The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Africa Division jointly with the Global Governance Centre hosted a keynote conference on "What future for African multilateralism?" including a talk by Jean-Marie Ehouzou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Benin and former Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
A new narrative of ‘Africa rising’ has taken a foothold in media and politics in the past years. African regional organisations and multilateralism are at the forefront of this endeavour. The question of Africa’s political institutions is also driving a new pragmatic and optimistic vision for Africa at the Geneva Graduate Institute.
In partnership with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, we celebrated Africa Day on 25 May 2022 with a keynote event on the future of African multilateralism. The keynote speaker, Jean-Marie Ehouzou, looks back at a rich career in diplomacy and multilateral organisations, including as Foreign Minister of Benin and Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
In an exchange with students from the Geneva Graduate Institute, who asked a series of very thoughtful questions, Minister Ehouzou agreed with the urgent need to reinstate popular support for multilateralism in Africa, especially by using multilateral institutions to provide economic and social opportunity to Africa’s youth. Proudly rooting this engagement in Africa’s arts and culture can help find common ground. Ultimately, a bright future for African multilateralism is only possible with broad support among major African powers: Jean-Marie Ehouzou made an urgent “appeal to the continent's current driving forces to put aside their differences in order to be at the forefront of regional initiatives in Africa's interest.”