During a high-level roundtable and expert workshop titled „Staying Engaged as Team Europe in Fragile Contexts“, participants discussed the challenges and opportunities for European collaboration in fragile contexts.
©Elio Germani on behalf of the GIZ Representation Brussels
At the invitation of Mr. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Spokesperson of the GIZ Executive Board, and Jean Van Wetter, Director General of Enabel, the roundtable and workshop took place on 27 October at the GIZ Representation in Brussels. The event was jointly organised by GIZ, Enabel, and the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) of which IDOS is a member.
The roundtable brought together senior stakeholders from the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States, multilateral organisations, think tanks, and civil society. Fragility currently affects 25% of the world’s population and is expected to encompass 86% of the world’s extreme poor by 2030. International cooperation, such as through Team Europe and Global Gateway, must remain engaged in fragile contexts over the long term.
Against this backdrop, participants at the event discussed the challenges and opportunities for European collaboration in fragile contexts and with partners. Participants concluded that an integrated EU approach and sufficient funding are crucial for the success of European cooperation in fragile contexts. Strong partnerships need to be forged, past mistakes acknowledged, and the EU’s goals clearly communicated. Additionally, long-term engagement and planning certainty were identified as essential elements for cooperation in fragile contexts. Implementing these measures requires more detailed case analyses and clearer distinctions in discussions on fragility.
A key starting point for the discussions was a draft ETTG study prepared by IDOS and ECDPM on the role of European implementing organisations in fragile contexts. The final study will be presented in Brussels in December 2024. IDOS researchers Dr Julian Bergmann and Dr Benedikt Erforth are part of ETTG research team tasked with producing the study.
