African Policy Panel

In December 2022, the Biden Administration hosted the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, a gathering of U.S. government officials, African heads of state, civil society, and private sector leaders to “underscore the importance of U.S.-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities.” The first of its kind held since 2014, the three-day summit involved dialogues on Africa’s growing importance in addressing global economic, health, and security challenges. Notable achievements of the summit included an announcement by the U.S. government to invest at least $55 billion in Africa in the next three years and the creation of a special representative position to implement the summit’s outcomes. 

 

In the months following the summit, questions remain over how the new agreements and partnerships launched will be implemented and whether the $55 billion commitment represents new funding or simply the reallocation of existing resources. As the U.S. seeks to revitalize its relationship to Africa after a period of extremely limited engagement under the previous administration, how the U.S. should update its approach to the continent remains open to debate. 

 

As part of the 2023 Africa Summit at Princeton, the panel event, Beyond the Leaders Summit: Rethinking the Future of U.S.-Africa Relations for Shared Prosperity, will bring together U.S.-Africa policy experts to discuss the successes and missed opportunities of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit, as well as what direction U.S. foreign policy should pursue to forge stronger, more prosperous partnerships with African nations. 

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