Our latest policy brief entitled “FfD4 as a Turning Point: Overcoming Challenges to Strengthen Sustainable Development Finance” examines critical pathways to reform global development financing mechanisms, analyzing key opportunities presented by the Fourth UN Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and proposing concrete actions to enhance sustainable development finance. Authored
Published on February 4, 2025 ETTG Blog by Karim Karaki (ECDPM) and Niels Keijzer (IDOS) with the contribution of Damien Barchiche (IDDRI), Ben Katoka (IDDRI), Iliana Olivié (ETTG / Elcano), María Santillán O’Shea (Elcano) and Daniele Fattibene (ETTG) From 31 June to 3 July, Sevilla will host the fourth United
Our policy brief entitled “The Nexus between Security and Development in the Sahel: West African Perspectives on EU Interventions” examines the complex security-development nexus in the Sahel region, analysing West African perspectives on EU interventions and highlighting critical challenges in fostering effective cooperation between the EU and Sahelian states. Authored
Our latest policy brief examines key Asian priorities for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled for June-July 2025 in Spain. It analyses critical challenges and opportunities in financing sustainable development across the diverse Asian region, with a particular focus on South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
We are happy to announce the release of our comprehensive policy brief analysing key African priorities for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled for mid-2025 in Spain. The brief examines critical financing challenges and opportunities in the African region amid growing global polarization and faltering progress
Description and credits: View of São Paulo Estaiada Bridge in Brazil, by Cifotart, via iStock We are proud to announce the latest policy brief authored by our Director Iliana Olivié and María Santillán O’Shea (Elcano Royal Institute) titled “The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development”. This comprehensive analysis offers critical
Picture of Bamako, MalI by Thomas Brissiaud, available on iStock The latest ETTG collective report, authored by Sophie Desmidt (ECDPM), Julian Bergmann (IDOS), Benedikt Erforth (IDOS), Sara Gianesello (ECDPM), explores the complex challenges and opportunities of European engagement in fragile settings. It is produced in the framework of our partnership
By Sébastien Treyer (IDDRI), Chukwumerije Okereke (CCCD) and Elisabeth Hege (IDDRI) This blog post draws upon the rich discussions and insights from the multi-stakeholder workshop organized by ETTG, ACTS, and IDDRI in Nairobi on May 28, 2024, as well as the collaborative policy brief published by ETTG, ACTS and the
We are pleased to announce our policy brief exploring the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in African Election Management Bodies (EMBs) authored by Melody Musoni (ECDPM)and reviewed by Chloe Teevan (ECDPM), Dora Meredith (ODI) and Raquel Jorge (RIE). Key Findings Our research highlights critical insights for leveraging AI in
The ETTG policy brief by Félix Arteaga (Real Instituto Elcano) reviewed by Melody Musoni (ECDPM), Niels Keijzer (IDOS) and Dora Meredith (ODI) examines how to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation between the European Union and African Union, moving beyond fragmented assistance toward a more strategic partnership approach. A better coordinated and partnership-based
ETTG Policy Brief Our latest policy brief delves into the role of FfD4 in the aligningment of Climate Action and Development through SDG Financing. The 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer an integrated framework that addresses structural vulnerabilities, enabling investments to positively affect multiple objectives, from
The ETTG policy brief by Jamie Hitchen (ODI) and Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante (CDD Ghana) explores pathways for strengthening Europe-Africa cooperation in combating digital disinformation. Building on discussions from the ETTG event held in Ghana in September, the brief outlines strategic recommendations for fostering more effective cross-continental collaboration in this
We are excited to announce the publication of a new ETTG policy brief titled “Leveraging Green Industrialisation for a Just Transition: Africa-Europe Cooperation.” This insightful brief authored by Damien Barchiche (IDDRI), Alfonso Medinilla (ECDPM), Catherine Kilelu (ACTS), Sébastien Treyer (IDDRI) and Chukwumerije Okereke, (CCCD) offers a comprehensive analysis of the
By Paul Okumu and Daniele Fattibene The launch of the Global Gateway Initiative in December 2021, as part of European Union’s commitment to scaling up the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) has raised expectations, as well as anxiety among the EU’s international partners. For Africa, the Global
The European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) is pleased to present our latest policy brief: “The EU-Africa Migration Agenda: Realizing a New Partnership.” This comprehensive analysis builds on the insightful discussions from our Brussels event held in May 2024, where ETTG, in collaboration with ODI, ECDPM, and the Nordic Africa Institute,
The European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) is pleased to announce the release of a new policy brief on the EU’s role in global development. This report is a culmination of a stimulating discussion held in Rome, which brought together over 30 key figures for a closed-door event. The Rome event featured a
