Afrique

This study takes a critical look at Franco-German relations in the field of international cooperation along the entire humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) spectrum to better gauge the usefulness of bilateral collaborative action in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Both the corresponding potential – for example in the current Syrian transition – as well as existing coordination formats are of interest to the inquiry. The latter are examined in more detail against the background of German and French activities in Libya and Iraq. In this context, the analysis also considers the HDP nexus as an instrument of cooperation, which offers ideal conditions for application in fragile, conflict-prone (Libya) or war-torn countries (Iraq) due to their complex needs. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for initiating or strengthening Franco-German cooperation in fragile states of the MENA region in the fields of humanitarian aid, development policy, and peacebuilding measures.
The study is divided into three thematic sections, the first of which examines bilateral relations between Paris and Berlin, with a focus on the phase following the signing of the Aachen Agreement in 2019. The analysis of national and international framework conditions for and against international cooperation is also part of this section, taking into account the effects of the Trump 2.0 administration. In the second part, the foreign and development policy approaches of both countries are analysed with a focus on their Middle East policies. Here, convergences and divergent approaches are of special interest, allowing conclusions to be drawn about the ability and willingness to cooperate. The third section is devoted to a synthesis of the operationalisation of activities within the HDP spectrum, with Libya and Iraq as country examples, as well as additional considerations relating to Syria.
On the one hand, this approach enables one to identify structural factors that either hinder or promote bilateral Franco-German cooperation in the international context. On the other hand, sufficient space is also given to current developments in order to be able to categorise trends and contextual factors which have a reinforcing or weakening effect on cooperation drivers. The Discussion Paper concludes with a recapitulation of the findings, and derives actionable recommendations for strengthening cooperation between Paris and Berlin in the crisis-ridden MENA region on the basis of HDP coordination.

Promoting female employment remains a pressing challenge in many low- and middle-income countries. Despite ongoing efforts, too few women participate in the labour force – particularly in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia – and too many remain locked out of more decent wage employment – especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Promoting women’s employment is not just about fairness; it is essential for inclusive and sustainable development. Women’s economic participation matters for four reasons: it fosters growth and reduces poverty by increasing household income, it enhances women’s autonomy in the household, it promotes equity and cohesion in societies, and it strengthens the resilience of households to shocks by diversifying income sources. Recent research has deepened under­standing of both the barriers and enablers of gender equality in labour markets, offering useful guidance for development cooperation.

Building on empirical research by IDOS, this policy brief highlights that development cooperation can take three key approaches to promote female employment:

• Address foundational barriers: Development cooperation can work with local partners to remove the root barriers holding women back. This includes addressing restrictive gender norms in ways that respect cultural contexts, e.g. by investing in community-based care solutions (as successfully practised in several African cases) or better access to services and mobility. Projects should not only target women individually but also address constraints within households and communities and engage broader society. They must also challenge gendered labour market structures that limit women’s paths into wage work.
• Strengthen gender equality on the opera­tional level: The green and digital transitions offer new employ­ment opportunities – but women risk being left behind. Development cooperation can help to ensure that women benefit from these shifts. In cooperation with national governments, it can embed gender targets into economic reforms, incentivise companies to adopt inclusive hiring practices and to implement flexible work time arrangements (such as in Jordan), and fund training for women to reskill and motivate them for these fields.
• Create an enabling policy mix: Employment-focused reforms succeed when they connect with broader policy frameworks. Aligning employment initiatives with social policies – such as childcare support or public works – can boost women’s ability to work. At the same time, gender-sensitive approaches in areas like transport, finance and infrastructure can help overcome structural disadvantages that affect women at different stages of life.

In recent years, development cooperation has shifted from measures to support gender mainstreaming towards gender-transformative approaches that aim to reduce structural barriers. Recent funding cuts and public opinion that is becoming more critical of diversity and equity measures, mean that development cooperation must build on its experience to enable women to grasp economic opportunities and live a dignified life.

 

Promoting female employment remains a pressing challenge in many low- and middle-income countries. Despite ongoing efforts, too few women participate in the labour force – particularly in regions such as the Middle East and South Asia – and too many remain locked out of more decent wage employment – especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Promoting women’s employment is not just about fairness; it is essential for inclusive and sustainable development. Women’s economic participation matters for four reasons: it fosters growth and reduces poverty by increasing household income, it enhances women’s autonomy in the household, it promotes equity and cohesion in societies, and it strengthens the resilience of households to shocks by diversifying income sources. Recent research has deepened under­standing of both the barriers and enablers of gender equality in labour markets, offering useful guidance for development cooperation.

Building on empirical research by IDOS, this policy brief highlights that development cooperation can take three key approaches to promote female employment:

• Address foundational barriers: Development cooperation can work with local partners to remove the root barriers holding women back. This includes addressing restrictive gender norms in ways that respect cultural contexts, e.g. by investing in community-based care solutions (as successfully practised in several African cases) or better access to services and mobility. Projects should not only target women individually but also address constraints within households and communities and engage broader society. They must also challenge gendered labour market structures that limit women’s paths into wage work.
• Strengthen gender equality on the opera­tional level: The green and digital transitions offer new employ­ment opportunities – but women risk being left behind. Development cooperation can help to ensure that women benefit from these shifts. In cooperation with national governments, it can embed gender targets into economic reforms, incentivise companies to adopt inclusive hiring practices and to implement flexible work time arrangements (such as in Jordan), and fund training for women to reskill and motivate them for these fields.
• Create an enabling policy mix: Employment-focused reforms succeed when they connect with broader policy frameworks. Aligning employment initiatives with social policies – such as childcare support or public works – can boost women’s ability to work. At the same time, gender-sensitive approaches in areas like transport, finance and infrastructure can help overcome structural disadvantages that affect women at different stages of life.

In recent years, development cooperation has shifted from measures to support gender mainstreaming towards gender-transformative approaches that aim to reduce structural barriers. Recent funding cuts and public opinion that is becoming more critical of diversity and equity measures, mean that development cooperation must build on its experience to enable women to grasp economic opportunities and live a dignified life.

 

Le Conseil municipal de Tirana a voté mardi 23 septembre la destitution de son maire, Erion Veliaj, emprisonné depuis février dernier. Il a été « lâché » par son propre camp, le Parti socialiste. L'opposition dénonce une mise en scène politique.

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, Albanie, PS Albanie, Politique

Le Collège des Bernardins invite le photographe Wandrille Potez à exposer douze vues de la vallée du Drino. Sise au sud de l'Albanie, elle abrite une constellation de monastères orthodoxes - trésors oubliés d'architecture byzantine et mémoire vivante de la minorité chrétienne. En attirant notre regard sur cette région mal connue des Balkans, les images nous disent l'urgence qu'il y a d'admirer, de protéger un paysage si rare et menacé.

- Agenda / Albanie, Région parisienne, Agenda - Diaporama

Brenda Biya, 27 ans, fille du président camerounais Paul Biya, a suscité une vive polémique après avoir appelé sur TikTok à ne pas voter pour son père lors de l'élection présidentielle du 12 octobre, avant de se rétracter quelques jours plus tard.

Vital Kamerhe, président de l’Assemblée nationale de la République Démocratique du Congo, un allié du président Félix Tshisekedi a démissionné de son poste ce lundi après une pétition visant à le destituer.

Event Video 
Photos

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On September 23rd, IPI and the Government of Estonia, in partnership with the 1 for 8 Billion, the United Nations Association of the UK (UNA-UK), and CIVICUS, cohosted a public policy forum at the United Nations on the process of selecting the next UN secretary-general: the global diplomat and civil servant for the world’s peoples.

The event focused on recommendations to create a more transparent, inclusive, and equitable selection process for the position of UN secretary-general and ideas for how different sectors can work collaboratively to encourage and ensure the realization of this goal. The discussion also explored the increasing role of the General Assembly in the secretary-general’s election process. The event highlighted how this critical appointment can be a transformative and reinvigorating opportunity for the UN and for multilateralism as the world faces intersecting and accelerating global challenges.

