The world is fragmenting. Africa and Europe can still hold it together

We stand at a geopolitical tipping point. The international order is fragmenting with the rise of populism, climate shocks, great power rivalry and economic nationalism. The multilateral system that once anchored global stability risks sliding into irrelevance.

Look no further than our own two continents. Africa and Europe’s relationship has at times been transactional and short-term, driven by crises, from migration to security.

But we cannot simply standby and allow this fragmentation to take hold. Neither Africa nor Europe can confront the interconnected challenges of today alone — but through interdependence we stand a chance.

Our continent’s need one another. Our prosperity, security, and future are intertwined, and we must act now to breathe life back into this partnership, not only for our citizens but for the stability of the global system itself.

This does not mean preserving the status quo. It is right—and necessary—to confront the partnership’s shortcomings. For decades, aid dependency, political conditionality and asymmetric trade terms have fuelled mistrust, and in Africa’s case have forced the continent to look elsewhere for partners.

It is time for a reset. Recent research from the Africa-Europe Foundation estimates that a genuinely effective partnership could unlock $2.3 trillion in investment. Neither continent can afford to let this slip through their fingers.

Europe, facing ageing demographics and competitiveness challenges, must capitalise on Africa’s resources, growth, and youthful population. Africa, in turn, can learn from the world’s largest single market and its deep institutional experience in integration and investment.

But realising this $2.3 trillion dollar opportunity demands more than rhetoric. Both continents must push back against political populism and the false promise of isolationism – and instead renew their commitment to multilateralism.

By coming together as equals we can act as an essential stabilising axis on the world stage. A counterweight to deepening fragmentation.

Africa and Europe are home to 1.8 billion citizens, representing nearly 30% of the seats at the United Nations. Together we have the ability to advance joint delivery and promote a common vision. We saw what’s possible when both continents came together to help establish the UN Pact for the Future and reach consensus on the Pandemic Agreement.

But more than this we can act as co-architects of a reformed multilateralism that enables Africa and Europe to realise the potential of the partnership. A stabilising axis, yes, but also a force for change.

This is what we have both been working to achieve through our support of the Article 109 Coalition—a group committed to invoking Article 109 of the UN Charter that would open up a political space to reimagine the multilateral system – which formally launched at UNGA80 in New York this year.

Mia Motley put it best when she said, “It’s reform or die.” Reform is essential. And, by joining forces, Africa and Europe have a chance to sit at the heart of a transition to a multilateralism that is fit for purpose.

We can advance reforms to the mechanisms and processes that block progress: Special Drawing Rights, the G20 Common Framework for Debt, and illicit financial flows — which drain Africa of $90 billion annually. And we can secure fair representation, starting with a permanent African seat on the UN Security Council.

This month we have the perfect opportunity to kicks start this revitalised partnership, with leaders from both continents descending on the Angolan capital, Luanda, for the 7th AU-EU Summit. This is the moment to shape the next chapter for Africa and Europe.

Luanda will mark 25-years of the Africa-Europe partnership. But this is not the time for commemoration. Leaders must move away from joint communiques, pledges and statements and actually use this summit to demonstrate their commitment to delivery, implementation and accountability.

This means building on the momentum around UN Charter reform from UNGA80 but also taking concrete action. On health, that means acting on the Pandemic Agreement and supporting Africa’s health sovereignty through the Accra Compact.

On climate, it means raising Africa’s share of global renewable energy investment from 2% today to 30% by 2030. Africa’s renewables can power the world; and Europe should continue to be a partner, not a bystander.

We are not naïve to the scale of the challenge. Together we can raise the level of our ambition and response.

A sledgehammer has been taken to international norms and the damage to the multilateral system has been severe, but it is not irreparable. Africa and Europe can be the ones to piece it back to together, not out of altruism but in the interest of our two continent’s citizens. This isn’t about opportunity. It’s about necessity.

This op-ed was first published on Devex.