How to Establish a
True Partnership
between Africa and Germany?
A Contribution to our Common Future
A Common Paper by the Scholarship-Holders
of the exchange program “Go Africa… Go Germany...”,
realized by the Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb, following
an initiative of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany
2008/09
A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
We, the participants of the second German-African exchange program “Go Africa… Go Germany 2008/09” 1 from Germany and Eastern Africa are proud to hereby present the following essay as a major result of our collaborative work.
Marvin Ayebale (Uganda),
Julian Bergmann (Germany),
Linda Bore (Kenya),
Lukas M. Egetemayer (Germany),
Selam Legesse Eshete (Ethiopia),
Antonia Fleischmann (Germany),
Mwenda Patrick Gatobu (Kenya),
Anne Hattwich (Germany),
Vanessa Holzer (Germany),
Alia Jakoby (Germany),
Mathias Kamp (Germany), Ophilia
K. Karumuna (Tanzania),
Nina Katungi (Uganda),
Dennis Kumetat (Germany),
David Mathias Lyamuya (Tanzania),
Anne Metscher (Germany),
Bernard Rolex Ngosiane (Kenya),
Fancy Nkuhi (Tanzania),
Abonyo Victor Oteku (Kenya),
Okello Eugene Pacelli (Uganda),
Linn Rekittke (Germany),
Lisa Kristina Stahl (Germany),
Ilka Ritter (Germany),
John Bosco Ruzibiza (Rwanda)
Coordinator: Miriam Shabafrouz, social scientist; “Go Africa… Go Germany 2007” scholarship-holder
1
The program was conceptualised and organised by the Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb on
st
th,
the initiative of the Federal President and took place from August 31 to September 16 2008 in
st
th,
Germany, and from February 21 to March 11 2009 in Tanzania and Uganda. It was designed to
bridge the knowledge gap between African reality and German perception and German reality and
African perceptions and, by bringing together the younger generation of academics in a meeting of the
cultures, encouraging an interdisciplinary exchange and deepening of knowledge. One of the major
aims of the program was to acquire a creative human basis for future German-African academics but
also between established experts in the fields of economics, politics and law, as well as between
politicians. The program was aimed mainly at students and young graduates aged up to 28 in the
subject areas political science, international relations, economics and law.
2
How to Establish a True Partnership
between Africa and Germany?
A Common Paper by the Scholarship-Holders of the exchange program “Go
Africa… Go Germany...”, realized by the Federal Agency for Civic Education
/bpb, following an initiative of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany
1. Introduction............................................................................................................ 2
2. Previous Approaches to Promote Development in Africa and to Build a Base for
Partnership ............................................................................................................ 5
3. Political, Economic, Socio-cultural and Environmental Interests of Germany and
African Countries ................................................................................................... 9
4. The International Context: Contradictory Interests and Strategies of Global
players and Institutions ........................................................................................ 16
5. The Political Dimension of a Partnership between Africa and Germany.............. 21
6. The Economic Dimension of a Partnership between Africa and Germany .......... 26
7. The Environmental Dimension of the Partnership between Africa and Germany 30
8. Summary & Outlook: Steps Towards a Partnership............................................. 39
A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
1. Introduction
The initiative of a “Partnership with Africa” was launched by the German Federal President
Horst Köhler in 2005 to enhance the dialogue and encourage a genuine partnership between
Africa and Germany. One element of this initiative is the exchange program “Go Africa… Go
Germany”, which was conceptualized and implemented by the Federal Agency for Civic
Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb). The program, held for the second
time in 2008/2009, brings together students and young academics from Germany and several African countries. It aims at promoting a deeper understanding of the German and African realities and at the construction of a network of young talented people motivated to contribute to the build-up of a long-lasting partnership. The paper at hand is the result of our
common work on a range of issues that affect the German-African partnership. It deals with
the question “How to establish a true partnership between Africa and Germany?”. As
the participants of the “Go Africa…Go Germany 2008/09” program, we are committed to contributing to the construction of this partnership. This paper will analyze how African states
and Germany can realize this dream of a partnership, asses the problems that might arise
and propose ways in which problems can be overcome.
We define partnership as a genuine relationship between two or more countries working together to achieve common goals which we will attempt to sketch in this paper. Several conditions, of course, have to be met if we are to establish a sound relationship. Firstly, a partnership can only be founded when all actors are equally convinced and willing to enter such
a commitment. It would thus require an initiative from both sides and the willingness to
accomplish undertakings discussed in the context of the partnership. Both in Germany and
Africa, a number of actors are already in close contact for the formation of this partnership,
such as the initiative led by the Federal president, Horst Köhler, and his African counterparts
who come together in regular meetings. However, for this initiative to become truly relevant,
a broad-based initiative is needed. We therefore support a multi-level approach, combining
activities on the political (macro-) level, with the cooperation of economic actors and civilsociety organizations (meso-level) and initiatives from individuals (micro-level) creating new
platforms of communication and common action.
Secondly, one key notion of our understanding of partnership is equality. We are convinced
that both partners have to be on an equal footing. Of course, there are several obstacles to
equality which will be explored later in this paper but the partners should meet on a levelplaying field, where differences are not seen as obstacles but as challenges and chances to
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
develop a strong partnership as a means of mutual enrichment. Retaining individual identities
will allow the partners to play their own appropriate role in it. Thirdly, in order to realise the
partnership, trust and honesty are needed, as well as a sufficient degree of mutual understanding. This requires transparency in the dialogue processes and knowledge about the
partners. Therefore, good communication between the partners in forums of exchange and
on regular meetings is indispensable. One of our propositions is therefore to sustain programs such as the “Go Africa... Go Germany” program and the Young Leaders Initiative and
to build new institutions for exchange between young people shaping the future on both
sides.
The partnership should further be based on common interests. Instead of focusing on
short-term benefits, it is essential to pursue our common long-term objectives. The interests
of both partners have to be considered equally in the partnership and should lead to win-win
situations. The partnership should also be multi-dimensional, as potential benefits lie in
diverse areas of cooperation like education, research, trade etc. It should not be limited to a
few specific objectives and topics, but we recognize that initially, there is a need to choose
areas of special focus. We also acknowledge that from the African perspective, the aspect of
supporting efforts for development will play a central role. However, in this partnership, evelopment policy is only one aspect of the different dimensions we consider. In order to achieve
such a partnership, there should be efforts to integrate actors from civil society, religious institutions, youth organizations etc. This means that ideally, the partnership should not be a
mere top-down project enforced by politicians but should also build on a bottom-up approach in order to make it more inclusive, effective and sustainable.
Beyond this, a partnership needs a stable foundation on common principles. These principles should be clearly stated by both sides together to guarantee that each party fulfils all
obligations that arise out of it. This will need to be managed through a well-designed institutional framework to ensure its proper administration and governance. Close cooperation of
the actors, mutual involvement and accountability will be essential in this context. Finally, the
term “partnership” has to be understood as a process: once established, the partnership has
to develop further and be flexible concerning its scope and content. It will always contain
elements of mutual learning but has to be able to adapt to changing circumstances. The
partnership between Africa and Germany, as understood here, is in its infancy, but it can
build on existing structures and through continuous positive interaction, benefit both parts.
As stated, a common political will is the core of each partnership and in this special case
there is the need to break the myth of a weak Africa. The continent and its countries must
be perceived as sound partners in diplomatic and economic relations, eager to face social
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
and environmental challenges. Several obstacles to this partnership still exist in both political entities which should be overcome. This common search for solutions and particularly
the mutual accountability between the two prospective partners need to be promoted, and in
doing so, the gap between developed and developing countries could be narrowed. In light of
this, it is necessary that Germany acknowledges Africa as an equal partner. The African
countries are, however, faced with a myriad of problems, many of which are of their own
making. They need support in some areas but need to start taking an active role on issues
such as bad leadership, poverty, civil wars, and environmental degradation among other
vices. It should be acknowledged as well, that some of their problems would be easier to
solve if certain structural constraints in the international context would change. An open
partnership will begin when everyone acknowledges their responsibilities first. Germany has
long enjoyed the fruits of globalization and it is high time that Africa equally attains those
benefits.
We deeply appreciate the initiative of Federal President Horst Köhler to create a GermanAfrican partnership and we want to contribute in this undertaking. In this paper, we try to
briefly outline the situation so as to be able to give practical suggestions to the initial question. In part 2, we begin with an outline of previous approaches to partnerships and discuss
the ways in which they have shaped the relations between Africa and Western states. In describing the interests of Germany and African states (part 3) and their position in the international context (part 4) we elaborate the framework, in which the partnership is considered.
We then analyze the economic, political, and environmental dimensions of the partnership
(parts 5 - 7), discussing obstacles that still exist, and making informed suggestions on how
they could be overcome. The main ideas are summarized and a framework for future cooperation is outlined in the conclusion of this paper.
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
2. Previous Approaches to Promote Development in Africa
and to Build a Base for Partnership
The interaction between Western states and Africa has a long history marked by asymmetry.
The preconditions for such a partnership as defined above seemed out of reach for a long
time. The following section gives a brief overview over the last 60 years, from the period of
decolonization, to the Cold War and it’s subsequent end. This paper will highlight the contrast
between the politics throughout these periods. .
2.1. Developments from the end of colonialism until the end of the Cold War
The two decades after World War II brought for most African states an end to their formal
dependency on the colonial powers. However, Ties to their former occupiers remained
strong. The general political climate was dominated by the Cold War, forcing the newly independent countries to take sides in a conflict that was not of their making. First and foremost,
the superpowers intended to export their economic and political directives – be it market or
centrally planned economy – to the newly independent African states who, in return for allegiance (and votes in international organizations), received financial aid and economic, administrative and military support from the Western or the Eastern Bloc. This was a partnership on face-value and was riddled with empty promises.
On the theoretical as well as on the practical front, concepts started to develop in a similar
manner for the most part, as the field of development or simply “aid” was still nascent for
both the Industrialized North as well as the former colonies. As with most learning processes,
development concepts began by mirroring models that had been successful in the past.
These models were therefore more or less direct imitations of (Northern) success models.
Applying Modernization theory, national and international agencies claimed that as in the
case of successful post-war reconstruction of central Europe and Japan, emerging states
needed capital, infrastructure and advanced technology in order to generate growth as well
as a social ‘modernization’ parallel to what had taken place in the Industrialized North. Carrying with it a strongly normative notion that the Northern growth models could be adapted to
the African context, this concept of development was chiefly economical with the hidden assumption that the reasons for lacking economic growth were to be found within the developing countries as endogenous factors. The first development decade, proclaimed by J.F.
