World: Africa-EU Partnership Two Continents, One Vision

Today, 26th April in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we have the 6th edition of the College to College conference between the African Union Commission and the European Commission. We will take stock of evolution on the Africa-EU Partnership and reflect on our shared vision for the next.

In our ever changing world, one thing is sure: Africa and Europe will remain each other's closest neighbour. Africa's 54 nations and the European Union's any minute at this time-to-be 28 member states have a shared neighbourhood, history and next. It was in this spirit that Africa and Europe came together at the Lisbon Summit in December 2007 to create the Africa-EU Partnership, based upon a strong political relationship and close cooperation in amount areas. Our Partnership aims to bridge the development divide between Africa and Europe through closer economic cooperation and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable development in both our continents, living side by side in peace, security, prosperity, solidarity and human dignity.

Since the Lisbon Summit, the world has seen further massive changes, notably the world financial crisis and the Arab Spring, which have left their mark on both Africa and Europe. Our increasingly interconnected world and its world power shifts are as well significant factors of change for both continents. At the same time, our Partnership has steadily gained momentum, delivering solid results across a number of key areas. We are working particularly closely in the area of peace and security to strengthen Africa's capacity to prevent and resolve crisis situations and maintain peace. We as well have major programmes in agriculture and rural development, infrastructure and energy, environment, research and development and student mobility. Our two continents have as well reinforced cooperation on world issues such as climate change and counter terrorism.

Africa and Europe presently face the challenge of building sustainable economic increase and ensuring that it is inclusive in creating the jobs needed by our people. The EU is engaged in this process through the Europe 2020 initiative launched in 2010 which maps out Europe's increase strategy during this decade. Europe 2020 deals with both short term challenges linked to the financial crisis and longer term structural reforms linked to globalisation, pressure on natural resources and an ageing people. To achieve sustainable and inclusive increase, Europe has set a series of ambitious targets on employment, innovation, education, social inclusion and climate/energy to be completed by 2020. The EU has as well revamped its world development policy, in its Schedule for Change, which places better emphasis on democratic governance, the private sector and sustainable and inclusive increase. Europe's development efforts will as well be concentrated on the world's poorest, particularly in Africa.

Africa quickly came through the world financial crisis, posting 5% increase across the continent in 2012, with double digit increase in several nations. With its people set to double by 2050 and become increasingly urbanised and youthful, Africa's challenge is to sustain its current impressive increase and create the millions of new jobs its growing people needs, particularly for women and young people, and accelerate evolution towards the Millennium Development Goals. The AU is celebrating 50 years of continental integration this year and has embarked on the definition of its long term strategic framework to meet this challenge. It by presently has in place a number of major flagship programmes inclunding the Continental Free Trade Sector(CFTA) the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the Accelerated Industrial development of Africa (AIDA), African Mining Vision (AMV), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) which together are pushing forward Africa's continental increase and integration schedule.

For both Africa and Europe, sustainable and inclusive increase requires coordinated action at continental, regional and national levels. EU and AU institutions need to ensure that the continent wide policies and programmes which they pursue support continental increase entirely. At member national level, full ownership and commitment is essential from Chief of States and Governments, inclunding at regional and local levels. Civil society, inclunding the private sector and social partners, as well need to be fully involved and are, indeed, the engines that will drive increase forward.

The EU and Africa's efforts come together in our Africa-EU Partnership. A great transaction has been completed since 2007, but much remains to be done. This is a partnership built on the clear considerate that the next of Africa and Europe are closely intertwined. We will continue to cooperate on world issues, work together to resolve peace and security crises, improve governance and address key development challenges such as migration and mobility, the management of raw materials, sustainable energy, trade and regional integration and the post MDG development schedule.

In April 2014, the EU and Africa will again come together, this time in Brussels at the Fourth Africa-EU Summit, to review what we have completed under our Partnership and map out our vision for the next. We are two continents, but we share the common vision of a peaceful, democratic and prosperous next for our people. Together in partnership we can make it happen.