The European Commission's work programme for 2020 announced a new comprehensive strategy with Africa to boost relations and deepen the partnership with a special focus on areas:
economic development (via trade),
good governance (including human rights),
human development (through public services for education, health, access to water and sanitation, gender equality, science, technology, and innovation),
security and the fight against terrorism,
migration and mobility, and
the environment (including climate change).
The Commission's website on the subject is available here:
Information on the global gateway investment package regarding Africa is available here:
The resolution of 25 March 2021 on the sustainable and inclusive development aspects of the proposed new strategy with Africa supported the comprehensiveness of the strategy, provided it includes a monitoring mechanism involving civil society, local authorities, and national parliaments.
However, the text of the above-mentioned resolution does not provide details of the proposed monitoring mechanism.
Successful implementation of a new strategy with Africa requires the establishment of an effective mechanism for monitoring and evaluation.
To ensure that the monitoring mechanism is effective, it is necessary to include involvement of key non-state actors (NSAs): civil society organizations, academic institutions, lobby groups, and others.
The Institute requested European Parliament and European Commission to clarify or provide more information about the above-mentioned monitoring mechanism and current possibilities for national CSOs, NSAs to be involved in decision-making and monitoring processes of the new EU strategy with Africa.
As you are most likely aware, during the recent EU-AU Summit, held in Brussels on 17-18
February 2022, leaders adopted a joint declaration which sets up a Joint Vision for a renewed
Partnership to build a common future, as closest partners and neighbours. The aim of this Joint Vision is to consolidate a renewed Partnership for solidarity, security, peace and sustainable and sustained economic development and prosperity for our citizens and for our future generations, bringing together our people, regions and organisations.
As for the monitoring of implementation of the strategy / Joint Vision, certain references can be found in the recent jointly adopted texts:
a) the joint communique from the AU-EU foreign affairs ministerial (Kigali, 26 October 2021),
para 56: "Ministers agreed to continue monitoring the effective implementation of the AU-EU
partnership building on and with the support of the existing dialogue structures. Ministers
acknowledged to mobilise both financial and non-financial resources in order to achieve the
objectives set out in this declaration on the basis of mutual interests and in the spirit of genuine partnership. The Ministers also agree that means of cooperation shall be diversified, encompassing a range of policies and instruments, from all available sources and actors.
Ministers also agreed on a joint AU-EU Ministerial Follow-up Committee to monitor the
implementation of all commitments from AU-EU Summits and Ministerial Meetings.
The two Commissions will undertake consultations on the establishment and operationalisation of this Committee.";
b) the joint declaration from the EU-AU Summit (Brussels, 17-18 February 2022), para 8 third
alinea:
"We commit to following up on our engagements to monitor the implementation of the commitments undertaken during AU-EU Summits. Follow-up will be done on a regular basis via existing AU-EU structures, including the AU-EU Ministerial Follow-up Committee."
At the final press conference following the EU-AU Summit, President Charles Michel referred in his remarks to the importance of setting up a monitoring mechanism, in order to ensure that the two Commissions, as well as the political leadership of both the AU and EU, with the involvement of private sector and civil society actors, in particular the Africa Europe Foundation, have the ability to take stock at regular intervals of the progress reached.
The EU is currently working on concrete proposals to put in place the appropriate implementing structures and follow-up mechanism in this field. The EU proposal would subsequently be submitted to the AU side for consideration. However, no decision on the actual format of such mechanism has been taken yet.
Meanwhile, the existing platforms (i.e. the annual AU-EU ministerial meetings, AU-EU Commission to Commission meetings) continue to monitor the progress in the partnership between the two Unions.
European Parliament, Council and Commission responses to our inquiries (pdf format, 13 pages) are here:
We firmly believe that we have an exciting opportunity to make significant improvements in our participation as NSA in matters related to the new EU strategy with Africa.
Such opportunity is evidenced by clear reference to the cooperation with civil society in the monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the new EU strategy.
Further, we would like to underline that members of the Institut de diplomatie publique from EU and Africa consider that it will be useful to have a dedicated Plan of work.
Members of the Institute are invited to provide comments on matters related to key actions for the future that can be included in the Plan.