Overcoming Fragility in Africa: Forging a New European Approach (Advanced copy)
Policy-making requires accurate, deep and timely knowledge of any situation. And development is no exception. In Europe, there is a wealth of universities and research institutes which think about development issues and produce enlightened analytical work. However, its full potential has yet to be unleashed for numerous reasons, including fragmentation of efforts, a lack of resources and a relative disconnection from the policy- making sphere.
The “Mobilizing European research for development policies” initiative is meant to remedy this situation. Currently supported by the European Commission and six Member States (Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom), this joint initiative seeks to enhance the European perspective, its vision, on some of the most pressing development issues of our time, on the basis of knowledge excellence, innovation and the building of common ground between the European research community and policy-makers.
This European Report on Development (ERD), to be published on a yearly basis, is the main outcome of this initiative. It is an independent, knowledge-based and forwardlooking review of development issues reflecting the European vision. This Report will help the European Union to refine its vision on development, enrich its policies and influence the international debate to have an impact. It will also complement other flagship reports on development, in an attempt to reflect the diversity of views that may co-exist on various issues and—where relevant—the specific European approaches, based both on Europe's political and social values and its own history and experience. Indeed, we are convinced that there should not be any monopoly of thinking in a field as complex and rich as development policy.
This year's first edition, elaborated under the lead of the European University Institute (EUI) based in Florence, deals with the complex and multidimensional issue of “fragility”, with a specific focus on Sub Saharan Africa, where most fragile countries are located. This has been described as the “toughest development challenge of our era”. Dealing with situations of fragility is, rightly, a growing concern both for Europe and for the entire international community. It is an increasingly important priority in European development policies. It is also a key challenge for European security strategy.
