Afrikadag 2025

Naarmate het mondiale landschap zich verder ontwikkelt, staat multilaterale samenwerking voor steeds grotere uitdagingen. In deze sessie worden Afrikaanse en Europese perspectieven op de huidige stand van zaken en de toekomst van multilaterale samenwerking onderzocht, evenals de rol van Afrika daarin. Kunnen we een multilateraal systeem bedenken dat inclusiever, representatiever en effectiever is?

Sprekers: Steven Collet (plaatsvervangend Directeur-General Internationale Samenwerking ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken), Murithi Mutiga (Programmadirecteur Afrika International Crisis Group), Noor Cornelissen (moderator)

It is an understatement to say that the space for civil society is shrinking worldwide. Every year, the world map turns a little redder in the overviews of organisations such as Freedom House and Civicus, which monitor civil society space. This year, the Advisory Council on International Affairs published a report with the telling title “Shrinking civil society space: freedom and security under pressure”. This does not only concern countries in the global south. Fundamental freedoms are also under pressure in Europe and North America. Civicus now also describes the situation in the Netherlands as “narrowed” and points to the restriction of the right to demonstrate and the Transparency of Civil Society Organisations Act (WTMO) as problematic, among other things.

This session will focus on what it means in concrete terms for organisations and their employees on the African continent when space “shrinks”. But also how we could reclaim this space.

In de Africast live , de Nederlandse podcast over geschiedenis, geopolitiek en ondernemen in Afrika, gaan Jos Hummelen en Joeri Nortier in gesprek met Jan Pronk, voormalig minister voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking en VN-speciale gezant, over de actuele uitdagingen in de Hoorn van Afrika.

The current global context is marked by increasing complexity, unpredictability, and volatility. Geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, and overlapping global crises have exposed the vulnerabilities of existing development finance frameworks. These challenges underscore the urgent need to forge new, strategic partnerships for development financing, including through cooperation between African countries and the European Union.

This side event explored how to ensure that Global Gateway and similar strategies meet the full scope of their ambition, with a specific focus on perspectives and priorities from African countries.

The world order is changing. As power shifts away from a handful of global actors, Africa is emerging as a significant player with growing economic weight, a young and dynamic population, and a growing ambition to shape the international rules of the game.

Global health security is at the heart of this transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the inseparable nature of health, diplomacy, security, and justice. At the same time, it revealed the risks of dependency and unequal partnerships. For Africa, achieving real agency in global health means moving beyond the role of recipient and securing ownership over the systems that protect its people.

This session highlights how health diplomacy can serve as a powerful lever for Africa to claim its place in shaping the global health agenda. From negotiations on the pandemic accord to the push for pharmaceutical sovereignty, African governments, institutions, and communities are at the forefront.

Session Focus

We will examine the role of health diplomacy in enhancing global health security, particularly at a time when geopolitical shifts are transforming international cooperation. Together we ask:

• How can health serve as a driver of stronger, fairer partnerships between Africa and Europe, especially as other donors withdraw from the field?
• What does African ownership in health diplomacy look like in practice—regionally and globally?
• How can global health security be advanced in ways that ensure equity, resilience, and justice?

Meer informatie volgt snel!