Alongside the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), we hosted the final event of our multi-year project, Towards a More Interest-Driven and Equal EU-Africa Partnership. Held at the PCNS Rabat Campus at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, this gathering marked the culmination of a three-year initiative supported by the Open Society Foundations (OSF).
Since its inception, the project has served as a vital platform for cross-regional dialogue, bringing together hundreds of stakeholders from the academic, government, and private sectors. By leveraging the collective expertise of seven European and six African research organisations, the initiative aimed to re-evaluate bi-regional cooperation on a foundation of mutual interest and equal footing, particularly amidst a highly fragmented global landscape.
Rather than looking back, the final two-day forum directly bridged the project’s core outputs with pressing contemporary crises. Discussions examined how a multi-polar era affects bi-regional governance, exploring the structural challenges and opportunities that will shape the future of EU-Africa relations.
Through a series of high-level panels and expert dialogues, participants focused on four critical thematic pillars. First, they explored global governance in a multi-polar era, examining how to navigate fragmented geopolitical realities to ensure more equitable cooperation. Second, panels evaluated the green transition and industrial growth, assessing how to align climate transition finance mechanisms with Africa’s green industrialisation demands. Third, future mobility and skills were scrutinised to map out a mutually beneficial migration agenda. Fourth, discussions addressed the security-development nexus, particularly within the Sahel, emphasising the need for strategic patience alongside tailored peace, security, and economic initiatives. Finally, experts focused on strategic cooperation regarding critical minerals, addressing the complex geopolitical and environmental implications of supply chain governance to leverage these resources for mutual growth.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Open Society Foundations for their support, to our project partners and participating think tanks for their invaluable insights, and to the PCNS for generously hosting this final gathering.
A comprehensive policy brief aggregating the key findings and strategic recommendations from these meetings will be published in the coming months.
In the meantime, you can explore all the research, papers, and outputs produced throughout the framework of this project here: /bit.ly/4y1PBYO