Kennedy in 1961, can be seen as an outcome of these ideas. Major investments in large
infrastructure projects in developing countries were funded. With time, according to the the-
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
ory, investment were expected to accumulate gains for societies as a whole (trickle-downeffect), thus stimulating growth on all levels, in order to alleviate poverty and mitigate social
disparity.
However, by the end of the 1960s, it had become evident that the growth-by-industrialisation
concept had brought about nothing but bitter disappointments on all fronts. In developing
countries, wealth had not spread but was increasingly accumulated by the powerful few, the
emerging industries had not been able to absorb the workforce pouring into the rapidly growing cities and export-oriented industries could not cope with their competitors from industrialized countries. These and other features were epitomized in the Pearson-Report of 1969,
stating a failure of the mainly growth-based development model.
As of the late 1960s, an emerging theoretical concept, Dependency Theory, argued strongly
against a modernist approach and identified the world’s economic power structures, especially the trading system as one of the key, exogenous reasons for ongoing slow progress in
the developing countries. This shifted the identification of central problems out of the developing countries, but it did not have a strong impact on bilateral and multilateral development
policies and trade relations. Civil society groups all around the world have, however, made
reference to and use of this approach.
Drawing conclusions from their former experiences, development theory and practice moved
into a different direction in the Second Development Decade 1970-1980. The incoming
president of the World Bank, Robert McNamara, supported this shift towards basic material
(such as food, basic security, etc.) and immaterial needs (such as education and culture).
Building on the idea of a development aid that should predominantly help the poor immediately by circumventing state structures, funding shifted heavily into community-based projects as well as into the strengthening of agricultural structures. The rationale was that
through measures directed at low-income households, poverty should be alleviated and this
would, in turn, reduce urban migration figures.. This framework is commonly referred to as
Basic Needs Strategy.
The changing concept of development stressing the aspect of mutual development partnership also triggered the first common attempts to establish partnerships with individual
African states or the entire continent in the framework of the European Community (EC). In
1975, the EC signed a common trade agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific
States (ACP), known as the Lomé Agreement. Next to mutual acknowledgement of sovereignty and territorial integrity, its key tangible outcomes were one-sided trade-preferences as
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
well as heightened efforts in development aid. Those principles were reconfirmed by the
2000 Cotonou Agreement. However, asymmetries of power and a one-sided, Eurocentric
definition of “partnership” remained major characteristics of those efforts.
A number of changes took place during the Third Development Decade between 1980 and
the end of the Cold War: While a number of Asian and Latin American countries were catching up (in terms of development), no substantial change could be seen in most African countries. On the contrary, the situation had worsened. Western donors severely cut their development budgets and increased their interest rates for loans after the oil crises of the 1970s
and 1980s and many African nations began to struggle with the ever-increasing external
debts. Before long, this led to a reversal of cashflows: more money was transferred from the
African states to the North to service their debts than was being given as development aid
from Western nations. Having targeted tangible development goals like the reduction of child
mortality, hunger and malnutrition, most of them could not be reached under the strained
budgets. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) attempted to fill the financial gap – under
the condition of implementing strict Structural Adjustment programs – Despite this (or because of this), for many, the 1980s stand out as a lost decade for development.
2.2. Development in the 1990s and in the New Millennium
Since the end of the 1980s, the international scene has undergone fundamental changes,
which have had repercussions on the instruments of development aid. With the end of the
Cold War, not only did the bipolar World came to an end but so did the two block’s competition of buying allegiance through development aid. Their financial support dropped considerably. High numbers of refugees and acts of terrorism from the 1990s onwards showed that
the security of the global North could be seriously affected by a lack of development in the
global South. This interdependency and its negative effects on the Northern countries thus
revealed, once again, the urgency of international development policy. Development policy in
the 1990s and in the new millennium was marked by a combination of conceptual elements
of past decades. The question of whether endogenous or exogenous factors were more
likely to cause the lack of economic growth in Africa became less important and both factors
were acknowledged to be contributing to the prevalent situation.
The overall concept of sustainability became the chief paradigm of the 1990s and the new
millennium. Experts alerted that economic growth will become restricted due to the limits of
resources and the ecological systems. However, sustainability is also crucial in relation to
social justice, economic success and political stability. That is why international development
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
policy started to focus on projects that emphasize bottom-up approaches, e.g. women’s empowerment, participation of civil society, etc. Donor countries also began to give priority to
countries that meet certain good governance criteria, such as accountability, democratization, observance of human rights, rule of law and visible efforts against corruption and poverty, but in reality, this was not always the case.
Yet, the idea of mutual partnership became increasingly important in the 1990s – at least on
the rhetorical level. In 1994, for instance, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit – BMZ) changed the term of its activity from development aid to development cooperation. This indicates that development policy is no longer defined in terms of the classical donor-recipient relationship, but stipulates the aim to work together as partners. However,
hierarchies consolidated by history, discourse and economic factors do not disappear by
simply changing the vocabulary.
New hopes were raised in the year 2000 when the UN General Assembly formulated eight
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been planned to be achieved by 2015.
Priorities of the MDGs are sustainable development and poverty reduction. In comparison to
the past decades, these goals are broader, supposedly more tangible and furnished with a
clear time horizon and indicators. One of the goals is to develop a global partnership for development in order to address the special needs of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and
to develop an open, rule-based and non-discriminatory trade and financial market. Yet, these
goals have been criticized for being unrealistic for being scheduled “top-down” and further for
being very much focused on basic needs, leaving out many areas of development such as
culture, education beyond primary school and economic diversification.
A change of perspective was brought about by African leaders. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) set up by the African Union (AU) in 2001 figures as a popular
example for regional cooperation. Originating from the African Renaissance Initiative of
Thabo Mbeki and combined with the ideas of other African presidents like Abdoulaye Wade
and Olusegun Obasanjo, NEPAD principles are anchoring the development of Africa on its
resources and the resourcefulness of its people, forging a new intentional partnership that
aims at changing the unequal relationship between Africa and the industrialized countries.
NEPAD gave fresh impetus to the Pan-African idea and has resulted in large infrastructure
projects as well as in projects related to health, science, agriculture and technology. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) established in 2003 as a facultative part of NEPAD
shows that NEPAD is also a program of political renewal as countries opting for APRM un-
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
dergo a critical assessment of their declared policy by other countries of this initiative. Critics
stress, however, that the main activities of NEPAD lead to the opening up of African markets
to the world, which might increase their vulnerability to external shocks and would therefore
be inadquate to resolve existing problems. Germany provides an annual support of roughly
60 million Euro to the reform projects of the NEPAD initiative within the framework of the G8Africa Action Plan. This emphasis on regional cooperation in current development policy underlines the responsibility and ownership of the developing countries which are both necessary for building a base for a true partnership.
In Germany, the perception of its relationship towards Africa has undergone a fundamental
change, mainly initiated by the former Africa-appointee and current Member of Parliament
Uschi Eid. She brought forward the idea of a partnership in which both parties are on the
same level and committed herself to spread this idea in Germany.
Having said this, the current trend in development policy is to focus on large, structurally integrated programs to alleviate entire regional malaises through a multiplicity of means rather
than on small-scale projects. There is a tendency towards a global development strategy
through improving cooperation between the donor countries. The Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness in 2005 and the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) are examples of this trend although there are several other programs that seek to increase regional cooperation and development.
3. Political, Economic, Socio-cultural and Environmental
Interests of Germany and African Countries
In this section, the interests of the prospective partners are compared and evaluated with
regard to their compatibility to have a realistic view of what is necessary for a mutually beneficial partnership. These interests can be different and sometimes contradictory in the political, economic, socio-cultural and environmental spheres. Interests of states are defined here
as those promoting their development and internal peace. The interests of individuals in
power or influential economic actors are very often differing is not forgotten in this discussion
but are not taken as points of reference.
3.1. Political Interests
Germany and East African states have several converging political interests in a partnership,
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
such as the promotion of peace and security and a reform of the United Nations system.
East African states need a partner who acknowledges that it is pushing for regional integration through the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and other regional bodies. It is therefore
in the interest of African states to promote political partnership through these blocs on the
African side and through the EU on the other side. Nevertheless, African states also pursue
their interests through bilateral relations and therefore, the partnership should simultaneously
be established on state-to-state level (e.g. Tanzania-Germany) or a state-to-region level
(East Africa-Germany) in coherence with the European Union or AU strategies. The recognition of individual countries’ sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs is a core interest to East Africa. It must be accepted, however, that matters such as combating terrorism
and piracy, ensuring peace and stability as well as protecting human rights do not fall exclusively within the domaine reservée of African states. The execution of measures to reduce
the above-mentioned security-risks should, however, be in close cooperation with the affected countries.
It is in the interest of African countries to develop an African model of democracy that takes
into account the particularities of the continent and the local cultures. Since African countries
have different governance approaches and leadership structures, as well as ways of conflict
resolution through traditional justice systems, these should be allowed to take precedence
over foreign ideas of governance where appropriate.
Whether the concept of development cooperation is beneficial for Africa is debatable. A
widespread perception in East Africa is that development aid has left Africa dependant on the
North. However, there is a tendency in Africa to wait for outside help to solve internal problems.
Germany, pursuant to the general values upon which its foreign and development policy are
premised, aims at promoting democracy, good governance, and development in Africa. Apart
from these general considerations, we have identified three main political interests of Germany in a partnership with Africa. Firstly, the protection of human rights is one of the fundamental tenets underlying German foreign and development policy and one of its core interests in Africa. Abiding by this principle, German policy makers should establish the political
parameters to ensure that corporations which are headquartered in Germany respect certain
human rights and environmental standards when operating in Africa.
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
Secondly, Germany has security and stability interests, in a partnership with Africa, which are
based on a broad understanding of security. While none of the African states pose a direct or
immediate security threat to Germany, there are certain indirect security threats which potentially emerge from Africa stemming from spill-over effects of armed conflicts, failed or failing
states, large-scale migratory flows, transnational crime, terrorism etc.
Thirdly, the 50 states in Sub-Saharan Africa play a considerable role within several international forums such as the United Nations General Assembly. In this context, African states
can constitute crucial supporters of German positions and projects, one of its main goals
being the achievement of a permanent seat in the UN-Security Council. A German-African
partnership potentially enhances such co-operation and lead to a broader reform of the UNsystem. It must be noted, however, that Germany and the African countries are often embedded in different groups such as the G8 and the G77, respectively.
3.2. Economic Interests
Germany has previously shown little economic interest in Africa concentrating mainly on the
resources exported from Africa and not its markets. In our view, an increased cooperation
between Africa and Germany in the economic dimension bears potential comparative gains.
