EU’s E575m for youth development projects
MBABANE – The European Union (EU) will provide €32 million (approximately E575 million) for the period 2021-24 for youth development projects in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
This was revealed by the EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Dessislava Choumelova, during a press conference yesterday. She said the funding would focus on the priority area of human development and social inclusion, with the goal of assisting the Emaswati youth.
She said the financial allocation for 2025-2027 would be determined following a review in 2024.
Access
Choumelova noted that for more than 50 years, the EU had worked to make emaSwati lives better.
From access to clean and potable water, free primary education funded by the EU between 2010 and 2015, improving the school curriculum, support to smallholder farmers, building hospitals, classrooms, roads and dams, strengthening of governance, democracy and human rights and supporting the civil society, the EU has been a reliable and trustworthy partner of Eswatini.
She said they were now opening a new chapter in their cooperation with Eswatini, by committing to long-term support for the youth, in line with the EU and Eswatini shared values; human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights.
She said the focus of the EU Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP) had been defined following extensive consultation with the Eswatini Government, the 27 EU member States and diverse key stakeholders, in particular civil society organisations, including women and youth bodies, local authorities, representatives of the private sector, the UN and other partners.
She said the MIP was based on a clear understanding of the EU and Eswatini’s mutual interests and responsibilities as well as the country’s National Development Plan, reflecting a longstanding and reliable partnership.
She said it responded to the context of existing political and socio-economic challenges that had been aggravated by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, the civil unrest and delays in conducting an inclusive and comprehensive national dialogue.
The ambassador said the future actions under the MIP would aim to bring the EU support as close as possible to emaSwati, by working, where possible, with and through civil society organisations and the private sector, while encouraging a continued comprehensive and inclusive dialogue among all national stakeholders.
Disadvantaged
Choumelova said concretely, the MIP focused on empowering the disadvantaged youth and women with skills, income generation and employment through a series of interventions to improve access to formal and non-formal education and the quality and relevance of the TVET (technical and vocational education and training) system.
She said projects would be designed to support durable peace, long-term stability across the country and progress towards the SDGs.
She noted that in the EU, 2022 was the European Year of Youth, which provided a platform for the young generation to make its voice heard on how to build a better future, that was greener, more inclusive and digital.
She also noted that in October 2022, the EU adopted a youth action plan in EU External Action, a first-ever
EU strategic partnership initiative to strengthen engagement with young people worldwide.
“The EU newly-adopted MIP for Eswatini resonates fully with the objectives of the Youth Action Plan to put the youth at the centre of the EU external action for sustainable development, equality and peace,” she said.
Partnerships
She narrated that the action plan envisaged partnerships to engage, empower and connect, aimed at amplifying youth voices in policy and decision-making, fighting inequalities, providing young people with the skills and tools they needed to thrive and fostering opportunities for the youth to network and engage with peers worldwide.
She added that 2023 would be the European Year of Skills, which fitted perfectly with the new EU programme in Eswatini. She said the MIP would also focus on empowering the Eswatini youth and vulnerable women, to achieve their personal goals by acquiring professional skills leading to quality jobs, or starting their own businesses, to fully participate and contribute in a gender-balanced and inclusive society, where democracy, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law were respected and upheld.
The ambassador said the investment in human development and social inclusion in Eswatini fell in the scope of the Global Gateway strategy of the EU and would be implemented in partnership with the European Union Member States in a Team Europe approach.