Wednesday 21 April - Thursday 22 April 2021

It is with great pleasure that we announce that the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament is organising a webinar focusing on EU-Africa relations in a post-pandemic world. The webinar will draw attention to ‘pandemic responses and the health situation’; ‘the influence of global actors on Africa and EU-Africa policies’; ‘the pandemic and its challenges to democracy, fundamental freedoms and good governance’; and ‘women’s rights and the impact of the pandemic’.

Pandemic responses and the health situation

COVID-19 continues to be a severe burden on healthcare systems in Europe as well as in Africa. Many countries are experiencing healthcare product shortages in already often-unprepared healthcare systems. Access to adequate medical equipment is a challenge in low and middle-income countries and is an issue that needs to be jointly considered in preparation for future pandemics. Due to the global health crisis, humanitarian and development aid has also seen a shift in priorities to adapt to the current situation. By drawing from learned experience of curtailing past pandemics, a panel of experts will delve into how to best enhance health sector resilience to better manage the ongoing pandemic, and to prepare for similar health crises in the future.

Speakers:

• Assita Kanko, MEP
• Beverley Schäfer, Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape government
• Mountaga Keita, Founder and Managing Director, Tulip Industries Ltd, Guinea

You can follow this panel on Wednesday 21 April at 16.00 HERE.

The influence of global actors, most notably of China and Russia, on Africa and EU-Africa policy

In many areas, Africa has become a new arena of great power competition, both to the detriment of African nations and to EU-Africa relations. There is a need for the EU to send a strong signal to China and Russia as they advance their geopolitical interests at the expense of the sovereignty of African nations and European security. This panel will touch upon the growing Russian and Chinese presence in African states and the rationale behind it, in addition to how Europe can counter the harms arising from this increasing Russian and Chinese influence in Africa.

Speakers:

• Anna Fotyga, MEP
• Joshua Meservey, Senior Policy Analyst, Africa & Middle East, the Heritage Foundation
• Samuel Ramani, Department of Politics & International Relations, University of Oxford

You can follow this panel on Wednesday 21 April at 17.00 HERE.

Women’s rights and the impact of the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has put women at a greater risk of encountering discrimination, abuse and violence in both public and private spheres. Now more than ever, gender equality and women’s rights need to play a key role in the new EU-Africa Strategy in order to meet the the goal of gender equality. This panel will look into how Europe and Africa can best cooperate to ban harmful practices affecting not only women but entire societies.

Speakers:

• Assita Kanko, MEP
• Jan Goossens, Director, Mamas for Africa
• Nicolas Indenkleef, Managing Director, Eko Business

You can follow this panel on Thursday 22 April at 16.00 HERE.

The pandemic and its challenges to democracy, fundamental freedoms and good governance

Open, inclusive and accountable governance is fundamental to delivering sustainable development, tackling global challenges and reducing the risk of instability. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered several exceptional responses from governments around the world as they seek extraordinary measures to manage these threats. This panel will touch upon the risks that the pandemic poses to democracy, fundamental freedoms and good governance, and how these negative impacts can be curbed and taken into account in the future.

Speakers:

• Anna Fotyga, MEP
• Driss El Kaissi, General Consul of Morocco
• Professor Nicholas Cheeseman, Democracy and International Development, University of Birmingham
• Joseph Siegle, Director of Research, Africa Center for Strategic Studies
• Mvemba Dizolele, Senior Advisor, International Republican Institute

You can follow this panel on Thursday 22 April at 17.00 HERE.