For Africa it would be beneficial in the long term to obtain a situation of free and fair trade. It
is of vital importance to establish the political and judicial prerequisites in developing
countries to unleash the virtuous cycle of economic development. As long as there are no
moves in that direction, short term business interests are likely to prevail to the detriment of
the less developed societies. African countries have the chance to compete profitably with
reduced trade tariffs in the world market and free entry of their products. Moreover, East African states have an interest in producing more high value-added goods and in modernizing agriculture in Africa, which should be supported by their partners. Economic Partnership
Agreements (EPA) with the EU have their advantages, but measures have to be taken to
mitigate threats to local industries and state revenue from taxes and tariffs on trade. With a
sense of genuine partnership, existing agreements should be reviewed in the interest of Africa's sustainable development.
Africa is further interested in the development of sustainable infrastructure i.e. building
good roads, modern railway systems and high level communication system in addition to the
modernization of local industries and the improvement of technology. Germany can be a
valuable partner, with many German companies sharing their profound experience and ex-
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
pertise in this sector. More foreign direct investment to generate employment and support for
the decentralization of industries into the rural areas is equally important. This includes the
promotion of small and medium African industries and self-sustaining industries e.g. the Jua
Kali industry in Kenya.
The German economic interests in Africa, have up to now, been marginal relative to the continent’s share of the world population and compared to other regions. Although it developed
dynamically in absolute figures, the share of Germany’s total trading volume with the African
continent remains very low. Trade figures with East Africa are growing in line with the rest of
the continent, but South Africa remains the biggest trading partner by far. The high potential
of a broadening of trade cooperation is evident, so is the interest of Germany to diversify its
trade relations, among others in the energy sector. Africa bears a high potential for the supply of energy resources and this would allow a reduction of the dependence on the Middle
East and Russia.
World trade has come under close scrutiny in public discourse in the past years. In general,
one could argue cynically: Germany’s economic interests, especially in the short term, comprise of investments that reflect the current power relations to the detriment of its African
trading partners. Large corporations generally face weak and corrupt governments of countries with an underdeveloped business sector. Projects that capitalize on this situation will
inevitably yield results that could be considered as unfair by many standards. Current power
relations translate into results, i.e. low market prices for commodities; that is to say that
the German side – and the European side in general – through knowledge, organization and
flexibility has the bargaining power to influence the outcome of negotiations in their favor.
Ignoring the realities would be naïve, but the imbalance can nevertheless be altered, Longterm German economic interests, however, do coincide with economic development in
Africa. Both sides have an interest in a more integrated global trading system. Gradually
freer trade creates opportunities for enterprises and increases productivity, thereby enhancing progress and competitiveness. Most German exports are sophisticated products, which,
at present, cannot be produced by its trading partners. That in turn reveals a German interest
in a developed Africa, as only then will there be a demand for these products. The German
business community has an interest in a secure, generally favorable climate for investment in
Africa. This would also include political stability, being equally favorable to African entrepreneurship.
3.3. Socio-cultural Interests
Socio-cultural interests are understood, in this paper, as concerns related to education and
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
youth, gender, public health, and the media, amongst others. Africa’s main interest in a partnership with Germany centers on an interest in its own development. Its socio-cultural interests are closely related to this principal interest and are based on an approach to development that does not only focus on economic growth, but also takes into account the several
other aspects of sustainable development such as human rights and gender equality. With
regard to the latter, East Africa is interested in encouraging women’s involvement in developmental issues.
When it comes to public health, East African countries have a pronounced interest in fighting deadly diseases such as Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB), and HIV/AIDS. These diseases
pose a great threat to productivity and overall development. African states are therefore interested in assistance to establish functioning health systems with modern facilities, incentives for doctors to overcome those deadly diseases, and in raising awareness about these
diseases and possibilities for prevention.
Concerning education, East African countries are interested in investment in schools that
support education for employment. This includes both academic education and vocational
training. There is also much interest in exchange programs between African and German
students and possibilities to study at German universities as exchange students or for postgraduate courses. Studying in Germany provides young Africans with valuable skills and
knowledge while German students studying in Africa can provide precious experience and
insight into the realities of the countries in which they stayed.. Since bad leadership and corruption are major problems in many African states, capacity building and training in management, good governance, and leadership training are crucial, requiring intensified civic
education. Germany has a well-established system of civic education and training can be a
valuable partner in this regard.
Furthermore, African states call for a more balanced and less sensational coverage of events
in German media. There should be more media coverage aimed at creating awareness
about the multi-faceted features of Africa, also avoiding over-romanticized images. Ultimately, biased media coverage affects the attitudes of Germans towards Africa and may
therefore work to the detriment of a partnership between Africa and Germany. It may also
deter tourists from travelling, who are an important source of income for African people.
Germany is home to a complex civil society with few overarching interests. Instead of analyzing each institution’s individual interests, the focus here is laid on the issues which we find
most relevant for the German-African partnership. German foreign cultural policy attempts
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
to shape the perception of Germany in the world and to present a representative image of
the country through means of exchange promotion and education. This is all the more important since many East Africans have a bad image of Europeans in general and the Germans
in particular. This image has been influenced by historical experiences such as slave trade
and colonialism, and the period of national-socialist rule in Germany. Therefore, Germany
has a pronounced interest in spreading knowledge about its rich culture and history. The
Goethe Institute is a valuable institution for this purpose. Interaction with African students
and academics in schools and universities is also in the interest of Germany since it can enhance tolerance and enriches the research environment.
An important issue, with regard to attitudes of Germans, is the consequences of intra and
inter-state conflict as well as large-scale migration into Europe, which might compromise the
willingness and ability of the Western side to help mitigate humanitarian crises, and desensitize citizens to the plights of the continent, wrongly perceived as dark, hopeless and overcrowded. In general, because of its ageing population, Germany must have a vested interest
in immigration for a number of reasons, among others having skilled labor force and servicing personnel, and to a limited extent for sustaining its pension system. Broadly speaking,
migration policies have been aimed at highly skilled and educated academics, as well as
skilled health workers. While this interest cannot be denied, it must also be acknowledged
that it can perpetuate the brain drain from African societies.
3.4. Environmental Interests
Many global environmental challenges affect both Germany and the African states, albeit in
different ways or to varying degrees. The major environmental challenges include, but are
not limited to, climate change, the degradation of nature and natural resources as well as the
loss of biodiversity.
At first sight, African and German environmental interests are largely overlapping. But the
devil is in the details, as the example of climate change illustrates: While both sides agree
that actions must be taken to mitigate or fend off climate change, their interests sometimes
diverge when it comes to determining the precise nature of the measures to be adopted. The
situation is similar regarding natural resources and biodiversity. Both sides are interested in
the conservation and sustainable use of these resources. Their priorities in this area might,
however, be different in respect to financial commitments and time frames.
Africa is rich in natural resources and is endowed with various ecosystems which are cru-
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cial for the global ecological balance. A large percentage of Africa’s economy is entirely dependent upon access to and export of natural resources. Therefore, preservation of the environment is of vital importance. Mineral exploitation practices, neglecting the local ecological
system and the health of its work force, should be altered to take into account local, environmental and good governance needs and to ensure to meet internationally-set ethical
standards. We believe that a partnership with Germany can provide support to strengthen
that cause.
East Africa is particularly interested in the issue of waste management and prefers a partner
who does not export outdated products or harmful by-products to their countries. Examples
of individuals profiting from such activities have to be considered as illegal and do not represent general public interests. The adoption of environmentally sound technologies, for instance organic agricultural production techniques and the promotion of recycling and waste
management as well as projects combating desertification are of special interest to the East
African countries.
African countries are interested in an energy partnership with Germany as the use of alternative energy requires resources and investment that most of them lack. High dependency
on oil exports, harmful emissions and environmental degradation can be reduced by promoting domestic renewable energy sources. Germany has considerable expertise in this context
from which African states could benefit. Depending on the conditions of export, transferring
such expertise would also be in the interest of Germany.
Africa is believed to be the continent that is least adaptable and most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Therefore it is interested in the promotion of sustainable lifestyles everywhere, i.e. both in developed and developing states. Mitigating and combating
climate change is a vast field which can be a suitable starting point for the partnership since
both sides have a shared interest. One joint research initiative that can be mentioned here is
the German-South African collaborative Earth Science Initiative “Inkaba yeAfrica” which
could serve as prototype for further cooperation with other countries and regions. Germany is
interested in fending off climate change by preserving African forests because they play a
crucial role in global climate regulation. For many Africans, forests constitute a vital source of
biomass as well as a crucial prerequisite for food production and housing material. In the
short run, Africans might therefore be interested in using their forest resources for economic
purposes. In the long run, however, they should have the goal of preserving them for mitigating climate change.
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The described interests of African countries and Germany in the political, economic, sociocultural and environmental domain are pertinent but face many constraints. On the one hand,
diverging interests from each side can be found in many areas, but as we consider them as a
matter of negotiation, we are convinced that compromises can be found. On the other hand,
the international context with its multiplicity of actors and relations can impact heavily on the
possibility to realize these interests – and can prove to be a far greater challenge to change.
4. The International Context: Contradictory Interests and
Strategies of Global players and Institutions
In the following section, the international context in which the partnership between Africa and
Germany will be embedded will be explored. The focus here is laid on the importance of African states as partners, their leeway in the international system and their relations to Western
and Non-Western powers – one of the Western powers being Germany.
4.1. Africa’s growing strategic importance
Africa has and continues to have a marginal role in the international arena, which is especially visible in the economic and political sphere. A number of reasons have been posited for
this state of affairs by scholars and politicians ranging from the internal (tribalism impeding
the development of national unity in African countries, failed economic strategies, incapable
or irresponsible elites, poor infrastructure, conflict and disease) to external factors such as
the global economic order and trade barriers, power relations in the international system,
political legacy of colonialism and the weakness of inner-African cooperation.
This section focuses centrally on the latter factors and aims to show how Africa is positioned in the international system by looking at the strategies and policies of some major
global players and institutions towards it. Ultimately, the objective of this analysis is to see
how the international structures and the activities of actors on the international scene may
aid or impede a genuine partnership between Africa and Germany. In analyzing these factors, it is noted that the global system is in a state of flux, and these changes impact on the
strategies and interests of all global players.
After being marginalized in the global economy through the last decades, the strategic importance of Africa is currently increasing due to a number of factors:
•
The general shift to a multi-polar world, the rise of new global powers, in particular
China and India, and the resulting competition in the global system.
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
•
Africa’s wealth in natural resources, which is increasingly becoming the source of
competition and conflict.
•
Considerations of international security and the realization of the dangers of fragile/failed states and international terrorism as well as a changing approach towards
external involvement in violent conflicts.
•
The pressure on Western countries resulting from massive migration trends from Africa.