Through an European Think Tanks Group initiative, ODI Europe, alongside ECDPM and The Nordic Africa Institute held a recent event in Brussels – ‘The EU-Africa migration agenda – realising a new partnership’. Ahead of the new European Commission and the 3rd AU-EU ministerial summit, the panel aimed to explore challenges
A year has passed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war looks set to drag on deep into this year. While European leaders shifted their focus onto Ukraine, Africa has felt the sharp consequences of the war, while continuing to face wider existing challenges. It has undoubtedly had significant
On 27 February, the European Parliament approved the revision of the EU’s multi-annual financial framework (MFF). As part of these negotiations, EU institutions have agreed on a regulation establishing the so-called Ukraine Facility. This facility concerns a new financial instrument worth €50 billion that is dedicated to supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction
ETTG’s latest collective report, “A common future for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean,” highlights the shared priorities of both regions, including the green, digital, and social transitions. It emphasises the need for increased financial support for Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically looking beyond traditional aid models. The report
ETTG’s coordinator Daniele Fattibene has co-authored a commentary with Stefano Manservisi overviewing the Mattei Plan. Italy launched the Mattei Plan to strengthen its development cooperation with Africa. The plan has an initial funding of 5.5 billion euros and focuses on five key areas: education, agriculture, health, energy, and water. The
Our latest ETTG collective report entitled” Conflicts and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa: Is there still a role for the EU-AU Partnership? “ is now available. Building upon a background paper and discussions held at multi-city events in Brussels and Dakar, the report gathers a comprehensive approach on the
Southern Voice and the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) proudly present our new policy brief, “Harvesting Change: Global South Policy Proposals for FAO.“ Food systems in the Global South face numerous challenges when it comes to providing sufficient, affordable, and healthy food for all. The policy brief focuses on the
Founded in 2010, the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) is a network of independent European think tanks providing policy relevant analysis of EU foreign policy and action towards the Global South. During 2023, the network has worked in various topical areas, including the potential of development finance for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the green transition, the EU development and partnership programmes and tools, and EU-Africa relations in the current polycrisis context.
We are thrilled to present the insights gathered from the recent workshop, “The future of the EU as a global development actor: Building alliances with the Global South in a polycrisis world,” organized on May 10-11 in Berlin.
The bi-regional relations between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have moved to the forefront of the EU political agenda as a result of this year’s EU-CELAC Summit -the previous one was held in 2015-, this semester’s Spanish presidency of the EU Council -a Member State who has traditionally championed for closer EU–LAC relations- and the war in Ukraine -and its geopolitical derivatives-.
San Bilal (ECDPM), has edited an e-book that presents valuable perspectives from external contributors.
The e-book focuses on how the European Union (EU), its member states, and their development institutions can effectively address the numerous global challenges within the context of the international and European financial architecture for sustainable development.
In 2024, Italy is set to assume the rotating Presidency of the G7. In the face of a complex geopolitical landscape and persistent crises that show no signs of abating, the question arises: How will the seven largest democracies come together to devise effective strategies? Furthermore, how will Italy navigate
In the newly published commentaire article entitled “Present and Future of Italy’s Development Cooperation”, European Think Tanks Group’s coordinator Daniele Fattibene, alongside Irene Paviotti, for the Italian Institute of International Affairs (IAI), provide an overview of the trends in Official Development Assistance and on the Italian’s perception on cooperation.
The article analyses the results of a survey conducted in 2022 by IAI and University of Siena’s LAPS in which the Italian citizens’ conflicted views and general attitudes towards aid is further displayed.
A year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict taking a center stage in the EU’s focus, Africa has felt the consequences of the war, while continuing to face wider existing challenges. This article looks further into the implications of the war against Ukraine for the Africa-Europe relationship.
This report addresses the state of Africa-Europe relations, almost one year after the 6th AU-EU Summit, providing a number of policy recommendations to African and European decision makers in four key areas of cooperation : climate change and fair energy transition; food security; peace, security and participatory governance; and development finance.
