President,

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

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the EU-African Union partnership. As Africa’s primary trading partner, largest investor, and biggest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and humanitarian aid, the EU and its Member States remain strongly attached to our partnership with Africa, as demonstrated by the recent 3^rd EU-AU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels. We look forward to further strengthening our relations at the upcoming 7^th African Union-European Union Summit, 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 at least 150 billion EUR of investments by 2027, 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 African countries 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 boost sustainable intra-African trade, strengthen market access, and Africa-EU trade relations, and foster regional integration and economic development in Africa. 

Africa offers enormous potential for industrialisation, and UNIDO and EU can support this in many ways: The EU is currently funding 25 UNIDO projects totalling around 225 million EUR in Africa to diversify economically, develop infrastructure, advance human skills and create decent job opportunities, particularly for young people and women. 

The EU is providing 9 million EUR for a UNIDO project promoting small hydropower development and circular economy approaches in Nigeria. Other UNIDO projects funded by the EU promote agribusiness and agro-industry across Africa, for instance, in Ghana, the Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. 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. 

President,

To conclude, the EU remains firmly committed to our partnership with Africa. We look forward to the release of the ninth and final annual progress report for IDDA III in July 2025 as well as to the upcoming discussions on a Fourth Industrial Development Decade for Africa. Be assured that we will remain on Africa’s side in this joint undertaking. 

Thank you.