Recent developments do not give us reason for growing optimism for the future of Africa. The
biggest current challenge is what is often described as the “three global crises”, which are
the Food Crisis, Climate Change and the Financial Collapse. Thus, the prospects for the future very much depend on the policies and the crisis management of the main global players.
Right now it seems that the financial crisis takes priority over the other two crises, undermining efforts to fight hunger and poverty and to effectively tackle the problems of climate
change.
4.2. Africa in the International System: Multilateral Structures and Institutions
Globalization – especially in the economic sphere – has been the cause of much recrimination from Africa. The main economic regulatory organizations, that is, the World Bank, IMF
and WTO have been at the centre of discussion about what is wrong with the balance of
power between developing and developed countries. Their prescribed economic solutions,
mainly market and trade liberalization, have largely failed to bring about the expected economic benefits to developing countries while the developed countries have been seen to be
those disproportionately benefiting from this situation.
The WTO has also been accused of being unjust to African and other developing countries. It
is widely recognized that the world’s trading system, as it currently stands, does not adequately redress the global inequalities which exist between the developed and developing
countries. In fact, it appears that the interests of the rich countries are protected at the expense of the poor, and inequalities continue to be entrenched especially when dealing with
issues such as Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and agriculture. The system could be
labeled as hypocritical given that many highly industrialized countries spend vast amounts of
money in subsidies and apply non-tariff barriers in industries such as agriculture, where only
a small percentage of their population is engaged, while at the same time, giving millions of
dollars in the form of development assistance to developing countries which could have been
obviated or at least limited had they reduced the barriers in the first place.
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4.3. Emerging “Non-Western” Powers: Interests and Influence in Africa
Due to the number of projects, the amount of money invested and the political significance,
the People’s Republic of China must be regarded as the most important “New Power” within
the African development and investment sphere. The African continent has become a crucial
component of China’s foreign policy. By founding the China-Africa Cooperation in the year
2000 and by declaring 2006 as “Africa Year”, the Chinese government reiterated its will to
strengthen the Chinese-African relations and demonstrate Africa’s strategic importance.
Even though the official conception of China is to build a pragmatic cooperation based on the
principles of equality and mutual benefit, Chinese interests and investments in Africa are
seen as a danger to the Western idea of Africa’s political and economic development. Unlike
the general Western development cooperation, Chinese investments are not bound to any
political conditions. Chinese investments are often tied to exclusive trade deals for Chinese
exports or licenses in oil-production and the import of resources. Additionally, most of the
projects are run by Chinese companies and Chinese workers and as a result, these programs do not promote genuine capacity building on the continent. Whereas Western standard development aid includes African companies and workers, the Chinese way of fast and
ad-hoc investment, focusing on trade and not attitude-changing/ support of democratic principles is popular for many African rulers.
Another important player on African markets is India. The African-Indian relations are also
based on historic ties as Indians form part of the major migrant group in many Southern and
East-African countries. Building up on that foundation, the trade between India and Africa
has increased immensely over the last years. Mainly focusing on the export of automobiles,
pharmaceutical products and nuclear technique, the latest investments are going beyond
simple trade of goods but include education and information technology projects.
Other non-Western actors are intensifying their influence in Africa and follow their own
agenda. Private investment in African states increased remarkably and constitutes a major
competition for European or American companies. Due to the geographic vicinity and the
religious bonds with a number of African countries foremost in the Maghreb region, the ArabAfrican relations are built upon a long historic foundation. The connecting factor of the
common religion of Islam can be understood as both an incentive for the Gulf-States to invest in other Islamic countries and as a reason of acceptance in African countries for such
foreign investments. As was mentioned with regards to other countries, their involvement in
exploitation and slave trade needs to be acknowledged.
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4.4. Approaches of Western Countries
The increasing involvement of Non-Western powers in Africa has been viewed with mostly
suspicion and objection by the Western countries mostly notably against China’s expanding
economic presence in Africa. Among other arguments, China is often blamed for its lack of
criticism of undemocratic regimes and the absence of any pre-requisites towards African
countries – which, however, is also a relatively new topic on the Western side (see Section
2). Furthermore, there is a strong concern that African countries could accumulate new debts
vis-à-vis China, since China is offering loans to African countries after Western countries
have granted an extensive debt relief to the states in Africa. In addition to this, EU member
states have criticized China for its selective bilateralism which is seen as undermining the
EU’s multilateral approach towards the continent, as expressed by the EU’s strong cooperation with the African Union and other regional institutions, such as NEPAD and APRM.
With regards to US foreign policy, Africa has clearly risen in its strategic importance since
the beginning of the new millennium and in particular after the attacks of September 11,
2001. As it was stated by an advisory panel of African experts at the Center for Strategic
and Ineternational Studies (CSIS) authorized by the US Congress in 2004, there are five
factors that have increased the US interest in Africa in the past decade: HIV/AIDS, armed
conflicts, global trade, terror and, last but not least, oil. The new attention drawn to the continent by the USA is also due to the perception that failed or collapsed states are a breeding
ground for terrorism and regional instability and as a consequence, Africa is one of the battlegrounds of the American “War on Terror”. As a means to fight terrorism in East Africa, the
USA has established the East Africa Counter Terrorism initiative to improve police and judicial counterterrorist capabilities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
The increasing involvement of the USA in terms of security and military policy is also mirrored by the setup of an own military command centre for Africa in October 2007, called AFRICOM (Africa Command), which is currently headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.
Besides security concerns, the increasing US involvement in Africa is also due to a strong
economic interest in the continent with regard to energy resources. The US has a special
focus on the region around the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, where a lot of unexploited oil
and gas deposits have been discovered. The access to West African oil is seen as an important strategic national interest. While the oil imports from Africa to the USA amount to already
more than 15 percent of all US oil imports, it is expected that by 2015, the share of African oil
will rise to 25 percent.
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The European Union has, in comparison to the 1990s, also visibly adapted its own Africa
policy and has put more emphasis on European-African relations. One reason for this development is the growing awareness of security policy implications of failed states and civil and
regional wars in Africa. Consequently, the EU has positioned itself as a security actor on the
continent by conducting several peace operations, military as well as civilian, in the framework of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP). In addition, the EU has created
the African Peace Facility which is an instrument to finance capacity-building programs and
to support peacekeeping missions conducted by regional organizations such as the AU or
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). To improve African crisis management capabilities, the EU has established a dense cooperation with the African Union.
While the EU has increased its efforts in the area of security policy in recent years, the main
focus of the EU’s policy towards Africa still lies on the areas of development, trade and economic policies. In terms of development aid, the EU is the most important partner for Africa,
since the Official Development Assistance (ODA) coming from EU-member-countries makes
up to about 60 percent of total ODA flows to Africa. The EU’s focus on development is also
mirrored by the Joint EU-Africa strategy which was adopted at the EU-Africa Summit held in
Lisbon in December 2007. The strategy entails a common vision for taking EU-African relations to a new level by strengthening the political partnership and enhancing the cooperation.
As early as 2002, the G8 Africa Action plan was adopted and comprises eight separate thematic partnerships inter alia Peace and Security, Democratic Governance and Human Rights
and Energy. Despite this new strategy, the Cotonou Agreement of 2000, which was based on
previous ACP-EC treaties, is still a basic element of EU-Africa relations. Currently, the EU
and African states are negotiating due to WTO requests for a new trade regime between the
EU and Africa. These negotiation are needed since the promotion of further regional integration, one of the main declared goals of the EU and the ACP states, hasn’t been successfully
achieved yet. But the negotiations about the so-called Economic Partnership Agreements
(EPAs) have led to a highly controversial discussion about EU-Africa relations, as many experts criticize it to be to the disadvantage of African economies.
To conclude, we can observe a shift in the focus of EU’s Africa policy towards more emphasis on security policy and conflict resolution. At the same time, one has to notice that it
seems that the European Union still has not developed a clear profile of its policy towards
Africa and that there is no well-defined idea about how the relations between the two continents shall look in the future. One important source of the vague profile of the EU's policy
towards Africa is the lack of harmonization of its member states' development policies. While
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
the EU foreign policy comprises a set of institutions and coordination mechanisms within the
framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), there is no equivalent
"Common Development Policy". Even though the European Commission has become an
important actor in international development cooperation, it is the EU member states that
decide about the amount of aid and focus of their development policies. This is especially
true for Great Britain and France, who are important players on the African continent and
former colonial powers who still maintain close ties. However, further coordination of the
member states' development policies is strongly needed in order to improve the coherence
and the credibility of the EU's policy towards Africa.
It is of crucial to consider the limits and opportunities of the international system so as to design the German-African partnership in a realistic way. Despite many different actors and
contradictory interests in the international arena, it is possible to bring forward this idea, and
perhaps try out new ways of cooperation. The next three sections will deal with internal obstacles for this partnership both on the side of African states and Germany and offer possible
solutions.
5. The Political Dimension of a Partnership between Africa
and Germany
To secure a full-fledged partnership between Germany and Africa based on common goals
and values, we see the need for political cooperation between the two entities. The following
part is to describe political obstacles towards a mutually beneficial definition of partnership
from both the German and the African side and to give ideas how these can be overcome.
5.1. Political Obstacles Towards a True Partnership
A common and unified Africa strategy, like the one presented by France or the United Kingdom is clearly missing in the German context. The responsibility for Africa-related topics
and for developing countries in general is first of all divided between the Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA), which
might lead to a divided vision of African issues and sometimes contradictory policies.
Moreover, Germany's foreign policy has to be seen as embedded within the European context. Europe moves towards a common voice in foreign and defense policy. This means, that
Germany's Africa policy is influenced by common European visions and values. The EUAfrica Strategic Partnership might influence Germany's African policy but it can at the same
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time limit the possibility of a differing autonomous German-African partnership. Furthermore,
the specific policies or historical relations of other European countries in Africa, like France or
Great Britain, might be a hindrance for a true partnership with Germany. As a European
country and former colonial power, Germany might be associated with the negative effects of
colonialism and face resentment in Africa.
The German Federal President Horst Köhler has launched the initiative of a Partnership with
Africa, but due to his constitutional role, this initiative is not binding for further political action. He can only give recommendations and call on the government and implementing
agencies to take political action and to grant the necessary funding. Beyond his commitment,
the idea of a sound partnership is not a priority on the political agenda of foreign affairs, yet.
But with his initiative and dedication, he shapes the public opinion in Germany and already
contributed to a certain change of perceptions towards Africa. This will hopefully continue
during his second term of office.
Regarding the basis for a genuine partnership, essential standards of good governance are
not yet present in many African countries. The continent has been branded as a haven of
conflicts and post-conflict disorder, corruption and a discomforting lack of transparency due
to the lack of independence of the media. As can be seen in the case of Kenya, its rating in
terms of mass participation and accountability has been regressing annually. Those conditions result into institutions which are perceived as being inefficient.