Geert Laporte, ETTG Director, was invited as a speaker during the Brussels launch of the Human Development Report 2021/22 “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our future in a transforming world”.
The European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) with the support of the Regional Bureau Africa (RBA) of UNDP undertook practical analyses on the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine on Africa and on the Africa-Europe partnership. These analyses served as an input in a major event organised in Brussels on November 30 and on December 1, 2022.
EU-Africa relations have hardly followed a linear path, but the events of the past two years – namely, Covid-19 and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – seemingly put it under additional strain, allowing age-old grievances to come back in full force.
What is the impact of the war in Ukraine on Africa – Europe migration dialogue?
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, UNHCR has recorded more than 7.8 million Ukrainian refugees. This huge movement of people has been met with a very different response to the (poorly labelled) 2015/16 ‘migration crisis’. The activation of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive has offered legal pathways to protection and enabled fast and effective assistance. Many factors underpin this treatment of Ukrainian refugees in Europe, including Ukraine’s geographic and cultural closeness and its status as an EU accession country.
This policy brief analyses policy convergence and divergence between Europe and Africa in the field of climate and energy and identifies areas for further policy debate beyond COP27. Specifically, it examines cooperation efforts and challenges in two areas: hydrogen and JETPs.
Food insecurity had been worsening significantly in Africa even before Russia´s invasion of Ukraine. Climate shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic and regional conflicts were disrupting food production and distribution resulting in rising costs for agricultural commodities on the continent. The war in Ukraine exacerbated the situation, pushing food and fertiliser prices even higher.
To which extent the framework and initiatives for EUAfrica relations are still fit for purpose, in particular in terms of mobilisation of resources for Africa’s resilience and sustainable
development, or must be adapted to better respond to the new era of poly-crises?
The EU-Africa partnership has ebbed and flowed over the years, with the period since 2020 being particularly dynamic. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the response to the war in Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis in Europe, cleavages have been unearthed in the partnership.
Three concurrent crises — climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine — have combined to worsen food insecurity and malnutrition around the globe. Extreme climate events are becoming more frequent and severe, magnifying the already higher food prices caused by agricultural supply chain disruptions precipitated first by the pandemic and now by geopolitical turbulence. The Rome Based Agencies are called to provide concrete and effective responses to these multi-crises. This report is the result of an Open Consultation Forum organised with IFAD running candidates in June 2022.
There are three main actors in the Italian development cooperation system: (i) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (referred to by its Italian acronym, MAECI), (ii) the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS, from the Italian acronym) and (iii) Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), a prominent Italian investment bank.
The Spanish system for international development cooperation consists of a web of official institutions, at different administrative levels, as well as non- governmental organisations, such as Coordinadora de ONGD (the NGO platform), and consultation bodies like the development cooperation council (Consejo de Cooperación para el Desarrollo). The system’s structure and complexity partly explain the coordination challenges detailed in this case study.
British International Investment (BII) is the United Kingdom’s development finance institution (DFI). It is entirely owned by the UK government and its single shareholder is the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), represented by the Secretary of State for FCDO. The relationship between FCDO and BII has evolved over time and continues to evolve. Over the last few years, there has been a growing appreciation within the UK government of the value of BII as an important channel to achieve not only UK development objectives but also to contribute to geopolitical objectives such as promoting Global Britain. The result has been a rising profile of BII towards achieving broader UK government policy objectives.
In France, blending operations are implemented by the public development bank (PDB) Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the development finance institution (DFI) Proparco. Proparco has gained a larger role in recent years, reflecting a growing recognition of the need to mobilise private investment. Proparco is part of the AFD Group and in charge of all development operations with the private sector. Its latest capital increase dates back to 2020, bringing its share capital to €984 million. AFD is France’s main implementation agency.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has longstanding experience in coordinating and working with donors. The EBRD relationship with donors takes different forms, such as co-financing (e.g., grant support, concessional finance and guarantees), technical assistance and policy dialogues. The focus ranges from strategic considerations to more concrete actions. The relationship can be materialised through donor facilities, such as the Green Climate Fund, or through EBRD-established multi-donor funds, agreements with bilateral donor countries, such as the United States, Switzerland and Japan, or collaborations with the European Union (EU), for example, involving the European Commission and several EU member states.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) cooperates with the European Union (EU), its member states and their development agencies at both the strategic and operational levels. In terms of governance, the EU member states, as shareholders, are members of the EIB Board and of the Advisory Group consulted on the Bank’s outside-EU activities.
