On 18 December 2018, at the invitation of the Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, and the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, the High-Level Forum Africa-Europe was held in Vienna to discuss “Taking cooperation to the digital age”. More than fifty official delegations from member states of the African Union and the European Union took part in the Forum along with almost a thousand innovators and start‑ups from Africa and Europe, as well as established companies. The High-Level Forum Africa-Europe provided a space for European and African heads of state or government, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Parliament, representatives of international organisations, CEOs of major global companies, innovation champions, start-ups and other stakeholders to reflect and act on what needs to be done to secure prosperity and competitiveness on both continents as well as to deepen the relationship in all its aspects with a specific focus on taking cooperation to the digital age. The Forum underlined the critical need to step up European private‑sector investments in Africa and highlighted the changes to the policy and legal framework that are needed for that to happen. It emphasised the need for de‑risking and blending in order to leverage resources as well as the need to focus on sectors that have the potential for high job growth in Africa in order to harness its youth dividend. The High-Level Forum Africa-Europe aimed at contributing to the ongoing implementation of the joint declaration of the 2017 Abidjan Summit between the African Union and the European Union that was entitled “Investing in Youth for Accelerated Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development”. The Forum focused on unlocking the potential of the digital economy for Africa and Europe to create jobs, skills and economic development for the youth.
Source: eu2018.at
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