Conference

Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon

December 13-14, 2012

Rationale

The international conference Building the Africa-Europe partnership: what next? is organised by 3

Portuguese institutions - the Institute of International and Strategic Studies, IEEI, a think tank, the

Institute Marquês de Valle Flôr, IMVF, a development NGO and the ISCTE-IUL Centre of African

Studies, CEA, an academic institution – and the European Centre for Development Policy

Management (ECDPM).

The coming years will see critical decisions taken on development goals and priorities and on the

framework of EU-Africa relations, which need to be informed by policy-oriented research and by

multidisciplinary debates that capture the increased complexity of the new global dynamics.

Although global security and development challenges have profound implications for developing

and developed countries, for civil society and for decision-makers, in Europe and in Africa, they are

still poorly understood in terms of their impacts in both continents and on their relationship.

Bearing in mind the 2014 EU-Africa Summit, the conference aims at debating some of the major

themes that will continue to impact on the building of the Africa-Europe partnership and on

international development cooperation in forthcoming years. The definition of a post-2015 global

development agenda, which will necessarily link complex issues such as security, environment,

governance and growth, will underpin the discussions on the sessions.

The discussions will be organised in 4 sessions and 1 panel:

Each session will be opened by invited speakers, followed by debate among them and with the

audience. The panels will bring together a number of experts that will discuss the issues and the

prospects for Africa-Europe partnership on the coming years. Speakers and discussants will include,

among others, members of the Europe-Africa Policy Research Network (EARN), grouping 25

academic institutions, think tanks and civil society organisations.

The conference intends to involve 60 to 80 participants from the Portuguese civil society,

practitioners, entrepreneurs, academics, officials and decision-makers, as well as representatives

from emerging economies, donor countries and institutions.

Session 1

International Crisis

Impact on Europe & Africa and on their

relationship

Session 2

Demographic Challenges

on the sustainability of growth models &

aid prospects

Session 3

Security Threats

North Africa, Sahel and neighbouring

countries

Session 4

Development flows and actors

new donors and investors &

aid vs business

Panel

Future Prospects:

2014 EU-Africa Summit &

Post-2015 Development Agenda

THEMES

The Crisis

The impact of the international crisis in the Europe-Africa Partnership

The combined effects of the global financial and the Euro crisis, as well as the debate over austerity

vs. growth policies will surely continue to frame the relationship and the prospects for future EU-

Africa cooperation. As Europe wrestles with self-doubts about its future and place as global actor,

the economic crisis represents not only diminishing funds for international development, but also

broader questions about the path followed by the European project so far. Although several African

economies are steadily growing, the African continent has also been affected by the international

crisis (particularly in 2009-2010) and will surely suffer from the financial, economic and political

crisis in Europe and elsewhere.

Questions to address:

What are the main impacts of the international crisis in the two continents?

How do they impact on EU-Africa relations?

Demographic Challenges

The effects of demographic trends on development priorities and aid prospects

Demographic trends bring a handful of complex and diverse questions, such as the sustainability of

growth and retirement pensions in aging societies, social cohesion and protection schemes, or the

impact of rising urbanisation on unemployment and underemployment, namely of youth. The

whole international geography of poverty and wealth is rapidly changing, with most poor

population living in middle income countries and inequalities rising in developed countries. These

issues are not yet fully acknowledged and debated, having short and long-term impacts on EU-

Africa relations, including on sensitive issues as migration and employment.

Questions to address:

How are (and will be) these demographic trends reflected in development prospects, in

Europe and in Africa?

How can the EU and Africa better respond to the risks that arise from youth

unemployment, migrations and other demographic issues that challenge social cohesion

and economic sustainability?

Security

Radical armed groups in North Africa, the Sahel and neighbouring countries: implications for

international security and EU-Africa relations

Security and peace, as necessary conditions for development, are well remembered in Europe and

Africa, taking into consideration both continents’ recent history. The spread of weapons that

resulted from the defeat of the Khadafy regime is fuelling rebels and radical jihadist movements all

across neighbouring Sub-Saharan countries, as the case of Mali illustrates. As the security situation

on large parts of the Sahel and border regions worsens, a redefinition of major power priorities and

strategies is also occurring, bringing Africa again to the strategic international map, and

representing new challenges to European external policy and Africa security priorities.

Questions to address:

How does political change in North Africa (mainly Libya) affect Sub-Saharan countries?

What are the impacts of the insecurity in Sahel and border regions on international

priorities and on the EU-Africa partnership?

Development Flows and Actors

Financing, FDI and new aid providers: impact on African development strategies

Financing for development is a critical factor for economic growth and international cooperation, in

a context in which “traditional aid” and developed countries’ budgets are under increasing

pressure. The rising of new donors and investors in Africa is fuelling the debate on aid criteria,

private-public partnerships, blended instruments, and policy coherence (e.g. trade and

development), as well as raising new options for internal growth strategies on developing

countries. Besides the impact of emerging economies in Africa, it is increasingly relevant to assess

how business is replacing aid as a major engine for growth in several poor countries and how this

impacts over the current poverty reduction programmes.

Questions to address:

What are the political implications of the rising of new providers of development

cooperation in the traditional aid architecture?

How can African countries make the most of this increased complexity and diversification

of partners for their own development strategies?

The Future

The 2014 EU-Africa summit and the post-2015 development agenda: what next?

The on-going debate over the post-2015 agenda that will substitute the Millennium Development

Goals defined in 2000 includes a range of discussions on development effectiveness, policy

coherence, financing, the relevance of addressing exclusion and inequalities (more than poverty),

the inclusion of global public goods or the security-development-environment links. This final

session will focus on how these issues are relevant and linked with the priorities for Africa-EU

cooperation in the near future and how they will or should be dealt in the next 2014 Africa-EU

summit.

Questions to address:

What are (or should be) the main issues discussed on the definition of a post-2015

agenda?

Which challenges and opportunities does this new agenda represent to the Europe-Africa

partnership?

What contributions can Europe and Africa actors give to these debates?

Organisation

Support

Participation