The Dutch government has a longstanding and comprehensive cooperation with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. The cooperation is geared towards catalysing private sector investment for sustainable development impact, including through blended finance. The Dutch government is a founder and majority shareholder of FMO, accounting for 51% of its shares. It is thus at the heart of FMO’s governance. This allows the Dutch government, particularly, the MoFA, to steer and influence FMO operations and ensure that they contribute to the government’s development policy objectives and priorities.
In this policy brief, we analyse the direct effects and implications of the war in Ukraine on energy security, industrial supply chains, food security and environmental protection in the EU and in developing countries.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) leads in coordinating the government’s bilateral development policy priorities and positions. These are then operationalised and carried out in the form of distinct interventions by implementing agencies. Since a number of key reforms in the first decade of the 2000s, two main agencies have been involved in implementing Germany’s financial and technical cooperation: the KfW Group (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau Bankengruppe) and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
After the collapse of Mario Draghi’s government in July, Italian voters went to the polls to elect a new parliament on September 25. The elections were the first to be held following the constitutional referendum in September 2020 which reduced the number of deputies and senators by half, from 630 to 315 and 400 to 200 respectively. The right-wing coalition spearheaded by the ‘Brothers of Italy’ (FdI) under Giorgia Meloni’s leadership won the election, which saw the lowest turnout in the history of the Italian Republic (less than 64 percent compared to 73 percent in 2018) with around 44 percent of the votes in both chambers. The coalition government will likely be based on an alliance between the Fdl, who took 26 percent of votes, former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini’s ‘League’ (Lega), and former Prime Minister (PM) Silvio Berlusconi’s ‘Forward Italy’ party (Forza Italia or FI).
With the increasing reliance on development finance to mobilise resources and catalyse private sector initiatives and finance at scale for greater sustainable development impact, a parallel impetus has emerged to foster more coherence and synergy among development actors. The European Union (EU) is at the forefront of this endeavour. Collectively
The report builds on the result of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) and the Elcano Royal Institute cooperation, with the support of the Spanish State Secretariat for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) partnered with the Southern Voice and the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG), to organise a Public Consultation Forum with IFAD running candidates. The overall aim of the event was to bring transparency and accountability to the selection processes of IFAD leadership, by encouraging candidates’ dialogue with representatives of the civil society and major stakeholders from both the Global North and South.
UN Public Service Day has been observed on June 23 since 2002. On this day we celebrate the value of public service and the important contribution of efficient, accountable and effective public administration for achieving global development goals.
The present situation of protracted crises – climate, biodiversity, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine – and their repercussions on human wellbeing appear overwhelming. With the Green Deal, Team Europe and Global Gateway the EU has presented several ambitious initiatives to address these crises but has neglected the dialogue with its partners. Europe was under considerable (geo)political pressure to provide these responses, yet the internal discussions leading to their adoption and the time pressure meant that the dialogue with its international partners was limited in both scope and depth. This not only contradicts its aim to move away from so-called ‘donor-recipient relations’ but also jeopardises the effectiveness and sustainability of its initiatives.
This commentary provides an overview of key takeaways and the aspects to keep in mind for the way forward after the first European Humanitarian Forum which took place in March 2022.
The 6th EU-AU summit, held in Brussels on 17-18 February 2022, marked an important milestone
in the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). After almost a
year and a half of delay, the summit provided leaders of both European and African countries
an opportunity to negotiate on a series of key topics that will shape the future of their relations.
Additionally, the summit provided a further opening for the regional bodies and their member
states to move away from an asymmetrical top-down relationship to a more vertical partnership
in which both sides negotiate deals based on sound analysis, trust and mutual respect.
Our ETTG Coordinator Daniele Fattibene has published an IAI paper on how the Think20 (T20) can support the G20 Development Working Group (DWG) to boost the G20 legitimacy on development cooperation worldwide. The paper, that benefited from the review of ETTG members like Geert Laporte and Niels Keijzer, addresses strengths and weaknesses of the G20 DWG, providing policy recommendations on how the DWG and T20 can feed better into each other’s policy agendas, increasing their chances to influence other G20 tracks on crucial development issues such as development finance, food security or the global climate agenda.
