Africa/European Union (EU) Relations in the Era of COVID-19
The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) hosted a policy dialogue titled “Africa/European Union (EU) Relations in the Era of COVID-19.” This meeting is part of a three-year IPATC project on Africa/EU Migration (currently funded by the German government), which seeks to support the effective implementation of the 2018 United Nations (UN) Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. This event was attended by a total of 29 participants
The two sessions of this policy dialogue focused on “The Historical Context of Africa/EU Relations” and “Africa/EU Migration in the Era of COVID”. The meeting provided an additional opportunity for South Africa-based African, EU, UN, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IOM policymakers and experts, as well as the Gauteng-based diplomatic community and civil society, to engage critically on the inevitable consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for both continents.
Session 1: The Historical Context of Africa/EU Relations
Chair: Professor Pragna Rugunanan, Head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg.
Speakers: Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi, former South African Ambassador to the EU, and Deputy
Director-General of Global Governance and Continental Agenda in South Africa’s Department
of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
Mr. Raul de Luzenberger, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to South Africa.
Mr. Charles Kwenin, Regional Director for Southern Africa at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Session 2: Africa/EU Migration in an Era of COVID
Chair: Dr Rüdiger Lotz, Deputy Ambassador of Germany to South Africa.
Speakers: Mr. Charles Kwenin, Regional Director for Southern Africa at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Dr Ayodele Odusola, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa.
Date
Friday 13 November 2020
Time
10h00-13h00
Venue
School of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Johannesburg’s Bunting
Road Campus, 54 Bunting Road, Auckland Park, Johannesburg
Ms Zoliswa Ntsoko (South Africa) is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant who assists with general administration and research. She is a seasoned professional with a background in Disaster Management. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Management from Milpark Business School, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management from Regenesys Business School. She also holds certificates in Project Management, and in Disaster Management. Previously, she has worked as a Disaster Management Specialist at the City of Johannesburg – Disaster Management Centre.
Ms Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe-Moyo is the Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously served as a Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2013. She completed her master’s degree in International Studies, Peace, and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Scholar. She has just completed her doctoral studies at Rhodes University. Her areas of interest include: gender, foreign policy, regional organisations and conflict resolution.
Ms Thembeka Somtseu is a seasoned professional with a background in the textile and construction sectors. She holds a National Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology, and studied Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She worked as a corporate communications specialist for more than ten years, serving in both local and multinational companies.