooperation on Climate Adaptation

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — February 19, 2025

    The Africa-Europe Foundation's report, 'Revitalizing Africa-Europe Cooperation on Climate Adaptation', provides a stocktake of adaptation progress and calls on leaders from both continents—now entering a new institutional cycle—to champion adaptation action in the lead-up to the 7th AU-EU Summit, set to take place in the year to come.

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    • Energy and Climate

    Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit: Africa-Europe High-Level Policymakers Meeting on Energy

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — February 7, 2025

    On 26 January 2025, at the sidelines of the Africa Energy Summit (AES) where a series of Mission 300 energy compacts were signed, the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) and Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) jointly convened a high-level policymakers meeting to foster cross-continental dialogue and action on energy in view of the new AU-EU institutional cycle, set to start on the back of AU leadership change in February 2025.

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    • Sustainable Finance
    • Energy and Climate

    AEF at the Finance in Common Summit 2025

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — February 4, 2025

    The Finance in Common Summit 2025 in Cape Town (26–28 February) will convene Public Development Banks (PDBs) to drive collective action for climate resilience and sustainable development. Our engagements at the summit will spotlight sustainable finance, a key pillar of EU-AU cooperation, as we work to unlock Africa's full development potential.

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  • Honoring the Legacy of H E Horst Köhler

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — February 3, 2025

    President Horst Köhler exemplified the genuine Africa-Europe partnership we need. The Africa-Europe Foundation is deeply saddened by the passing of their dear colleague Horst Köhler, who was a hugely respected member of the Foundation’s Africa-Europe High-Level Group of Personalities.

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Debates

Join for an open dialogue about the future of Africa-Europe relations

Opinions

Our insights and reflections on the key issues at stake in the Africa-Europe partnership

    • Energy and Climate

    Bridging Africa and Europe on Climate Adaptation: Taking Stock of the UNFCCC inter-session and on the road to COP29

    Raphaël Danglade and Simone Phore — July 4, 2024

    A grueling two weeks of intense climate negotiations took place at the 60th sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) of the UNFCCC, referred to as the ‘Bonn Climate Change Conference’, in June 2024. This meeting marked a crucial step for the global climate negotiations towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement and a litmus test of what’s to come in preparation for COP29.

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    • Ocean Governance & Blue Economy

    Our shared ocean must sit at the heart of the Africa-Europe Partnership

    Pascal Lamy & Nancy Karigithu — June 8, 2024

    The link between geopolitics and the low-carbon transition will be crucial in the upcoming EU mandate. Investing in strategic partnerships, including with Africa, is vital to secure critical raw materials and green energy to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality objectives, while supporting Africa’s socio-economic transformation and industrialisation.

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    • Ocean Governance & Blue Economy

    Op-Ed: Oceans need a reinforced Africa-Europe Partnership

    Pascal Lamy & Nancy Karigithu — December 9, 2023

    Strengthening ocean governance and the blue economy as a strategic domain for Africa-Europe cooperation would empower local communities on both continents while helping to accelerate climate mitigation and adaptation efforts and regenerate marine environments at scale. The majority of European Union and African Union Member States have coastlines, and a joint Africa Europe roadmap for an equitable blue partnership is both practical and essential to address the triple crises of climate, biodiversity and pollution.

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    • Agri-Food

    Bridging African and European trade through sustainable agri-food commodities

    Abraham Baffoe — June 30, 2023

    The European Union is moving ahead with its green transition, putting in place new legislation to back-up the new Green Deal, the Farm2Fork Strategy and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). As a strong economic block and world leader on climate action, Europe should support its global partners to do the same.

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    • Space
    • Agri-Food

    The 5th AU–EU Agriculture Ministerial Conference: Addressing the causes of food scarcity in Africa will require innovative approaches such as the use of space technologies.

    Nelly-Helen Neji Ebruka — June 29, 2023

    Africa, a continent abundantly blessed with natural resources, is paradoxically plagued by numerous socio-economic challenges that demand immediate attention. Among these challenges, including insecurity, illiteracy, and inadequate internet connectivity, is one that stands out as particularly ironic, which is food insecurity and scarcity; a situation that is perplexing considering Africa's vast arable land, rich wildlife, and expansive tropical rainforests. The continent's enormous agricultural potential and abundant natural resources remain largely untapped, leading to alarming rates of food insecurity.

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Publications from our network

Discover the most interesting reports from our network

  • Name
    Source
  • 2024 Ibrahim Forum Report - Financing Africa: where is the money?
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The Mo Ibrahim Foundation's latest report, Financing Africa: where is the money? provides a comprehensive analysis of both the financial needs deemed necessary for Africa to meet its development and climate goals and the resources that are currently available.

    Topics
    • Sustainable Finance
  • Priorities for an Equitable Reform of the Global Financial System
    African Climate Foundation
    Description

    Africa’s position on the reforms of the global financial architecture is predominantly constrained by a lack of affordable, reliable, and sufficient finance, juxtaposed with a debt crisis in certain nations, and compounded by extreme vulnerability to climate change. Rather than allocating increased funds to adaptation efforts, the majority of funds are directed towards mitigation, which is most profitable for financiers and lenders. Finance for mitigation is more than ten times the $56b (8.4%) available for adaptation in 2020. Addressing Africa’s substantial financing requirements for resilient growth demands a complete re-evaluation of development finance strategies, coupled with innovative enhancements in financial instruments and mechanisms. This paper draws on a series of policy and reform proposals from African leaders. It builds on initiatives emerging from the Global South and puts forward a set of recommendations, reflecting Africa’s priorities in advancing equitable reform of the international financial architecture.

    Topics
    • Sustainable Finance
  • Global Africa: Africa in the world and the world in Africa
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The report also assesses Africa’s representativeness in the current multilateral architecture, which is still beyond inadequate –a central point in the 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW) high-level discussions, which took place in Nairobi(28-30 April). This was our first ever in-person event since COVID-19 hit the continent, and it was truly a unique convening of the greatest African minds to chart together the path to our continent’s bright future.

    Topics
    • Ibrahim Governance Weekend
  • 2023 IIAG series report: The Power of Data for Governance
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The report is based on insights drawn from the 2022 IIAG dataset and highlights a positive correlation between access to high-quality statistics and effective governance across African countries from 2012 to 2021. The report emphasises the importance of data for governance, identifies key data gaps that affect the measurement of governance and development in Africa, and proposes solutions to bridge these gaps, including investment in data. It also features expert contributions and opinions from IIAG data sources and key partners.

    Topics
    • #AUEUTracker
  • Scaling-Up Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa
    ONE Campaign
    Description

    The African Union and Africa CDC proposed an ambitious target to manufacture 60% of Africa’s immunization needs on the continent by 2040. This analysis tracks progress toward this goal and offers policy considerations for next steps and focuses on three areas where efforts on regional manufacturing are advancing — Market design and demand intelligence; Access to Financing; and Talent development and transfer of technology and intellectual property — and offers considerations for next steps.

    Topics
    • Health