3rd Africa-European Union Summit:

Media Advisory


3rd Africa-EU Summit:

"Investment, Economic Growth And Job Creation"

Tripoli, 29-30 November 2010



Africa and the EU will hold their 3rd Summit in Tripoli (Libya) on 29-30 November 2010. 80 African and European Heads of State and Government are expected, and some 50 observers from third countries and international organisations are invited. The Summit will review the achievements of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy that was adopted at the last Summit in Lisbon, in 2007.



Under the overarching Summit theme "Investment, Economic Growth and Job Creation", leaders will discuss concrete ways to stimulate inclusive growth, to create employment opportunities, and to consolidate the recovery from the global financial and economic crisis.



Key issues of debate will include:

• Peace and security

• Climate change

• Regional integration and private sector development

• Infrastructure and energy

• Agriculture and food security

• Migration



Summit participants will adopt a joint statement with the Summit's main conclusions and commitments, together with an Action Plan for 2011-13 that translates the Summit themes into concrete action.





Programme of the Summit

The draft programme of the Summit currently foresees the formal meeting to begin in the morning of 29 November and to end in the early afternoon of 30 November, with a joint press conference. This schedule may still be subject to change.



Registration and accreditation for journalists

Journalists who wish to attend the Summit should consult the website of the African Union Commission, where a media advisory note can be found: www.africa-uinion.org.



Side Events

A series of high-level side-events will take place in the margins of the Summit. African and European representatives of civil society, youth, the private sector, trade unions, researchers and scientists will discuss ways to strengthen the Partnership and to consolidate their active participation. Further information can be found at:

http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/3rd-africa-eu-summit





Additional information on the Africa-EU Partnership

Background information on the Partnership and its eight thematic areas can be found at: http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/3rd-africa-eu-summit

Africa-Europe: 80 countries, two continents in partnership for a better future




Ahead of the third Africa-EU Summit on 29–30 November in Libya, the European Commission this week presents proposals that will feed into the second Action Plan of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, launched in 2007. The Commission proposes to consolidate Africa-EU relations. It details common challenges, including poverty eradication, peace and security, democracy and human rights, global governance and climate change. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals will remain a priority, but the Commission also recognises the need to support Africa in strengthening its political and economic governance with a view to enable sustainable mobilisation of the continent's own assets. The new Action Plan will cover the period 2011–2013 and will be adopted during the Summit. It is expected that 80 African and European Heads of State and Government will attend, together with observers from third countries and international organisations.



The EU's High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton, said: "Strengthening and deepening EU-Africa relations is a key priority during my mandate. Africa is not just a beneficiary of the EU, but it is an important partner on a number of major regional and international issues of common interest such as regional security, where we work together in the fight against piracy and cooperate in bringing peace and stability to the region, and global govern-ance such as climate change".



Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development, added: "Three years after the launch of a unique Partnership, it is time to consolidate EU-Africa relations, offering the prospect of a better and more prosperous future for 1.5 billion people in 80 countries. In order to ensure long-term development, more attention will be paid to how development cooperation should help to create enabling conditions for inclusive and sustainable growth. This will help to alleviate poverty and to confirm Africa's political and economic dynamism on the global scene".



The full text of the Commission Communication can be found at,

http://ec.europa.eu/development/services/dev-policy-proposals_en.cfm



Background

At their Summit in Lisbon in 2007, 80 Heads of State and Government from Europe and Africa launched the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Partnership to pursue common interests and strategic objec-tives together, beyond the focus of traditional development policy.