Joint Civil Society Statement to the 7th AU-EU Summit
Prepared by the Africa-Europe Civil Society Platform (CSEP), based on broad consultation with African and European civil society and youth organisations during thematic working group meetings and a series of online consultations involving over 120 participants in October and November 2025.
The statement has been endorsed by the Interim Steering Committee of the CSEP and is open for signature through 21 December 2025. SIGN ON 🖊️
Specific positions and recommendations drafted by the thematic working groups and other constituencies active in the CSEP
These positions are reflected in the overall CSEP statement and recommendations but are more granular and detailed according to the areas of expertise and interest.
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Parallel People’s Summit – 19 November
The Africa-Europe Civil Society Engagement Platform is collaborating with Faith actors from Europe and Africa and Angolan CSOs in organizing a Parallel Peoples’ Summit on 19th Nov.
Follow the exchanges online with the zoom link in the flyer above. AUEU2025
In the lead-up to the 7th AU-EU Summit, the CSEP organises three online workshops to further strengthen the CSEP’s knowledge sharing process, joint advocacy positions and policy recommendations.
Everyone is welcome to participate, including African and European NGOs who are not yet part of the CSEP.
Workshop 1: State of play and identifying the gaps for opportunities
6 Oct 14:00-16:00 CET
To develop a common understanding of the issues on the agenda of the AU-EU partnership, the current state of play, and make a common diagnosis of the situation, and identify gaps to be addressed.
This workshop will build on the outcomes of the first workshop and the existing positions developed by the CSEP working groups to further consolidate the messages in a new joint declaration.
Workshop 3: Chatham House Dialogue: Joint recommendations from African and European Civil Society and Youth for the Luanda Summit 2025
This online exchange is an opportunity to present and discuss the draft joint recommendations for the upcoming 7th AU-EU Summit in Luanda which have been developed by African and European civil society and youth in the framework of the Africa-Europe Civil Society Platform. Decision-makers and advisors from the EU and AU Member States are invited to review and provide their feedback on the draft recommendations with the aim of identifying weak points, unanswered questions, or other issues to ensure a strong and actionable final joint civil society/youth declaration.
*Please note: To ensure continuity in the process, we strongly recommend that participants for Workshop 3 have participated in one or both of the preparatory Workshops organised by the CSEP in October.
–>Please note that English, French and International Sign Language will be provided in the workshops (Attention: if no registrant requires captioning and sign language until 5 days before the event, the services may be cancelled.)
Understanding the Global Gateway: What It Is, How It Works, and Why Civil Society Should Engage
Forus and CONCORD Europe warmly invite you to an interactive webinar that will demystify the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
Together, we’ll explore what it really means for civil society, how it is reshaping EU international partnerships, and how CSOs across regions can strategically engage.
Gain a clearer understanding of Global Gateway’s priorities and structure
Hear from civil society organisations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Learn about practical strategies for CSO engagement and influence
🌍 Interpretation will be available in English, French, and Spanish.
Please feel free to share this invitation within your networks!
Mieux comprendre Global Gateway : de quoi s’agit-il, comment cela fonctionne et pourquoi la société civile doit s’en saisir
Forus et CONCORD Europe ont le plaisir de vous inviter à un webinaire interactif pour mieux comprendre la stratégie Global Gateway de l’Union européenne.
Ensemble, nous explorerons ce qu’elle implique pour la société civile, comment elle redéfinit les partenariats internationaux de l’UE, et comment les OSC peuvent s’y engager de manière stratégique.
The conference brought together African and European ministers and ambassadors of agriculture—representing almost half the world’s agriculture ministers, and almost two billion people—as well as AU and EU commissioners, farmers organisations and United Nations (UN) agencies, to strengthen the collaboration between the two Unions, and address current challenges facing both continents’ agri-food systems.
The CSEP engaged in several bilateral conversations with AU and EU ministers and commission staff, and national farmer representatives, to elaborate further on its policy brief and recommendations, published in light of the Ministerial Conference.
The platform had already been meeting for several months, ahead of the conference, to further develop its messaging and explore how effective policy reforms can be guided by a commitment to the well-being and prosperity of both continents—and, indeed, all of humanity.
The CSEP organised a side-event at the conference which welcomed over 40 participants, including ministers, ambassadors, and former commissioners. Opening the side-event, Advocacy Lead from Alliance2015, Ms. Adriana Opromolla, said “Today is an opportunity to reflect on how the vision of the AU and the EU can converge in ways that promote transformation, guided by the realities of farmers and communities.”
