Program

As the global landscape continues to evolve, multilateral cooperation faces increasing challenges. This session examines African and European perspectives on the current state and future of multilateral collaboration, as well as Africa’s role in it. Can we reimagine a multilateral system that is more inclusive, representative, and effective?

Speakers: Steven Collet (deputy Director-General for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Murithi Mutiga (Program Director, Africa of International Crisis Group), Noor Cornelissen (moderator)

As global power dynamics evolve and some donors retreat, health diplomacy is playing an increasingly vital role in strengthening collaboration between Africa and Europe. This session examines how resilient health systems, equitable partnerships, and collaborative preparedness efforts can enhance collective health security. Drawing on lessons from Uganda’s adaptable surveillance systems, the Netherlands’ recognition that international health directly impacts domestic well-being, and the understanding that defense alone cannot ensure safety, the discussion will emphasize the interdependence of diplomacy, development, and security in global health. 

In a rapidly shifting, multipolar world, local civil society is the backbone of inclusive progress. This panel session brings together frontline LGBTIQ+ voices from Africa with Dutch policymakers and COC Nederland to highlight what’s at stake as the Netherlands implements budget cuts to its civil society grants framework. Through real-world examples from the Power of Pride programme, we will highlight how continued Dutch support enables lasting change for communities that need it most, and outline what policymakers, donors, and civil society can do to ensure that human rights remain central to Dutch engagement worldwide.

Attend a LIVE podcast recording and ask your questions to Mpanzu Bamenga! Jos Hummelen (The Africast) will talk with him about his personal book “Dromen van mijn zus” (“Dreams of My Sister”) — a conversation on hope, equality, and the future of international cooperation.

Please note: the main guest of this session has changed. Unfortunately, Jan Pronk will not be present this year. The conversation with him will still take place and can be listened to later via this link.

As the world's largest youth continent, Africa’s future is shaped by the ambitions, creativity, and leadership of its young population. At the same time, Europe remains an important political and economic partner, but one with a complex historical legacy. This raises essential questions: What does equal cooperation look like in practice? What space is there for African youth priorities? And how can Europe support without overshadowing?

We are part of the Erasmus+ EU–Africa Youth Think Tank of Foundation Max van der Stoel. Over the past two months, we have worked on a dilemma posed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which asks how the relationship between the EU and Africa can evolve into one that truly benefits both sides, especially young people.

Instead of focusing only on current obstacles, we want to imagine possibilities. We explore what the future of Africa–Europe relations could look like if youth interests and perspectives were put at the center. 

During our Africaday session, existing initiatives like the Youth at Heart Strategy will be discussed through interactive case study sessions, where the audience can engage with us in a dialogue about EU/Africa youth participation. 

We invite the audience to challenge assumptions, test their knowledge, and co-create ideas for a future in which African youth and European partners build a relationship that is not only fair, but also forward-looking.

As global power shifts accelerate, Africa and Europe stand at a crossroads in redefining their role in an increasingly multipolar world. Yet, perceptions of the European Union’s normative stance, coupled with the persistence of extractive dynamics in certain economic and political engagements, continue to complicate efforts to establish a genuinely balanced partnership. At the same time, both continents have articulated strong commitments to revitalizing multilateralism as a means of addressing shared global challenges — ranging from climate change and economic volatility to pressing security concerns across both regions. With the upcoming EU–AU summit in Angola, the central question emerges: how can both continents move beyond inherited asymmetries to construct a partnership anchored in mutual trust, shared responsibility, and a commitment to sustainable development?

The global shift to reduce carbon emissions and change to renewable energy is driving a rapidly growing demand for critical minerals like cobalt, copper, and lithium. Many of these are excavated in African countries. Good news? Join our inspiring and knowledgeable panellists to explore who benefits from the scramble for critical minerals in African countries. We will explore different levels of benefits and costs, from local to global. Linking the small-scale and artisanal mining sector in Zambia to research on the social impact of critical minerals mining and the policies and practices needed for a responsible energy transition, the just transition requires action on all levels.

At a time when climate change is hitting North Africa hard - from droughts in Morocco to rising sea levels in Egypt - a new generation is taking the lead. Through creative online campaigns and networks, youth are bringing climate issues to the forefront. This session examines how the digital generation is advocating for climate justice and how their actions are shaping not only local policies but also the international agenda.

During this interactive workshop, Daniel Grmazion (Modern AfriQa) and Max Koffi (Equal Trade Alliance) will take you on a journey through the complex world of the cocoa chain. The Netherlands is the largest importer of Ghanaian cocoa beans, but how future-proof is this trade? Together, we will explore how new ecosystems can contribute to greater equality, fair distribution and sustainable cooperation between Africa and Europe. An inspiring session in which thinking and doing come together and real impact is made.

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.

The focus of this session, organized by WECF, is on amplifying African ecofeminist voices and exploring how grassroots solutions led by women and girls shift the discourse from dependency and aid toward agency, equality, and tangible community impact through movement-building, the redistribution of funding, and strengthening solidarity.

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.

In this live podcast recording of The Africast, we explore the future of agriculture and food security between Africa and Europe with Ellen Mangnus (Wageningen University) and Maureen Duru (The Food Bridge). How does a changing global power structure impact trade, sustainable development, and fair value chains? What lessons can we learn from existing collaborations, and which new ecosystems are needed for a just and sustainable agrifood relationship?

How should the economy of the future look? And how do they reflect international economic relationships? In this session, the Erasmus+ EU-Africa Youth Think Tank invites you to join an interactive game where the audience will be at play! Together with the Youth Think Tank and fellow participants, you will design the principles and policies of the future economy. Join us, in creating a shared space for ambitious, out-of-the-box and fresh ideas that challenge our current paradigms and rethink what our economic system should look like.

During this Africa Vision Debate with Political Parties on the main stage, we reflect on 30 years of Afrikadag and look ahead: how can the relationship between the Netherlands and Africa be best shaped over the next thirty years? In a changing geopolitical world order, they discuss priorities and opportunities for cooperation, and what this requires from Dutch politics and the Dutch Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation agenda.

How can African mine workers influence European regulations on sustainable raw materials? Are these rules a blessing or just a paper reality? During this interactive session, we dive into the realities of mining in South Africa. Working conditions for miners are extremely harsh, dangerous, and unhealthy. Every year, dozens of workers lose their lives in accidents. Many suffer from health issues such as silicosis. We will discuss whether the new European sustainability rules can truly bring improvements, and what is needed to achieve this. You will hear stories from miners and local communities, and we will engage in conversation with experts, politicians, and business representatives.

Despite its formal commitment to multilateralism and to the Global Compact for Migration (which, however, is not binding and has not been ratified by all EU member states), the European Union and its member states consistently pursue cooperation on migration at the minilateral or bilateral level, often through non-legally binding agreements with the countries of origin and transit. The informality and flexibility of these agreements, their temporary nature, the conditionality they entail, and the increasingly securitarian approach – mostly aimed at limiting mobility – not only undermine the certainty of long-term commitments, but overlook the interests of the countries of origin, which are consistently in a position of inferiority. Finally, such cooperation operates outside the UN framework. This further contributes to the weakening of multilateralism and multilateral institutions, making migration governance increasingly fragile. What should the European Union, the African regional organisation, and states do to prevent the decline of multilateral cooperation in the field of migration?

More information coming soon!