Berlin, May 13, 2022 – Yesterday, the Global Perspectives Initiative (GPI) brought together representatives from African and German-European politics, business and civil society for the second time with The Africa Roundtable.
The war in Ukraine has highlighted the difficulties of geopolitical interests and threatens many countries in the global South with imminent famine. To coincide with the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting and U.S. President Joe Biden’s global Covid-19 summit, more than 30 guests followed an invitation by Dr Karamba Diaby, Member of the German Bundestag, to discuss collaborative approaches to post-pandemic economic recovery, access to financial markets and investment, and strengthening health systems with a focus on private sector engagement in African countries.
Dr. Ingrid Hamm, Co-Founder and CEO of the Global Perspectives Initiative, says: “With the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, one global crisis follows the next, hampering the much-needed economic recovery worldwide. Both crises have a significantly different impact on Europe and Africa, but more importantly, they affect their relationship with each other. A crisis always lays the foundation for how cooperation should develop in the future. We can only be resilient if we work together. I am pleased that The Africa Roundtable was able to bring together decision-makers from both continents for the second time to highlight the importance of Africa as a long-term, equal partner for Europe.”
Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, says with regard to the meeting of the G7 agriculture ministers in Stuttgart: “And finally, we must do our utmost to harmonize global food security, climate change mitigation and biodiversity so that we will all become more resilient together, now and in future, because there is no respite from the climate crisis. This will be a key issue in the discussions tomorrow and the day after, because the G7 states have a particular responsibility in this matter. As strong economies, but also as contributors to the climate crisis.” Especially in Africa, the federal government is currently working on establishing a global alliance for food security within the scope of the German G7 presidency.
H.E. Amadou Hott, the Senegalese Minister of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, says: “The Ukraine crisis unraveling has affected the global community, including African countries. It reminds us of how interconnected the global economy is and the coordinated effort required to mitigate the crisis’ consequences.”
Elhadji As Sy, Co-Chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, says of global vaccine distribution: “None of us are safe until we all are. How many times did we say that? How much did we turn that into practice? We failed. No wonder that now there is a lack of trust, there is a lack of respect, and there is a kind of desillusion in global solidarity. Now we have a lot of work to do to get back to where we should be. When I talk about vaccines, Africa has been last in line.”
Michael Krake, Executive Director for Germany at the World Bank, says: “Overlapping global crises are a challenge for African-European cooperation. But they are also an opportunity, because they make it abundantly clear what we need now: More resilience and green and inclusive development. For this, Africa and Europe need to show more political will and take bolder steps.”