In a time of global challenges, the Africa-Europe Foundation aims to reset the relations between the two continents by building a true partnership and a vision for a shared future.
Established in 2020 by Friends of Europe, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, in partnership the African Climate Foundation and ONE Campaign, the Africa- Europe Foundation aims to empower a narrative shift about the relations between Africa and Europe.
The activities of the Foundation’s High-Level Group of Personalities, and the work of its Strategy Groups on Health, Digital, Transport, Agriculture and Energy, underpin our commitment of reframing the relations between Africa and Europe.
The Africa-Europe Foundation Strategy Groups mobilise and connect leaders and experts from civil society, business, policymaking from both continents, with the ambition to drive impactful transformative initiatives.
We act as an observatory of pioneering practices that can be scaled up at the regional level. Through our Women Leaders Network, we provide the space for candid dialogue among leading personalities from Africa and Europe, at the nexus of climate and health. Our cooperation with the Mayors Dialogue initiative also supports bold climate action with cities.
We drive fresh thinking for international policymaking and introduce impactful research on the cross-cutting issues of our Strategy Groups. Our “High-Level Group Report”, AEF’s annual flagship publication, contributes to reframing and reinforcing the Africa-Europe partnership on the global stage.
Through established cooperation we work in close partnership with international organisations, including WHO and the United Nations, in an effort to also contribute to the agenda-setting of major political summits and support concrete deliverables for the AU-EU political dialogue processes.
Beyond our dialogue work and opinion-leadership, we develop citizen platforms and outreach initiatives to reinforce a whole-of-society approach to our programming and to a strengthened Africa-Europe partnership. We run the “Talking Africa-Europe” broadcast series that brings together policymakers and youth networks in a unique exchange.
Our “Debating Africa” platform, together with partner Afrobarometer, is challenging traditional ‘top-down’ thinking through a citizen-led, data-driven platform. The annual AEF Forum brings together leaders from the Foundation’s programming with representatives of civil society, politics and business to debate issues critical to the future of our neighbouring continents.
The Africa-Europe Foundation collaborates with high-impact organisations and leaders from civil society, business and politics both from Africa and Europe.
We envision to enlarge the Africa-Europe partnership to new and diverse actors by building an inclusive and multi-stakeholder “platform of platforms” and focusing on younger generations.
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly – under the theme Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights – comes at a pivotal moment to renew global commitment to multilateralism, solidarity and shared action for people and planet.AEF's engagement will be anchored by discussions on women, Peace & Security, and in particular its impact on bridging the SDG funding gap (following the UN Summit of the Future and FfD4), as well as ensuring effective policy implementation for urgent action at the nexus of climate and health.
The Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS 2), held in Addis Ababa from 8–10 September 2025, offers a pivotal opportunity for the Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) to reinforce cross-continental partnerships across critical sectors of cooperation – from transition minerals and green industrialisation to the regenerative blue economy and sustainable finance. As a technical partner for ACS 2, AEF will leverage the Summit to advance a forward-looking and progressive Africa-Europe climate partnership on the #RoadtoLuanda25, with the aim of bridging ACS 2 and the 7th AU-EU Summit, set to take place in Angola on 24–25 November.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) taking place in Sevilla, Spain from June 30 to July 3, is a once-in-a-decade global summit bringing together world leaders, international organisations, financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector. FfD4 serves as a strategic platform for AEF to influence discussions on financial reform, SDG financing, and tackling the global financing gap.
On the sidelines of the UNFCCC's Bonn Climate Change Conference, AEF will host an Africa-Europe Policymakers Dinner to advance climate diplomacy in a shifting geopolitical era jointly with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PAJCA.
The Africa-Europe Foundation is excited to unveil its agenda and contribution to the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France With a strategic focus on “moving the needle” when it comes to mainstreaming and elevating the Ocean and Blue Economy within the Africa-Europe Partnership, AEF will seek to position the ocean as a key sector of cooperation at the critical intersection of climate-nature, trade and development.
The 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW) will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, from 1-3 June 2025, under the theme "Leveraging Africa’s Resources to Close the Finance Gap”. This year’s discussions will build on the findings of the 2024 Forum Report Financing Africa: Where is the Money?, this time putting the spotlight on the critical role of Africa’s resources in accelerating development and transforming the continent’s position in the new global economy.
Africa Business Forum 2025 is the third time key players gather to foster and strengthen business ties between Estonia and African countries. This year’s forum will focus on the impact of digitalization on doing business in Africa, with a special emphasis on green and smart solutions, and innovative new partnerships.
The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) will convene in Geneva, Switzerland from 19–27 May 2025. The AEF agenda at WHA78 will be shared soon.
The Global Solutions Summit is the leading forum for shaping policy ideas for the G7, G20, and beyond. It brings together global thought leaders to advance economic, environmental, and social prosperity. At this year’s Summit, AEF will join the panel "Reimagining Global Collaboration," alongside leading think tanks and CSOs from the G7 (Canada), G20 (South Africa), and CoP 2025 (Brazil). The discussion will focus on actionable strategies to strengthen multilateral cooperation, with proposals drawn from the T7 Canada Communique and synergies with T20 South Africa, aiming to drive collective climate action across the Global South and North.
The IMF and WBG spring meetings are notoriously decisive moments for global financial reforms and an agenda-setting opportunity to identify the next steps in joint advocacy. In 2025, this is of particular significance as we head into the Financing for Development Conference in Sevilla, Spain. From AEF's perspective, it's an opportunity to absorb insights and trends in global finance as we prepare for our engagement at the Ibrahim Governance Weekend. There, we will work with South Africa's G20 and strategic partners on issues of tax, domestic resource mobilisation, and illicit financial flows.
