BRUSSELS, Belgium, November 25, 2015/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The European Commission has announced nearly €150 million for nine projects to support governance and human rights, as well as innovation and learning throughout the African continent.
The following projects were announced on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2015, as part of the ‘Pan-African Action Plan’, which will specifically target women and girls.
1) €10 million to strengthen the African Human Rights System: to tackle discrimination and human rights violations. This project is part of a wider approach covering governance and human rights under the Pan-African Programme which includes support to election observation, civil society organisations, and possible future support to public administration and anti-corruption measures.
2) €5 million to support the international effort to end female genital mutilation (FGM). The major focus in the prevention of FGM is to encourage its abolishment, while also addressing the needs of girls and women who suffer its consequences. The Pan-African Action Plan therefore includes legal and policy reforms, community-based education and dialogue, support to sexual and reproductive health-care services and child protection systems, and national-scale communication efforts to change the societal perceptions around FGM. It will be implemented by the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
3) €45 million support programme for the African Union institutions. As a key regional partner of the European Union, the African Union (AU) will also benefit from funding under the Pan-African Action Plan. This will assist the AU Commission and other AU institutions to build their own capacities to effectively and efficiently implement their strategies and programmes, as well as to contribute fully to the implementation of the Africa-EU Partnership.
4) €20 million to support the enhanced role of civil society organisations in the dialogue with African institutions and in the implementation of initiatives to promote security, governance, human rights and gender equality.
5) €15 million to help African countries respond more effectively to transnational organised crime: The proposed action will provide a one-stop shop for updated information and analysis on transnational crime and evolving trends in each region and between regions, as well as analysing the impact that these flows are having on stability, governance, the rule of law and development. Reliable evidence-based analysis and research will be carried out and coordinated at regional and continental levels.
6) €26.5 million for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Africa initiative. The aim of this is to support African policy-makers and planners in the promotion of the sustainable management of natural resources through the use of Earth Observation data. The project will make use of the technology offered by the European Copernicus programme which promotes the establishment of a European capacity for Earth Observation.
7) €10 million to advance geological knowledge and skills in Africa’s mining sector. African mineral resources are often still unexplored or unclassified. Mineral exploration and mapping is one of the main tasks of geological surveys. Such information has a huge value, but is extremely difficult to produce and manage. Mapping geology requires skilled individuals and technical tools that several countries in Africa are currently not able to afford and maintain. The project focuses on establishing long-term strategic cooperation (for example training in data mapping and development of data infrastructure) in order to address this issue.
8) €5 million to improve flight safety in Africa.The project supports the extension of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service to Africa with a view to improving civil aviation safety and efficiency through better navigation systems in Africa. This should also contribute to the reduction of air transport costs and lower carbon emissions as well as improved flight safety.
9) €10 million to promote mobility in higher education in Africa. This programme aims to increase access to quality education that will encourage and enable African students to undertake postgraduate studies on the African continent. It will promote the mobility of staff, while increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of the institutions themselves and enhancing the political, educational and economic links between participating countries
