ablcc_newsletter-1st-edition-2022

11 Africa & Europe On 17 and 18 February 2022, the heads of state/government of the member states of the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) came together for the 6th EU-AU Summit. The meetingwas co-chaired by the President of the European Council; Charles Michel, and the President of Senegal and the Chairperson of the AU; Macky Sall. I n t h i s me e t i ng , African and European leaders agreed on a Joint Vision for a renewed partnership, aimed to be achieved a r ound t he yea r 2030. The general cornerstones of this renewed partnership i nclude sol idar i ty , s e c u r i t y , p e a c e , sustained economic development , and prosperity for both the citizens of the African and European Union. More specifically this will involve: • An Africa-Europe investment package of €150 billion over the next 7 years, whichwill help build more diversified, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient economies. • The provision of 450 million vaccine doses to Africa by mid-2022, which is to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines. • Enhanced peace and security cooperation. • An enhanced and reciprocated migration and mobility partnership, done through joint action and capacity-building. • A commitment to multilateralism. Even though the Joint Vision represents an ambitious plan and contains some impressive commitments, many believe that it falls short on specific African demands relating to gas and fossil fuels, the waiving of intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines, the reallocation of IMF special drawing rights (SDRs), and migration. You can find an Infographic of the “Joint Vision for 2030” here: https://www.consilium.europa. eu/en/infographics/africa-and-europe-a-joint-vision-for-2030/ Picture from left to right: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Senegal’s President and AU Chair Macky Sall, President of the European Council Charles Michel and France’s President Emmanuel Macron at the opening session of the summit.

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