Areas of action

By assessing the present, our Strategy Groups aim to shape the future.

Strategic programming pillars cutting across silos

A political and international focus on climate and health is a unique chance for Africa and Europe to build a partnership aimed at equitable economic development. Given the centrality of both of these areas to the future of both continents, a successful partnership will help address growing issues such as job creation and youth unemployment, as well as supporting a just Fourth Industrial Revolution.

  • This programming pillar covers the work on Health, Pandemic Preparedness and Digital Transformation.

  • This programming pillar covers the work on Climate Change, Energy, Agri-food Systems, Oceans Governance and Adaptation.

  • This programming pillar covers the work on Perceptions, Partnerships and Citizen Engagement.

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Our work

Discover the Foundation’s latest initiatives, ideas and proposals

    • Youth

    Apply Now: Africa-Europe Youth Awards Scheme for Making Cooperation Visible

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — July 31, 2025

    The Youth Awards Scheme of the Africa-Europe Foundation is back! This year’s special edition is part of our #RoadToLuanda25. It shines a spotlight on youth-led cooperation in the preparation of a defining summit between African and European leaders taking place in Luanda, Angola, in November 2025. Showcasing, amplifying, and bringing visibility to the contributions of young people in shaping the Africa-Europe partnership.

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    • Energy and Climate

    Climate Diplomacy and Cooperation: The Road to ACS2 and the 7th AU-EU Summit

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — July 16, 2025

    The informal Africa-Europe climate convening, held in partnership with the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) reaffirmed the importance of sustained, equitable cooperation in addressing shared climate challenges. With geopolitical uncertainty growing and the international climate finance system under strain, the need for renewed partnership, mutual trust, and co-leadership was underscored.

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    • Sustainable Finance

    The Road from Seville to the 7th AU-EU Summit in Luanda

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — July 9, 2025

    AEF is proud to to have partnered on the once-in-a-decade 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and join the Sevilla Action Platform. Our focus now is on leveraging the momentum to drive key outcomes in the lead-up to the G20 Summit and the 7th AU-EU Summit.

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    • Agri-Food
    • Energy and Climate

    Strengthening Agri-food Systems as a Strategic Pillar of the Africa-Europe Partnership

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — June 25, 2025

    As African and European Ministers of Agriculture gather for the 6th AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial Conference in Rome, this Policy and Action Brief offers timely and strategic input to support a renewed bi-continental dialogue on agri-food systems. Rooted in the shared ambition for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future, the Brief responds to the growing recognition that agri-food systems sit at the nexus of climate, trade, health, rural employment, and regional stability and security.

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    • Energy and Climate

    AEF at the UNFCCC 62nd Subsidiary Bodies (SBs)

    The Africa-Europe Foundation — June 20, 2025

    With this second informal Africa-Europe climate convening, the Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) aims to create a space for European and African climate policymakers, technocrats and associated actors to identify ways to establish common ground and build stronger bridges between Europe and Africa on the climate front.

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Debates

Join for an open dialogue about the future of Africa-Europe relations

Opinions

Our insights and reflections on the key issues at stake in the Africa-Europe partnership

    • Energy and Climate
    • COP

    Denmark’s EU Presidency: A Crucial Moment to Elevate the Africa-Europe Climate Adaptation Partnership

    Grace Mbungu & Mattias Söderberg — July 9, 2025

    As Denmark assumes the EU presidency in the lead-up to COP30 and the 7th African-Union-European Union Heads of State Summit, the stakes could not be higher. This pivotal moment presents a unique opportunity for the European Union to demonstrate global climate leadership by deepening its partnership with Africa, one of the continents most vulnerable to climate change impacts and risks despite contributing minimally to historical global emissions.

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    • Sustainable Finance

    An Africa-Europe Grand Bargain on the Future of Finance

    The AEF Women Leaders Network — April 25, 2025

    Multilateralism now faces a dual crisis - one of trust and one of financing. If the system cannot meet people’s needs, trust in its viability will erode. We need a fundamental shift - a ‘Grand Bargain’ to transform the global financial landscape to deliver shared prosperity.

