Addis Ababa, 17 February 2011: The African Union
Commission (AUC) and the Friedrich‐Ebert‐Stiftung (FES)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the
existing cooperation between the Commission and FES in
areas of mutual interest which include issues relating to
social and economic rights, fair trade, fighting poverty,
promoting peace and security, and supporting each other’s
projects in the areas of good governance, promoting
gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa.
The signing ceremony took place between the AUC’s Chairperson, Dr. Jean Ping and FES
Resident Representative, Mr. Arne Schildberg, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia.
Speaking on the occasion of the signing of the MoU, Dr. Jean Ping said that he is pleased
with the cooperation between the African Union and the German people. Dr. Ping
applauded FES for its contribution to the Commission and stressed on the various
activities undertaken by FES, such as, the Make Peace Happen campaign and the
commemoration of the International Peace Day on 21st September 2010, where the
foundation worked with the Peace and Security Department to spread the message of
peace across the continent and around the world. The Chairperson pointed out that
Germany has always been a dedicated partner in helping Africa and recognized
Germany’s commitment in the construction of African Union Peace and Security
Building where the laying ceremony of the foundation stone was launched three days
ago. “Working together to resolve conflict in Africa and to alleviate poverty is necessary
as the lack of peace and development affects everyone,” he said.
Speaking at the same function, Mr. Arne Schildberg, noted that as an organization with a
social democratic background, FES strongly believes in cooperating with the African
Union in the areas of development, peace and security. He assured the Chairperson that
FES believes in equal partnership and that with the signing of the MoU, the African
Union was not only entering into a partnership with FES Addis Ababa, but also with all
the 100 offices of the Foundation worldwide. “The cooperation between FES and AUC is
an important milestone in the effort to create equal dialogue between Africa, Germany
and Europe,” Mr. Schildberg stated.
The FES Foundation was founded in 1925 as a political legacy of Germany’s first
democratically elected president, Friedrich Ebert, dedicated to promoting social
democracy by including social justice, democratization of society, social security,
sustainable development and international solidarity. It strives to secure equal
opportunities in life and the right to have a say in the affairs of the community for all
citizens, both men and women.