HI_Info Fed_Country Card_Benin_2019.10.08_EN

BENIN

2019

General country data a. General data

Country Capital city Porto-Novo Surface area (km2) 114,763 Population 11,176,000

Population within the 800 UNHCR mandate Density (per km2) 99.1 Sex ratio 99.5 (M to 100 F) Population growth rate 2.8% Fertility rate 5.2 Life expectancy 61.4/58.5 (Women/Men) Infant mortality rate per 67.7 1000 births GDP (million US$) 8,476 GDP growth rate (2017) 5.2% Unemployment 2.3% Per capita income (US$) 779.1 HDI 0.485 IHDI 0.304 GINI index 47.8 INFORM index 3.5 - Average Fragile States Index 78.8 - 73rd Development assistance (in 492.89 million US$)

b. Humanitarian law instruments ratified by the country

 Mine Ban Treaty/Status: ratified in 1998  Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: ratified in 2012 c. Geopolitical analysis

1. Social, cultural and demographic context

The Republic of Benin is a West African country located in the Gulf of Guinea. Its political capital is Porto-Novo and the economic capital is . The country covers a surface area of almost 114,000 km2 and has 2,123 km of borders. It is surrounded by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina-Faso and Niger to the north.

2. Political situation

Benin has enjoyed a stable democracy since 1990. In April 2019, parliamentary elections were held, and led to opposition protests due to a ban on opposition parties taking part.

3. Economic situation

Benin's economy is heavily dependent on informal re-export and transit trade to Nigeria (which accounts for about 20% of GDP) and agriculture. More than 90% of the working-age population is engaged in the informal economy which is estimated to account for 65% of total activity.

Presence of HI in the country

The Benin programme started up in 1999, in response to a request to train orthoprosthetic technicians at the CNHU (national hospital and university centre) in Cotonou. In 2003, the Benin programme closed due to a shortage of funds. From 2003 - 2010, HI stepped up exchanges between the national Buruli ulcer control programmes in Togo, Benin and Ghana. During this period, only short missions were deployed in Benin. In 2010, the HI office in Cotonou reopened on the request of the Ministry of the Family and National Solidarity. HI put into place several projects at this time: a lymphatic filariasis control project, a project to promote the rights of people with disabilities, a road safety project, and an inclusive local development (ILD) project. The DECISIPH project to promote the rights of people with disabilities reinvigorated the not-for-profit sector in Benin and became a trusted, reliable contact for the government. In 2013/2014, HI launched three projects, on inclusive education, inclusive local development, and the management of the physical security of weapons and munitions. The local and inclusive development project has had a real impact in Cotonou with the development of notes for minimum accessibility standards in municipalities and the relaunch of the inclusive building code development process. HI has since become a benchmark in the field of accessibility and is systematically consulted by the government.

Projects

Sector of Project title Donors Funding period intervention Kingdom of Belgium: January 2018 - Directorate General Road safety project Road safety December 2021 (4 Development Cooperation years) (DGD) DGD January 2018 - Professional inclusion Inclusive French Development Agency December 2021 (4 project employment (AFD) years) January 2018 - Inclusive education Inclusive education AFD December 2021 (4 project* years) Stage 1: July 2017 - November 2018 (16 Prevention and Crisis and Support Centre months) CAPAF-SEC* reduction of armed (CDCS) (France) Stage 2: December violence 2018 - May 2020 (18 months)

Directorate General Crisis and Support French Development Development Cooperation Centre (CDCS) Agency (DGD)

*Regional Project

HI Team in Benin

The HI team in Burundi has 13 staff members. HI_Info Fed_Country Card_Benin_2019.10.08_EN Ongoing projects: sectors in which HI has projects and main operational partnerships

Operational Sector of intervention Objectives Type of intervention Beneficiaries Location partners Road safety project

• 26,000 vulnerable • MTPT (Ministry young road users of Public Works Improve the • Draft and adopt • 25 representatives and Transport) situation for road safety of CSOs and DPOs • CNSR (National Prevention & Health road users legislation working on road Road Safety and through • Strengthen and safety Centre) Atlantique effective road mobilise road safety • 20 CNSR managers • RENASER departments safety actors around the and employees (National management implementation of a • 10 trainers and Network of in Benin national road safety action plan 1,000 police Road Safety recruits Associations)

Professional inclusion project • Local assessment of • ANPE (National • 620 young people access to Employment with disabilities employment for Agency) • 3 centres for Inclusion Improve the people with • FAPHB training and social economic and disabilities (Federation of advancement professional • Capacity-building of Disabled Littoral and • 40 company inclusion of the ANPE and People's Atlantique managers people with training centres Organisation in departments • 10 companies disabilities in • Raise the Benin) • 5 service providers Benin awareness of • Centres for in the field of companies on the training and professional issue of disability social inclusion • Set up a support advancement

fund for companies

Inclusive education project

• Advocacy to ensure children with • Ministry of Tangibly disabilities are Social Affairs improve the • 500 children with Inclusive Education taken into account and living disabilities in the country's Microfinance conditions of • 238 teachers educational • NGO La people with • 4 specialized strategies Colombe - Littoral and disabilities and schools • Set up Hibiscus Atlantique vulnerable • 10 devolved consultations for • NGO Equilibre departments populations technical services children with Bénin through an workers disabilities with • Ministry of inclusive, • 2 NGOs care providers Nursery and participative • 5 CBR centres • Train and support Primary School approach teachers in inclusive Education education CAPAF SEC project • The CPADD • Three national (Centre for • Build the capacities commissions to fight advanced of the CPADD against small arms training in training centre and light weapons post-conflict • Build the technical (Senegal, Guinea- demining and capacities of the Bissau, Benin, Niger decontaminatio Contribute to national authorities and Chad) n operations) Armed Violence the security of and civil society • Two national mine • The national Benin; Prevention and populations organisations for action commissions commissions to Guinea- Reduction and socio- managing the (Senegal and DRC) fight against Bissau; economic quality of demining • The CPADD (Centre small arms and Niger; DRC; development initiatives and the for advanced light weapons Senegal; in management of training in post- (Senegal, Chad Francophone weapons and conflict demining Guinea-Bissau, Africa munitions stockpiles and decontamination Benin, Niger • Prepare the operations) and Chad) implementation of • 14 munitions • The national interventions to management anti-mine secure territories specialists from commissions and populations Francophone African (Senegal and countries DRC)

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