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    • Energy and Climate

    Bridging Africa and Europe on Climate Adaptation: Taking Stock of the UNFCCC inter-session and on the road to COP29

    Raphaël Danglade and Simone Phore — July 4, 2024

    A grueling two weeks of intense climate negotiations took place at the 60th sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) of the UNFCCC, referred to as the ‘Bonn Climate Change Conference’, in June 2024. This meeting marked a crucial step for the global climate negotiations towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement and a litmus test of what’s to come in preparation for COP29.

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    • Ocean Governance & Blue Economy

    Our shared ocean must sit at the heart of the Africa-Europe Partnership

    Pascal Lamy & Nancy Karigithu — June 8, 2024

    The link between geopolitics and the low-carbon transition will be crucial in the upcoming EU mandate. Investing in strategic partnerships, including with Africa, is vital to secure critical raw materials and green energy to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality objectives, while supporting Africa’s socio-economic transformation and industrialisation.

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    • Ocean Governance & Blue Economy

    Op-Ed: Oceans need a reinforced Africa-Europe Partnership

    Pascal Lamy & Nancy Karigithu — December 9, 2023

    Strengthening ocean governance and the blue economy as a strategic domain for Africa-Europe cooperation would empower local communities on both continents while helping to accelerate climate mitigation and adaptation efforts and regenerate marine environments at scale. The majority of European Union and African Union Member States have coastlines, and a joint Africa Europe roadmap for an equitable blue partnership is both practical and essential to address the triple crises of climate, biodiversity and pollution.

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Publications from our network

Discover the most interesting reports from our network

  • Name
    Source
  • 2025 Ibrahim Forum Report - Financing The Africa We Want
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The report builds on the Foundation’s 2025 Facts & Figures: Financing The Africa We Want, released in the lead up to the 2025 IGW, with updated data and expert contributions. While the earlier document provided a diagnostic overview of Africa’s financing landscape and untapped potential, this final version consolidates new insights and takeaways from the event. Financing The Africa We Want includes the collective voice of IGW participants – from African government institutions and business leaders to youth representatives, civil society actors, academics, and international partners.

    Topics
    • Sustainable Finance
  • 2024 Ibrahim Forum Report - Financing Africa: where is the money?
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The Mo Ibrahim Foundation's latest report, Financing Africa: where is the money? provides a comprehensive analysis of both the financial needs deemed necessary for Africa to meet its development and climate goals and the resources that are currently available.

    Topics
    • Sustainable Finance
  • Priorities for an Equitable Reform of the Global Financial System
    African Climate Foundation
    Description

    Africa’s position on the reforms of the global financial architecture is predominantly constrained by a lack of affordable, reliable, and sufficient finance, juxtaposed with a debt crisis in certain nations, and compounded by extreme vulnerability to climate change. Rather than allocating increased funds to adaptation efforts, the majority of funds are directed towards mitigation, which is most profitable for financiers and lenders. Finance for mitigation is more than ten times the $56b (8.4%) available for adaptation in 2020. Addressing Africa’s substantial financing requirements for resilient growth demands a complete re-evaluation of development finance strategies, coupled with innovative enhancements in financial instruments and mechanisms. This paper draws on a series of policy and reform proposals from African leaders. It builds on initiatives emerging from the Global South and puts forward a set of recommendations, reflecting Africa’s priorities in advancing equitable reform of the international financial architecture.

    Topics
    • Sustainable Finance
  • Global Africa: Africa in the world and the world in Africa
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The report also assesses Africa’s representativeness in the current multilateral architecture, which is still beyond inadequate –a central point in the 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW) high-level discussions, which took place in Nairobi(28-30 April). This was our first ever in-person event since COVID-19 hit the continent, and it was truly a unique convening of the greatest African minds to chart together the path to our continent’s bright future.

    Topics
    • Ibrahim Governance Weekend
  • 2023 IIAG series report: The Power of Data for Governance
    Mo Ibrahim Foundation
    Description

    The report is based on insights drawn from the 2022 IIAG dataset and highlights a positive correlation between access to high-quality statistics and effective governance across African countries from 2012 to 2021. The report emphasises the importance of data for governance, identifies key data gaps that affect the measurement of governance and development in Africa, and proposes solutions to bridge these gaps, including investment in data. It also features expert contributions and opinions from IIAG data sources and key partners.

    Topics
    • #AUEUTracker