The absence of a solid rule of law is also, at times, dearly felt. The independence of the
judiciary from the executive, the legislature and from the business environment often only
exists on paper, which, together with political instability, also impacts on the economic climate, as can be observed in the notorious case of Zimbabwe. Effective power and decisionmaking is perceived to be out of reach for state organs. Further differing political conditions
between neighbours impair the whole partnership process since there is always the possibility of political distress spreading across the borders.
Another obstacle to a partnership lies in the vast number of actors operating within African
countries. Those include the great number of development actors concerned with the foreign
relations and domestic issues of a country, like local or foreign NGOs, and a wide range of
civil society groups, all of them having their own set of objectives to promote. Due to the multiplicity of actors and the variety of agendas, there is a lack of coordination and cooperation
between them, as well as in the interaction with African governments, as it is the case in Gulu/Northern Uganda. The presence of many development actors relieves local governments
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from the urgent need to accomplish projects in certain key sectors like water supply, education and health. The growing influence of private local as well as foreign actors brings about
new challenges, so as for instance the question of their democratic legitimacy and control.
In order to achieve a strong partnership, we have already mentioned the importance of
equality of both partners and the need for mutual accountability. Indeed, the GermanAfrican relation on the political level is still strongly characterised by development policy,
which has from its origins an inherent donor-recipient conception. The approach of aid conditionality, which is to enhance good performance of African governments, did not completely
suppress the asymmetric relation, as the conditions are formulated from the donor perspective. The method of the peer reviewed Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) has been
an improvement and can be seen as a good basis with the focus on participation. However,
as African countries have been in the position of recipients for a long time, these papers
have also been misused with the aim of obtaining as much aid as possible without a sincere
intention to implement the strategy. The connotation of an asymmetric relation is detrimental
to a sincere partnership and affects the self-perception of both actors.
5.2. How to Overcome These Obstacles?
Three levels of interaction within a German-African partnership can be identified. To begin
with, action should be taken on the micro-level. Tailored initiatives and programs should be
put in place in order to strengthen a German-African partnership and the communication between individuals on political issues. The target groups can be students as in the "Go Africa… Go Germany" program, young professionals as in the “Young Leaders” program,
scholars, politicians, journalists, artists and actors in the civil society and industry. Such programs would foster a common understanding of the mutual reality and would therefore
strengthen common values and interests, which are essential for a fruitful partnership. The
participants of these micro-level programs might serve as important communicators of their
experiences and become active for further German-African relations on various levels, especially in the political domain.
The meso-level initiatives within the political dimension concern groups, villages, towns or
regions. This includes any civil society groups, political parties, religious communities or traditional authorities. It should primarily concern actors influencing the political decision-making
process, as these can promote the partnership and re-emphasize it when it is left out in the
political agenda. Those specific groups need to be targeted not only to lobby the policymaking bodies in Germany and in African countries but also to create an exchange between
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the groups themselves. Together with the micro-level, such group communications create
common understanding and new initiatives.
Finally, on the macro-level, the partnership between Africa and Germany lies in the success
of an ongoing process of political dialogue. Decision-makers should have a platform to communicate and formulate common programs and also dispose of instruments for their implementation. The partnership can here be materialized through a common treaty, which can
focus on issues such as cooperation, trade or any form of exchange, or simply the definition
of common interests between the German and African governments. The political entities
should agree upon common values and the aim of reforms.
On all three levels, there is a need for regular meetings and partnership agreements that
must be carefully drafted to include all possible disputes arising between the partners. With
the promotion and enhancement of dialogues on each level, summits, common and scientific
forums, an enriching interaction is targeted, building on the mutual values of a true partnership.
To enhance the required coherence within Germany's Africa policy, a greater amount of
communication is needed. One solution for the lack of coordination within the German African policy might be the creation of an institutional unit, committee or regular meetings, bringing together the different actors as the ministries, NGO's, religious charities and political
foundations. Such an "Africa policy unit" could greatly enhance the coherence of the German-African policy.
In order to give the German Africa-policy a strong and responsible profile, the definition of
clear values and goals is helpful, but the precondition for a true partnership goes beyond
that. It is necessary to emphasize the relevance of Africa-policy and strengthen it within the
field of German foreign policy as a whole and also with regard to other actors’ influences. In
this sense, the merely representative position of the Federal President might be an advantage to promote the idea of partnership within German politics. It can also set an example in
the international and the European context. Consequently, the German-African partnership
should be relevant in as many policy fields as possible.
In order to realize a genuine partnership with Germany, African states must endeavor to
raise their standards for governance. Free and fair elections must be guaranteed and held
on a regular basis, as can already be seen in countries like Tanzania or Ghana. Rampant
corruption is another important issue, which must be tackled with proper enforced laws that
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prevent impunity for politicians abusing their position. Besides the promotion of institutions and legal frameworks, the condemnation of corruption has to be rooted in people's
awareness beginning with educational measures and the building up of a critical public opinion.
The notion of capacity building is also central in order to strengthen the African position in
general and to facilitate reforms and promote good governance more specifically. In the political sphere, capacity is built up mainly through participation and education. German political
foundations are already actively involved in many African countries in the promotion of democratic skills of future political leaders, and this can be enhanced additionally by broadening the programmes for many more politically active citizens. To avoid a possible abuse of
their influence and deriving misunderstandings, this should happen in cooperation with the
democratic institutions of the respective countries.
An essential point for the creation of a true partnership between Germany and Africa in the
political dimension is the political responsibility that both partners have to assume. Each
partner has equal rights and duties, which should be imperatively laid out and respected in a
common document. Regular joint meetings and updates by representatives of the three mentioned levels (micro, macro, meso) are essential for affirming this common responsibility for
the construction and maintenance of the partnership.
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6. The Economic Dimension of a Partnership between Africa and Germany
A partnership involving economic aspects is a viable instrument for triggering the economic
development of the countries involved and promoting to political cooperation. Germany’s
economy is strong while most African economies are still in transition to market economies.
The outlook on an economic partnership is thus different for the parties involved and the
question arises of why and how they can overcome obstacles that prevent a true economic
partnership.
6.1. Reasons for Enhancing an Economic Partnership
Economic development forms the base of poverty alleviation and may lead to the improvement of a variety of indicators such as the literacy rate, life expectancy and the employment
rate. Due to these facts, economic development is critical to both a country’s well-being and
its identity.
Engaging in a partnership between Africa and Germany is not an altruistic act from the
German point of view. In fact, it is also in the self-interest of the German government to do
so. Engaging in an economic partnership means to increase welfare abroad thereby opening
new trading possibilities for German businesses. Moreover, increasing welfare often goes
hand in hand with lower social unrest, civil strife and war. Ensuring prosperity through partnership and enhancing equity and fairness will also lower the numbers of illegal immigrants
coming to Germany. Last but not least, ensuring equity among states is important for Germany’s national identity, as underlined by Federal President Horst Köhler in his speech given
to the participants of this program on September 10th, 2008.
On the African side, increasing trade with Germany and building up an economic partnership could lead to more economic activity and thus an overall increase in welfare. If the
benefits of this economic partnership accrue to all citizens, lower discontent and social unrest
would be the result. Increased private sector activities give African citizens create opportunities for employment and would thus result in less economic emigration. Giving citizens the
possibility to live a prosperous live in their own countries should be the objective of every
government.
An economic partnership may take different forms, which have to be agreed upon by all partners. Clearly, an ongoing dialogue process is at the base. This process should take a
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multi-stakeholder approach involving those affected by the partnership; namely, the citizens
of the countries involved, social actors and the private sector.
6.2. Economic Obstacles Towards a True Partnership and Potential Solutions
While an economic partnership has many potential benefits, there are many factors, actors
and potential obstacles to a true economic partnership both on the German and on the
African side, which have to be recognized and addressed. Tentative solutions to the obstacles will also be presented in this section.
In Germany there are many factors at play and many obstacles to be overcome in order to
ensure an economic partnership with Africa. As a member of the European Union (EU),
Germany is bound to European policies and politics. One obstacle arising from Germany’s
membership of the EU are European subsidies for agricultural products, which are at least
partially responsible for the fact that African countries cannot compete with agricultural products from the EU on world markets. Currently, as Nicholas Stern, Chief Economist of the
World Bank, states: “The average European cow receives around US$ 2.50 a day in subsidy.
The average Japanese cow receives around US$ 7.00 a day in subsidy. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, 75 per cent of the people live on less than US$ 2.00 a day” (IMF Survey, October 21,
2002). Taking its role as a partner seriously, Germany should rethink its own lobbying efforts
for agricultural subsidies at the German and European level and actively advocate for a
change within the EU, despite all the difficulties that might be encountered from other states
opposing a reform.
Another obstacle to an economic partnership arises from unethical involvement of German
companies in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore important for German companies to adhere
to ethical standards as defined in international conventions and initiatives. One prominent
case in point is the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which defines minimum standards for transparency and establishes rules for firms investing in extracting oil.
Other ethical standards that should be taken into account are conventions by the International Labour Office (ILO) in order to ensure decent working conditions. The German private
sector should consider other outlays for foreign direct investment besides those going
mainly to the commodity sector at present. Due to the fact that there is a lack of investment
in sectors such as telecommunication, banking and energy, there is much to gain by German
companies profiting from a first-mover-advantage.
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Another form of economic partnership is joint projects between private companies and
states, known as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). By relying on financial support from
the German government for private engagement in Africa, German firms are encouraged to
invest in Sub-Saharan Africa to a much higher extent than hitherto. While some argue that
PPPs are an innovative tool to attract private sector activities to Africa, others critique that
these kinds of deals are not sustainable and often benefit private companies more than recipient countries. Despite this criticism, if monitored correctly, PPPs can lead to economic
development and profits for parties. However, weak states – as some African states can be
called – sometimes have difficulties in implementing effective control mechanisms, especially
when it comes to contracts made with powerful multinational companies. Germany could also
understand its role as a partner to support African states in the establishment of these kind of
mechanisms.
German consumers also have a stake in the evolvement of the economic partnership.
Overall, they should be more aware of the power they have and thus be more conscious
about what they buy and where the products come from. More information and a broader
knowledge of the supply chain of consumer products are thus pivotal. Therefore, working
conditions in companies producing for the German market must be made more transparent.
Fair trade products are a way to ensure that producers in Sub-Saharan Africa obtain fair
prices for their products and can afford to uphold decent working conditions. Also the abovementioned agricultural subsidies should be scrutinized by the German public. Only if the discussion about agricultural policies and the ills associated with it gains enough attention in
German mainstream media, will the European Union policies on agricultural subsidies begin
to change.
