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An Overview of EC Commitment to Gender Equality in Development Cooperation

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An Overview of EC Commitment to Gender Equality in Development Cooperation EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace An overview of EC commitment to Gender Equality in development cooperation An overview of EC commitment to Gender Equality in development cooperation EC DEVELOPMENT POLICY STRUCTURE AND GENDER EQUALITY .......................................................... 1 LEGAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS ................................................................................................... 2 EC Treaty....................................................................................................2 Cotonou Agreement.......................................................................................2 Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI)..........................................................3 European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) ....................................4 Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) ....................................................................5 Instrument for Stability (IfS) ............................................................................5 European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) ................................5 Humanitarian Aid ..........................................................................................6 POLICY FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................................................ 7 European Consensus on Development.................................................................7 Regional policy frameworks............................................................................. 8 EU Strategy for Africa ................................................................................. 8 Commission Communication on EU relations with the Caribbean countries ................ 8 Commission Communication on EU relations with the Pacific Islands ....................... 9 Commission Communications on EU relations with Asia ....................................... 9 Commission Communication on EU relations with Latin America............................. 9 EU Policy documents on Development and Gender Equality .................................. 9 EC resources for development and Gender Equality ............................................. 10 European Development Fund (EDF) ...................................................................10 EC budget.................................................................................................10 EC DEVELOPMENT POLICY STRUCTURE – WHO DOES WHAT?............................................................... 11 European Commission .................................................................................. 11 DG RELEX .................................................................................................11 DG DEV....................................................................................................11 EuropeAid.................................................................................................11 ECHO ......................................................................................................11 The Council ............................................................................................... 12 European Parliament ................................................................................... 12 The programming process ............................................................................. 13 Programming tools ......................................................................................13 Quality support ..........................................................................................13 Evaluation ................................................................................................13 EC development policy structure and Gender Equality This paper aims to give an introduction to the development policy structure of the European Community (EC) with specific focus on the EC commitment to Gender Equality within this structure, including references to relevant documents. While not giving an exhaustive account of all aspects related to EC development cooperation, the purpose is to give a foundation on which to build informative discussions in the September workshop. The paper starts by outlining the legal framework for Community development cooperation and its gender components in order to point out the binding commitments. The policy instruments established to carry out these commitments are then listed, also with gender components if available, together with the funding mechanisms. The second part of this paper addresses the organisational structure of EC development cooperation. Again this is by no means an exhaustive account of the institutions’ responsibilities but rather a brief illustration of the actors involved. Included is also information pertaining to the programming process that may be useful for the coming work to be done in the UN/EC Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace. EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace www.gendermatters.eu 1 Legal obligations and commitments EC Treaty In the Treaty establishing the European Community (EC Treaty)1, Article 2 calls for the promotion of gender equality throughout the Community. Article 3 lists a range of Community activities, including “a policy in the sphere of development cooperation”, that all “shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between men and women”. Article 177, which sets the priorities of the EC’s development cooperation, includes poverty eradication as an overall objective. It includes a reference to human rights but not to the promotion of gender equality. All EU Member States are party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Although some Member States have made reservations to particular S articles in the Convention they have in essence committed themselves to undertake measures to end all forms of discrimination against women. All EU Member States are signatories to the 2000 Millennium Declaration which holds equal rights for men and women as a fundamental value and further sees the promotion of gender equality and S women’s empowerment as effective ways to achieve sustainable development. Cotonou Agreement The partnership agreement between the EU and the ACP countries was signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000. The agreement covers a twenty-year period and was revised in 2005 in accordance with the agreement’s revision clause stating that the agreement can be adapted on a five-year basis. The revision included a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals as well as a commitment to protect the sexual and reproductive rights of women. Article 1 of the agreement sets poverty eradication as the main objective of the ACP-EU partnership. It also provides that: “Systematic account shall be taken of the situation of women and gender issues in all areas – politic, economic and social.” It further states in Article 20 that ACP-EC cooperation shall aim at promoting gender equality and that gender issues shall be mainstreamed as a cross-cutting theme. In the section on cross-cutting themes, Article 31 on gender issues reads: “Cooperation shall help strengthen policies and programmes that improve, ensure and broaden the equal participation of men and women in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life. Cooperation shall help improve the access of women to all resources required for the full exercise of their fundamental rights. More specifically, cooperation shall create the appropriate framework to: 1 Official Journal of the European Union C325 2002 EC/UN Partnership on Gender Equality for Development and Peace www.gendermatters.eu 2 (a) integrate a gender-sensitive approach and concerns at every level of development cooperation including macroeconomic policies, strategies and operations; and (b) encourage the adoption of specific positive measures in favour of women such as: (i) participation in national and local politics; (ii) support for women’s organisations; (iii) access to basic social services, especially to education and training, health care and family planning; (iv) access to productive resources, especially to land and credit and to labour market; and (v) taking specific account of women in emergency aid and rehabilitation operations.” Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) The Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI)2 is the framework for EC assistance to South Africa and developing countries not covered by the Cotonou agreement or the ENPI. Article 2 of the DCI establishes poverty eradication as the overarching objective of cooperation with partner countries. In addition to this it provides support to sugar production restructuring in ACP countries and it also finances five thematic programmes: Food Security Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy Migration and Asylum Investing in People Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development The thematic programmes support all developing countries, including those covered by the Cotonou agreement and the ENPI. The DCI states in its recital that: “A political environment which guarantees peace and stability, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democratic principles, the rule of law, good governance and gender equality is fundamental to long-term development.” Gender equality is mentioned as a goal in Article 1 on overall purpose and scope and
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