Draft programme

14.00-14.30 - Connection test – Platform INTERACTIO

14.30– 14.35 - Introductory remarks

  • by Carlos TRINDADE, President of the ACP-EU follow up Committee

14.35 – 15.40 - Session 1 – COVID-19, a new priority for the partnership

Moderator, Jacqueline MUGO, Executive Director of the Federation of Kenya Employers

  • Impact of the pandemic in Africa from the perspective of the organised civil society of the African Union (AU), Denise A.O.KODHE, Presiding Officer- African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU ECOSOCC), Director General- Institute for Development and Leadership in Africa (IDEA)
  • “The COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and the coordinating role of the WHO”, Matshidiso MOETI, Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organization
  • The European Union (EU) support to Africa in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Gabriella FESUS, Head of Unit Social Inclusion and Protection, Health and Demography,Directorate general INPA (former Dg DEVCO) of the European Commission
  • Médecins sans frontières (MSF) and the EU on global COVID-19 response/access to COVID tools, Inma VAZQUEZ, Representative to the EU and NATO & MSF COVID-19 experience in Africa, Salha ISSOUFOU, Director of Operations MSF West and Central Africa

Debate with contributions from participants

15.40 – 16.45 - Session 2: Green Deal: modelling partnership for development and growth in Africa

Moderator, Lutz RIBBE, EESC Member

  • Presentation of the High-level economic and green investment forum EU-Africa (22-23 April) by Bernardo Ivo CRUZ, Counsellor for the cooperation Africa, PT Presidency of the Council 
  •  SMEs and circularity as a tool for sustainable economic growth, Jocelyne LANDRY TSONANG, African Circular Economy Network
  • An example of contribution to the Great green wall of the Sahara and SahelAnaïs AMAZIT, cluster of Environment and Climate Change, AU-EU Youth Hub
  • "All decentral! Energy supply, financing and ownership without hierarchies", René MONO, Solaris Offgrid

Debate with contributions from participants

16.45– 17.00 - Break

17.00 – 18.05 - Session 3 – The role of the AfCFTA in Africa's economic integration

Moderator, Thomas WAGNSONNER, EESC Member

  • The EU’s support to the AfCFTA: Political support, financial support and trade policy support, Ewa SYNOWIEC, Director responsible for sustainable development, European Partnership Agreements, Directorate-General for Trade of the European Commission
  • Free trade in Africa, implementation conditions for the benefit of workers and people, perspectives from workers, Anselme AMOUSSOU, Secretary General of the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Benin (CSA-Benin) and Member of the Economic and Social Council of Benin.
  • The role of the African Continental Free Trade Area in the continental economic integration, Amadou SAKO, External Advisor for Africa, International Organisation of Employers 
  • The integration of the African airspace, Bayla SOW, Syndicat de l'aviation civile du Sénégal

Debate with contributions from participants

18.05 – 18.15 - Final exchanges and conclusion in the view to prepare the final declaration,

  • Carlos TRINDADE, President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee

18.15 - End of seventh meeting

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Agenda