Addis Ababa hosts political dialogue with diplomatic missions on the future of interregional cooperation
Obreal convened, togehter with the CELAC under the presidency of Uruguay and the African Union Commission, a Policy Breakfast in Addis Ababa bringing together representatives of governments, multilateral organisations and diplomatic missions from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe to discuss preparations for the Fourth Interregional Dialogue on Education and Development.
The meeting provided an opportunity to present the political priorities of the Dialogue, which will take place from 13 to 17 December 2026 at the Headquarters of the African Union, and to exchange views on how countries, regions and institutions can contribute to consolidating a more balanced, operational and results-oriented framework for interregional cooperation.
Participants included representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay (in its capacity as CELAC Pro Tempore Presidency), Finland, Belgium, China, Cuba and Kenya, as well as the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia, the African Union Commission, the Delegation of the European Union to the African Union, the Free State of Bavaria and the Association of African Universities. The political, geographical and institutional diversity of the delegations reflected the growing interest in building a cooperation architecture capable of connecting Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Arab World around shared priorities.
The exchange highlighted that the process does not seek to establish a parallel structure alongside existing mechanisms, but rather to strengthen them through the joint definition of priorities and closer links between political dialogue, higher education, research, innovation and territorial development. Discussions also addressed the strategic role of universities and knowledge ecosystems in supporting green and digital transitions, strengthening institutional capacities, fostering talent mobility and building sustainable scientific networks.
The Policy Breakfast represents a further step in the preparatory process leading to the December meeting and in the consolidation of a genuinely interregional political space based on shared responsibility, polycentrism and the translation of dialogue into concrete partnerships, agendas and cooperation instruments.
The Fourth Interregional Dialogue on Education and Development is jointly organised by the African Union Commission, the CELAC Pro Tempore Presidency exercised by Uruguay, the Association of African Universities, the Association of Arab Universities and Obreal.
