Juliette John: “the SDGs are at the heart of British diplomacy in Senegal”.

In this rare interview, the UK ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau defends London’s African policy, particularly in Dakar, where she highlights the financing of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As she looks forward to meeting the new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Juliette John pays tribute to the resilience of the Senegalese people and presents the key figures for investment in the areas of climate, infrastructure and gender equality, which are the strength of British diplomacy.

Benoit-Ivan Wansi: How would you describe yourself?

Juliette John: I’ve been the UK’s ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau for two years now. For me, it’s important to talk about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not just England, because I’m Scottish and Welsh. This is my fourth post in Africa, because before Dakar, I was in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) just after working on the Sahel and our Africa strategy. My 20-year career has been divided between diplomacy and international development. I’ve also worked in Yemen and India. It’s a career that has taken me to over 60 countries.

I’m a “third culture kid” (an expression used to describe children who have been brought up in a culture different from those of their parents or their culture of origin). To be precise, I was born in London, but I grew up on four continents. This has had a big influence on my outlook and has enabled me to become fluent in English and French. I’m passionate about discovering countries, peoples and cultures around the world. I want to contribute to better understanding between countries and greater equality between men and women, as well as to reducing poverty in the world and combating climate change.

To add to this description, I’d like to add that I’m open, curious and informal, and I smile a lot. I work hard, but I think it’s important to find a good balance between my professional life and my private life, including spending time with my family.

Senegal has a new president after an exciting electoral process. How did you experience this historic moment for the transition to democracy? Have you ever had a tête-à-tête with Bassirou Diomaye Faye?

The elections were peaceful, transparent and inclusive. Senegal has shown the world the strength and dynamism of its democracy. I myself had the privilege of observing the ballot, and as an official observer I warmly congratulate the Senegalese people on their commitment to democracy. We look forward to further strengthening the strong relationship between the UK and Senegal, based on deep respect and shared values, and built around shared prosperity, mutual security and the sustainable development of both our countries. I look forward to meeting the President-elect and his team very soon.

According to the United Nations, only 15% of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been achieved to date. Senegal and Guinea-Bissau are lagging behind, while the 2030 deadline is fast approaching. Does London have any specific mechanisms in place for financing the SDGs in Africa?

It is true that the effects of the global economic crisis, COVID-19, climate change and conflict are compromising progress towards achieving the SDGs. That’s why, at the halfway point, we need to take stock and redouble our efforts. The UK is proud to have played a leading role in the development of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, and to contribute to their implementation. For example, since 2015 we have supported nearly 20 million children, including 10 million girls, to benefit from a decent education (SDG4). In November 2023, the UK published our new International Development Strategy (White Paper). It places the SDGs at the heart of our approach. We will strive to devote at least 50% of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the most vulnerable countries, commonly known as LDCs. In particular, we will support reform of the international financial system to unlock more than $200 billion of additional financing to reduce poverty (SDG1) over the next ten years. We plan to mobilise £8 billion (€9.3 billion) of funding a year by 2025 through the UK’s Investment Partnerships Programme (BIP). Finally, we are also encouraging multilateral development banks and all other creditors to offer so-called “climate resilience” clauses (SDG13), pioneered by the UK. These clauses allow debt repayments to be suspended in the event of a climate disaster. The UK announced the very first climate resilience clause in Africa with Senegal during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) held in November 2023 in Dubai.

So what are your priority sectors in Senegal in 2024, and for what budget?

For Senegal, our partnership is based on three main areas: shared prosperity, mutual security and sustainable development. On the economic front, we are supporting Senegal’s industrialisation and we are a major bilateral investor, and the leading investor in the energy sector, as well as in infrastructure, including the new port of Ndayane, agriculture, telecommunications and mining.

On the security front, our armed and security forces are working together to strengthen peace and stability in the region and combat threats to our national security, such as violent extremism, organised crime and drug trafficking. London and Dakar signed a security and defence cooperation agreement last December.

As for sustainable development, our official development assistance for Senegal has been set at £26 million by 2022 (around €24 billion). We are one of Senegal’s partners in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). We also support marine biodiversity and fisheries resources (SDG14), not forgetting health (SDG3) and women’s rights (SDG5).

You just mentioned the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between the UK and the State of Senegal. What progress can be seen in its implementation, particularly as regards the development of technical expertise?

The UK and its partners are supporting the energy transition in five pilot countries, including Senegal, through JETP. We congratulate the country of Teranga on its commitment in July 2023 to increase the share of renewable energy to 40% of its electricity mix by 2030. Together with its international partners, we are going to contribute €2.5 billion to this partnership. We are committed to supporting these efforts from the earliest stages by providing technical assistance to accelerate the development of the JETP investment plan. In addition, through the Private Investment Development Group (PIDG), a development finance institution 70% funded by the UK, we will be investing in a solar photovoltaic power plant with its own battery system to store energy. This is a first in West Africa. Further UK investment is envisaged as soon as the JETP investment plan is finalised.

The autumn of 2023 will have been marked by the solemn visit of King Charles III to Kenya, during which he even climbed aboard an electric “tuk-tuk” to support efforts to decarbonise transport. Senegal is one of the first African countries to equip itself with an all-electric Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. We saw you enthusiastically at the inauguration ceremony in January 2024. What were the reasons behind your decision to fund the €46 million project?

