The Africa-Europe Foundation strives to succeed in its bold ideas and actions to rebuild the common future of Africa and Europe. Launched in December 2020, it seeks to open up new opportunities for transformation, especially between the two continents. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian President and Nobel Laureate, looks back on the aspirations of the Africanus Africa Foundation in an exclusive interview with the Liberian capital, Monrovia, and Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first female president and president of the Munis – Europe.

Ignatius Anor: Ambition is the theme of the first Africa-Europe Forum. This aspiration involves the acceleration of social, economic and political change. Liberian activists have called for a strong political will to curb systemic corruption, which critics call “empty talk.” How does the Foundation stand to address issues like this?

Ellen Johnson Surleaf : “Liberia has strong ties with European and all African countries, and in partnership with these countries, it is clear that transparency and accountability are needed to ensure that the activities that support and finance this bilateral relationship are respected. Africa-Europe Foundation It offers another opportunity to underline the importance of the fight against corruption. Let’s use Ibrahim Index Since African rule, Which tends to monitor the progress and quality of governance constraints in all countries.

Continental leaders are moving towards more progressive partnerships with world powers. Will the Africa-Europe Foundation provide a win-win situation?

Mary Robinson : ” There is a need to establish a more mature and equitable partnership. The two continents are interconnected and have never worked in deep partnership. In the last forum, we had some very important leaders Krystalina Giorgieva, Director International Monetary Fund (IMF), Participants in the entire session on health. They spoke openly about the importance of helping African countries gain economic space for recovery. It has exclusive drawing rights and urges countries to recognize that it is not just about health. This is an economic problem, a crisis. This is the question of inequality.

According to World Vision, at least 33 million people in Africa suffer from severe food insecurity. How can the Africa-Europe Agrifood partnership help address this situation?

Ellen Johnson Surleaf : ” There is an agricultural subgroup foundation working on how to prioritize the agricultural sector in our countries, which focuses on the most needed areas. We need to invest in the informal sector, which includes women who do not have full access to the productive components associated with agriculture. ” ‘

The African Union and the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are concerned that vaccines given to many African countries through Kovacs are not approved by the European Union Travel Certificate. You have an Africa-Europe Health Alliance on the agenda of the forum. Does it not affect the equivalence of vaccines?

Mary Robinson : “Since the founding of the FA Foundation, our high-level group has chosen to make vaccine equity the subject of its first call. This manifesto has been signed by leading figures in Africa and Europe. If we feel like it’s becoming an obstacle, the Africa Europe Foundation will be in place. “

The focus is on redefining the share of cities where by two-thirds of the world’s population is expected to live by 2050. How will your participation improve the well-being of city dwellers?

Ellen Johnson Surleaf : “Energy is an important area of ​​highly concentrated urban areas. I visited the Network of Women Leaders and conducted sessions on energy. We talked about pure cooking and recipes. How to do it without fossil fuels and how to find solutions for it? Without coal, it is widely used in many of our communities and even in urban communities in Africa. “

What does the Foundation hope to achieve for Africa and Europe in the next five years?

Mary Robinson : ” Whether it is for health, climate crisis or other issues, we urgently need bold ideas and actions to rebuild the common future of Africa and Europe. The inclusion of these ideas should also be transgender. I also strongly believe in intergenerational dialogue in a sustainable way to address contemporary environmental, economic, social, health and technological challenges. We see the possibility of a new chapter in Africa-Europe relations at a more political level, thanks to these platforms being able to open up, build more credibility and face tough questions honestly. “