Paper short abstract:

The paper intends to discuss what are the major current trends of EU's development cooperation with Africa, taking into account (1) global dynamics and challenges and (2) the growing presence of other actors (public and private) contributing to Africa’s development.

Paper long abstract:

The global aid architecture, so far mainly framed by Western perceptions, strategies and practices, is undergoing a major reformulation, both in theoretical and practical terms. Some of the changes in development cooperation patterns - which include the increased complexity and fragmentation of cooperation across a wider range of actors or the blurred distinction between several flows and instruments - are both a result and an important input to the redefinition of institutional settings, in the overall relationship between developing countries and in boosting a stronger voice for African countries. On the one hand, rising powers have profound impacts in the global geographies of power and wealth and are increasingly important drivers of development theory and practice, leading to alternative conceptualisations of development cooperation or, as some experts call it, to a "post-aid world". Countries will be increasingly evaluated for their global contribution for development (beyond aid) and for their capacity of formulating comprehensive responses to global challenges (which impact on development). On the other hand, this growing presence has itself boosted a self-reflection on the performance of OECD donors and for the EU in particular in its relationship with Africa. How are these new global dynamics impacting in the reformulation of EU-Africa partnership? Are the EU and Africa really ready to go beyond aid and donor-recipient approaches that have characterized their relations since decolonization?