The EU has long positioned itself as a global leader in development cooperation, underpinned by commitments to poverty reduction, sustainable development, multilateralism and international partnerships. Today, however, development cooperation operates in a rapidly changing environment characterised by fiscal pressure, geopolitical competition and growing expectations that it should also contribute to Europe's economic, security and foreign policy objectives.

This evolution is reflected in the proposed Global Europe Instrument, which places increasing emphasis on mutually beneficial partnerships and aligning development cooperation with broader European strategic interests. While this approach creates new opportunities for cooperation, it also raises important questions about implementation, priority-setting and the trade-offs that emerge in practice.

Bringing together senior representatives from EU institutions, Member States, partner countries, civil society, the private sector and the research community, the event will focus on two central questions:

• How can the Global Europe Instrument balance development, economic and geopolitical objectives in practice?
• How can the EU ensure that longstanding development priorities—including engagement in fragile and conflict-affected contexts and gender equality—are not crowded out as development cooperation increasingly responds to broader strategic objectives?
   

Agenda

8h30 - 9h00 | Registration and Coffee ​

9h00 - 9h10 | Welcome

9h10 - 9h40 | Opening Remarks ​

• ​Ruth Parkin, Director, EU Unit, Development Cooperation & Africa Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland
• Gamal Eltaib Ibrahim, Chief, Macroeconomic Analysis, Institutions and Economic Governance, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• Prof. Dr. Rainer Thiele, Kiel Institute for the World Economy

9h40 - 10h50 | Panel 1

Panel 1: Mutual interests in practice: How should Global Europe balance development, economic and geopolitical objectives?

This panel explores how EU development cooperation can contribute to both partner-country development objectives and European strategic interests and what tensions or trade-offs emerge in practice. What does a genuine mutual-interest approach look like in practice, and where do tensions arise?

​Speakers:

• ​H.E. Dr Naomi A. Ngwira, Ambassador of Malawi
• Vitalice Meja, Executive Director, Reality of Aid Africa
• Christophe Lam, Adviser International Relations, BusinessEurope
• William Roos, Managing Director, Corporate Strategy and Strategic International Affairs, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)​​​​​​​
• Martin Seychell, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), European Commission 

​Moderator: San Bilal, ECDPM ​

10h50 - 11h20 | Coffee break ​

11h20 - 12h40 | Panel 2

Panel 2: Preventing strategic blind spots: Sustaining engagement in fragile contexts and long-term development priorities 

As EU development cooperation becomes increasingly connected to geopolitical, economic and security objectives, what does this mean for fragile contexts, inequality, resilience, gender equality and other long-term development priorities? How can the EU ensure sustained engagement where needs are greatest?

Speakers:

• Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director, FEMNET​​​​​​​
• Sonya Reines-Djivanides, Executive Director, European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)​​​​​​​
• H.E. Dr Khadija Ossoble Ali, Ambassador of Somalia
• Julia Koch- de Biolley, Head of Task Force for Equality, European External Action Service (EEAS)

Moderator: Sophie Desmidt, ECDPM

12:40-12:45 Closing ​(Oxfam)