The Senior Officials of the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation are holding their 4th Meeting in Brussels, from 17 to 18 October 2017, in preparation for inputs to the AU-EU Summit in November 2017. The AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on science, technology and innovation serves both as a political structure (endorsed by the 3rd EU-Africa Joint Summit in Tripoli in 2010 and launched in October 2011), that enhances our dialogue through promoting better common understanding, building mutual trust and ownership; and secondly it is a technical platform for defining and agreeing on shared priorities of mutual benefit for current and future collaboration and joint implementation. The meeting, which is co-chaired by Ms Maria Cristina Russo, Director for International Cooperation, EC, DG Research and Innovation and Prof. Hany El-Shemy – chair AU Specialised Technical Committee on education, science and technology, was opened by H.E. Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor, Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Union and Dr Wolfgang Burtscher, Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation, European Commission.

The Senior Officials of the High-Level Policy Dialogue are taking stock of the EU-Africa Research and Innovation (R&I) Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA), which is currently in implementation, focusing on Sustainable intensification; improving Agriculture and food systems for nutrition, Expansion and improvement of agricultural markets and trade within and across Africa and Europe. The meeting welcomes the substantial investments made of about EUR 65 million already put in the implementation of this R&I Partnership for 2016-2017, through the EU's research and innovation programme 'Horizon 2020', country contributions, the African Union Research Grants, and development-related actions of institutional nature. The Officials will more importantly, adopt a Roadmap towards a R&I Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy that will provide climate action for adaption and mitigation, renewable energy and energy efficiency and will contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our international climate commitments. The meeting will recommend for consideration by our leaders at the Africa-EU Summit of November 2017 this new AU-EU R&I Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy.

Contact Person Dr. MonicaEbele Idinoba e-mail: IdinobaM@africa-union.org