News digest: policy

Global

Financing the Sustainable Development Goals

The European Investment Bank (10 December)has joined a group of 11 multilateral development banks (MDBs) and the International Monetary Fund to launch the first-ever joint report on Financing the Sustainable Development Goals. The report is released at the end of a critical year, in which the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to reverse progress on the SDGs. In response, the MDBs have collectively mobilised a global response package of US$230 billion between 2020 and 2021 to reduce the impact of the pandemic, of which US$75 billion will be directed to the world’s poorest countries before the end of 2020.

ACP-EU

New EU/ACP Partnership Agreement

The chief negotiators from the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) have reached a political deal on the text for a new Partnership Agreement that will succeed the Cotonou Agreement (European Commission, 3 December). Once signed and ratified, the Agreement will guide political, economic and cooperation between the EU and 79 members of the OACPS for the next 20 years. Together, the EU and the members of the OACPS represent over 1.5 billion people and more than half of the seats at the United Nations. Although a political agreement has been found, the application of the Cotonou Agreement will be further extended until 30 November 2021, unless the new Agreement enters into force or is provisionally applied before that date.

African Civil Society Declaration on the African-European Union Partnership

A broad alliance of civil society and faith-based organisations across Africa has highlighted its concerns and recommendations regarding the 2020 EU Strategy with Africa (News Ghana, 1 December), particularly highlighting the role of family farming and small-scale food production. The statement describes how land and agriculture are viewed differently in Africa, and cannot be treated the same as in Europe. The declaration sets out a series of imperatives in EU-AU strategy development. It has a particular focus on agroecology, highlighting that the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Global Food and Nutrition Security recognises that agroecology can play a key role in enhancing resilience; and spelling out the links between agroecology and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

New Africa-Europe Foundation and Strategy Groups

On 2 December the Africa-Europe Foundation was established by Friends of Europe and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, in partnership with ONE and the Africa Climate Foundation (European Commission, 2 December). The European Commission is also working with a consortium made up of Friends of Europe, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and Ipemed to establish five Strategy Groups – on Health, Digital, Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems, Energy, and Transport and Connectivity. The five focus areas feature prominently in the Joint Communication of 9 March, Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa. The new Africa-Europe Foundation will play a convening role for the five Strategy Groups.

New EU presidency – priorities include relations with Africa

Portugal’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union begins on 1 January 2021. Priorities at the global level include reinforcing Europe’s role in the world based on openness, effective multilateralism and strengthening international partnerships, and specifically “paying particular attention to building closer, more dynamic relations between the EU and Africa”. See www.2021portugal.eu/en/programme/priorities/

CIRAD and Enabel join forces for African agricultural development

On 8 December the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL) signed a framework agreement for cooperation in Africa (Commodafrica, 11 December). The themes covered concern agricultural, forestry and agrifood issues. The first activities should take place in the first quarter of 2021 in DR Congo in the oil palm sector.

Africa

AfCFTA: trade opportunities for women and youth in Africa

UNDP, in partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the African Union (AU) Commission, has launched The Futures Report: Making the AfCFTA Work for Women and Youth (UNDP, 3 December). Featuring stories by young people and women in the healthcare, creative, digital education, technology, agricultural and retail industries, the report presents ongoing efforts and strategies for how governments and development institutions can ensure women and youth business owners derive maximum benefit from the AfCFTA.

$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Facility

Afreximbank has set up a $1billion African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Adjustment Facility to help member states adjust to the new trade regime and sudden losses in tariff revenue as a result of its implementation (The Nation, Nigeria, 9 December). In addition, Afreximbank and the African Union (AU) have developed the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a mobile app for businesses. Afreximbank says the removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers through implementation of the AfCFTA should see greater official trade between surplus and deficit countries, and reduce levels of smuggling.

New late blight-resistant African potato

Researchers from the National Agricultural Research Organisation Uganda and the International Potato Center have developed a new variety of potato that is resistant to late blight (Science Alert, 13 December). Using new molecular techniques, they have transferred late-blight resistance genes into the popular East African potato variety Victoria. The new variety, known as 3R Victoria, is almost identical to the variety farmers now plant in Uganda, with the crucial difference that it has complete resistance to the late blight pathogen.

Chad: EIB supports digital growth, private sector investment and trade

The European Investment Bank has approved three new initiatives to strengthen economic and social development across Chad (EIB, 11 December). This includes the EIB’s first targeted support for digitalisation and rural connectivity in the country; the EIB’s first private sector financing programme to accelerate business investment and help companies in the sectors most affected by Covid-19; and support to enable Chad to benefit from membership of the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI/ACA) by facilitating trade and investment.

Europe

New EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument

The European Parliament and Council have reached a political agreement on the EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument for 2021–2027, worth €70.8 billion (European Parliament, 15 December). The new instrument will support sustainable development and stronger partnerships in EU neighbourhood countries, Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Pacific and the Caribbean, with at least €26 billion for sub-Saharan Africa.

Brexit: Freshfel Europe calls for clarity

Freshfel Europe (7 December) is calling for the EU and UK to make a last joint effort to conclude negotiations on a comprehensive trade agreement before the end of the year. It urges both blocs to speed up dialogue on technical, trade facilitation and contingency measures to minimise port congestion disruption in January 2021 and beyond. Notably, this includes further clarity about import checks and inland sites, electronic certification and fast-track channels for highly perishable produce.