Foreign Affairs Council (Development), 19 November 2021 - Main contents
Main results
EU development ministers were updated on the EU response to the latest developments in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Sudan and discussed the implications the political situation has on EU development assistance.
Then ministers had an informal exchange of views with the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power.
Our combined global leadership is certainly much needed, today more than ever, to face the challenges of development in the world. We agreed to work together to end the COVID-19 pandemic everywhere and for everyone. It is clear that we need to build on the Global COVID-19 Summit to ensure that we meet our joint objective of a 70 % global vaccination rate by the United Nations General Assembly next year.
Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
During the informal exchange with USAID Administrator Power, EU ministers addressed the growing immunization gap between developed and developing countries.
Member states supported the idea to have Dr. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou,representative of the EU in COVAX and co-chair of the COVAX Facility Shareholders Council, as the focal person to strengthen coordination among EU member states and accelerate efforts, especially in Africa.
Building on the joint commitment to address the climate crisis through infrastructure development that the EU and US confirmed at the 15 June summit, EU development ministers and USAID Administrator Power discussed the need to identify concrete projects for closer cooperation.
The Council then discussed the challenges and opportunities related to water management. The focus of the discussion was on Central Asia, where water scarcity is a geopolitical challenge, and the source of instability and migratory pressures.
As a threat multiplier, water must be part of EU's foreign policy. The EU will act united and in partnership with the regions heavily affected by climate change, such as Central Asia, to address the interconnection between water management, energy and climate change.
The Council also discussed the proposed Team Europe Initiative on water, energy and climate in Central Asia, ahead of the 17th EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting scheduled to take place in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in June 2022.
Council conclusions
The Council approved conclusions on:
Meeting information
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-Meeting n°3828
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-Brussels
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-19 November 2021
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-09:00
Preparatory documents
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