The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund is an important initiative created by African countries for African countries. This Fund was launched on 2013 by Angola and Equatorial Guinee.  Together they gave USD 40 million to finance development programmes in other African countries.    

The FAO Director General opened the event during which some concrete results were highlighted. In five years 18 projects tackled issues such as women empowerment, rural resilience, or health. "100% of the input needs to be used for the output" without losing resources and in total transparency, said Ambassador Olaniran of Nigeria.

The EU Ambassador, Jan Tombiński linked the concept "Africa for Africans" to "Europe for Europeans" which was and is a uniting motto for the EU. "Challenges don't know borders" he said "It is important to find rapid and pragmatic solutions to the challenges we face, because and transform challenges in solutions to other issues. Ambassador Tombiński highlighted the meaning of the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund which is conceived to join forces together in many issues: from climate change to migration. He underlined the European Fund for Sustainable Development created in the framework of the European External Investment Plan and which already created programmes for € 5 billion in energy development, water sanitation or infrastructures in Africa.

Similarly, the Chinese Ambassador Niu Dun, presented the enhanced cooperation between China and Africa through the China Africa Forum on Cooperation. Finally, FAO Deputy Director General, Gustafson, closed the meeting emphasizing the relevance of keeping a long term vision, a vision perfectly shown by the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.

For more information : FAO Web Site