Clearly, there are also factors, actors and potential obstacles to an economic partnership
from the African side. Even though most parts of Africa are abundant in natural resources
and the possibilities for tourism and energy production are given, in economic terms, Africa is
by far the least advanced continent of the world. The United Nations Human Development
Report of 2008 shows that all those countries ranked as low developed countries are African
including the East African states of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Reasons for this are different obstacles to economic development such as state failure, violent conflicts, corruption and the vicious circle of poverty. In general, the economies of most African countries
are characterized by high dependency on foreign aid, heavy debt burdens, low per capita
income, low domestic and foreign direct investment, a poorly diversified economy and a high
dependency on the export of agricultural products and natural resources. Industrialization
has taken place but to a limited extent and technology is underutilized.
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If a true economic partnership with Germany is to emerge, it will remain pivotal to solve internal problems like regional conflict, fragile statehood and corruption so that the economies
can develop. Addressing these problems includes encouraging domestic companies to
produce a broader range of products for the international and domestic markets, to shift from
raw material exports to products higher in the production chain and to give attention to domestic investors. Moreover, corruption and the unsustainable use of money pose a major
problem. Measures to increase accountability and transparency are needed. One example is
the aforementioned Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which should be
committed to by African governments and their trading partners.
Regional integration among the African countries, as realized through the African Union
(AU) and the different regional bodies, is vital for collective development. Integration among
the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa makes the partnership with Germany easier as appropriate institutions for partnership dialogue exist on both sides. Additionally, if African countries are to align their economic policies and integrate their currencies, access to the world
markets is eased and their bargaining power in international institutions heightened. Germany should use the regional institutions as a platform for partnership and recognize their
weight – particularly in economic matters.
It is obvious that Africa and Germany do not exist in a vacuum. There are international
forces at play, as elaborated in Section 3, which add actors and obstacles to the already
complex situation presented above. The goal should be agricultural trade liberalization,
which in principle could be pressed for not only by the African governments but also by the
German government.
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and countries from
Africa were introduced as earlier preferential trade agreements between the EU and the ACP
countries were violating WTO rules. Criticism is growing that the EPAs are to the disadvantage of African countries and could even contribute to exacerbate poverty in Africa. To date
only interim EPAs have been signed between the African countries and the EU. For future
negotiations, the possibility for economic development in Africa should be taken into account
as vigorously as possible. In line with taking its position as a partner seriously, Germany
should respect and defend the interests of African countries in the negotiations.
In the era of globalization, crises such as the current economic downturn have implications
across the world. Due to Africa’s limited integration in the world financial market, the current
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global financial crisis has had a lesser impact on the African economy when compared
with Western economies. However, the chain reaction of the crisis will have serious impact in
the future, namely on the export sector and tourism, remittances coming from abroad and aid
flows to Africa. In order to deal with the consequence, an Afro–German partnership will create the opportunities for the partners to find a common solution to the problems that will result in the near-future as a result of the global financial crisis. It will create an opportunity for
Germany to access new markets in Africa and it would help in the creation of new financial
institutions serving the interests of at least the majority of the participants as is currently discussed. The African-German partnership can and should ensure that the voices representing
Africa are listened to. In the economic dimension this would mean that Germany ensures that
African interests are represented in international forums such as the G-20 or WTO negotiations. Due to its economic strength, Germany is able to be the broker of African interests in
as far as this is desired. Ultimately, the economic partnership between Africa and Germany is
meant to ensure prosperity for all partners and to be a strong pillar concerning all other
dimensions of the partnership. Ideally, a well-working economic partnership between
Germany and Africa is going to be a best practice for other countries to be followed.
7. The Environmental Dimension of the Partnership between Africa and Germany
We consider cooperation in the environmental dimension as one crucial base for the German-African partnership. The fact that both partners share overlapping interests in this area
presents an opportunity to identify potential activities. We highlight in the following section
three common challenges, bearing in mind that there are many more. First, we will reflect on
natural resources, with the focus on water supply and biodiversity. Then we will consider the
implications of climate change for both partners. Finally, we will deal with consumption patterns, with special regard to alternative energies and the possibility of alternative ways of life.
As in the previously analyzed issues, we face many obstacles for partnership, but we also
see many possibilities to overcome them.
7.1. Natural Resources
7.1.1. Water
One of the most urgent challenges we are facing today is the access to and the use of drinking water. While some countries of sub Sahara Africa are rich in water resources – with large
water aquifers, lakes and rivers, such as Uganda with the famous Lake Victoria and the
White Nile – others are affected by recurrent heavy droughts and consist mainly of dry areas.
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Regardless of their differences, in most of these countries the amount, quality and access to
drinking water remains a problem, with many diseases being transmitted by water. The challenges differ in urban or rural areas, but in both areas, the access to water remains a time, energy- and sometimes highly capital-consuming issue, and sewage systems are often
nonexistent or highly deficient.
In recent years, awareness about the depletion of water and reduced water quality has
risen, with development cooperation and scientific research increasingly focused on this
topic. Water is an irreplaceable element for every ecosystem, agriculture and human life in
general. Therefore, the current manmade imbalances due to overuse, pollution, changes in
natural water flows (by dams, artificial canals etc.) and/or climate change call for immediate
action. A German-African partnership can bear benefits for both sides in that matter. We
need to prepare for a lower amount of water available for a growing global population, which
makes the need to cooperate in at least four areas evident: First, the protection of water
resources and ecosystems, second the treatment of polluted water and third the reduction
of waste and mismanagement existing in the industrial, agricultural and domestic uses of
freshwater. The fourth area is the question of justice in the distribution of water, which is
relevant within every society and increasingly also in a regional and worldwide scope.
For the first three areas, the know-how of German engineering companies and management
experts can be of use for African countries. Cooperation already exists, as Germany is one of
the most important donors in the water sector, active in the provision of infrastructure and
counseling in the reforms of water sector management. The fourth area is highly emphasized
by international and German NGOs, advocating the recognition of the access to fresh drinking water as an enforceable human right. We welcome this commitment and would merely
like to stress three points we consider as necessary and worth to be strengthened: Firstly, it
is necessary to find individual solutions, adapted to each case. Secondly, it is indispensable to proceed in a participatory way, taking into account the needs and wishes of the addressees, and duly check and weigh possible consequences of any undertaking. And finally,
it should be learned from past and current methods of water supply in Africa, and value the
“ownership” of local solutions.
While participation and adaptation is already a credo in development cooperation, realized
for instance through Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) including all water
users from agriculture to industry and representatives of private households, there has been
a tendency in the water sector to transplant methods of water supply and sewage facilities
applied in Europe or industrialized countries to other (urban) areas in the world which might
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be over expensive and in the long run unsustainable. Environmental experts and engineers
who are more open to the observations and ideas of their local partners can find more innovative solutions than other experts defending “one-size-fits all” approaches. Partnerships
between small companies and public administrations in Germany sharing their experience in
water management with their African counterparts are a possible idea to face the challenge
of water depletion and quality loss together.
As the water question is mainly a regional question – including the whole watershed of surface water and aquifers often shared by several countries – the problems can only be dealt
with by intensified regional cooperation. Germany can play a role in promoting regional cooperation since it is already committed to cooperation councils for the rivers Rhine and Danube.
In Germany, despite the know-how and sophisticated technique for water management and
supply, high-quality tap water in most regions and large amounts of water reserves, urgent
problems arise from high amounts of residues from pesticides, herbicides, human medicine,
hormones and other substances polluting German water, thereby putting pressure on aquatic
animals and infest also the drinking water. In African countries, the problems of pollution are
in some areas even more imminent, and solutions for decentralized and low-cost water
treatment, that can also be brought forward through the envisaged partnership, are of utmost
importance.
7.1.2. Biodiversity
The biological diversity of the planet is precious and important for the global ecosystem. We
take our understanding of biological diversity from Article 2 of the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) which stipulates that it means the variability among living organisms from all
sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Biodiversity is also highly relevant for development. As stated at in
the Declaration of the World Summit on Sustainable Development which took place in Johannesburg in 2002, the living organisms of the ecosystem “supply food, medicines, timber
and fuel, and play a fundamental role in providing breathable air, conserving soils and stabilizing climates”. The protection of biodiversity and the fair utilization of genetic resources
should therefore be a focus in the environmental dimension of an African-German partnership. Africa is, on the one hand, the continent with the most various biota, as one third of the
worldwide diversity of flora and fauna is to be found there. On the other, the continent will
suffer most from climate change and its consequences. The German-African partnership can
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enhance the preservation of biodiversity and seek an equitable use of genetic resources and
a respectful dealing with local knowledge.
Biodiversity is the base for so called ‘ecosystem services’ which include agriculture, biotechnology and ecotourism. These areas can explicitly be tackled by the partnership in special
programs. A better coordination of agriculture and nature protection is also relevant, as sustainable agriculture is important for biodiversity. The partners should also meet on scientific
levels and invest in common research. In fostering green tourism, which is experiencing increased popularity in Germany, the preservation and appreciation of a rich biota provides
means of income in African countries. Consequently the sectors of tourism and agriculture,
which play an important role in African states, can be brought forward in concerns of biodiversity.
The question of access to and benefit sharing of genetic resources is also of great importance. The “Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising out of their Utilization” adopted by the Conference of the Parties of the
CBD in 2002, which constitute a first step towards an international access and benefit sharing regime. The German African partnership can provide a platform for the discussion of a
legal frame on eye-level. On this platform, the utilization of local knowledge should be handled with caution and appreciation,sepecially in the agricultural sector in which a lot of development projects failed in the last decades. African participants in the agriculture sector
should profit from closer cooperation and provide alternatives to the hegemonic venture of
multinational companies pushing forward genetically modified crops.
7.2. Climate Change
7.2.1 Greenhouse gas emissions
While Germany will experience some adverse consequences of climate change, Africa is
probably the continent most vulnerable to the destructive effects of climate change and the
one which faces the greatest challenges to adapt thereto. Climate change will surely make
the problems which Africa already faces even worse. For instance, increasing climate unpredictability, one of the biggest threats in Africa resulting from climate change, makes subsistence farming even more difficult than it already is. Yet African past and current contributions
to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are negligible compared to the GHG emissions
of the industrialized states, including Germany. Therefore, Germany bears a particular responsibility to mitigate climate change and to fend off its adverse impacts. Moreover, both
sides depend on each other for finding an adequate way to deal with climate change.
