ONE reacts to the hearing of International Partnerships Commissioner-designate Jutta Urpilainen

Brussels – During her introductory speech, International Partnerships Commissioner-designate, Jutta Urpilainen highlighted that she will use “the Sustainable Development Goals as a compass” and develop a strong and comprehensive Africa Europe partnership to unlock opportunities for both continents.

Ine Tollenaers, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at ONE, reacted: 

“Jutta Urpilainen highlighted how Africa will be in the spotlight over the course of her mandate, and centre stage of the next Commission’s priorities.

Her vision for a strong and holistic partnership with Africa goes beyond development cooperation. However, while development cooperation alone is not enough to build an equal partnership, it needs to remain a cornerstone, strengthening education, empowering women and girls, and creating new jobs for a young generation of Africans. 

We welcome the priorities set out during the hearing, but since actions speak louder than words, we look forward to working with Jutta Urpilainen, following her confirmation, to make sure this partnership is as beneficial for Africans as for Europeans”.