On the 17th and 18th of February, the African Union and the European Union convened a Summit in Brussels and approved an “Africa-Europe Investment Package of EUR 150 billion to help build more diversified, inclusive, sustainable and resilient economies”. Is this Summit a turning point in the reciprocal relationship or is it a mere improvement of the usual kind of relations? To what extent is it an answer to strategic and concrete moves from other powers, namely China?
One year after COVID-19 vaccines were introduced, high-income countries are securing themselves the majority of the vaccines. The vaccine supplies of many low-income countries are not even sufficient to cover their most vulnerable population groups. While the vaccination rate for most high-income countries is above 70%, the rate for African nations currently stands at 11%.
Innovation for the energy transition is given a prominent role in the green recovery action plan for Africa and the European Union’s Green Deal, with both continents seeking the transformation of their economies to tackle both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic impacts while improving wellbeing of the population. There are many points of overlap between the two continents’ official agendas. But there are also many open questions and potential tensions especially around: access to energy for sustainable and inclusive industrial development; maintaining competitive value chain; addressing trade barriers; promoting knowledge transfer while protecting intellectual property rights; using gas, and promoting hydrogen. If well-managed, innovation for the energy transition can act as catalyst for a shared prosperity for the two continents. This blogpost was written by the members of the Ukama Platform’s steering committee ahead of the European Union-Africa Union Summit.
This report is the outcome of a partnership initiative launched in 2021 by the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) and the Africa-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Our initiative seeks to advance Africa-Europe relations in the run up to the 6th EU-AU summit in
European Think Tanks Group (ETTG), the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined forces to analyse divergences and seek consensus between the AU and the EU on key issues in the partnership. Drawing on roundtable discussions with experts from Africa and Europe, the group produced a series of policy briefs with proposals to strengthen the partnership between Africa and the EU on green transformation and climate change; economic development and trade; and participatory governance, peace and security. The briefs draw on contributions from more than 70 leading African and European independent experts, knowledge centres and think tanks that contributed reflections and suggested concrete policy recommendations.
Ensuring adequate access to sustainable development finance was already a fundamental challenge prior to the pandemic and will be an even more pressing imperative in the future, as the most vulnerable economies scramble to recover from the COVID-19 shock and cope with the escalating impacts of climate change.
This report is the outcome of a partnership initiative launched in 2021 by the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) and the Africa-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS), with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Our initiative seeks to advance Africa-Europe relations in the run up to the
Summits are an inevitable part of the international relations game. But each and every time they end up in disappointments because expectations were too high or longstanding frustrations and irritants on both sides were not openly addressed. To break with this pattern, the partnership should move from an asymmetrical top-down relationship to a more horizontal partnership where both parties negotiate deals on the basis of trust and mutual respect.
This brief identifies some of the shared priorities between Africa and the European Union (EU) as well as challenges in their partnership as it currently stands. It also suggests concrete ways forward to strengthen the economic development and trade agenda of the AU-EU cooperation and gives policy recommendations towards a more effective partnership.
In a context of existential transnational challenges and growing inter-state rivalries, we need well-financed, universal multilateralism that can set global rules and norms, drive forward action, and sidestep the tendency for money and military might to buy global influence. The WHO Executive Board now has an opportunity not only to reinvigorate its own organisation, but also to advance a discussion on how the entire UN system can be placed on a stronger, more financially sustainable footing. Passing up this moment out of fear of the implications for member state fiscal obligations to the wider UN system would be both unfortunate and short-sighted.
Rejection of the jab from parts of the population remains a challenge for achieving increased immunisation coverage and, consequently, the end of the pandemic. Because vaccine hesitancy is largely driven by lack of trust in governments, rebuilding trust in governments is essential for a successful global vaccination campaign. Trust is an essential attribute of social cohesion and socially cohesive societies are more resilient during crisis. The current one is certainly not the last we will face.
We are pleased to release our new ETTG brochure that provides you with more information about the work of our network in the field of EU international cooperation and global sustainable development.
2022 is set to be dominated by three global tasks: (a) the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) the climate-stabilising redesign of our economic and social systems, and (c) the negotiation of a multi-polar and rule-based world order.
