Dakar, 8 December 2021 (TDI): The 8th Ministerial conference of the Forum on China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held from 29th-30th November 2021 at Dakar, Senegal. Likewise, The conference was attended by heads of delegations of the People’s Republic of China, 53 African countries, and the President of the African Union Commission.
In the keynote speech, President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, noted that 2021 marks the 65th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between African countries and China.
President Xi Jinping proposals and Programs, and OutcomesÂ
President Xi Jinping made four proposals and promised that China would work together with Africa to implement nine programs. The four proposals include fighting Covid-19 with solidarity, deepening practical cooperation, promoting green development, and upholding equity and justice.
Furthermore, according to President, China would work with Africa to implement the following nine programs. These programs are Medical and Health, Poverty reduction and Agricultural development, Trade promotion, Investment promotion, Digital innovation, Green development, Capacity building, Cultural & people to people, and Peace & Security.
Moreover, Participants adopted four outcomes at the 8th ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The outcomes are the Dakar declaration, Dakar Action plan, China-Africa cooperation, a declaration on China-Africa cooperation on combating climate change.
Also, during the meeting, participants commended efforts taken by China and the African countries to promote cooperation on climate adaptation and mitigation.
Agreements at the 8th Ministerial conference of the FOCAC
Furthermore, several Agreements or areas of mutual understanding were reached at the FOCAC.
Between the relevant ones:
- Both parties agreed that climate change and its negative impacts are urgent problems facing humanity, and Joint efforts should be made to tackle climate change.
- Both parties believed that climate change is a significant challenge for China and Africa’s natural & eco-environment, social, and economic development.
- They maintained that the international community should provide the necessary support for developing countries’ green development, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
- They agreed that climate change must be addressed through united actions under multilateral frameworks. They underscored the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement as the primary channel and the most important multilateral frameworks for international cooperation on climate change.
- Both sides called on the international community, especially the developed economies, to take proactive and decisive steps to tackle climate change and jointly support Egypt’s hosting of COP27 on behalf of African countries.
Decisions regarding China-Africa cooperation
Participants made Decisions regarding China-Africa cooperation on climate change at the conference.
Likewise, they decided to establish a China-Africa partnership of strategic cooperation of the new era for the fight against climate change. Furthermore, to promote South-South cooperation between China and Africa on climate change will be deepened with expansion in the areas of cooperation in clean energy, the use of aerospace and aviation technology in addressing climate change, agriculture, forest, ocean, low-carbon infrastructure development, meteorological monitoring, forecast and early warning, environment monitoring, disaster prevention, and mitigation, and climate adaptation.
The parties also agreed on practical cooperation projects to jointly address the challenge of climate change would be carried out. In that sense, China will support Africa in training professional personnel for climate response, the delivery of climate technologies and services in Africa would be facilitated through ongoing projects.
Likewise, China will support African initiatives such as the Initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture that are related to climate change. The country will increase investment in Africa on low-emission projects, including photovoltaic, wind, and other renewable energies, energy-saving technologies, high-tech industries, and green and low-carbon industries, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.
The cooperation with the African Development Bank and other regional financial institutions in the field of climate investment and financing encourage and support financial institutions, and non-financial enterprises would be strengthened by both sides.
 was held from 29th-30th November...(read more)){kind=link}