Like many African capitals, Dakar is experiencing strong urban growth underpinned by high population growth. The result is mobility constraints, with all the associated problems, including the impact on the environment. What’s more, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), transport accounts for 35% of total energy-related CO2 emissions. So if we want to curb global warming and prevent the harmful effects of pollution on human health, while at the same time promoting mobility, we urgently need to promote environmentally-friendly modes of transport. That’s why it’s a priority for the UK to support the BRT, the first all-electric bus in sub-Saharan Africa. Through the PIDG, we have contributed $50 million to this important and ground-breaking initiative. The new bus network will cut journey times by 50 minutes and avoid the emission of 59,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, in line with our shared ambition to achieve SDG 13 on climate action. In addition, through our Manufacturing Africa programme, we are supporting the Government of Senegal in establishing a regulatory framework for electric vehicles, which will serve as the basis for encouraging their adoption and investment across the value chain.

“I was fascinated to visit the Agence sénégalaise d’études spatiales (ASES) and listen to their ambitious plans to explore the universe and contribute to Senegal’s development,” you said recently on the LinkedIn social network. Can you share with our readers your expectations for this initiative, and why has the UK been focusing on science in recent years?

The UK is a major player in science and technology. By investing in science and technology, we want to create well-paid jobs, grow the economy in cutting-edge sectors and improve people’s lives, from health to security. Achieving the SDGs requires not just financial assistance, but also support for innovation and the development of new technologies. This will enable us to make a faster and greater impact on sustainable development. In this context, I was delighted to visit the ASES agency and Dr Maram Kaire, who is the first Senegalese scientist to have his name attributed to an object in the solar system, with the designation of the asteroid (35,462) Maramkaire by the International Astronomical Union in May 2021. We hope that they too will be able to visit the UK Space Agency very soon.

Guinea-Bissau is the world’s sixth largest cashew nut producer and has great fishing potential, but it does not have the best of records (66% of the population live in shanty towns, 100% of the population exposed to atmospheric pollution, according to the World Bank) and is therefore constantly ranked among the poorest countries in the world in terms of growth. What are the main sustainable development initiatives you have undertaken in the sub-region since your appointment in April 2022?

It’s true that despite its assets and resources, Guinea-Bissau is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world. We have three priorities there: the fight against organised crime, poverty and violence against women and girls. The UK has contributed over £14 million (over €16.4 million) in official development assistance to Guinea-Bissau in 2022. For example, we have funded projects in rural areas to strengthen social protection and reduce dependence on drug trafficking. We are also working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to reduce the harmful practice of female genital mutilation.

How do you see the future of London’s Africa policy in the face of the influence of Beijing, Moscow and Washington on the African continent, particularly in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau?

I believe that the partnership between the UK and African countries is going from strength to strength. During my career, I have seen the character of that partnership change, become more respectful, more modern, more equitable. I am proud that one of our priorities is to strengthen the weight of African countries in global governance, whether it be in the United Nations Security Council, the G20 or the international financial institutions. It is high time that the African continent took its rightful place on the world stage. We want to be a reliable long-term partner and support the continent in five areas. On the economic front, we are already the largest investor in Africa and a leader in financing green economies and the climate. Our companies offer quality investment, with a spirit of partnership and respect for international standards of governance, human rights and the environment. In 2022, the UK’s total annual trade with the African continent exceeded £46 billion (nearly €54 billion) and more than half of British Investment International’s (BII) portfolio is in Africa. By 2022, the BII has invested nearly £700 million (€821 million) in 768 companies in Africa.

On climate, we also want to work with our African partners for a cleaner, greener planet. The UK is delivering on its commitment to double its international climate finance to £11.6 billion (€13.6 billion) by 2025/26.

In terms of gender equality, we are going to focus heavily on empowering women and girls, in particular by giving them 12 years of quality education, better health and sexual and reproductive rights, while investing in the prevention of violence against them. In fact, this is the whole point of our “Girls Education Challenge”, which has already enabled more than 400,000 girls to get an education, even in fragile contexts.

Any news on the second UK-Africa Summit, initially scheduled for April 2024? What can we expect from such a meeting?

This summit has been postponed and new dates will be announced in due course following discussions with international partners. It should be stressed that this postponement neither prevents nor slows down the growth in trade between Senegal and the UK, which has more than doubled in the last two years. We hope it will continue to grow, particularly with the launch last year of our new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). It offers duty-free and quota-free access to the UK market for 99% of African goods. Senegal is set to be one of the top ten beneficiaries worldwide.

You are so insistent on SDG5 that you told the Senegalese press that you “sometimes have the impression that the fight for gender equality is becoming more and more difficult. All over the world, climate change and humanitarian crises continue to affect women more than men”. Why is this so important to you?

The UK is actively committed to supporting African girls and women in their fight for gender equality and climate resilience, a fight that unfortunately remains difficult in many parts of the world. Greater equality between men and women is a source of freedom, stimulates prosperity and trade, and strengthens global security and resilience. Quite simply, it is the fundamental building block of any mature democracy. A country cannot achieve emergence or the SDGs without unlocking the full potential of women. That’s why the UK is stepping up initiatives in this direction. This is the case of our Financial Sector Deepening Africa Investment (FSDAi) programme, through which we have invested $1 million in the IC Capital platform to promote women’s investment and support women entrepreneurs in Senegal.