The Just Economy Program and Policy Manager for Oxfam in West Africa, Mr. Francis Agbere, added that the AU-EU Partnership should “adopt policies that reduce inequality, enhance climate and environmental justice, and promote good governance and fairer trade rules, so that international trade can also benefit smallholder farmers.”
The Belgian Permanent Representative to the UN Rome-based agencies, Mr. Lieven De la Marche, shared that “agriculture is a transversal issue and no single actor can solve the challenges alone.”
In elaborating on the role of governments in generating consensus and a unified vision for national plans related to the agri-food system, the Irish Agriculture Attaché to the UN Rome-based agencies, Mr. Peter Cleary, said, “it’s necessary to have buy-in from all involved.”
“This is not a discussion between North and South. It is about human dignity. The future of the African food system must be in African hands.” added Musa Sowe, Vice President of ROPPA and head delegation of the Pan-African Farmers Organization (PAFO) to the ministerial.
“We call for the full implementation of the Kampala Declaration, with at least 30% of the agricultural budget reserved for agro-ecological practices, with particular attention to women, young people and pastoralists” said Hakim Baliraine, chairperson of AFSA and board member of ESAFF.
The side event elaborated on food sovereignty as not merely a technical issue but a matter of justice, identity, and autonomy. It called for decisions on financial resources and international cooperation to be guided by broader values and principles that allow for local communities to break free from harmful patterns of dependence.
How small-scale farmers, women and young people can become co-owners or co-creators of a sustainable food system, rather than being invited to the table as guests of an existing system was also explored.
During her keynote speech, Ms. Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, Chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) shared that the crises facing Africa are visible symptoms of a derailed and dysfunctional global system, and thus called for the dedication of resources towards the fight against hunger and extreme poverty.
The CSEP also shared its key messages with the EU’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Mr. Christophe Hansen.
Sign-on to the CSEP’s messages is open until September 2025.
Slideshow
Le changement transformateur au cœur de l’événement parallèle de la CSEP lors de la 6e Conférence ministérielle de l’agriculture UA-UE [FR]
Cette conférence a réuni des ministres et ambassadeurs africains et européens de l’agriculture, représentant près de la moitié des ministres de l’agriculture du monde et près de deux milliards de personnes, ainsi que des commissaires de l’UA et de l’UE, des organisations paysannes et des agences des Nations Unies (ONU), afin de renforcer la collaboration entre les deux Unions et de relever les défis actuels auxquels sont confrontés les systèmes agroalimentaires des deux continents.
La CSEP a mené plusieurs échanges bilatéraux avec des ministres et des fonctionnaires des commissions de l’UA et de l’UE, ainsi qu’avec des représentants nationaux des agriculteurs, afin d’approfondir sa note d’orientation et ses recommandations, publiées à la suite de la Conférence ministérielle.
La plateforme se réunissait déjà depuis plusieurs mois, en amont de la conférence, afin de développer son message et d’explorer comment des réformes politiques efficaces peuvent être guidées par un engagement envers le bien-être et la prospérité des deux continents, et, de fait, de l’humanité toute entière.
Le CSEP a organisé un événement parallèle à la conférence, qui a accueilli plus de 40 participants, dont des ministres, des ambassadeurs et d’anciens commissaires. Mme Adriana Opromolla, responsable du plaidoyer d’Alliance2015, a déclaré : « Aujourd’hui est l’occasion de réfléchir à la manière dont les visions de l’UA et de l’UE peuvent converger pour promouvoir la transformation, guidée par les réalités des agriculteurs et des communautés.»
M. Francis Agbere, responsable du programme « Économie juste » et des politiques d’Oxfam en Afrique de l’Ouest, a ajouté que le partenariat UA-UE devrait « adopter des politiques qui réduisent les inégalités, renforcent la justice climatique et environnementale, et favorisent la bonne gouvernance et des règles commerciales plus équitables, afin que le commerce international puisse également bénéficier aux petits exploitants agricoles. »
Le Représentant permanent de la Belgique auprès des agences des Nations Unies basées à Rome, M. Lieven De la Marche, a déclaré que « l’agriculture est une question transversale et qu’aucun acteur ne peut à lui seul relever les défis ».
Développant le rôle des gouvernements dans la recherche d’un consensus et d’une vision unifiée des plans nationaux relatifs au système agroalimentaire, l’attaché agricole irlandais auprès des agences des Nations Unies basées à Rome, M. Peter Cleary, a déclaré : « L’adhésion de toutes les parties prenantes est nécessaire.»