AEF will speak on strengthening the Africa-Europe relationship at the African Political Outlook 2025 event in Brussels. This year's summit will explore the transformative wave redefining governance, geopolitics, and economic opportunity in a changing Africa. At the convening, AEF will share key insights on the future of Africa-Europe cooperation by participating in Panel Discussion N°2: New African Union Commission and the Von Der Leyen II Commission: Common Agenda, Shared Priorities.
AEF and GIZ GmbH will co-organise a pivotal event focused on financing the future and engaging the untapped potential of youth within the Africa-Europe partnership. Strategically timed after the UNECA ministerial meeting, this dialogue provides a crucial platform for translating commitments into action. The discussion outcomes will feed into the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).
The 2025 SEforALL Global Forum will be co-hosted by Sustainable Energy for All and the Government of Barbados, led by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. Under the theme of “Sustainable Energy for Equity, Security and Prosperity”, this year’s Forum will focus on catalysing the actions and investment needed for countries to achieve their energy access, climate and development goals.
European Investment Bank Group is organising the third edition of the EIB Group Forum, titled “Investing in a more sustainable and secure Europe,” which will take place from 5 to 7 March 2025 in Luxembourg. At the forum, AEF will share insights in a panel titled “Strategic investments: supporting value-chains for access to Critical Raw Materials” on Friday, 7 March, from 11:20 to 12:30. The session will examine how value chains linked to these minerals can benefit from sound investment conditions and market-driven strategies.
The Finance in Common Summit presents a pivotal moment for the Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) to rally stakeholders in transforming international financial systems and mobilizing critical resources for the SDGs and the Paris Action Agenda. Our engagements at the summit will spotlight sustainable finance, a key pillar of EU-AU cooperation, as we work to unlock Africa's full development potential. In collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD, we will launch our report, The Missing Connection: Unlocking Sustainable Infrastructure Financing in Africa.
The Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit will be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on January 27-28, 2025. This represents a key opportunity for the Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) to contribute with strategic insights on Africa-Europe energy cooperation on the eve of a new AU-EU institutional cycle. AEF’s engagements will be anchored by a high-level conversations on January 26, jointly organised with the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP), bringing together leading European and African figures.
Africa Philanthropy Day will convene senior representatives from foundations, policymakers, and OECD experts to explore how international and domestic foundations can enhance their support for education and skills development in Africa, and foster collaboration with development actors and local communities.Themed Education and Skills (in line with the African Union’s Year of Education), and Locally Led Development, AEF will serve as a knowledge partner.
At PIDA week 2024, AEF will host a "The Missing Connection: Unlocking Sustainable Infrastructure Financing" session on 25 November. This session will serve as a platform to present high-level insights from the research conducted under the ACF_AUDA NEPAD_AEF project. This initiative promotes sustainable investments in Africa by aligning infrastructure priorities with the EU-Africa Global Gateway.
COP29 will provide a key platform for the Africa-Europe Foundation to offer strategic insights on climate, development, and finance. AEF’s engagements will focus on adaptation, carbon markets, energy transition minerals, green industrialisation and the blue economy, with an emphasis on commitment tracking to advance progress within the Africa-Europe partnership.
From 5 to 6 November, the #FutureAfricaEurope Forum 2024 will bring in focus strategic areas of action which hold the most promise for a transformative, forward-looking partnership between our neighbouring continents – built on equal footing, mutual learning, and shared opportunities.
The BLUE AFRICA SUMMIT, held in Tangier in November 2023, established an initial roadmap for maritime Africa's major challenges. The "Tangier Declaration" affirmed the dependence of African growth on international trade by sea, highlighting the importance of Africa's connectivity with other continents. This vision will be at the heart of the second BLUE AFRICA SUMMIT in Tangier on October 10, 2024. The Africa Europe Foundation will attend the summit and unveil its report titled 'Roadmap Towards 2030: Co-driving the Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership.'
The 2024 UN Summit of the Future will take place on 22-23 September in New York during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. The Summit aims to “harness the power of multilateralism to turbocharge the 2030 agenda” and forge a global consensus on “what our future should look like, and what we can do today to secure it.” AEF’s engagement will be anchored by its work at the nexus of climate-health and critical financing, as well as supported by a workstream on strategic foresight within Africa-Europe relations.
CBL-ACP, in collaboration with partners, amongst others The Embassy of Nigeria, Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) and Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) is organizing the second edition of the High-Level Nigeria Belgium Luxembourg Business Forum under the Theme “Activating Viable Partnerships for Economic Growth & Sustainability” to be held on the 18th, 19th & 20th September 2024 with main event, plenary session/seminar on 18th of September 2024 at Tangla Hotel in Brussels, Belgium located at Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 5 , 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Africa-Europe Foundation will contribute to the panel discussion on Innovation and technology, focusing on AI governance and linking it with our foresight work.
To celebrate the International Youth Day, PLACE Network* and the Africa-Europe Foundation** are inviting you to the first webinar of their Future Africa-EU series: "Changing narratives and fostering Africa- Europe partnership through Digital Skills Development and Technological Innovation" The webinar will be held online on Monday, August 12th from 12-14PM CET.
The Africa Europe Foundation will attend the 5th African Philanthropy Conference and participate in the plenary session on "Philanthropy in Changing Global Order." The session will unpack how a changing global order impacts philanthropy and consider how philanthropic organizations can evolve with it.
Find more information about the Africa-Europe Foundation's mission, work and latest milestones here.
The Africa-Europe Foundation is expanding its reach and impact and seeking to recruit dynamic professionals. We want to build a diverse team who share our values and are passionate about a transformative partnership between Africa and Europe to face the today's most pressing global challenges. Join us and help transform our Africa-Europe dialogue into action at the local and international level.
