Renewpac Annual Summit: Liberals commit to strong agenda to foster sustainable development

The general assembly of the RENEWPAC Summit, taking place in Dakar, Senegal on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 adopted a Manifesto representing the collective voice of liberals and democrats from the Renew Europe political family together with our sister parties from Pacific, Africa and Caribbean, tackling democracy and the rule of law, peace and security, human rights, good governance, trade and investments, SMEs, environment and climate, energy, education, health and migration.

The work of the Summit was opened by Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal together with Renew Europe MEP Nicola Beer, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Hakima El Haite, President of Liberal International and Gilbert Noël Ouédraogo, President of the African Liberal Network.

The approved text is a strong commitment to fortify democratic institutions, foster political accountability, and safeguard individual liberties. The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament, who took the initiative to organise the RENEWPAC Summit, believes that the partnership between Europe and Africa should act as a catalyst for sustainable development, ensuring that economic prosperity is accessible to all.

Renew Europe MEP, Jan-Christoph Oetjen (FDP, Germany), EU co-President of RENEWPAC, said:

“As a liberal and democrat I am proud of what our political family achieved during our RENEWPAC Summit in Dakar. Our common vision, which champions the core values that have bound us throughout history and will continue to light our path towards a brighter, prosperous and more equitable future for people on both continents. Fostering sustainable development is key for EU-Africa relations and today our political family made a strong commitment to make it happen.”

Mohamed Ouzzine, Member of the Moroccan Parliament and Africa co-President of RENEWPAC, added:

“Throughout history, nations grappling with economic challenges and fragile democracies have borne the impact of coups d'état. These upheavals impact both security, exemplified by the emergence of jihadism, and socio-economic aspects, revealing leadership shortcomings in meeting citizens' expectations. The African continent experiences a domino effect as similar patterns repeat in various power transitions.”