Geopolitics has an important role to play in securing the health of both people and planet. Indeed, businesses cannot be asked to govern the planet’s health if some of the most polluting countries in the world are not on board. Successful governance of planetary health depends on geopolitics and cross border implementation. It also demands that special attention be paid to the interlinkages between businesses, environmental justice and inequalities. All of these are crucial to advance the universal right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Elcano and ETTG have published the report on the rise of public development banks in the European financial architecture for development which shows how PDBs are critical in promoting resilience to shocks (financial, economic, pandemic, climate, etc.), stabilise the economy and foster a more rapid long-lasting recovery. The report also stresses the importance of medium- and long-term finance for development that can help building markets and promoting economic transformation in a sustainable, green, inclusive and gender-sensitive manner.
In spite of all the anger and frustration that was palpable especially during the final iterations of the Glasgow cover decision, it would be too bleak to consider COP26 as a mere waste of time and effort. Much rather, the Glasgow package delivered a hefty lump for all Parties to chew on. As of now, it remains hard to tell how palatable individual Parties will find their haggis once they take it to their domestic tables. But if they now act even upon the half-hearted words of the Glasgow Climate Pact, the implementation of the Paris Agreement could finally gain traction. Ultimately, the proof of the haggis will be in the eating.
Africa is a missing piece of the ‘Global Britain’ jigsaw, one that needs to be put in place. And it is a continent where Britain needs to work not only with African countries but with European ones too. This requires a more positive relationship with both.
This event will explore how the EU-AU Partnership can support a green and just transition in Africa. Panellists will discuss locally-led approaches to adaptation, green jobs and enterprise for youth, and how the EU-Africa Partnership can deliver on Agenda 2063, Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement’s key commitments on climate finance and loss and damage, as both the EU and AU seek a green recovery from COVID-19.
The covid-19 pandemic has generated severe health, economic and debt crises for the least developed countries (LDCs). On the one hand, they cannot mobilise sufficient financial resources on their own to cope with the effects of the pandemic because their public revenues are too low and external finance is not always available. On the other hand, many LDCs have been highly indebted, even prior to the crisis.
Five years after the Paris Climate Agreement entered into force and one year after the COVID-enforced hiatus, the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (“COP26”) will convene in the Scottish city of Glasgow on 31 October. At long last! Amongst its most important tasks will be advancing the implementation of the Paris Agreement by resolving the remaining issues surrounding its rules for implementation.
This synthesis note presents one-page overviews of the main findings and recommendations in relation to the five themes, which are discussed in greater detail in the policy briefs that have been published during the past months. A link to the full policy brief is included at the end of each one-pager. These thematic overviews are preceded by a short analysis of the relationship between Africa and Europe and five proposals for strengthening the continent-to-continent dialogue on sustainable development.
The COVID-19 crisis has created a dire need for the active facilitation of sustainable investment to promote an inclusive, gender-sensitive and green recovery. The partnership between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), and their respective member states, can provide a strategic and institutional framework for stimulating sustainable investment in a collective manner.
A series of high-profile events has added up to making 2021 a crucial year to tackle the global sustainable development agenda and present a unique opportunity to drive a virtuous circle of political commitment, regulation, and financial flows towards sustainable recovery in developing countries, which is a key issue of this year’s G20 cycle. Bringing the voice of developing countries in the global multilateral agenda is not easy to tackle due to different and often competing political priorities. This blog draws lessons from the Italian G20 Presidency to inform the development policy considerations and efforts of the upcoming Indonesian, Indian and Brazilian G20 Presidencies. These Presidencies have a great potential to prioritize sustainable recovery in the Global South in their own, as well as in cooperation with the G7 and EU Presidencies when appropriate.
Europe and Africa should make joint efforts to invest in projects that would support digital sovereignty on both continents, including joint industrial projects – in the area of ethical AI and open-source technologies for instance. This would respond to some of the gaps in terms of local digital industries on both continents as well as to local needs, and would demonstrate that the EU-AU digital partnership is not simply about trying to export European technologies or about aid, but about reinforcing a free and open internet.
The present study is the product of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) collaboration aiming both to propose a definition of SDG alignment and to provide concrete principles to further operationalise and promote such alignment in practice.
This ODI briefing explores how the diverging fortunes across countries have come to pass and the limitations of the multilateral initiatives intended to support a global response. It focuses especially on the multilateral financing measures that have been put in place to combat the crisis and looks at some of the changes that would be required to support a more effective response in future.
In the United Nations General Assembly at the end of September, European Council President Charles Michel called for effective multilateralism in tackling today’s global problems. He stressed the EU’s role in building back better after COVID, contributing to a safer world and leading the race against climate change.
