Development

12-06-2024

EU must not neglect development aid over defence, Commissioner Urpilainen warns

Est. 4min

The EU's increased defence spending priorities must not come at the expense of development aid, as this could risk isolating the continent geopolitically, the Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen warned in an interview.

08-10-2023

EU Global Gateway chief calls for more development aid amid race for investment

Est. 5min

NAIROBI, KENYA - Europeans must keep investing in development aid and infrastructure projects as competition from China, Russia and the United States mounts, International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen told Euractiv in an interview.

27-03-2023

Donor fatigue is a ‘political choice’ and ‘tragic error’, says UN development chief

Est. 5min

Donor fatigue is a political choice and a "tragic error" by Western leaders, and it is making the Global South feel "disappointed, frustrated and even betrayed", Achim Steiner, chief administrator of the UN development programme, told EURACTIV. 

05-02-2021

‘Stars are aligned’ for EU-African relations

Est. 4min

The EU’s plans to strike a ‘strategic partnership’ with Africa were one the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Portuguese government, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, is anxious to conclude the agenda by the summer.

19-06-2019

Statistics are at the heart of achieving SDGs, says gender equality advocate

Est. 4min

In an interview with EURACTIV France, Fatiha Hassouni, head of the gender equality unit of the intergovernmental organisation Union for the Mediterranean, spoke about statistics being a crucial tool for assessing sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially with regards to gender equality.

Central Asia 04-04-2019

Narbaeva: Uzbekistan is determined to reform and put an end to negative stereotypes

Est. 8min

Tanzila Narbaeva, the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, told EURACTIV about her country's efforts to develop modern agriculture, eliminate child or forced labour and invest in human capital, especially women.

EU-Africa 06-02-2019

Tanzanian opposition leader: EU is ‘finished’ with Magufuli

Est. 7min

Nearly 18 months after falling under a shower of bullets outside his parliamentary residence in Dodoma, opposition leader Tundu Lissu, the most persistent thorn in the side of Tanzanian President John Magufuli plans to re-enter the political fray.

05-02-2019

World Bank’s Georgieva: Venezuela needs tens of billions of dollars

Est. 7min

As the Venezuelan crisis unfolds, the World Bank is ready to act as soon as its members give the green light, said the institution's new interim president, Kristalina Georgieva. In an interview with EURACTIV.com, she estimated that the financial needs to cover would be around tens of billions of dollars.

EU-Africa 05-11-2018

S&D chief: ‘Political suicide’ for Europe to ignore Africa

Est. 7min

Europe has to tackle the root causes of migration and better manage population flows by investing in people rather than walls, Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

09-10-2018

Mimica: Decentralised cooperation will remain at heart of EU’s external action

Est. 11min

With negotiations on the next EU long-term budget about to start, Commissioner Neven Mimica defended the European commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and praised the role local authorities play in international cooperation in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

27-09-2018

Sahel region faces task of increasing crop yields to meet population boom

Est. 7min

With their populations set to double by 2050, the Sahel countries – Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina-Faso and Chad – have to develop their agricultural productivity to feed their populations. EURACTIV France reports.

16-03-2018

Humanitarian crisis management benefits from new technologies

Est. 6min

Weather alert systems, real-time communication and debit cards for refugees: the use of new technologies make humanitarian aid more effective, Commissioner Christos Stylianides said in an interview.  EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.

Agenda for Change 02-03-2018

‘Access to water is a question of good governance, not resources’

Est. 7min

Water resources are unequally distributed on the planet. But access to water and sanitation depends mainly on good urban planning, Cécile Gilquin said in an interview with EURACTIV.fr

12-02-2018

IOM chief: There is no migration crisis but a political emergency

Est. 14min

EU leaders need to find the courage of unity to manage migration, which has the potential to help the EU economy grow more than expected. But the window of opportunity is closing fast, William Lacy Swing said in an exclusive interview with EURACTIV.

Languages & Culture 15-01-2018

British Council boss: Brexit won’t change the way we help the world

Est. 8min

The British Council will continue to do the work it has always done, despite Brexit, and its priorities in areas like Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East remain as important as ever, said the organisation’s CEO in a wide-ranging interview.

UN Environment chief: We shouldn’t wait for the oceans to turn into a plastic swamp

Est. 8min

At the latest United Nations environment summit, pollution topped the agenda. The man leading the UN’s quest to clean up the planet hopes this meeting will act as the wake-up call countries need and that the fight will include the world of business.

EU-Africa 29-11-2017

French MEP: Europe needs to boost African development

Est. 6min

As the EU-Africa Summit kicks off in Abidjan, expectations are high on both sides of the Mediterranean. French MEP Maurice Ponga, who sees the problems faced by the two continents as increasingly interlinked, calls for a joint reaction.

EU-Africa 28-11-2017

S&D chief: ‘Employment for young Africans is a huge challenge’

Est. 8min

On the eve of the EU-Africa Summit, Gianni Pittella says that European short-termism in migration policy will not address its root causes, and looks at agribusiness to leverage the continent out of poverty - 'but not at any cost'.

EU-Africa 28-11-2017

Migration think-tank: Europe is ‘obsessed’ with short-term solution

Est. 5min

Migration will dominate the fifth Summit between Africa and the European Union, which will be held in Abidjan on 29 and 30 November. But Europeans keep dictating the agenda, due to lack of political unity in the African Union.

17-11-2017

EIB president: Europe needs a paradigm shift in development policy

Est. 7min

The Juncker Plan has been a "miraculous instrument", and Europe now needs the same paradigm change in development policy. That means moving from social policy to economic development, and from grants to loans. The EU will play a huge role in that shift, Werner Hoyer told EURACTIV.com in an interview.

Climate change 16-11-2017

UN chief: Migration ‘highly desirable’ if managed humanely and responsibly

Est. 7min

For the first time, the Paris Agreement acknowledged climate change causes migration. At COP23 in Bonn, the big question is how to address it, William Lacy Swing said in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

09-11-2017

36 ‘Youth Fellows’ generate ideas for EU-Africa summit

Est. 8min

The 5th AU-EU Summit, to take place in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire, on 29-30 November 2017, focuses on "Investing in Youth for a Sustainable Future". An initiative called “AU-EU Youth Plug-In Initiative” (YPII) supports 36 young people (“Youth Fellows”) in elaborating concrete proposals for European and African leaders. EURACTIV.com spoke to one of them.

24-10-2017

Oxfam chief: ‘We also feel the lack of trust among citizens’

Est. 6min

Winnie Byanyima believes it is high time to come up with fresh thinking in the world of politics and economy. But first, deeper self-criticism is needed across the board because all fields, including the NGO sector, are affected by a lack of trust from citizens.

03-10-2017

Rajeev Kher: ‘A social business does not remain a social business forever’

Est. 6min

Social businesses are supposed to address social and environmental issues. But when the social issue is resolved, the social business becomes a business like any other, according to Indian social entrepreneur Rajeev Kher.