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The African states need technology, know-how and financial resources to adapt climate
change while Germany and all other countries depend on the preservation of the African forests which are crucial for regulating the global climate. Thus, combating the negative consequences of climate change and finding adaptation strategies constitutes a crucial field of activity within the German-African partnership for two main reasons: Firstly, global climate
change affects both sides while their contributions to this problem vary significantly. Secondly, efforts to combat climate change and to adapt to its effects must not only be undertaken at the international level. They must also be carried out at the grassroots level where
the negative consequences such as drought or floods are most strongly felt. A partnership
offers an adequate framework for combining these two levels of action.
At the international level, most efforts to combat climate change focus on the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol’s period of commitments will expire by 2012. Negotiations are currently ongoing for a follow-up
treaty. In these negotiations, Germany is to a large extent acting within the European Union.
The African states, in turn, form part of the G77/China who often put forward common positions during the negotiations. The fact that both partners are embedded in their respective
negotiating blocs makes it more difficult to foster fertile cooperation on this subject matter.
But the Kyoto Protocol also includes mechanisms to (1) stimulate sustainable development
through technology transfer from developed to developing countries and through investment,
(2) assist countries in fulfilling their Kyoto commitments by reducing emissions, and (3) to
encourage the private sector in developing states to contribute to emission reduction efforts.
These mechanisms may well prove to be fields in which the partnership between Germany
and Africa can be put to practical use. The mechanisms are designed for the mutual gain of
both developing and developed countries (technical and financial resources as well as
knowledge for the former and GHG reductions for the latter). For instance, Germany and the
African states can exchange their experiences regarding the Kyoto mechanisms. The conclusions drawn from this exchange of opinions could be used to design more effective
mechanisms for the post-Kyoto period. Each side could then introduce these suggestions in
its respective negotiating bloc.
7.2.2 Deforestation
Deforestation is the consequence of tree cutting/logging or burning in forested areas. It can
lead to a fundamental change of ecosystems, the loss of quality of the soil and ultimately to
desertification. People cut trees for various reasons i.e. in search for food, firewood, timber
for commercial purposes and land for farming or settlement.
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Nigeria and Ivory Coast rain forests are threatened by the act of deforestation and may lose
their tropical cover by 2010. It is crucial for us that the coveted German-African partnership
undertakes immediately after its formation to cooperate strongly and effectively in a bid to
restore threatened livelihood. One way is to open up alternatives to the need for logging i.e.
use of substitute energy methods to provide fuel for the household e.g. use of sugarcane
bagasse, solar energy, wind energy etc.
However these measures would not suffice to stop logging as people would still use timber
for building and commercial purposes. This stresses the importance of recycling activities,
irrigation projects in dry areas and massive reforestation. It will not be easy to initiate these
measures ut it is also not impossible. Through a strong partnership, it is possible to initiate
civic education programs focused on the importance of taking care of the environment via
efficient disposal activities, recycling and planting trees mostly in water catchment areas etc.
This can be done by founding tree planting festivals/ programs, mini recycling projects, and
promotion of alternative energy initiatives. It is important to note however that various initiatives targeting the environment already exist and it will not be a new thing to start such projects. The existent ideas can be further promoted or supported to make them efficient.
The target group should include but not focus soley on the youth. The Kenyan Government
for example has started up an employment initiative tagged KAZI KWA VIJANA (Employment
for the youth). Such can be supported by emphasizing employment opportunities to the
youth, which serves as an incentive to the unemployed to take part effectively in projects. In
addition, every year, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology oversees a Science
Congress for secondary school students all over Kenya. The students showcase different
innovations e.g. in energy management, irrigation, agriculture and technology. There are also
youth and women groups that establish movements to improve their livelihoods and that of
others. They can be supported with the condition that their projects are environmental oriented and have other strong objectives. These groups should also show signs of effective
management. Governments should also include environmental programs in the school curricula or extracurricular subjects. It is important that the communities relearn the value of
trees and forest-based ecosystems. additional incentives need to found for their active sustenance..
As indicated above, action is also necessary at the grassroots level to fend off the worst consequences of climate change. Forest management is a crucial subject area in this respect. A
noteworthy example in this respect is the German Technical Cooperation’s (GTZ) stoves
project in Uganda. These stoves are made of locally available, cheap material and replace
the open fireplaces in the huts and houses. They are more energy efficient and emit less
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smoke. The GTZ also trained several stove makers to pass on their knowledge in the local
villages.
A partnership between Germany and Africa in the field of forest management could generate
more awareness about the importance of forests for the global climate. It could also contribute to building a network of environmentally-aware young people who share their respective
experiences and knowledge in this field. Moreover, it could generate impetus for private initiatives such as re-forestation programs.
7.3. Consumption Patterns
7.3.1. Renewable energies
One of the many divides between the South and the North is the difference of energy consumption, illustrated by the famous satellite image showing the “nighty” Earth where the industrialized countries are illuminated while it is particularly dark in Africa. Electric energy is
one of the main drivers of development and the production of energy will remain a top priority
for the coming century. But all energy production bears uncomfortable side effects. The use
of hydrocarbon energy for heating, cooking, industry and transport leads to CO2-emissions
and thereby pollution and partly to climate change. Nuclear energy is mainly used by industrialized nations and, despite its low emission, it bears many long-term dangers, which we
consider serious enough to keep its use to a minimum. Germany is a model to follow here
with its plan to phase out nuclear power, and we emphasize this as being in the interest of
future generations having to deal with radioactive detriments. Hydropower energy brings
about many opportunities but the side-effects of large dams, the diversion of waterways and
tidal power stations are well-known. Alternative energies, such as solar-power, wind energy
and biofuels have become more prominent in recent years, and some of them have a great
potential. However, as with other forms of energy generation, the disadvantages need to be
considered carefully.
Africa is rich in all the resources used for energy production – oil, gas, uranium, water, sun
and, last not least, space. Many projects for producing energy for instance solar energy in
the Sahara desert are already under construction. Germany is highly interested in a close
cooperation, as it is one of the world leaders in expertise and innovation in the domain of
renewable energies. But we would like to emphasize here that this energy cooperation
should clearly be to the advantage for both sides, lead to the development of Africa not only
the diversification of energy resources designed for export and consumption by Europeans,
US-Americans, (increasingly) Chinese, and others.
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Further, it is necessary to stress potential dangers lying in so-called “green energies”. The
hype around bio-fuels – that is energy liquids produced from crops – has deflated a little.
Research indicates that is not as clean as many PR-campaigns have led us to believe. While
it is said to reduce CO2 emission and by this the effects of energy consumption on climate
change, it consumes a lot of (hydrocarbon) energy in its production, in addition to water, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in its production. A lot of land has to be used for the
cultivation of these energy crops – which then reduced tha amount of land available for food
production. In Germany, the results of the shift from food to fuel cultivation by many farmers
has already been felt, for instance, in the prices for margarine and the world wide food crisis
with highly rising prices for food – particularly hitting poor people in developing countries –
was partly linked to this shift.
The use of energy therefore remains a precarious issue, as there is no perfect source of energy without any negative effects – at least up to now. Energy is necessary for development,
but it is also necessary to optimize the use of energy. Once again, Germany is an interesting
partner to find new solutions to save energy. In its partnership with Africa, it can also get inspiration in the reflection on alternative ways of life within its own borders.
7.3.2. Sustainable way of life
In considering the respectful use of natural resources and the implications of climate change,
the partnership between Germany and Africa can further promote sustainable ways of living,
concerning for example energy saving, recycling and reforestation. The partnership is an
suitable platform to raise awareness and to realize common projects, as Germany has experience in environmental policy and know-how in the field of ‘ecological behavior’ on which
the partnership can truly build. Measures for environmental education are crucial in this domain. Of course, there is still much to do in Germany, one of the highest energy and resource consuming nations of the world. German consumption and production patterns remain in many respects “unsustainable”, as its current CO2 emissions illustrate.
The experience of our group in the “Go Africa… Go Germany” program showed us that Germany is a country, which seems to be clean and organized. Several African countries on the
contrary have a problem with keeping the environment clean, especially in the cities. As
Germany has gathered experiences in recycling and waste management these aspects
should also be a field of consideration and action in the partnership. The Federal Ministry for
the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) launched an initiative of
export of recycling and efficient technology in 2007 (RETech), which supports enterprises
with contacts and potential markets and delivers access to know-how and technology. The
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initiative can be picked up by the partnership. Additionally awareness raising campaigns and
training should be promoted.
The environmental dimension of the partnership between Africa and Germany has many
different facets. We highlighted those that seemed most significant to us as starting points for
the partnership: water, biodiversity, climate, energy, and sustainable way of life. These facets
are closely intertwined and interdependent, just like the two sides of the partnership,
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8. Summary & Outlook: Steps Towards a Partnership
Background of the paper and assumptions
Establishing a true partnership between Africa and Germany represents both a challenge
and a great opportunity for both sides. This paper, written by the 24 participants of the “Go
Africa... Go Germany 2008/09” exchange program, has attempted to provide an answer to
the question of how such a partnership can be developed. In the seven chapters of this paper, we have outlined the previous approaches to cooperation between Germany and African
countries and the interests that both partners have in such a partnership. We took the international context into consideration, recognized the limitations but also opportunities for enhancing the idea of an equitable partnership. Emphasis was laid on the political, economic,
and environmental dimensions of this partnership, in which obstacles and ways to tackle
them were identified.
A true partnership between Germany and Africa cannot be established overnight. However,
having experienced the “Go Africa… Go Germany...” program, which gave the participants
the unique opportunity to exchange and discuss their ideas for a common German-African
future, the participants are convinced that it is indeed possible to develop a true partnership
between Germany and Africa. The existence of this program is, in itself, already a concrete
step towards developing such a partnership and after 2010 three generations of participants
will be available to act as multipliers in promoting the German-African partnership as envisaged here, since we now have colleagues/friends/partners in 16 Eastern and Southern African countries and all over Germany. Soon, there will be new scholarship-holders from West
African countries and Germany who will share our experience. We have common ideals, we
sharpened our understanding of a broad range of topics during the program, and many of us
want to invest our skills and our time to make this partnership bear fruits. We have already
started to act as multipliers and we wish to contribute to the enhancement of the institutionalization of the powerful idea of an equitable partnership between Germany and Africa.
Crucial Preconditions for a Partnership between Germany and Africa
True partnership requires crucial preconditions such as:
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The consideration of previous cooperation and exploitation strategies and the willingness to learn from those experiences
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Common interests and objectives of the partners
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Initiatives from both sides
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Trust
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Mutual understanding and equal value
Furthermore, prospective partners must demonstrate their commitment towards achieving
common goals that generate mutual benefits.
