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Inclusive and resilient digital transition: a new chapter for the AU-EU relations?
Since the last AU-EU Summit held in Abidjan 2017, the digital transition has become the cornerstone of the trans-continental cooperation agenda.
In 2020 the EU put forth its joint communication Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa, and the African Union published its 2030 Digital Transformation Strategy, both of which underlined a vision for a digital future strengthened by international and regional cooperation. The Joint Communiqué issued after the AU-EU Ministerial Meeting in Kigali in October 2021 further stressed the importance of 'a safe, sustainable and inclusive digital transformation' and the need for a strong EU-AU partnership 'to build an inclusive, sustainable digital economy and society for all citizens, preserving universal values in the digital age to build more democratic equitable and accountable societies for all'.
Ahead of the 6th EU-AU Summit planned in 2022, this meeting focused on discussing concrete ways through which these and numerous other commitments could be brought to life and provide a new impetus to EU-AU partnership that benefits the citizens on both continents. The main question that this meeting aimed to answer is the following: How can Africa and the EU implement a deeper and more sustainable common agenda that secures an effective cyber-resilient, inclusive and human-centric digital transition, in line with mutual strategic interests and values?
