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Switzerland joins the growing group of European countries with a dedicated #Africa strategy. Nice work by @SwissMFAafrica and her team, as the strategy went through cross-departmental consultations and enables a whole-of-government approach. Quick thread:
Strategy: https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-81958.html
Thematic priorities: Peace, security and human rights; prosperity; sustainability; digitalisation.
Geographical priorities: Sahel, Horn of Africa, Great Lakes, emerging ‘lion economies’ and regional organisations.
Thematic priorities: Peace, security and human rights; prosperity; sustainability; digitalisation.
Geographical priorities: Sahel, Horn of Africa, Great Lakes, emerging ‘lion economies’ and regional organisations.
With regional organisations, @EDA_DFAE prioritizes @_AfricanUnion and RECs in peace & security. In economic development, @AfDB_Group and #AfCFTA are prioritised. RECs cooperation focuses on climate change. @NEPAD_Agency on health.
Implementation measures include existing links with AU, ECOWAS, IGAD, secondment of experts to AU & UNOAU.
New measures:
- Support for REC offices in Geneva
- Know-how transfer in for Africa’s representation in the multilateral system.
New measures:
- Support for REC offices in Geneva
- Know-how transfer in for Africa’s representation in the multilateral system.
Implementation with clear added value and policy coherence will be important. Migration and trade are areas of potential conflicts of interest. The foreseen docking onto EU-AU in climate change and digitalization will create synergies.
While consistent with Switzerland’s separate #MENA strategy, Africa increasingly speaks with one voice. Reducing MP @NikGugger’s postulate for an “Africa strategy” to a strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa might raise eyebrows. Measures for regional organisations mitigate this issue.
Another avenue for implementation is domestic. Addressing Switzerland’s role in illicit financial flows #IFF and enhancing its notable progress in illicitly acquired assets of politically exposed persons can also be part & parcel of this whole-of-government strategy.
Finally, post-Covid recovery is a concrete opportunity to put the strategy to work. The AU's @AfricaCDC will be a clearing house for effective public health interventions, AfCFTA's inclusivity needs to be sustained and AUDA-NEPAD's reformed structure supported sustainably.
