Launch event of Ukȧmȧ: the Africa-Europe platform for Sustainable Development thinkers

This event launches the Ukȧmȧ – solidarity for prosperity network, the Africa-Europe platform for Sustainable Development thinkers. Ukȧmȧ aims at developing a network of African and European experts mobilized in favor of sustainable recovery and economic transformation in Africa that come together regularly to discuss and reflect independently on the Europe-Africa relationship and co-build value propositions for a renewed cooperation between the two continents, it aims, in the long run at bringing fresh ideas to the table to overcome misunderstandings and foster collaboration.

The Ukȧmȧ platform is co-chaired by Chukwumerije Okereke (Professor at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo; Director Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD)), and Sébastien Treyer (Director, IDDRI) and guided by a steering committee including the following members:

• Ann Kingiri, Senior Research Fellow (ACTS), Kenya
• Fatima Denton, Director of the Institute for Natural Resources in Africa at the United Nations University, Ghana
• Chantal Naidoo, Founder Rabia Transitions, South Africa
• Youba Sokona, Vice President IPCC
• John Asafu Adjaye, Head of research African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), Ghana
• San Bilal, Head of Programme Trade, Investment and Finance; Economic and Agricultural Transformation Programme, European Centre for Development Policy Management, The Netherlands
• Imme Scholz, Deputy Director, German Development Institute

The launch event was organized as an interactive expert discussion around the questions:

• What are the “elephants in the room” in Africa Europe relations that hinder a shared and sustainable prosperity agenda?
• What could be key messages to be developed and addressed by independent experts to the AU EU Summit?

Speakers included:

• Chukwumerije Okereke, Professor at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo; Director Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD))
• Sébastien Treyer, Director, IDDRI, France
• Chantal Naidoo, Founder Rabia Transitions, South Africa
• Youba Sokona, Vice President IPCC
• Gideon Ndubuisi, Solomon Owusu, Transformation of Economic and Social Systems Research program at DIE, Germany
• John Asafu Adjaye, Head of research African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), Ghana

For more information regarding the launch event, please contact Elisabeth Hege (elisabeth.hege@iddri.org)

Read the blog post on the topic >> From COP26 to the Africa Europe Summit: Accept to face critical asymmetries or put the nascent partnership at risk