On the occasion of the 6th joint summit of the European and African Union (EU and AU), the Internationaler Bund (IB) calls for a future-oriented cooperation of the continents. On February 17-18, 2022, representatives of both institutions will discuss the foundations for their future cooperation in Brussels.
In the run-up to the summit, the IB joins the demands of the Association for Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid (VENRO) and the Europa-Union Deutschland (EUD) for a paradigm shift in European migration policy. "We need regular migration for people from the South and an end to the humanitarian disaster in the Mediterranean. In making this demand, we are also referring to climate change, which is already being felt in large parts of the world and is making life massively more difficult for many people. Therefore, any transnational cooperation in the fight against this crisis is worth the support" said Thiemo Fojkar, Chair of the IB.
The United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement have made it clear that these problems can only be solved through global cooperation. The countries of the Global North, as the main perpetrators of climate change, bear the greater responsibility in this regard. Everything possible must be done to halt the negative trends: Climate adaptation measures and investments in all affected countries that support the people there, as well as rapid reduction of all greenhouse gases, can best be managed in a joint, strategic partnership.
The IB also supports African partners in implementing measures through educational cooperation projects and in the field of renewable energies within the framework of development cooperation. Among others, this is done in Morocco, Ivory Coast or Rwanda.
The planned summit between the European and African states can not only improve relations between the continents, but also effectively contribute to the solution of common problems.
