Time for partnership on equal footing between Africa and EU – Iratxe García Pérez, President, socialists and democrats in the European Parliament

As the fifth edition of The Africa Week Initiative came to an end last week, the President of the Socialists and Democrats Group Mrs. Iratxe García Pérez has made a clarion call to the world that it is about time for a great partnership based on equal footing between Africa and the EU is strengthen.

Addressing the media at the Africa Week program, she said “we are neighbors, but we don’t know each other enough. We share borders, we share a sea, we share challenges, but our communication is still full of stereotypes, misconceptions and a heavy burden from the past. This why the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament are determined to strengthen our dialogue and our cooperation with Africa. Despite the global storm of the pandemic and its consequences at all levels, our commitment to Africa remains unshaken.”

COVID-19 drastically worsened billions of people’s lives and exposed the weaknesses of unilateralism and far-right politics. Millions of jobs were blown away, inequalities were magnified, and many were driven into extreme poverty, while vulnerabilities of small businesses were exposed with a majority of them grinding to a halt across the globe. While hundreds of millions were forced into poverty, the fortunate few became richer during the pandemic. The World Bank states that the number of people living in extreme poverty rose to as many as 150 million by the end of 2021.

Hit hardest by the unrelenting wave of poverty are African countries; their recovery has been undermined by vaccine inequality while Europe gets back on track. It is a sad tale for our sister continent.  She opined that  the Africa Week initiative  will  continue to bring together European and African personalities to address these issues.

Developed countries are ironically at a stage of delivering booster shots to their populations while in Africa, less than one in 10 health care workers have been fully vaccinated. In general, G20 countries have received 15 times more COVID-19 vaccine doses per capita than sub-Saharan African countries. This is not acceptable. For the S&D Group, no one is safe until everyone is safe. This was supposed to be the lesson we drew from the spread of Omicron, and new variants will remain a possibility due to the failure to decisively deal with the disparities.

Vaccine manufacturing in Africa, and for Africa, is therefore essential to end the pandemic.

Vaccine manufacturing in Africa, and for Africa, is therefore essential to end the pandemic; the continent cannot rely on supplies from abroad. This method has proven ineffective and must be discarded. It cannot be business as usual. Without patent waivers, it will be difficult to realize a scaling up of production of COVID-19 vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, now and in the future. It leaves the poorest vulnerable and exposed, yet puts the world at risk of new uncontrolled waves of new variants. In this context, the world is only as strong as its weakest members. Even for those with a selfish and narrow agenda, their best interest is served by helping Africa in particular, and dealing with vaccine inequality in general.

A socially-just approach is the only way out of the crisis. Our values of solidarity must go hand-in-hand at this stage, there are no sound alternatives. These values remain the only sustainable compass for intervention, the only pathway to a sustainable and mutual economic and social transformation. This is one way of ensuring the EU-Africa partnership remains on course and that the talks of an equal footing, respectful dialogue, mutual ownership and shared responsibility do not melt into mere rhetoric.

The old challenges still need solutions, and our talks must continue to devote time to fighting climate change.

However, COVID-19 and the challenges it brings remain the tip of an iceberg. The old challenges still need solutions, and our talks must continue to devote time to fighting climate change, the reducing of CO2 emissions and global warming whose effects are perennial floods and drought, among other natural disasters. Paradoxically, the region that has contributed the least to global emissions is the continent set to be worst hit by extreme weather with perennial floods, drought and shorter rainy seasons. As a result, we have hundreds of thousands of Africans displaced, famine, food insecurity, disruption of ecosystems, lack of potable water, hydroelectricity challenges and livestock depletion.

The realization of a solid, future-proof Green Pact between the EU and Africa, as rightly proposed in the European Parliament’s resolution of March 25 2020, is a step toward a green and energy transition. Therefore, the EU’s proposal of a new EU-Africa Green Energy Initiative with a goal to support large-scale, sustainable electrification programs and investments in renewable energy generation is a commitment that must be emphasized in our message. A green recovery in Europe that doesn’t take Africa with it does not serve the interests of a mutual beneficial relationship. It breeds a vicious cycle of aid without development.

A green recovery in Europe that doesn’t take Africa with it does not serve the interests of a mutual beneficial relationship.

More important are commitments to inclusivity, which must also be sensitive to our demographics; we therefore propose talks anchored in intergenerational governance. We look at innovation young people can offer in dealing with the climate emergency to create a nexus of experience and forward-looking development. We posit a dream of Africa with our digital exhibition modelling future infrastructure.

Beyond just neighbors, we must also become partners, but partnership can only be based on justice, solidarity and mutual respect. Join us for this week of cross-cutting talks with intensive debates to shape a new progressive EU-Africa partnership.

Some of the special guests from Africa and Europe included:  Dr. Ayoade Olatunbosun-Alakija, co-chair of the African Union’s African Vaccine Delivery Alliance; Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), Ugandan Opposition Leader, musician and former Member of Parliament; Prof. Ms. Petro Terblanche, Managing Director, Afrigen; EU Commissioners Jutta Urpilainen and Helena Dalli, for International Partnerships and for Equality.

At the end of the summit the following 10- Key points were arrived:

1. The EU-Africa partnership should be based on equal footing, respectful dialogue, mutual ownership and shared responsibility; respecting the interest of both sides. We need to work together to combat the pandemic and overcome itssocial, economic and health consequences though a green, sustainable, gender-just, social and fair growth and cooperation, implementing all aspects of the SDGs. It is therefore high time to develop a joined vision to work for a sustainable and just future of our planet. A new alliance of both continents to this end will be fundamental for our success.
2. We urge a rethinking of the cooperation between our two continents, the new approach should strengthen Africa’s supply and value chains and integrate them into our collaboration to ensure the creation of more decent jobs giving young professionals graduating from institutions in both continents an opportunity.
3. In that, respect we call on the EU to continue demonstrating solidarity and lead the efforts with international partners by supporting the most vulnerable nations in Africa in their recovery beyond the COVID 19 pandemic in order to build resilient, equal and inclusive societies.
4. We emphasize the urgency and seriousness of irreversible global heating and we urge leaders to work constructively together for the benefit of all people and planet.
5. Underline that dealing with the climate emergency should be across all policies, not as a stand – alone issue.
6. We call for predictable, accountable and transparent EU support in scaling up climate action and adaptation in African countries; demonstrate fair burden-sharing and therefore scale technical and innovative financial support for the climate risk management mechanism in order to address loss and damage on the African continent.
7. We also note with concern that small businesses and start-ups all led by young people have been affected by the pandemic, the EU-Africa partnership must take deliberate action to assist young people in these sectors to get back on their feet and contribute significantly in lifting our continents out of the pandemic induced recession.
8. We strongly condemn military coups against democratic governments and urge respect for the rule of law and democratic principles.
9. Underlines that acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is critical to personal health, protecting vulnerable populations, reopening socio-economic life, and achieving population health and safety through immunity. The inherently social nature of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa is potentially influenced by age, race, education, politics, geographical location, and employment.  Along with the provision of information, COVID-19 vaccine communication strategies need to form part of broader trust-building measures that focus on relationships, transparency, participation, and justice. The pandemic also provides a unique opportunity to positively intervene and reduce vaccine hesitancy trends more generally.
10. Finally, the partnership must assist Africa more urgently to develop its Free Trade Area agreement to include a customs union to allow young people with skills across Africa to seek opportunity without hindrance of the borders.