Abidjan, 8 and 9 October, 2020

Context

The Coronavirus pandemic has further revealed the interdependence of member countries of the international community and the need to find collective and lasting solutions capable of providing answers to collective problems that no country in the world, even the most developed, can solve on its own.It also reinforced the idea not only of the need for effective cooperation between countries but also put at the heart of the international agenda the major themes of our time, namely peace and development, emphasizing again the need to work in a resolute and methodical way for their realisation.

In the panoply of initiatives registered in recent years to promote international cooperation and solidarity, the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity is increasingly considered to be the most suitable instrument to implement the necessary reform of world governance at the political, security, economic, cultural, ecological and health levels in order to create the conditions for better management of international relations, to turn good intentions into deeds and wishes into concrete action.

This notion of a community of destiny for humanity, advocated since 2011 by the Chinese authorities, was included for the first time in 2017 in a United Nations resolution as well as in certain resolutions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (1).

It is already the guideline for programmes such as the New Silk Road, the Confucius Institute and the Asian Investment Bank for infrastructure, developed by the Chinese authorities on a global scale.

The Symposium “Building Together an even more solid China-Africa Community of Destiny” intends to apply the concept to the specific region of Africa by identifying the different stages and defining the different areas necessary for the realisation of this community of destiny between ‘Africa and China’, and specifically, between Côte d’Ivoire and China.

The Symposium is part of the China-Africa Joint Study and Exchange Programme established under the Secretariat of the China Follow-up Committee of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum. It is jointly organized by the research office IPITI Consulting and the Chinese Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Challenge

The concept of “Community of destiny for humanity” is the fruit of an analysis of the historical evolution of Humanity by the Chinese authorities who wish to provide a response to the trend of our time characterized by the aspiration to peace, development and benefit for all. It originates from the Chinese philosophy according to which “all people living under Heaven are one and the same family (2)”. Therefore, the issue is knowing which world to build in order to meet this aspiration and how to build it.

Considering the proactive policy led by China in Africa and the priority that the African continent constitutes for China, it is logical that reflection on how to make this concept a reality be carried out at the regional level and in order to define the modalities of building an even stronger China-Africa community of destiny and particularly China-Côte d’Ivoire.

This is the aim of the Symposium on “Building together an even stronger community of China-Africa destiny”

Objectives of the conference

The objectives of the conference “Building Togetherher an even stronger community of China-Africa destiny” are as follows:

1. Promote the concept of the community of destiny for humanity,
2. Make recommendations for building an even stronger China-Africa community of destiny.
3. Explore ways and means to make the Sino-Ivorian community of destiny a model of the Sino-African community of destiny.

Expected results

• Master and better understand the concept of a China-Africa community of destiny;
• Achieve a broad consensus among the various participants on the need to build the community of destiny China-Africa and China- Côte d’Ivoire;
• Define the modalities for the construction of the community of destiny as well as its promotion by China and the Côte d’Ivoire in international organisations;
• Deepen mutual political trust between China and the Côte d’Ivoire;
• Enhance the level and quality of Sino-African and Sino-Ivorian relations, based on the concept of a stronger China-Africa shared future.

Participants

The Symposium will bring together around fifty Ivorian and Chinese participants from the government, the National Assembly and the Senate, universities, think-tanks, media as well as friendly associations from Côte d’Ivoire, the Chinese Embassy. in Côte d’Ivoire, Chinese companies and the Chinese community present in Côte d’Ivoire.

Place and procedure

Due to the measures imposed by the COVID-19 situation, the Symposium will take place by videoconference on 8 and 9 October 2020, on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Botreau Roussel building in the Plateau, in Abidjan. Côte d’Ivoire The Chinese experts will take part from China. The other participants present on site will follow the debates in connected rooms of around ten (10) people.

Day 1

7:30 am – 9:00 am Registration and installation of participants

9:00 am – 9:30 am OPENING CEREMONY

• Speech by H.E.M. WAN Li, Chinese Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire
• Speech by H.E.M. Ally Coulibaly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Opening address by H.E. Hamed Bakayoko, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire
• Family photo

9:30 am – 11:10 am BUILDING A CHINA-AFRICA COMMUNITY OF DESTINY: THE CONTEXT AND ISSUES

• Opening remarks
• Presentations made by 2 Chinese experts / researchers, respectively on the context and the meaning of the China-Africa community of destiny
• Discussion between the 2 Chinese experts / researchers and the participants
• Closing remarks

11:25 am – 01:00 pm BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF DESTINY CHINA-CÔTE D’IVOIRE: REALITIES AND CHALLENGES

• Opening remarks
• Presentations by 2 Ivorian experts / researchers respectively on the context and the meaning of the China- Côte d’Ivoire community of destiny

1. How can China and Côte d’Ivoire promote the concept of community of destiny in international forums?
2. How to better publicize the challenges of the China-Africa community of destiny?

• Discussion between the 2 Ivorian experts / researchers and the participants
• Closing remarks

Day 2

7:30am – 9:00 am Registration and installation of participants

9:00 am – 10:40 am POLITICS, ECONOMY, TRADE, HEALTH AND SECURITY. HOW TO BUILD AN EVEN STRONGER CHINA-AFRICA SHARED COMMUNITY OF THE FUTURE?

• Opening remarks
• Presentations by 2 Chinese experts/researchers
• Discussions between the 2 Chinese experts/researchers and the participants
• Closing remarks

10:55 am – 00:30 pm CHINA-COTE D’IVOIRE: BUILDING A SHARED FUTURE THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARTNERSHIPS AND THE SHARING OF ASSETS AND POTENTIALITIES

• Opening remarks
• Presenttions by 4 Ivorian experts/researchers

1. How can China participate more in the transformation of agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire?
2. Develop more synergies between the Chinese and Ivorian private sectors
3. How to build an even stronger China- Côte d’Ivoire health community?
4. How to build a China- Côte d’Ivoire collective security community?

• Discussionn between the 4 Ivorian experts / researchers and the participants
• Closing remarks

00:30 pm – 01:00 pm CLOSING CEREMONY

• Resume of presentations and recommendations Madam Aïchatou Mindaoudou, CEO of Ipiti Consulting
• Speech by H.E.M. WAN Li, Chinese Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire
• Closing address by H.E. Hamed Bakayoko, Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire