Digital cooperation is a cornerstone of the Africa-EU strategic partnership. This was underlined by representatives from the European Union and the African Union on the 18th of March 2022 at the Africa-Europe Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Multi-Stakeholder Forum. The event, which took place virtually, was co-hosted by the African Union Commission and the European Commission with the aim of promoting exchanges and collaboration with enterprises, civil society organisations, and experts in the digital field.
Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, commented “the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of digital technologies to keep our businesses, healthcare, education and public services running. These exceptional times have also shown the urgency to invest in Africa’s digital infrastructure and build on Africa’s innovation potential.”
Au, EU step up digital cooperation following Summit
IFC, African and European Partners launch alliance to support private sector growth in Africa
To support a stronger private sector, entrepreneurship and the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across Africa, African, European, multilateral and bilateral partners today launched the Alliance for Entrepreneurship in Africa (AforE).
The Alliance will combine and focus the technical and financial strengths of its members to improve Africa’s business environment and support the growth and success of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women in business and young entrepreneurs. In addition to its core members, the Alliance aims to bring together multilateral and bilateral development banks, bilateral donors and African national development banks.
The Alliance was first announced at the Summit on Financing of African Economies in Paris in May 2021.
Alliance core members include the African Development Bank (AfDB); the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); the European Investment Bank (EIB); the European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI); the French Treasury; the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Proparco, the private sector financing arm of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group).
UNCTAD estimates global economic growth will decrease in 2022
The UN’s trade and development body UNCTAD has downgraded its global economic growth projection for 2022 due to shocks from the Ukraine war and changes in macroeconomic policies that put developing countries particularly at risk.
Significant slowdowns in growth are expected in parts of Western Europe and Central, South and South-East Asia, a new UNCTAD report says.
The ongoing war in Ukraine is likely to reinforce the monetary tightening trend in advanced countries following similar moves that began in late 2021.
UNCTAD is worried that a combination of weakening global demand, insufficient policy coordination at the international level and elevated debt burdens from the pandemic will push some developing countries into a downward spiral of insolvency, recession and arrested development.
Global leaders urged to end discriminations of girls with disabilities
Compared to their peers who have no disabilities, children and adolescents (0-17 age group) with disabilities are 27% more likely to be out of upper-secondary school, 41% more likely to feel discriminated against and 51% more likely to feel unhappy. Adolescent girls with disabilities fare particularly poorly, facing additional inequities in accessing education, affordable health and other key services, and risking greater violations to their personal safety and security, as their disabilities are compounded by gender and age.
Delegates attending a special side-event being held on Tuesday, 22 March, 2022, during the 66th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) will call for greater focus on reducing the structural discrimination caused by gender, age and disability through provision of more resources and technical support. They will urge governments and civil society to adopt an intersectional approach which empowers women and girls with disabilities by consulting and involving them in developing the programmes that affect them.
