The two-day ETTG | UNDP event brought together over 120 participants and stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, including African Ambassadors, researchers, EU representatives, international organizations, and civil society actors.
The event was opened by Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation and Urban Policy Caroline Gennez, UN/UNDP Brussels Director Camilla Brückner, UNDP Regional Programme for Africa Coordinator Jide Okeke, African Union Permanent Representative to the EU Awad Sakine Ahmat, EU Special Representative for the Sahel Emanuela Del Re, and Director of the Goree Institute – Dakar Doudou Dia.
The first day of the event featured ice-breaking sessions and a panel discussion on the root causes of conflict and unconstitutional change of government in Africa, the impact of these crises on peace, security, and development, and the role of the Europe-Africa Partnership in supporting African efforts to prevent and address conflict and promote good governance.
Jide Okeke took the occasion to present key findings of UNDP’s “Soldiers and Citizens: Military Coups and the Need for democratic Renewal in Africa” Report. The report provides insights from a vast perceptions survey of 8,000 citizens across Africa on the causes of military coups and the role of the international community in supporting African countries to prevent and address them.
The second day of the event featured closed-door high-level Chatham House discussions.
The event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to exchange views and experiences on the challenges facing Africa and the role that the Europe-Africa Partnership can play in addressing them. The discussions were lively and informative, and participants made significant progress in their understanding of the issues.
