The Joint EU-Africa Strategy was adopted at the Lisbon Summit last year. It was the second ever Summit between heads of state and government from EU and Africa that was held in Lisbon on 8-9 December, 2007. The first summit was held in Cairo in 2000.
This page will provide information about the previous summit.
Which documents were approved?
News on the Lisbon Summit
When and where?
What was on the agenda?
Who was attending?
Which side events have taken place?
What was the Cairo summit about?
Which documents were approved?
Three documents were approved at the Summit:
News on the Lisbon Summit
news and views on the last EU-Africa Summit.
Read a summary of events:
- Joint EU-Africa Strategy adopted at Summit (9 December 2007)
- Summit ends with disputes on trade and human rights (9 December 2007)
- African and European intellectuals raise questions about Lisbon summit (5 December 2007)
- Mugabe on the agenda of the Lisbon Summit? (5 December 2007)
- Zimbabwe has confirmed attendance at summit (28 November 2007)
See also information on the Summit by:
When and where was the Lisbon Summit?
The summit has taken place on 8-9 December, 2007, at Feira Internacional de Lisboa, located at Parque das Nações, in Lisbon, Portugal. (See Portuguese EU presidency calendar.)
What was on the agenda?
The programme of the Summit is still available on the Portuguese Presidency website. Issues that have been discussed have included those in the new partnerships as described in the Action Plan, such as: Peace and security; Governance and human rights; Migration; Energy and climate change; MDGs; Trade, infrastructures and development.
In the Lisbon Declaration African and European leaders declared that they “are determined to give the new strategic partnership the necessary means and instruments that will enable it to fulfil the Joint Strategy and the Action Plan, and to do so we have created a comprehensive and effective follow-up mechanism that can deliver on these goals and show us the results on the occasion of the Third Summit that shall be held in 2010″.
They also stated that they are “resolved to build a new strategic political partnership for the future, overcoming the traditional donor-recipient relationship and building on common values and goals in our pursuit of peace and stability, democracy and rule of law, progress and development.”
Three documents were approved at the Summit:
Who was attending?
The summit comprised of Heads of States and governments of EU and African countries. According to the website of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU the participants have been the following:
- 52 Member-States of the African Union
- Kingdom of Morocco
- African Commission
- 27 Member States of the European Union
- European Commission
- General-Secretariat of the Council of the EU
Whether Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe, should attend has been a controversial issue and has caused a lot of debate. In the end, he has joined the other African leaders in Lisbon. Read a summary of:
- current state of debate (28 November 2007)
- earlier views on the issue (8 November 2007)
Which side events have taken place?
Several events were planned in Lisbon before and during the summit, of which most intended to submit declarations to the heads of state and governments.
- 4-7/12: Africa-Europe Youth Summit (Lisbon) – has submitted a final declaration to the EU-Africa Summit. Over 200 youth representatives from Africa and Europe + 20 representing the African diaspora living in Europe are expected to attend the meeting.
Concept note – pdf. - 6/7:’Linking Human Rights and Development – A strategy for Africa’ (Amnesty International; Lisbon)
Programme – pdf - 6-7/12: 9th EU NGO Forum on Human Rights (EU Presidency and the Commission; Lisbon)
- 6-7/12: ‘Space for Development: the case of GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and Africa’ (Organised under the auspices of the Portuguese presidency; Lisbon). The meeting has produced an Action Plan: ‘GMES Africa and the development or regional Earth Observation capabilities’.
Programme. - 7/12: EP/PAP interparliamentay meeting (Lisbon) – presented joint declaration on the strategy at the summit.
Joint declaration. - 7/12: Delegation of European and African Mayors meeting with EC president Barrosso. (Council of European Municipalities and Regions; Lisbon)
- 7-8/12: EU-Africa Business Summit (Lisbon)
Programme.
Joint statement. - 7-9/12: Alternative Summit ‘Afrique-Europe alternatives’ (organised by Portuguese CSOs; Lisbon). The event included debates, workshops, conferences, cultural events, street actions etc.
Prior events to the Lisbon Summit
- 26-27/10: Europe-Africa Trade Union Summit (Lisbon).
Declaration – EN ; FR ; PT - 15-17/11: Europe-Africa civil society forum (Portuguese NGDO platform; Lisbon)
Declaration – pdf
