FES-AU Cooperation

Cooperation between the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the African Union (AU) dates back to the early 2000s. A more formalized partnership emerged in 2011 when the FES and the African Union Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. In early 2015, the FES AU Cooperation Office was instituted to coordinate the work with the AU. Prior to that, the FES Ethiopia Office, established in 1991, had been responsible for the cooperation with the AU.

The goals of the FES are:

• to create and maintain networks of partners and key individuals in the AU, EU, multilateral and international organisations, civil society, academia and think tanks.
• to organize multi stakeholder dialog platforms between Africa and Europe in order to promote an inclusive discussion on topics which are of significance to both continents.
• to strengthen the AU’s visibility and ability to act on the continent through awareness raising about AU resolutions and support for civic engagement with the AU. 
• to provide research and political analysis on issues pertaining to the AU and Africa in international relations to support the work of our partners in the continent and worldwide.