Future Africa Welcomes French Deputy Director for Insights on Global Issues
Future Africa at the University of Pretoria (UP) organized a guest lecture on June 17, 2025, featuring Mr. Jean-Sébastien Conty, who serves as the Deputy Director for Global Affairs at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event was titled “Taking Initiatives & Bridging the Gap: France Contributions to Face Main Global Challenges” and was held in collaboration with several prominent French institutions, including the Joint Office of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).
In her opening address, Professor Wanda Markotter, the Interim Director of Future Africa, expressed her enthusiasm for the diverse range of attendees. She noted, “It’s not just academics in the room; it’s policymakers, diplomats, industry professionals, and youth. That’s what Future Africa is about.” She further highlighted the importance of this lecture series in fostering partnerships and advancing discussions that began during Africa Week 2025.
Mr. Conty, who has held senior diplomatic positions in Brussels, Washington, and Paris, addressed the critical need for international cooperation to tackle pressing global issues, including climate change, vaccine equity, food security, and gender justice. “Taking initiatives and bridging the gap to face global challenges is more urgent than ever,” he stated, emphasizing the global responsibility in shaping the future of our planet. He warned that international cooperation is increasingly difficult, specifically in the fight against climate change.
He shared insights about France’s significant contribution to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), with a commitment of €700 million as part of a larger €1 billion initiative aimed at promoting a just shift from coal dependency. “We must never put countries in a position where they have to choose between alleviating poverty and protecting the environment,” he remarked, underscoring the principle behind their pact for People and Planet.
Aside from climate action, Mr. Conty highlighted France’s vital partnerships in health and food systems. He mentioned collaboration with the African Union and Gavi during the 2024 Vaccine Innovation Summit. He also spoke about France’s backing of the One Health approach and the International Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM), designed to bolster local agricultural systems across Africa.
The lecture also spotlighted France’s feminist foreign policy, which was introduced in 2019 and reaffirmed in 2024. Through the French Support Fund for Feminist Organisations, more than €215 million has been allocated to over 1,400 organizations in 75 countries, including initiatives in South Africa and Lesotho that focus on empowering women, reproductive health education, and preventing gender-based violence.
“Science is often questioned, and facts can be treated as opinions,” Mr. Conty concluded, reminding the audience of the crucial role researchers and academics play. “We must confront these global challenges together.”
What are your thoughts on the necessity of international cooperation in addressing such pressing issues?
