Capacity Development

The Intra-ACP Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programme, financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), represents one of the European Union’s key cooperation instruments with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) in strengthening risk management and resilience to disasters. With a budget of €100.5 million for the period 2022–2028, the Programme aims to reduce the impacts of disasters caused by natural hazards, extreme climate and weather events, and other exogenous risks, while strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable populations. It is fully aligned with the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, regional and national agendas, and with broader international commitments to promote sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient development. Strengthening Resilience and Reducing Disaster Impacts Across OACPS Regions Operating at an interregional scale across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Programme works through a network of 8 implementing partners, regional organisations and specialised technical institutions. This multi-partner approach supports complementary actions ranging from strengthening early warning systems and improving risk governance to integrating disaster risk reduction into national, sectoral policies and investment planning. With its three specific objectives, the Programme seeks to: > Strengthen disaster risk governance. This means better management of disaster risks, ensuring that the right policies and frameworks are in place to protect people, communities, ecosystems and their livelihoods. > Increase investment in disaster risk reduction. Investing in resilient infrastructure and sustainable practices, can help communities withstand and recover from disasters more effectively. > Enhance disaster preparedness to ensure effective response and recovery. This includes 'Build Back Better' during recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction, creating stronger and safer communities. To ensure coherence and effectiveness across its components, a dedicated Technical Assistance facility managed by DAI supports the coordination of the Programme implementation. This support includes monitoring and evaluation, analytical advice, peer learning and facilitation of knowledge exchange across ACP regions. It also plays a central role in advancing South–South cooperation, enabling countries to share innovations, tools and lessons learned in disaster risk management. Stronger disaster resilience starts with better knowledge. This approach positions knowledge creation and sharing at the core of technical assistance, while using communication as a catalyst for impact, coordination and recognition of results. The aim is to transform local and regional experiences into shared resources that benefit the wider DRR community and OACP countries.

The Africa-Europe Youth Academy is one of the flagships of the Youth Action Plan in European Union external action (YAP) and part of the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package under the ‘Youth Mobility for Africa Flagship’.

About Public financial management (PFM) in a fragile context: the case of South Sudan This group explores the lessons-learned from capacity-building on PFM in South Sudan, including findings from the EU Technical Assistance for Sub-national Capacity Building in Payroll and PFM (EUTAPP) as implemented by Ecorys.

MIEUX (MIgration EU eXpertise) is a peer-to-peer experts’ facility which supports partner countries and regional organisations to better manage migration and mobility through the provision of rapid, tailor-made assistance upon request. Since 2009, more than 100 countries across the world have benefited from MIEUX capacity building activities delivered by almost 400 migration experts. MIEUX is a joint initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

In 2002, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) established the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership on Water Affairs and Sanitation to contribute to achieving water supply, sanitation and water resources management related to the Millennium Development Goal targets in Africa. The partnership was operationalized by the Africa Working Group of the EU Water Initiative, chaired by African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the EU. The Africa-EU Water Partnership Project (AEWPP) is a continuation of this partnership. Project implementation is assigned to the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

EBSOMED (Enhancing Business Support Organisations and Business Networks in the Southern Neighbourhood) is project co-financed by the European Union and coordinated by BUSINESSMED (Union of Mediterranean Confederations of Enterprises) as part of a consortium of six partners. More than thirty organisations from 26 countries are also affiliated to the project.