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A New Eurafrican Partnership

To build a peaceful and prosperous future, African and European leaders must agree on a forward-looking strategy that addresses structural imbalances, harnesses the benefits of migration, and delivers tangible benefits to their citizens. Such a strategy should rest on four pillars.

ABUJA – Europe and Africa are inextricably linked by history, geography, and economic ties. Today, securing a peaceful and prosperous future on either continent requires cooperation by both – but not the donor-supplicant relationship that has defined “cooperation” in the past. Instead, leaders on both sides must build an equitable strategic relationship that benefits Europe as much as Africa, and Africa as much as Europe.

African and European leaders must now lay the foundations for such a relationship by agreeing on a forward-looking strategy that addresses structural imbalances, harnesses the benefits of migration, and delivers tangible benefits to their citizens, especially those who have been left behind or are particularly vulnerable to climate change. And they must commit to its long-term implementation.

The pillars of such a strategy have already been identified. Since being convened last year by Friends of Europe, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and the ONE Campaign, the EU-Africa High-Level Group – of which we are all members – has been working to identify essential steps for making progress in core policy areas. Those efforts have produced a four-point action plan for creating a more dynamic, equitable, and sustainable shared future.

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