« Il ne s’agit pas d’un débat entre le Nord et le Sud. Il s’agit de dignité humaine. L’avenir du système alimentaire africain doit être entre les mains des Africains », a ajouté Musa Sowe, vice-président du ROPPA et chef de la délégation de l’Organisation panafricaine des agriculteurs (PAFO) à la réunion ministérielle.
« Nous appelons à la pleine mise en œuvre de la Déclaration de Kampala, avec au moins 30 % du budget agricole réservé aux pratiques agroécologiques, avec une attention particulière aux femmes, aux jeunes et aux éleveurs », a déclaré Hakim Baliraine, président de l’AFSA et membre du conseil d’administration de l’ESAFF.
L’événement parallèle a abordé la souveraineté alimentaire comme une question non seulement technique, mais aussi de justice, d’identité et d’autonomie. Il a appelé à ce que les décisions relatives aux ressources financières et à la coopération internationale soient guidées par des valeurs et des principes plus larges permettant aux communautés locales de se libérer de schémas de dépendance néfastes.
La manière dont les petits exploitants agricoles, les femmes et les jeunes peuvent devenir copropriétaires ou cocréateurs d’un système alimentaire durable, plutôt que d’être les seuls invités d’un système existant, a également été explorée.
Lors de son discours d’ouverture, Mme Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, présidente du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale (CSA), a expliqué que les crises auxquelles l’Afrique est confrontée sont les symptômes visibles d’un système mondial défaillant et dysfonctionnel, et a donc appelé à consacrer des ressources à la lutte contre la faim et l’extrême pauvreté.
Le CSEP a également partagé ses messages clés avec le commissaire européen à l’agriculture et à l’alimentation, Christophe Hansen.
L’inscription aux messages du CSEP est ouverte jusqu’en septembre 2025.
The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) will convene a Ministerial Meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, bringing together representatives from over 80 governments to advance their strategic partnership ahead of the 7th AU-EU Summit later this year. This high-level meeting should have been the occasion to reinforce the partnership’s people-centred dimension. It could have been an opportunity for the Ministers to dialogue with citizens and benefit from their insights and ideas to transform the partnership.
Regrettably, despite best intentions and efforts by all involved, civil society and youth were presented with and invited to a side event scheduled for the day ahead of the Ministerial meeting, in which they had a minimal role shaping.
Although progress can be cited, as the side event was co-created by the services of the AU and the EU, this seems to have been achieved at the expense of involvement of civil society and youth.
While two rapporteurs are being given the opportunity to address the Foreign Ministers’ meeting and share the outcomes of the previous day, the value of this representation may be largely symbolic, considering the limited five-minute time slot, which could give the impression of inauthenticity.
Finally, the invitation for the side event went out less than 2 weeks before the event, and few of the members of the Africa-Europe Civil Society Platform (CSEP)* received it. No indication on the criteria for selecting participants was given.
The CSEP’s Interim Steering Committee has chosen to pursue an alternative approach for gathering African and European perspectives to ensure they are meaningfully reflected in the outcome of the Foreign Ministers’ meeting. This decision reflects commitment to a process which we believe supports a fair and impactful outcome. A joint statement is currently being disseminated to AU and EU Member States.
Despite the disappointment with an inadequate process this time around, Hakim Baliraine, Chairperson Alliance for Food Security in Africa (AFSA), expressed optimism and openness going forward:
“We are ready and willing to work together with the AU and the EU, as well as other groups of civil society and youth from Africa and Europe in the future if the process is different and responds to what we see as the basic minimums for meaningful engagement and co-creation.”
*In the three years succeeding the 6th AU-EU summit (February 2022), a coalition of volunteers from civil society and youth groups across Africa and Europe have been working tirelessly to enhance the people-to-people dimension of the partnership. This group, now united as the Africa-Europe Civil Society Platform (CSEP), aims to establish a structured and permanent mechanism for engagement with the AU-EU Partnership, based on principles of transparency, equal participation, accessibility, and inclusion. Interested organisations can confirm their interest in joining the platform and subscribe to the mailing list using this form.
These joint messages and recommendations, addressed to the foreign ministers representing the Member States of the African Union and the European Union, were elaborated in a bottom-up process with African and European civil society and youth organisations in the weeks leading up to the Ministerial meeting taking place in Brussels on 21 May 2025. The Interim Steering Committee of the Africa-Europe Civil Society Platform (CSEP) has overseen the consultation and drafting process via its six thematic working groups and building upon the Brief statement from African and European civil society and youth organisations on key issues in the AU-EU Partnership published in March 2024.
The positions outlined have been submitted to the leaders to operationalise in their delivery of the commitments outlined in the AU-EU Partnership’s Joint Vision 2030.
Africa-Europe CS Platform 