Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement. 

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the EU-Africa partnership. We remain strongly attached to this partnership and look forward to its further strengthening at the upcoming 7th Summit between the African Union and the EU, taking place in Africa later this year. 

The political orientations of the European Commission for 2024-2029 stress the importance of creating a new momentum in our partnership with Africa, including through further EU investments. The Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package, worth 150 billion EUR[1], will accelerate the green and digital transition, accelerate sustainable growth and decent job creation, strengthen health systems, and improve education and training.

Our support is rooted in the principle of African ownership and helping our African partners find their own solutions, based on local expertise and continent-wide priorities. Our aim is to support such solutions with Team Europe initiatives, which involve EU institutions, EU Member States and European financial institutions.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents an unprecedented achievement towards realising Africa’s full economic potential and integration. AfCFTA benefits from the Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and Sub-Saharan African countries and other EU free trade agreements with Northern African countries. In 2024, Team Europe pledged 1.1 billion EUR to advance African economic integration under the AfCFTA framework.  

The EU has provided a 205 million EUR contribution to the “Africa Trade, Competitiveness and Market Access” (ATCMA) programme, implemented by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre, in collaboration with the African Union and five Regional Economic Communities. This programme will enhance the competitiveness of African SMEs and facilitate their access to regional and EU markets.

Africa offers enormous potential for industrialisation, and UNIDO can help Africa realise this potential in many ways: to diversify economically, develop infrastructure, advance human skills and create decent job opportunities, particularly for young people and women.

In collaboration with the EU, UNIDO has launched a 25 million EUR “Youth Rising” project in Liberia, enhancing vocational education and training for young people. Other projects promote agribusiness and agro-industry across Africa, including a contribution of 7 million EUR to Liberia to improve food safety and enhance trade in local products. The EU and UNIDO also cooperate in Sudan, strengthening agricultural value chains, improving food security and supporting economic recovery. We support the implementation of a circular economy across the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan countries and promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in industrial activities in several African countries. 

Chair,

To conclude, the EU remains firmly committed to our partnership with Africa and supports the work of UNIDO for inclusive and sustainable industrial development across the continent. 

Thank you.

[1] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/initiatives-sub-saharan-africa/eu-africa-global-gateway-investment-package_en