On Europe Day the previous Tuesday, EU Ambassador, Tom Vens has expressed the Union’s move to strengthen democracy and accountability through partnership. Ambassador Vens made the statement during Europe Day celebrations at EU office in Freetown. The EU celebration, this year, is low key owing to the devastating impact of Corona Virus.
However, the day, the Ambassador said was celebrated differently this year to bring EU closer to the people. The EU Ambassador made it clear that a threat to democracy and accountability was real. He sees the prevailing situation as a recipe for instability and therefore calls for partnership to address the situation.
“We will continue to work closely in this journey to make just societies,” he assured.
Building democracy and accountability, he went on, would be priority issues EU would focus on in coming years.
“Consultations during past months have received strong confirmation that they are right priorities for future partnership,” he said.
The ambition of the EU, he went on, was to give balance to the partnership. According to the Ambassador, it must be agreed within the partnership that accountability must be pursued when delivering on political and policy agenda of the state. He believes that peace and stability would be enhanced when accountability is put in place.
“When we pursue stability and prosperity, it does not only serve Sierra Leone’s interest but EU’s,” he said.
Women and girls, Ambassador Vens assured would be central to building a democratic and accountable society. “Women and young people would be encouraged in our support to education, agriculture and infrastructure,” he assured.
They would also be encouraged in supporting local governance and building stronger, accountable institutions for them to see what the EU had done and what it intended to do in Sierra Leone. Climate change and environmental protection were governance issues, the Ambassador said had to be paid attention to in the partnership between the EU and government.
“Climate change and environment protection will be at the top of the agenda,” Ambassador Vens also assured. It is these two governance issues and other challenges that would shape EU’s future in Sierra Leone.
The partnership between the EU and Sierra Leone Government would be translated into a green deal aimed at protecting the environment.
Under the deal, he said, Sierra Leonean would be encouraged to use renewable energy, and support sustainable food systems. The EU hopes to pursue the Green Deal in partnership and close cooperation with EU partners, member states and actors on the ground under the principle of complementarity.
“This is what Team Europe is about,” he said. Apart from strengthening democracy and accountability, the EU ambassador also touched on development which is Sierra Leone’s key aspiration. Investment in education remains one of the key priority areas for EU support.
Ambassador Vens also assured that the EU would continue to invest in education, government’s flagship project. The ambassador strongly believes that there would be no meaningful development without education.
“Without a better educated population across the board, development will be an adversity,” Ambassador Vens opined. He also stated that investment in education is a longer term endeavour.
EU, he assured, would continue to be a reliable partner in the long journey. The EU’s support to the country’s development agenda particularly, Sustainable Development Goals, is contingent on the availability of resources. The EU Ambassador said the Union would partner with government to provide more space for a strong private sector to assume a pivotal role in Sierra Leone’s development. Creating a strong private sector, the EU Ambassador continued, did not only call for the availability of the right instruments but also the creation of a predictable environment and a level playing field that inspires confidence in investors, and allows for a longer term horizon.
Mr Vens also hopes that the move would promote sustainable growth and create decent jobs. “In so doing, a future is assured for the rapidly growing number of youths,” Ambassador Vens said.
To comprehensively and directly tackle youth unemployment, he said, was beyond the capacity of any state institution. The Ambassador opines that the creation of jobs could only be realised when conditions are replaced with durable investment by the private sector.
Social cohesion also counts in the struggle for a viable and thriving private sector.
“A strong private sector is not just a question of social and economic rights, but one of social cohesion and ultimately stability,” he said.
Ambassador Vens also noted that societies were faced with realities and setbacks that confront them with limitations with what they can achieve. Sometimes, these societies, he said, were left with disillusionment. He urged societies to respect their values, principles and also explore avenues for togetherness and shared roles.
Since criticism must be tolerated in any democratic society, the EU Ambassador urged societies to create space for criticism as well room for dialogue and compromise. He said tolerance to critical voices had underpinned the EU’s functioning and growth for years. “What underpins EU’s growth is a strong set of principles, core values and robust capacity for dialogue, engagement and compromise even in the face of challenging questions,” he said.
Ambassador Vens also hopes that such core values and principles would be reflected in Sierra Leone governance system. He ended his address by touching on EU’s brief historical background.
He said the document for the establishment of the EU was signed in May, 1950. The immediate aftermath of the second World War laid the foundation for today’s EU.
The foundation laid yesterday implies that the EU is a peace project. It is now 71yrs since the signing of the document and the desire for peace has always been the underlying driver for what the EU does.
As May Day is celebrated, EU reminds itself that the union exists for upholding human dignity.