非洲世纪的美国新政策框架.docxVIP

CSIS BRIEFSBy Jud CSIS BRIEFS THE ISSUE AUGUST 2020 U.S. policy toward Africa is in need of a facelift—in both substance and strategic vision—to keep up with the continent’s shifting demographics and growing influence on the world stage. Africans will be integral to addressing some of the world’s thorniest problems. The continent holds three nonpermanent seats at the UN Security Council, and it represents the largest and most unified bloc at the UN General Assembly. A revitalized relationship with African countries must prioritize engagement with African counterparts because there are strategic issues on the table. It has to levy real carrots and sticks, not just deploy moralistic arguments about a policy outcome. The United States should expand its diplomatic partners and repertoire, investing in cities, deepening its ties with regional bodies, elevating its private sector, and working alongside other external actors. The United States should revamp its public diplomacy and communication with both African and U.S. audiences. By reimagining its soft power, as well as tapping behavioral economists, advertising professionals, and pollsters, the United States has a real opportunity to connect with the next generation of African leaders and advance its objectives in the region and the wider world. A New U.S. Policy Framework for the African CenturyU.S. policy toward Africa has been mired in old thinking for too long. A combination of factors including low prioritization, A New U.S. Policy Framework for the African Century U “bipartisan consensus” has resulted in policies and practices locked in amber. To be sure, continuity and consistency have their merits, but they also act as brakes on creativity, innovation, and fresh thinking. This policy drift leaves the United States ill- equipped for new challenges and discontinuities—such as a global pandemic, for example. It valorizes a decades- old playbook and reflexively dismisses recommendations that veer from the scrip