Second African CSO consultation on AU/EU joint Strategy, 19 October 2007 Issues arising from the Strategy and the Action Plan Marie-Laure de Bergh, ECDPM

Introduction Where do we stand in the official negotiation process ? Issues raised by the public consultation What is new in the joint EU-Africa Strategy? Key issues for debate in the run-up to the Lisbon Summit

The negotiation process : where do we stand? 2000 : Cairo Summit = 1 st EU-Africa Summit 2005 : EU Strategy for Africa 2007: Start of the negotiations of the joint Strategy 15 May : adoption of Joint Strategy Outline Since June: drafting Strategy, Action Plan, Political Declaration 31 October : adoption of joint Strategy and Action Plan at joint Ministerial Troika 8-9 December : Lisbon Summit

Joint Strategy Overarching discussion : Shared Vision & common interests 4 objectives: –Beyond fragmentation : Treat Africa as one –Beyond development cooperation : political partnership –Beyond Africa : global challenges –Beyond institutions : people to people partnership 4 clusters of topics –Peace & Security –Trade & Regional Integration –Governance, democracy & human rights –Key Development Issues

Action Plan Eight priority partnerships: Peace and security Democratic governance and human rights Trade and regional integration MDGs Energy Climate change Migration, mobility and employment Science, information society and space One cross cutting partnership : the institutional framework

Institutional architecture An upgraded institutional architecture: Strengthened institutional dialogue More frequent Summits, troika ministerial EU representation in Addis An more inclusive monitoring process for each of the partnerships, including CSOs

Issues raised by the public consultation Consultation process : lack of inclusiveness, rushed, … What will be the change in EU-Africa relations? Added value compared to existing agreements and instruments EPAs : Lisbon Summit high jacked by EPAs? More pro-development European agricultural policy Stronger integration of the role of civil society as a governance player, EU governance initiative, human rights Promotion of conflict sensitive policies by the EU and Africa

Issues raised by the public consultation Migration : outline focusing only on the Tripoli Declaration Delivery of EU commitments in terms of ODA level and aid effectiveness : 10 th EDF African debt cancellation : double standards Definition of concrete commitments to beef up the outline Civil society “moving from consultation to involvement” : how will the monitoring mechanisms be conceived in order to involve civil society?

What is new? Compared to what? First EU-Africa Summit (2000) Existing agreements and instruments  New context International context: security, migration, … Birth of the African Union EU enlargement “New” partners in Africa: China, India…  Beyond fragmentation 3 EU-Africa agreements and policies MS bilateral policies

What is new? What is new in the joint EU-Africa Strategy? A more political relationship A continent to continent relationship A people to people partnership “Upgrading” the institutional architecture  Will it ensure a better delivery of commitments? What are the risks?  Will depend on the political will on both sides

What is new? So far, many principles on the Strategy but what about concrete commitments? A more political relationship : already there but will the agenda be co-owned? A continent to continent relationship: high principle but concrete commitments? –Pan-African envelope –Integration of the AU in relevant dialogue fora in order to ensure coherence and synergies among various partnerships => Are both Africa and the EU ready for a continent to continent relationship?

What is new? So far, many principles on the Strategy but what about concrete commitments? A people to people partnership: –Possibility to take part in the monitoring process per partnership –How to make sure that this people to people partnership builds on what exists and is co-owned by CSOs? => CSOs engagement “Upgrading” the institutional architecture: –Will it allow for another type of monitoring? More political, more inclusive? Real involvement of MS? –Does the action plan provide measurable commitments?

Key questions What will be the agenda of the Summit ? Will the Summit deliver on a real change on a few topics? How will the monitoring of the implementation be structured? How will the people to people partnership materialise? What place for civil society? Are both partners ready to enter into a continent to continent relationship?

Thank you for your attention…