Despite the political narratives, a fair and equitable partnership with African countries is yet a long way in coming. The current top-down approach, still present in the new OACPS-EU Agreement, cannot capture the complex realities of both continents. Even new initiatives such as Global Gateway do not really live up to the substances of a partnership, since African countries and the EU are in asymmetric processes of transformation to climate-neutral economies in radically different demographic and social contexts. Policy design requires a fundamental new point of departure, involving economic and social-cultural actors that matter. 

 

A serious rethink of existing initiatives such as the Global Gateway, engaging business and civic society and innovating policy design, is needed to operate in an interconnected and interdependent world, to transform financial instruments into platforms for delivery and achieve mutual metamorphosis. EU and national policies cannot be made in a black box; the impact of policies on other systems must be considered upfront. Otherwise, the EU itself undermines what it is trying to achieve and awakens opposition at a time when it needs cooperation from others. A more flexible, consensual and cooperative approach must be designed, fully embracing the interests and the views of others and building synergy between different interests.

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This HLG is chaired by Mukhisa Kituyi, former Minister of Trade & Industry in Kenya, former secretary-general of UNCTAD. 

 

Previous chair:

​John Bruton, former Prime Minister of Ireland and former EU Ambassador to the USA +

 

Mamphela Ramphele, former managing director at the World Bank, co-chair of the Club of Rome​