Staying Engaged as Team Europe in Fragile Contexts: joint Enabel-GIZ event

On December 11, 2024, Enabel and GIZ, in collaboration with the Practitioners' Network for European Development Cooperation (PN) and the European Think Tank Group (ETTG), convened a discussion on “Staying Engaged as Team Europe in Fragile Contexts – Practices and Recommendations for the New European Commission and Parliament from the Perspective of European Agencies for International Cooperation.” The event, hosted at Enabel’s headquarters in Brussels, explored how international cooperation agencies can remain involved and effective in increasingly complex and fragile environments.

Event Overview

This special event celebrated the launch of the ETTG Collective Report on Staying Engaged as Team Europe in Fragile Settings, marking the culmination of intense discussions on this crucial topic with practitioners, experts and key stakeholders. Following a successful roundtable meeting in October 2024, the Collective Report  emphasised the importance of continuous European coordination in the face of growing challenges in fragile contexts. The event featured a panel discussion where the European Commission, practitioners, researchers and representatives from the central Sahel shared their insights on the key aspects of fragility.

Key Takeaways and Discussions

The event kicked off with opening remarks by Jean Van Wetter, Managing Director Enabel and Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Chair of the management board of GIZ, who was represented by Reinhold Elges, Director of the GIZ Representation Brussels, in which they shared the Importance for international cooperation agencies and Team Europe to reflect on how to stay engaged in an increasingly fragile world. 

Policy Brief Presentation

The ETTG Collective Report offers valuable insights on how Team Europe can better coordinate efforts to support fragile contexts. It also outlines the need for improved conflict and political economy analysis, and stresses that international cooperation agencies must adapt to rapidly changing and complex realities on the ground. It finally underlines that “staying engaged” is important but does not constitute a strategy itself.

Panel Discussion: Best Practices and Recommendations

Moderated by Sophie Desmidt from ECDPM, the panel discussion featured Erica Gerretsen, Director of DG INTPA Directorate G “Human Development, Migration, Governance and Peace” - European Commission, Lori-Anne Théroux-Bénoni, Regional director, Office for West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, Institute for Security Studies, Pascal Yao Konan, African Union, and Simon Connell, CEO of SNV.

The panel discussion centered on strategic approaches to improving European coordination in fragile and politically constrained environments, referencing the Belgian Presidency Paper on joint EU development cooperation and ongoing reflections within EU and OECD.

Key Messages for Future Engagement

One of the primary outcomes of the event was the call for continued political attention from the European Parliament and European Commission to support innovative and effective approaches in fragile contexts. This includes addressing drivers of fragility, ensuring adequate funding, and supporting coordinated action across European agencies. The role of political leadership was deemed crucial in navigating the complex political landscapes of fragile regions, where instability and conflict often undermine development goals.

Reflections and Way Forward

As we look to the future, the event served as a reminder of the critical importance of sustained European engagement in fragile regions. With the Commission-wide integrated approach on fragility and the upcoming Multi-annual Financial Framework, the message is clear: fragile contexts require coordinated, flexible, and well-funded interventions that prioritise conflict prevention, governance, and peacebuilding.

This event not only launched an instrumental Collective Report, but it also created space for open dialogue and exchange of ideas on how Team Europe can navigate the challenges of an increasingly volatile and complex world.

Thanks to the successful collaboration between Enabel, GIZ, ETTG, the Practitioners’ Network and other partners, the event has set a strong foundation for future actions and further policy recommendations in this vital area of international cooperation.