The European Union has published its 2021 annual report on the implemtnation of the External Action Instruments in 2020. Underlining our commitment to global solidarity, the EU and its 27 Member States remain the leading providers of official development aid, with a collective contribution of EUR 66.8 billion in 2020. In terms of Africa, it focuses on the Joint Communication ‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa‘, the Post-Cotonou Agreement, the 10th African Union Commission-European Commission meeting held in Addis Ababa, the EU-G5 Sahel Summit further deepened relations between the G5 Sahel and the EU, the first EU/AU Research and Innovation Ministerial and the prospects of developing a joint EU/AU Innovation Agenda.

This report outlines key aspects of the EU’s financial support in 2020 for international cooperation and development, humanitarian aid, foreign policy and enlargement. Prior to the pandemic, the EU already championed a long-term agenda aligned on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), guided by a vision of sustainability and partnership. COVID-19 did not deflect the EU from this objective; indeed, it showed the agenda to be prescient and more urgent than ever, bringing into focus issues such as growing global inequalities and the digital divide. In this report, you will find many positive examples of EU-funded interventions in Europe and across the globe that illustrate our continuing efforts to deliver results. As, hopefully, the pandemic subsides, Team Europe will continue to harness all the power of our international partnerships to fight inequalities, support a global recovery and build a more sustainable and inclusive world for all.

Please read the full report here.