Security needs inclusivity

As we face the challenges of the 21st century‚ there is more that unites Africa and Europe than divides us. We share a common history of thousands of years. Today more than ever‚ we need to work together to build our common future and to work jointly on the defining global issues of our age.

We have a shared view of the benefits of cooperation on our continents. Europe’s journey from the devastation of 1945 to a union of more than half a billion citizens based on shared values, designed to create peace and prosperity‚ is well-known.

So too is Africa’s liberation from colonial rule to independence and greater integration through the creation of the African Union (AU).

Our journeys towards integration are far from over. But by working together we can help each other, by forging stronger ties‚ learning the lessons from each other’s experiences and building sustainable growth that will benefit our citizens. Our two institutions‚ the African Union Commission and the European Commission‚ work together to help drive this process forward.

Sustainable and inclusive growth and development for both Africa and Europe must benefit us all. This was well-recognised by the leaders of the two continents at the last European Union (EU)-Africa Summit‚ when they put human development at the heart of our cooperation.

Africa’s population is growing fast. By 2035‚ the number of young African men and women entering the job market will exceed that of the rest of the world.

The full and equal participation of women is essential. As the AU’s Agenda 2063 recognises‚ no society can reach its full potential unless it empowers women and removes all obstacles to women’s full participation in all areas of human endeavour.

To fully benefit from the demographic dividend‚ Africa needs to implement the policies spelt out in Agenda 2063 and these need to be implemented fast.

We know sustainable development can only occur in stable and secure societies. We know‚ too‚ that security will be undermined if equal access to the benefits of sustainable development is not assured. This is becoming even more evident in times when terrorist groups are targeting disenchanted and often unemployed youth groups to spread violent sectarian ideologies to destroy the pluralism of our societies.

We must guarantee that all citizens‚ particularly the youth‚ can find a place in society and are empowered to reach their potential.

Security cannot exist without justice‚ democracy‚ the rule of law‚ good governance and respect for the human rights of all individuals and communities. This is the African Year of Human Rights‚ with particular focus on the rights of women. The EU has also designated this year as a year of human rights activism and global campaigning.

This is an opportunity to team up and strengthen our work together in support of the African governance architecture‚ as well as in support of universally agreed human rights. Africa can be proud of having one of the strongest human rights frameworks in the world; by the end of this year‚ we should ensure that all our member states have ratified all human rights treaties.

The African peace and security architecture is designed to enable the continent to manage its own peace and security. This is in our common interest‚ and the EU is ready to continue supporting this goal. The work that has been done in countries such as Somalia‚ the Central African Republic and Mali bears testimony to this.

The African Peace Facility has pioneered a shared EU-Africa commitment by giving Africa the means to develop and use its own capacity to carry out essential mediation work‚ to prevent conflicts and to secure peace.

In light of the connectivity of global threats and major regional crises‚ a strong and resilient AU is essential.

Today’s migration crisis‚ partly rooted in violent conflicts‚ also makes a compelling case for closer cooperation. Europe is confronted by an unprecedented flow of refugees and asylum seekers. In Africa‚ too‚ people are on the move – from villages to cities‚ to neighbouring countries‚ and sometimes towards Europe.

Those moves are mainly motivated by fear and hope. Fear of conflict and poverty‚ hope for peace‚ security and opportunities. We must tackle both the fears and the hopes. If we want to ensure integration‚ we must manage human mobility.

Our two commissions will continue to work together on migration and mobility.

We will work together to attend to the root causes of illegal migration‚ support mobility and labour migration‚ reduce the cost of sending remittances home‚ strengthen international protection‚ facilitate return and combat human trafficking.

There is optimism about Africa’s future‚ and rightly so.

For more than a decade‚ Africa has enjoyed sustained economic growth. Africa is an increasingly attractive place to do business. Trade with the EU has increased by 50% since 2007. Around 40% of Africa’s exports are made up of processed products‚ with a consistent trade surplus in Africa’s favour. The EU remains Africa’s main trading partner.

Investments by European companies and their subsidiaries in Africa total more than à200-billion annually‚ which makes the EU Africa’s leading investment partner.

Trade and investment relations between Africa and the EU can be improved further through closer co-operation‚ co-ordination of policies and the conclusion of World Trade Organisation negotiations. Europe also remains Africa’s main development partner‚ with more than à20-billion worth of official development assistance per year.

But continued growth cannot be taken for granted. The decreasing price of oil and other commodities as well as reduced demand from China and other emerging economies will have negative effects.

The continent’s reliance on raw material exports makes it vulnerable to downturns in demand in overseas markets‚ hence there is the need for value-addition to exports through industrialisation.

Our two commissions are working together to promote industrialisation and diversification and to increase the value added. We are working together to promote investments in African infrastructure‚ facilitate technology transfer and intensify joint research and development.

Last, but not least‚ we are working together to boost agriculture to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth. This is the reason why creating a continental free-trade area that promotes free and fair trade is so important.

Our unions‚ our two continents‚ face common challenges. From climate change‚ migration and ensuring sustainable economic growth to the fight against terrorism and violent extremism; these are challenges we have to face together.

We know well that we are stronger when we are working together. We are starting preparations for the fifth EU-Africa Summit to be held in Africa next year with these objectives well in mind.

Juncker is president of the European Commission and Dlamini-Zuma is chairwoman of the African Union Commission