EU Statement on Fourth Industrial Development Decade for Africa, 23 June 2026

Chair,

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

Chair,

This year marks the 26th anniversary of the EU-African Union partnership. As Africa’s primary trading partner, leading source of foreign direct investment, and largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and humanitarian aid, the EU and its Member States remain firmly committed to strengthening our partnership with Africa. This commitment was reaffirmed at the last EU-AU Summit in November 2025, where leaders stressed the need to translate political commitments into tangible outcomes for citizens on both continents. 

The political orientations of the European Commission for 2024-2029 also underline the importance of stronger EU-Africa cooperation through sustainable investment, industrialisation, and economic integration. 

We therefore attach great importance to the Programme for Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (PAIDA) and welcome IDDA IV for the period 2026-2035 as a key framework for inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, aligned with Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda. Its implementation through the delivery mechanisms of the Action Plan for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA), in complementarity with the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), will be essential to advancing resilient, green and competitive industrial economies across the continent. 

The recent EU-Africa Group-UNIDO Tripartite Dialogue in May 2026, reaffirmed our shared commitment to advancing inclusive and sustainable industrial development across Africa, strengthening economic integration, and deepening cooperation in support of Africa’s long-term transformation priorities. 

The EU further supports Africa’s industrial transformation through Global Gateway and Team Europe partnerships. In this context, the Africa-EU Investment Package aims to mobilise at least EUR 150 billion by 2027 for sustainable growth, infrastructure, health, education, and job creation. A further flagship initiative is the Lobito Corridor linking Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Backed by more than EUR 2 billion through a Team Europe approach, it will strengthen connectivity, trade, and regional value chains.

Chair,

The EU and UNIDO cooperate closely on industrial capacity-building, renewable energy, agri-food value chains, SME competitiveness, and skills development. The EU is currently funding 27 UNIDO projects totalling around EUR 136 million in Africa to diversify economically, develop infrastructure, and advance human skills. 

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 April, at the EU-Ethiopia Business Forum in Addis Ababa, Team Europe committed EUR 1.2 billion under a Memorandum of Understanding concluded with the Secretariat of the AfCFTA.

The EU has provided a EUR 205 million 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. 

The EU, as Co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Food Security in Vienna, supports strengthened food security, agro-industrialisation, and food system transformation, including the objectives of initiatives such as the Addis Ababa Call to Action for a World Without Hunger, the Call to Action “From Rome to Addis and Beyond”, and related UNIDO initiatives, such as the Food Safety Approach 2.0. 

Africa’s transformation depends above all on its people, especially youth and women. The EU supports education, skills development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation through initiatives such as Erasmus+, the Horizon Europe’s Africa Initiative IV (2026-2027), and the AU-EU Youth Lab. These programmes aim to strengthen scientific cooperation, digital skills, research capacity, and youth employability across Africa. 

In a challenging global context, the EU remains committed to working with the African Union, UNIDO, and other partners to advance sustainable industrialisation, regional integration, and inclusive growth across Africa, while reinforcing multilateral cooperation, resilience, and shared prosperity. 

Thank you.