As one of the oldest 144 EU diplomatic representations, set up in 1976, the EU Delegation to Guinea-Bissau is promoting a resilient democracy, human rights and sustainable development under UN Agenda 2030.  

Addressing global challenges, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and other non-traditional threats to peace and security, the EU Delegation and Guinea-Bissau are upholding a rules-based international order, with the UN at its core. 

EU institutions and Member States have made a huge contribution to the COVAX mechanism, €2.2 billion, including €1 billion from the EU budget showing that international solidarity and multilateral cooperation in the fight against the global pandemic is at the heart of our action.  

Combining resources from the EU Member States and EU institutions, including the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the EU delegation has been coordinating the delivery of medical equipment and vaccine doses, as part of the “Team Europe” package.  In April 2021, Guinea-Bissau took delivery of the first batch of Covid vaccines under COVAX.  

A total of 120,000 doses will be delivered to Guinea-Bissau under COVAX in 2021. 

Preventing dangerous climate change is a key priority for the European Union, which is working hard to cut its greenhouse gas emissions substantially while encouraging other nations, including Guinea-Bissau, and other regions to do likewise. 

Guinea-Bissau is particularly vulnerable to climate change in sectors like agriculture and fisheries, threatening the livelihood of some 70% of the population. The Bijagos Archipelago, which was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1996, is also exposed to climate change. 

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change on 22 October 2018 and is actively preparing for the COP26, which will take place in Glasgow (UK) in November 2021, with the support of the EU and international organisations like the Banque Africaine de Développement.  

The European Union belongs to the so-called “Group of Five”, together with the African Union, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the United Nations, tasked by the UN Security Council with supporting national efforts on peacebuilding and national reconciliation. 

The members of the UN Security Council have also called upon the Bissau-Guinean authorities to take concrete steps towards ensuring peace, security and stability in the country by resolving the political crisis through inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, implementing urgent reforms as per the Conakry Agreement of 14 October 2016 and the ECOWAS six-point road map, and expediting the review of the Constitution in a manner consistent with its provisions and with support from ECOWAS and international partners as appropriate. 

The Group of five is still trying to fulfill the mandate received from the UN Security Council, even after the departure of the UNIOGBIS mission in December 2020. 

As EU Member States, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau is Party to most of the main International Human Rights instruments. 

During the latest Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council, which took place in January 2020, Guinea-Bissau accepted 193 of the 197 recommendations issued, most of them linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. 41% of recommendations were linked to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) 

Every year, the Delegation of the European Union also supports the “Quinzena dos direitos umanos” (human rights fortnight) and the journalists prize allocated to the author of the best article on human rights published in the Bissau-Guinean Press. 

Recognising the importance of culture in Foreign Policy, in 2016, the EU adopted a Strategy for international cultural relations aiming at encouraging cultural cooperation between the EU and its partner countries and promoting a global order based on peace, the rule of law, freedom of expression, mutual understanding and respect for fundamental values. 

Together with the Embassies of the Member States and their cultural institutes in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the European Union provides access to a wide range of European creativity by working closely with local partners in the field of culture. 

The Joint Communication entitled “Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations” clearly lays out what the 3 main objectives of the EU’s international cultural cooperation are : 

• To unlock the potential of culture and creativity for sustainable social and economic development. 
• To promote peace and fighting radicalisation through intercultural dialogue, so as to build and promote understanding within and between societies.  
• To strengthen cooperation on cultural heritage.