New Africa-France Summit: reinventing the relationship together

The Africa-France relationship is evolving in all its dimensions: economic, cultural, sporting, environmental. 

The New Africa-France Summit will be held in Montpellier from October 7 to 9, 2021. 

New format, new players, new themes, new challenges: the objective of this event is to take a fresh look at the relationship between Africa and France to offer a new framework for reflection and action for new generations. 

On November 28, 2017, in Ouagadougou, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron presented his ambition to renew the relationship between France and the African continent through various commitments. 

Since then, the Africa-France relationship has evolved in all its dimensions: economic, cultural, sporting, environmental, etc. 

This summit will take stock of the main priorities: facilitating access to education and higher education, in particular by increasing mobility; provide support for entrepreneurship and innovation; allow the construction of a new common imagination, in particular by strengthening our memorial links; support the continent, which is at the forefront of the climate transition; work on the overhaul of our development aid for the benefit of a partnership relationship. 

The New Africa-France Summit will give the floor and honor those who bring our relationship to life on a daily basis and who contribute to building a common future between Africa and France: actors from the diasporas, entrepreneurship , cultural, artistic and sporting fields. 

Youth will play a central role. It is at the heart of Ouagadougou's commitments in education, mobility, governance and even economic development and it is a source of solutions to meet the major challenges of today and tomorrow.

By listening to these actors of change, this summit wants to question and redefine the fundamentals of the relationship between France and the African continent. The aim is to answer the questions of young people and create a space for dialogue oriented towards the future. 

Africa-France Dialogues 

These dialogues provide an opportunity for everyone to contribute to tackling common challenges. They should allow the emergence of proposals that will be presented at a plenary session in the presence of the President of the Republic and representatives of African youth. 

Led by the philosopher, political scientist and historian Achille Mbembe and by a committee of recognized and independent African personalities, they bring together actors in the field who are interested in the future of the relationship between Africa and France. 

Twelve countries have launched this dialogue process since the start of 2021: Angola, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tunisia. Other countries have since joined the process. 

To involve members of the diasporas and French youth, events are also offered in France.

Among the themes addressed: Gender equality, official development assistance and its impacts, democracy and governance, preservation of biodiversity, new technologies, employability, youth mobility. 

Please visit this site for more details: https://sommetafriquefrance.org/en/

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor