In a turbulent world and with development under huge stress, partnership between North and South is key to promoting more inclusive and effective global governance. The European Union (EU) is very vocal about partnerships in its policy statements, but still lacks the capacity to convert this discourse into reality.

An urgent problem is that the EU remains a fragmented, isolated organisation, mostly looking inward without understanding the perceptions and priorities of its partners in the developing world.

This policy brief by Nils-Sjard Schulz concludes that the EU needs to mature as a partner if it wishes to become a credible and strong global actor. Among the possible means of improvement, the EU should invest in partnership contracts and innovative partnership models such as triangular cooperation.

Available for download here.