Voices & Views

Almost 80% of Cambodians live in rural areas with limited access to clean and affordable energy. The EU promotes sustainable consumption patterns and changes behaviours by supporting micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSMEs) to switch to solar energy sources.

In 2011, the Busan Principles defined what makes good-quality, effective development cooperation worldwide. However, in the ten years since Busan ODA (Official Development Assistance), programmes have become more fragmented and less effective. The Team Europe approach – adopted by the EU and its Member States in 2020 – is a commitment to delivering more and better impact through building joint coordinated, more effective European development cooperation. Capacity4dev spoke with country-level practitioners to learn from their experience on the Team Europe approach.

Migration et développement vont de pair. Depuis la nuit des temps, les humains ont essayé de surmonter l'adversité et d'améliorer leurs conditions économiques et sociales en se déplaçant vers d'autres lieux. Les moyens de communication et de transport modernes ont multiplié les possibilités de se déplacer, mais le COVID-19 a posé d'immenses défis aux migrants. Vous trouverez ci-dessous quelques bonnes pratiques de l'Afrique orientale et australe en la matière.

The EU has been supporting the global fight against COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and it is committed to making national health systems more resilient. Partner countries have faced many challenges including the distribution of emergency supplies to strengthen local health systems, the launch of national vaccination campaigns and the boosting of economic recovery. The EU has supported its partners across the world wherever necessary and whenever possible, including in Zimbabwe.

The world celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Children’s Rights adopted on 20 November 1959 by the UN General Assembly. Although one in three people worldwide is a minor, most societies still undervalue the opinion of children and teens. However, young activists like Greta Thunberg and Francisco Vera prove that – for a better world – their voices matter.

The Middle East has faced political tension, military conflicts and other disputes for many years. It is, as a result, a region with one of the most enduring conflicts in the world. The EU has set out its policy on the Middle East in a series of high-level public statements including the Venice Declaration of 1980, the Berlin Declaration of 1999, the Seville Declaration and the Roadmap for Peace of 2002, as well as multiple Council conclusions . Against this backdrop, ongoing environmental challenges have severely affected local communities and showcased their transboundary repercussions on neighbouring regions and countries including Palestine, Israel and Jordan. Hence, in spite of regional conflicts, a new ground for cross-border collaboration has emerged with joint research providing supranational solutions to environmental issues.

Cities are home to more than half of the world’s population and 80% of the global economic output. They lead the way as pioneers on sustainability issues, developing innovative solutions for environmental, social and economic challenges. Better knowledge about specific local conditions allows the development and promotion of context-specific solutions that are more likely to resonate with citizens, thus having greater impact. Cities play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs, and city-to-city alliances are steadily emerging. The partnership between Bruges, Belgium, and Ebolowa, Cameroon, highlights the potential of synergies among the Global South and Global North.