The race to battle Covid-19 and secure personal protective equipment, ventilators and vaccines, aggravated by both nationalist monopolistic policies and the rise of new variant strains, has highlighted the vital need for global cooperation. Current transnational policies exacerbate existing disparities across Mediterranean states in a context where the European Union is struggling to meet its own healthcare-related needs and many countries in North Africa and the Near East are burdened with economic hardships and internal strife.
A recent IAI study has argued that several shortcomings in the climate and development finance systems undermine the capacity of countries in the Global South to tackle climate change¹. Insufficient resources, lack of focus on adaptation, inadequate management of climate risks, the vicious circle between indebtedness and climate vulnerability are some of the major obstacles.
Will Germany’s next federal government take UN’s proposal for launching a new phase of global common good promotion as an opportunity to increase the strategic value and coherence of German UN policy? How will be Germany’s post COVID-19 contribution to the multilateral world?
This blog is presenting an interesting combination of ‘’the three Cs” – Culture, Climate and Conflict – at the forefront of the EU’s diplomacy. The question however arises namely how much can the EU afford to prioritise such complex “value driven” policy agendas in a rapidly changing world with more competition and uncertainty?
On 29 June, G20 Ministers responsible for development policy convened for the first time under the Italian Presidency. The meeting saw the adoption of a detailed and ambitious policy communique that in addition to prompting international action is also expected to further inform the deliberations of other G20 ‘tracks’ that may affect developing countries. It seems particularly strategic to us that the meeting of Finance Ministers at the end of this week in Venice picks up and further develops on these commitments.
Multilateralism has been in trouble for a while, particularly at the global level. Yet, the European Union (EU) and its member states have remained among its staunchest supporters. The recent EU Communication on Multilateralism, published in February 2021, seeks to lay out a European vision to uphold, extend and reform the multilateral system.
Chloe Teevan – ECDPM Policy officer is the lead author of our ETTG paper A new multilateralism for the post-COVID world: What role for the EU-Africa partnership?
Together with a team of researchers from the other ETTG members she is proposing some key measures to improve cooperation and which can help on the reforming procedure for carrying forward the multilateral system.
“Restore Our Earth!” was the theme and rallying cry for this year’s Earth Day on 22 April. This is not something that could be achieved on a single day. Yet, Earth Day 2021 might signal a greater turning of the tide as the world enters the “Green Twenties.”
The European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) maintain a long-standing partnership on peace and security which can be qualified as constructive. It is largely based on joint interests and objectives and is less contentious compared to other more challenging topics, such as migration and trade. The EU’s new seven-year budget for 2021 – 2027 introduces new ways of working which impact on how the EU will engage on peace and security in Africa. Most notable in this regard is the establishment of the European Peace Facility (EPF) which can potentially undermine the AU’s role in leading and coordinating peace and security measures on the continent. Moreover, these new developments take place against the backdrop of an overall troubled EU-AU relationship which suffers not only from the divergences in interests in key areas such as migration, trade and climate but also from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and global geopolitics.
Multilateralism has been in trouble for a while, particularly at the global level. Yet, the European Union (EU) and its member states have remained among its staunchest supporters.In their June 2019 Council Conclusions, EU leaders drew the outlines of a common European vision to uphold, extend and reform the multilateral system. Against an increasingly complex and contested geopolitical backdrop, these goals were further developed in the recent EU Communication on Multilateralism, published in February 2021.
On the 19th of March the DG International Partnerships (INTPA) in cooperation with a group of selected topic specialist researchers from ETTG hosted the proposed dialogue on how the EU can support its partner countries to avoid and resolve debt crises.
Italy holds the G20 presidency at a crucial moment when the world is confronted with the worst global pandemic in the past century. The economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 crisis has had major impact on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda.
The Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) represents a fundamental reform for the European Union (EU)’s development policy, its neighbourhood policy and its external action more broadly. The new instrument will be implemented in a rapidly changing geopolitical context and will have to respond to unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The European Commission DG NEAR and the office of the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy released a new policy statement (‘Communication’) ‘Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood: A New Agenda for the Mediterranean’ on 9 February 2021. The Communication was accompanied by a staff working document ‘Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbours’. The priorities outlined in the Communication and the investment Plan are to be concretised during 2021 as the new ‘Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), which will finance the EU’s international cooperation, is programmed during 2021.
