Gender equality in 3166th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council's Conclusions

On May 14, 2012, the Foreign affairs Council issued two important conclusions related to last year Commission Communications: ‘Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’ [COM (2011)637] and ‘The Future Approach to EU Budget Support to Third Countries” [COM (2011)638].

The Conclusions present the main elements of EU development cooperation policy and budget support for the coming years.

Both conclusions underline the importance of the promotion of gender equality in development cooperation in general  and in budget support programmes  specifically.

A particular focus is given to gender in the Political and Policy Dialogue. The Conclusions explicitly state  that gender should  be included in the objectives for budget support.

The  three main elements of the EUs  policy on gender  are reconfirmed:

• Political and Policy Dialogue
• Mainstreaming of Gender Equality
• Specific actions to empower women and complement mainstreaming activities

Documents (also attached below):

- Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change, 3166^th Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 14 May 2012

- The Future Approach to EU Budget Support to Third Countries, 3166^th  Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 14 May 2012