The 2020 Africa-France Summit for sustainable cities and regions announced by the French Ambassador in Democratic Republic of the Congo, His Excellence Mr. David Pujolas

The 28th Africa-France Summit 2020, in its new format, will be an important event for politics, economy, sports and culture because this event will allow people from Africa and all over the world gathered in Bordeaux, to exchange ideas and initiatives in order to improve the quality of their lives in so called “sustainable life” announced today the French Ambassador in Democratic Republic of the Congo, His Excellency Mr. François Pujolas during its speech in front of Journalists and Entrepreneurs in a press conference held in Pullman Hotel in Kinshasa.

Mr. François Pujolas who was accompagnied in this circomstance by the President of the Congolese and French Chamber of Trade "CFCC", Ambroise Tshiyoyo, has highlighted the fact that the French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced in Ouagadougou on November 28, 2017 that its central theme would be sustainable cities and regions.

In bilateral aspect, the French Ambassador has recalled to the audience that President Macron has met last year also with the DRC President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi in Paris and both discussed subjects related to strenghtening ties between the 2 countries and planned a next visit of President Macron in DRC that will be scheduled soon this year.

The Africa-France Summit will emphasize the reality that cities of the future should not only offer essential infrastructure and services for residents, but also be safe, fit to live in and appealing, particularly for young people.

Held in Bordeaux, this Summit will stand out both due to its new format and the high number of visitors. From 4 to 6 June 2020, Emmanuel Macron will welcome leaders from all over Africa, along with their ministerial delegations and mayors, local authorities, businesses and civil society organizations from France and Africa. It will also kick off Africa 2020, the Season of African Cultures in France, which will run from June to December.

The 28th Africa-France Summit will be held in the Palais de l’Atlantique conference venue on the morning of Saturday 6 June 2020. 

A variety of political and economic stakeholders from France and Africa will come together to discuss current projects and solutions and imagine and start building the sustainable African cities and regions of the future. The subjects of transport, infrastructure, waste processing, environmentally friendly agriculture and access to healthcare, education, culture and sport will all be addressed. 

54 heads of state or government, 2,000 French and international journalists invited, 500 African and French companies, more than de 50 firm commitments. 

The stakeholders at this Summit will be part of the action and therefore able to implement tangible political, economic, budgetary and environmental measures and solutions. The decision to make the sustainable city the focus of the 2020 Africa-France Summit is an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate the success already achieved in French and African cities and lay the groundwork for their future progress for everyone’s mutual benefit.

The Summit is first and foremost a political event, with over 50 heads of state in attendance and a strong economic and environmental aspect:

Political, because sustainable development is essential to eliminate inequalities in cities and slow the north-south migratory phenomenon while contributing to stability and peace across the African continent;

Economic, because cities are now the main driver of growth;

Environmental, because we must restore the balance between people, cities and nature, as cities produce 70% of all greenhouse gas emissions. 

To celebrate the Summit, the Matmut Atlantique stadium will host a friendly match between a selection of African and French players on Friday 5 June and an urban music concert at Place des Quinconces. 

All of the heads of state, government officials and their ministerial delegations will attend this special occasion.

African musicians from a variety of backgrounds will proudly represent music from their continent at an open-air concert for 40,000 people.

The 2020 Africa-France Summit is an opportunity to bring together stakeholders from institutions such as; French and African heads of state and government, the public sector such as; relevant ministries, mayors, governors and heads of regional councils, government agencies, international and regional organisations and financial institutions such as; banks, insurance firms, investment funds, foundations and multilateral, regional and bilateral funds, private companies such as; start-ups, SMEs and major groups and stakeholders from civil society such as; non-profit organisations for young people, women and disadvantaged neighbourhoods, NGOs, unions, federations, cooperatives and professional associations.

According to Stéphanie Rivoal the Secretary of the Africa-France Summit “in its 28th edition, the 2020 Africa-France Summit will for the first time bring political and economic stakeholders and the public together to address the major challenges of the years to come”.

In her role as Secretary General of the 2020 Africa-France Summit, Ambassador Stéphanie Rivoal aims to celebrate the concrete actions taken by African and French stakeholders in their cities and regions. As Africa’s economy and population grow, the issues that arise as a result of urbanisation which should be sustainable become increasingly urgent.

Executives, company directors and inspiring figures from civil society, politics, culture and sport will come from all over the world to present new initiatives and tangible solutions to spark new ideas and engagements to sustainable cities in Africa.

The conference program and list of confirmed contributors will be available very soon.

For the first time, this official Summit will offer special access to The City of Solutions for its corporate partners.

The City of Solutions is a model city that will bring together economic stakeholders, civil society and public authorities that want to get involved with and invest in the sustainable cities and regions of the future.

15 000 sustainable city stakeholders invited, More than 500 African and French companies, 50 000 square meter of exhibition space, 150 contributors.

At the Parc des expositions in Bordeaux, almost 500 companies from France and Africa with future-facing projects will present their expertise, tangible solutions and visions for the environment, energy, mobility, healthcare, education, finance, research, safety, resources, agriculture, sport and other subjects.

The sustainable city must be open and protect its residents, facilitate mobility, attract talent, provide all modern comforts, safeguard the environment, promote diversity and cultural differences, generate jobs, offer a wide variety of leisure activities, innovate, preserve its heritage, guarantee civil liberties, ensure safety, and centralize opportunities that create a ripple effect on the wider region.

As in a city, where traffic flows are organized so that users do not all have to take the same road, visitors will be able to move freely around The City of Solutions and diverge from the main routes framing the different themed districts, which will be criss-crossed by streets with squares, parks and leisure areas.

The City of Solutions will present the latest technological innovations, but pride of place will go to the most important stakeholder in the sustainable city its residents.

Squares at the heart of the themed districts will hold debates and roundtables on a variety of topics, including public service concessions, public-private partnerships, new public consultation methods, eco-districts, diversity, smart cities, High Quality Environmental standard-certified architecture and buildings, horizontal and vertical development, and more.

An unmissable opportunity to meet important decision-makers and stakeholders from 54 countries, Companies (50% from Africa): CEOs and managing directors, directors of African business units and CSR managers, Project’s holder, Foundations, donors and the financial community, NGOs and civil society, Mayors and local authorities, Professional visitor.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor