Sudan Partnership Conference to take place on 25 June: a global effort to support Sudan

On Thursday 25 June 2020, Sudan, the European Union, the United Nations and Germany will co-host a virtual High-level international Conference.

This Conference will be the opportunity to reiterate the strong political support of the international community to the ongoing transition in Sudan. It will also aim at mobilising financial support for the democratic transition, economic recovery and humanitarian needs, as the coronavirus pandemic added another strain to the country’s economic situation and increased the humanitarian needs. The conference will also provide a platform for the country’s authorities to present the reforms undertaken so far.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Josep Borrell Fontelles will take part in the opening panel discussion at 15:00 with his co-chairs Abdalla Hamdok, Prime Minister of the Republic of Sudan, Heiko Maas, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, and António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. They will discuss the reforms and steps undertaken since last August by the Transitional Government as well as the way forward. This opening discussion will be followed by two sessions focusing on pledges. The EU pledge will be delivered by Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.

Around 50 countries and international organisations will take part in the Conference. Between the pledges, time will also be devoted to a discussion on the Sudanese Reform Agenda with the Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Ibrahim El-Badawi, Sudanese Minister of Labour Lena el-Sheikh Mahjoub and representatives of the African Development Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Starting at 15:00 CET, you can follow the entire Conference live here.

Background
Sudan has embarked on a political transition following the agreement on a civilian-led transition of 17 August 2019. Since then, the country has been on a path of ambitious political and economic reforms. The EU is a key partner for the Sudanese authorities in their quest to make the transition to democracy a success and in mitigating the impact of economic reforms on the population.

Since 2016, the EU has supported the Sudanese population and the high number of refugees it hosts with development aid up to €242 million, mostly through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. These funds have been used, among others, to promote peace, support women and youth’s economic empowerment, and ensure inclusive and sustainable growth for all. Since the civilian-led government took office in early September 2019, the EU has provided €88 million in development assistance to support political and economic reforms and contribute to stability and peace in Sudan.

Through its humanitarian support to aid organisations in Sudan, the EU has provided long-standing assistance to vulnerable people and has allocated, since 2011, around €550 million in funding for aid organisations in the country. The overall humanitarian response in Sudan continues to address the most critical needs, in terms of food, shelter, emergency health care, access to clean water, education and protection assistance.