The Previous Approaches
The previous approaches to promoting development in Africa have mainly been characterized by an obvious asymmetry between donor and recipient countries and the development
of one-sided initiatives. But a growing consensus seems to have emerged in recent times
that development cooperation needs to be based on stronger symmetric relationships in
order to be both legitimate and effective. This growing consensus offers the opportunity to go
beyond the goal of fostering development and to create a partnership in the three different
dimensions considered here. On the way towards developing a true partnership, it is essential to acknowledge the external factors that will affect its implementation and effectiveness. Therefore, the idea of partnership should not be limited to bilateral German-African
relations but should also be transferred to multilateral contexts by promoting a constructive
dialogue with other major international actors and institutions such as the United Nations, the
G8/ G20, the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). The German-African partnership could serve as a best-practice-model in the future.
Major Common Interests
As we see it, the major common interests in building a sincere partnership are on both sides:
the promotion of peace and security and the fight against terrorism, free and fair trade, economic relations, the definition of strategies of sustainable development, the joint fight against
the negative consequences of climate change, the fight against deadly diseases (malaria,
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, etc.), the solution to refugee issues and humanitarian aspects.
Trust
Trust in partners calls first and foremost for transparency and good governance. Otherwise it
would be difficult to take genuine steps towards a partnership with Africa. Currently, a lack of
coherence and transparency can be observed in many African countries that can be attributed to both internal and external factors. There is a multiplicity of external actors involved
who have different agendas and interests. There is apparently also a lack of coordination
among them. This applies also to the Africa policy of the EU and its Member States’ policies
towards Africa. Even if the Paris Declaration of Aid Effectiveness and the EU’s Strategic
Partnership with Africa aim to reduce the incoherence, national developments and foreign
policies remain dominated by the strategies of individual countries. We would like to empha-
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size that we are in support of a new approach with regards to relations with Africa which
avoids sustaining power asymmetries, even if they are considered to be structurally unavoidable. This also means that policies pursued by the state’s different bodies can no longer be
contradictory, such as the major commitment to development policy, while EU subsidies in
the agricultural and alimentary system are still being supported, despite the fact that they are
obviously contributing to upholding the economic asymmetry to the detriment of African
countries.
On the internal African side, essential standards of good governance and the rule of law are
not yet being met in many countries. High levels of corruption and a lack of accountability
and transparency that characterize many African economies, administrations and governments pose a threat to the development of a partnership and adversely affect sensitive economic and political relations. It should be borne in mind, however, that many Western – and
also German companies – have a responsibility in this respect which means that even trust
in the German Government can be affected by these actions.
Mutual Understanding and Equal Value
In order to promote mutual understanding and an equitable partnership, negative perceptions
and stereotypes which still exist on both sides need to be abolished. This is also linked to the
fact that the transfer of knowledge about Africa and Germany is not given due consideration
in the school curricula of either side. Whilst Germans always believe that wars, crises and
illnesses are characteristic of the entire African continent, Africans still believe that Germans
are racists and unfriendly and that there are insurmountable cultural differences between the
people.
Ideas to Promote a German-African Partnership
To overcome the obstacles towards a true partnership between Germany and Africa, we
suggest that properly coordinated initiatives be launched at all levels – macro-level
(states), meso-level (civil society groups, business actors, etc.) and micro-level (individuals).
At macro- or state level, the partnership between Africa and Germany can be materialized
by concluding agreements with certain African countries which follow shared interests of the
German and African governments and create the basis for cooperation between them. The
political entities should agree on common values and the aim of reforms. As Germany wants
to enter into the partnership with the whole African continent it should cooperate closely with
African multilateral bodies and regional institutions and strengthen their capacity to play a
more proactive role in the international arena. Germany is also committed to the EU African
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Strategic Partnership, but in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, we think that a
country’s, region’s or community’s individual commitment does not necessarily contravene
the broader framework.
Likewise, African countries should make further efforts to improve the efficiency of these
institutions and initiatives, for example the New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as its voluntary instrument,
which stand for a political renewal in Africa and a stronger focus on the African governments’
own responsibility for development. A common political will is at the very core of each partnership and in this special case it is necessary to break the myth of a weak Africa. The continent must be perceived as a sound partner in order to promote sound agreements and
strong investments in a secure and democratic environment.
With regard to the economic dimension of a German-African partnership, it has become
clear to us that the trade relations in such a partnership definitely need to be improved. Germany needs to rethink its own efforts to defend agricultural subsidies at German and European level and should actively support the demands of African countries with regard to establishing a fairer international economic order, despite all the difficulties that might be encountered from other countries opposing reforms and from within Germany. Also the strong
import-export orientation and therefore high vulnerability of African economies should be
reformed in a way that responds to the needs of the population. At the same time, African
countries should create a business environment for domestic and foreign companies and
investors that is conducive to ensuring that the African economies can develop sustainably.
Stable governments, skilled workers, peace and the rule of law are essential for the creation
of a conducive business environment.
The meso-level of a German-African partnership concerns political parties, private business
actors, civil society groups, religious communities and traditional authorities. These specific
groups need to be targeted not only to encourage the policy-making bodies in Germany and
in African countries to promote the idea of partnership, but also to create an exchange between the groups themselves. One focus should lie on partnership programs between villages, small towns and regions in Germany and Africa. Although some regional partnerships
already exist, the participants of the “Go Africa…Go Germany” program are committed to
lobbying for partnership programs between their hometowns and villages in Germany and
Africa. In order to enhance coordination between all these regional partnerships, we strongly
recommend that a coordination body along the lines of the Association of German Cities and
Towns be set up. Furthermore exchange programs organized by schools, universities and
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associations and sustained group communication could create a common understanding and
be a fertile ground for new initiatives.
Another important step is the promotion of partnership programs between civil society
groups, private business actors and/or other societal groups. To raise awareness for already
existing joint initiatives, a “German-African Partnership Award” could be created and be
presented annually to projects or initiatives that embody the idea of a true German-African
partnership as defined here in this paper. As the partnership with Africa is initiated and promoted by the German Federal President, Horst Köhler, he and other willing Presidents, together with African heads of states, could present the awards. This would demonstrate the
high value attributed to the Partnership with Africa. The award could also be linked to logistics and financial support for the respective projects.
To create the basis for an economic partnership, an ongoing dialogue process has to be established at meso-level. This process should take a multi-stakeholder approach involving
those affected by the partnership; namely, the citizens of the countries involved, social actors
and the private sector. The goal of such a process should be to define common objectives for
fostering trading relationships, reducing trade barriers, initiating technology transfer and ensuring favorable conditions to facilitate foreign direct investment. An already existing initiative
that is aimed at fostering trade relationships was launched by the Committee of the Regions
which invites African entrepreneurs to come to Europe and exchange their experiences with
European entrepreneurs within a mutual learning experience and demonstration of best practices for both sides. This could also be organized by other platforms to multiply the addressees.
A crucial dimension of the prospective partnership is the environmental aspect. Joint initiatives to deal with the challenges of climate change, energy use, deforestation and the increasing water scarcity, for instance, can generate benefits for both sides. We also propose
that joint reforestation initiatives be supported that are intended to contribute to measures
taken against the effects of climate change.
One important step towards establishing a partnership is to obtain an unbiased and realistic
picture of the other side. The media both in Germany and in Africa should seek to deliver an
appropriate, modern image of each other, consisting of differentiated, objective and reliable
information. We therefore suggest that media partnerships be established. German and
African journalists, editors and media players can initiate a partnership and foster joint activities. Correspondents in the respective countries could communicate regularly, African jour-
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nalists could publish their articles about important news from their countries in German
newspapers or broadcast features in local, regional and national radio stations and vice
versa. Furthermore, joint movie programs with directors from both Germany and Africa could
contribute to a more realistic picture by pointing out the differences and similarities between
the cultures of both sides. Several successful projects have already been launched by German political foundations and the Goethe institute in Africa and Germany and by some African people living in Germany who are broadcasting programmes like Afro-Berlin TV or Radio
Soukous. These initiatives could be intensively promoted and broadcast to a larger audience.
Another important focal area at meso-level is education. Education is crucial for establishing
partnerships as deeper knowledge of each other is the prerequisite for developing a common
understanding of the mutual reality and the strengthening of common values and interests,
which are essential for a fruitful partnership. We therefore re-emphasize measures that establish a network of education systems on both sides. The German-African Foundation for
Youth Education (GAFYE), which has already been conceptualized by the organizers of the
project, could serve as an overall framework for a variety of exchange and civic education
programs at different levels (schools, universities, associations etc.). Through this foundation, multipliers for education and the media could be trained in Africa and Germany and the
creation of a network between them could be enhanced by programs of exchange and cooperation. Essential for this is direct contact and shared experiences, as well as a platform to
keep communication going. Policy-makers as well as the educational system could benefit
from such a network in terms of recruitment and counseling. Furthermore, joint research projects and joint books on history and social matters could be very enriching undertakings for
both sides.
Certainly, exchange programs between African and German students are of high relevance, as we managed to experience first-hand ourselves. The participants of the “Go Africa…Go Germany” program are committed to contributing to this idea of exchange by setting up a summer school (in cooperation with universities in Germany or Africa) that will
bring together students from Germany and Africa to discuss topics such as German-African
relations, politics and recent challenges in Germany and in African countries, ways of improving development cooperation, etc. To spread our experience and knowledge, we also plan to
organize weekend seminars and workshops about topics relating to the German-African
partnership in our respective countries. We will start institutionalizing our network by creating
a website that will allow former and current scholarship-holders to communicate about relevant topics, as well as other young professionals who are committed to contributing to the
development of the envisaged partnership and concrete projects within it.
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
Last but not least, personal initiatives for self-education and the resourceful contribution to a
partnership with Africa should be promoted at micro-level by availing opportunities that present themselves on the other two levels. There is a very high potential for commitment on
both sides that needs fertile ground to grow. One idea is to create possibilities in one’s own
personal and professional environment that will enable Africans and Germans to increase
their experience through voluntary work, internships or job opportunities. A German-African
network of young professionals could definitely promote this project.
Although there has been some change in German-African relations in recent years, there are
still several barriers to the idea of partnership that need to be taken seriously. However,
based on our experience and commitment, we think there is a very strong chance of this
partnership becoming a reality. Measures for overcoming the identified barriers need to be
promoted and in doing so, the gap between developed and less developed countries would
be narrowed.
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A Common Paper on How to Establish a Partnership Between Africa and Germany
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Pearson Lester B., et al. Praeger (1969): Partners in Development: Report of the Commission on International Development, New York and Pall Mall, London.
Stiglitz, Joseph E. (2003): Globalization and its Discontents, Norton, New York.
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UNEP (1992): Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), www.cbd.int.
United Nations (2002): World Summit on Sustainable Development. Johannesburg.
http://www.johannesburg.org
United Nations (2008): United Nations Human Development Report of 2008.
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