Speakers:
H.E. Arnoldo André Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
H.E. Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, Permanent Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Denmark
H.E. Oana-Silvia Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania
H.E. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Member of The Elders; former Prime Minister of Norway and Director-General of the WHO
Maria Noel Leoni, Representative of the 1 for 8 Billion Campaign; Co-founder and Campaign Director of GQUAL; and Deputy Executive Director for the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
Thant Myint-U, Visiting Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge; the Chairman of U Thant House; Founder and Chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust; and author of the book, Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World

Closing Remarks:
H.E. Alar Karis, President of Estonia

Moderator:
Jeffrey Feltman, Non-Resident Adviser, International Peace Institute

The post A New Vision for Global Leadership: Selecting the Next UN Secretary-General appeared first on International Peace Institute.

Discover the nominees for the European Parliament’s 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A múlt héten csütörtökön legalább 500 000 ember vonult az utcára egy nagy szakszervezeti akció keretében – miközben a miniszterelnök ----> tovább olvasok!

The post Csak a szokásos: tüntetés, sztrájk, a kormány nehéz helyzetben appeared first on FRANCIA POLITIKA.

A Nemzetgyűlés tavalyi feloszlatása kapcsán több alkalommal is elmondtam azt a lehetséges forgatókönyvet, hogy Emmanuel Macron köztársasági elnök esetleg arra ----> tovább olvasok!

The post Amikor Macron Bardella-kormányt akart appeared first on FRANCIA POLITIKA.

As part of the ReArm Europe Plan, the measures aim to strengthen Europe’s defence technological and industrial base by channelling EU funding to defence and security.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

As part of the ReArm Europe Plan, the measures aim to strengthen Europe’s defence technological and industrial base by channelling EU funding to defence and security.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Un acteur non identifié mais « compétent » est derrière le survol, lundi 22 septembre, de drones au-dessus de l’aéroport de Copenhague — un incident vu par la Première ministre danoise comme « la pire attaque contre les infrastructures critiques danoises à ce jour ».

The post « Un acteur compétent » derrière les drones repérés au-dessus de l’aéroport de Copenhague appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Lundi 22 septembre, une grève générale a été organisée en Italie par des syndicats de gauche contre le « génocide en Palestine » et les livraisons d’armes italiennes à Israël.

The post Italie : mobilisation massive en soutien à Gaza appeared first on Euractiv FR.

La commission des Affaires juridiques (JURI) du Parlement européen a rejeté mardi 23 septembre la demande de la justice hongroise visant à lever l’immunité de Péter Magyar, eurodéputé du Parti populaire européen (PPE) et chef de file de l’opposition hongroise.

The post La commission JURI du Parlement rejette la demande de levée de l’immunité du chef de l’opposition hongroise appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Des personnalités politiques, à l'image de l'eurodéputé grec Nikolas Farantouris (La Gauche), estiment que la candidature égyptienne est incompatible avec la station balnéaire en construction près du monastère Sainte-Catherine, considéré comme un site d'une valeur universelle exceptionnelle (VUE) par l'UNESCO.

The post Comment un mégaprojet touristique dans le Sinaï menace la candidature de l’Égypte à l’UNESCO appeared first on Euractiv FR.

To prevent abusive practices against trainees, the Employment Committee wants traineeship contracts with clear provisions on pay, duration and social protection.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

La commission des Affaires juridiques (JURI) du Parlement européen a voté mardi 23 septembre contre la levée de l’immunité de l’eurodéputée italienne de gauche Ilaria Salis — demandée par un juge hongrois.

The post Parlement européen : la commission JURI opposée à la demande de levée de l’immunité d’Ilaria Salis appeared first on Euractiv FR.

The EU and Indonesia have concluded today trade and investment deals that should boost EU export to the region, while ensuring environmental and social standards.
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP