Team Europe convenes high-level event to boost social protection in Sub-Saharan Africa

Brussels, 20 March 2026 – A high-level Team Europe event, aimed at strengthening cooperation on social protection in sub-Saharan Africa, has been held at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. It was co-hosted by the European Commission and Belgium, with the latter represented by the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and Enabel.

The gathering brought together representatives from EU Member States, African regional institutions, partner countries, UN agencies, civil society, private sector and international organisations to explore new ways of aligning efforts and maximising the impact of social protection in a rapidly changing global context.

Organised under the framework of the Team Europe Initiative on Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa (TEI SP) launched in 2024, the event highlighted the European Union’s ambition to maximise social impact by better integrating and mainstreaming social protection within Global Gateway investments.

The European Commission, together with the International Labour Organization (ILO), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) announced their intention to strengthen support for social protection systems, with a focus on building countries’ capacity to design and implement robust and inclusive approaches, while also developing pilot initiatives to accompany investments linked to the green transition. As a contribution to the TEI SP, the European Commission expressed their intention to advance support for social protection systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the aim of reducing poverty and inequalities, promoting decent work, and supporting just transitions that enhance jobs, incomes, and livelihoods.

The event built on the momentum generated by the Fourth Financing for Development Conference held in Sevilla in June 2025, as well as the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha in November 2025. At the latter, Belgium served as co-facilitator of the Summit Declaration together with Morocco and co-organised a solution session on youth engagement for inclusive social protection and decent work, while the EU convened a session on Universal Social Protection for Better Health, Improved Resilience, and Poverty Reduction.

As Foreign Affairs Director General for Development cooperation and humanitarian aid Heidy Rombouts puts it, “for Belgium, social protection is not a cost, but an investment – an investment in human dignity, in economic resilience, and in the prosperity of future generations. Investing together in young people through inclusive social protection, in both Africa and Europe, is one of the most powerful ways to turn today’s demographic realities into tomorrow’s economic opportunities.”

Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel, adds, “Social protection is one of the most powerful tools we have to ensure that digital, demographic or economic transitions are fair and genuinely inclusive. By joining forces as Team Europe and working hand in hand with African partners, we can strengthen national systems, support young people and vulnerable communities, and build resilience in the face of disruptions. Enabel is proud to contribute its expertise and to help translate shared ambitions into practical, results oriented cooperation”.

A full day dedicated to concrete solutions and enhanced cooperation

Social protection plays a critical role in reducing poverty, curbing inequalities, fostering resilience and promoting transitions that are just and leave no one behind. As global challenges intensify, from climate change, and demographic shifts, to technological disruptions and intensified fragility, the need for coherent, innovative and coordinated approaches is greater than ever.

Discussions at the event were structured around two main sessions:

• The morning sessions highlighted the convergence between the EU, the AU, and the UN in the face of global challenges, particularly regarding the need to align social protection with broader development, investment, and transition agendas. This shared vision underscored the importance of integrating social protection more systematically into national strategies to ensure coherent, inclusive, and sustainable outcomes.
• The afternoon session explored key themes relevant to social protection, showcasing case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa on issues such as youth, social health protection, adaptive social protection in fragile contexts, and the integration of social protection into national transition strategies.

The final wrap‑up session identified concrete pathways to enhance alignment, strengthen joint programming, and secure more sustainable financing. It underscored the importance of viewing social protection as a lever for socio‑economic growth within a whole‑of‑society and whole‑of‑economy approach, rather than solely as a redistributive mechanism. Participants stressed the need for agility and opportunism, adapting the narrative to specific national priorities and presenting social protection as an enabler for achieving investment and transition objectives in the long run.

Multi‑stakeholder engagement was highlighted as crucial, with a call to ensure that, from the outset, the voices of those often unheard, such as women and girls, young people as architects of their societies, and persons with disabilities and their families, are fully integrated. Involving trade unions, civil society, and the private sector was also identified as key to going beyond what traditional government approaches alone can deliver.