Africa has recently gained a lot of attention in international politics, particularly in Germany and the European Union. However, various unknowns on the African continent and Africa’s complex interdependence with world politics leave many question marks for inter- and transnational cooperation. It is certain that sustainable development in Africa will only be achieved through structural political and economic transformation. But how to best achieve such a structural transformation and how external actors can and should support it has been triggering a lot of debates in politics, policy-oriented research and civil society.
The German G20 presidency intends to make cooperation with Africa a key topic for G20. In today’s Current Column The G20 and Africa – an alliance for sustainability?, Christine Hackenesch and Julia Leininger discuss how G20 and Africa could build alliances for sustainable development.
How Africa and G20 can and should cooperate is also the topic of an international conference that the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) are organising this week in Johannesburg.
In parallel, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) launches its new blog “Africa and its partners: building alliances for sustainable development” (#AfricanAlliances). How to design inter- and transnational cooperation with African states, societies and regional organisations is a question that will engage politicians, opinion leaders and civil society during the years to come. In 2017, cooperation between Africa and Europe is at a crossroad. During the next presidential elections in France (Mai 2017), the next national elections in Germany (September 2017), during the German G20 presidency or the preparations of the next EU-Africa summit in November, cooperation with Africa is high on the political agendas. Uncertainty about the new US president Trumps’ take on US cooperation with Africa is another unknown that will impact sustainable development and security in Africa.
The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) invites politicians, opinion leaders from academia, media and influential business representatives from Africa, Europe and beyond to give their insights on how cooperation in and with Africa could and should look like in the future. Our blog “Africa and its partners: building alliances for sustainable development” will run until the end of 2017.
Source: press release DIE, 31.01.2017