Paris Conference on Africa, Macron: "Summit of emergency and ambition"

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May 18, 2021 "This is the summit of emergency and ambition". French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside the Director General of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, and the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, said this, kicking off the Paris summit on African economies.   

"It is the summit of the emergency - explained the French president - for the health emergency: Africa is one of the least vaccinated continents in the world; but also for the economic and social emergency: today there is a very strong slowdown of growth in Africa after an extremely difficult 2020. It has been calculated that there is a need for funding from now until 2025 of 285 billion dollars ".

But - Macron added - "it is also the pinnacle of ambition, because Africa has everything to succeed. It has the youth, the productive strength and the ability to meet challenges such as climate and food in particular. If we collectively decide to do so. to lay a first stone, and this is what we want to do at this summit, not everything will be solved today but we will turn the page ".

Macron then insisted on the Covid emergency: "We have to vaccinate more, more and more. The goal is to vaccinate 40% of the population in Africa, and it is an achievable goal in 2021 if we collectively buy more doses and if we produce together with the 'Africa".

The summit, attended by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, was organized by President Macron following the April 2020 appeal, signed by 18 European and African leaders, on the financial impact of the health crisis in Africa. The Conference, which takes place at the Grand Palais Ephémère in hybrid format, is attended by the main heads of state and government from Africa and Western countries, as well as the leaders of the UN, EU and international financial institutions.    

"We must support Africa in building its own industries and health infrastructure. Team Europe will launch an initiative to help boost vaccine production in Africa, to allow countries to produce vaccines themselves." This was reported by the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen in a tweet, attending the Summit on African countries in Paris