Enabel and AFD Group sign a Memorandum of Understanding for increased European development agency cooperation
Brussels, 16 November 2022 – On 14 November, the Belgian development agency, Enabel, and the AFD Group, which includes the French development agency and Expertise France, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) defining the framework for deeper European cooperation and a strengthened partnership to address the main global challenges that people face in Africa and the Middle East.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Benin in the framework of a five-year project that is jointly led by Enabel and the AFD Group – EQUITE[1], which aims to improve the health of the most vulnerable populations in the Benin. This MoU is part of a new European cooperation architecture reflected in the Team Europe approach. It is a concrete expression of the ambition of European actors to develop open and strong collaboration with a view to tackling the development challenges.
“In the face of the many and diverse pressing challenges in Africa and the Middle East, including climate change, geopolitical insecurity, and social and economic inequalities, greater collaboration is required in order to strengthen the coherence of international technical, operational and financial cooperation, particularly at European level,“ says Jean Van Wetter, Managing director of Enabel.
“As part of the Team Europe spirit the development of a concerted operational approach and the installation of co-funding mechanisms serve two main goals. Firstly, the number of funding initiatives and the volume of funding must grow to optimise the deployment of a wide range of projects and programmes and, in the longer term, to achieve efficiency gains. The second step is to strengthen the sustainability of projects and their positive impact on the populations in our partner countries,” added the Managing director of the Belgian development agency.
”I am very happy to sign these cooperation agreements with Enabel and LuxDev, in AFD Group format, with Expertise France. Team Europe with the European Commission and development banks and agencies is there for all partner countries to achieve stronger impact and align with the Sustainable Development Goals,“ confirmed Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of AFD.
In order to strengthen the coherence of international cooperation Enabel and the Luxembourg development agency LuxDev will start bilateral cooperation in early 2023 in Benin. This particularly regards the Delta Mono project, which aims to support the agro-ecological transition and the establishment of sustainable food systems in this transboundary biosphere reserve.
[1] “Endeavour for Quality of Inclusive and Transparent care for gender Equality”
Press contact:
- Guido Couck, Head of Communications, Enabel, couck@enabel.be, T +32 486 35 00 75
- Alysée Raganot, Agence 35°Nord, ar@35nord.com , T. : +33 6 77 26 48 70
Enabel is the Belgian development agency. It implements Belgium’s governmental cooperation. The agency also works for the account of other national and international donors. With its partners in Belgium and abroad Enabel offers solutions addressing pressing global challenges – Climate Change, Urbanisation, Human Mobility, Peace and Security, Economic and Social Inequalities – and promoting Global Citizenship. With 2000 staff, Enabel manages about 170 projects in more than twenty countries, in Belgium, Africa and the Middle East.
