Irish Aid Annual Report 2014 Irish Aid Annual Report
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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Iveagh House 80 St Stephen’s Green Dublin 2 t: +353 1 408 2000 www.irishaid.ie www.dfat.ie Irish Aid Annual Report 2014 Irish Aid Annual Report 2014 Irish Aid 1974-2014 Four decades of reporting 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s 2010’s Front Cover: Country scene, Dedza district, Malawi. Photo: Irish Aid Contents 2 Foreword 4 Year in Review 10 One World One Future 12 Framework for Action - Seven Priority Areas 16 Key Partner Countries 36 Other Partner Countries 41 Transparency and Accountability 42 NGO Partners 44 Multilateral Organisations 46 Higher Education 47 Engaging with the Irish Public 51 Annexes 2 Annual Report 2014 Foreword 2014 was a challenging year for global development. But against a background of increasing levels of humanitarian crisis across the world, there were also signs of hope in the fight to end extreme poverty and hunger in our world. Ireland has been Charlie Flanagan TD Seán Sherlock TD playing its part vigorously, through our aid programme and our foreign policy engagement. In 2014, the Government provided which our development assistance 2014, West Africa was hit by the almost €600m for Official is targeted at the poorest countries, worst Ebola outbreak in history Development Assistance (ODA), and reaches the most vulnerable. with 26,000 cases and over 11,000 reflecting the steadfast commitment It commended Ireland for directing deaths. In the wake of this disaster, of the Irish people even in the face of its policies towards the needs and Irish people can be proud of the years of economic difficulty at home. priorities of its partner countries, role we played towards helping to 2014 also marked the publication of and for having a clear overall vision bring the outbreak under control and two significant documents which for development cooperation. The providing treatment and care for the provide us with the basis to measure Review also provided us with valuable thousands affected. Our presence and build the impact of our aid. recommendations and we are already on the ground in Sierra Leone, where addressing these in order to further our mission was upgraded to a full We took the new policy for improve the effectiveness of our aid Embassy, meant that we were able to international development, One World programme. respond quickly. Our support helped One Future and translated it into a to equip ambulances, assist in tracing concrete Framework for Action which We were all proud of the major the sources of new infections, and was published in September. The visit to Africa by President Higgins provide nutritious food to quarantined Framework is now being used in November. He visited three key families and communities, while also to guide policy and programming partner countries and highlighted continuing our programme of long decisions on Ireland’s aid programme the importance of Ireland’s relations term assistance. up to 2017. Our new policy for with Africa and its people. He saw development has informed the review Irish Aid projects and programmes The world also faced an of Ireland’s foreign policy published in Ethiopia, Malawi and South Africa unprecedented number of this year: The Global Island. That and emphasised Ireland’s continuing humanitarian crises. Complex review makes clear that the promotion commitment to our partners in a emergencies in Syria, South Sudan, of our values is fundamental to our changing and vibrant continent. and Central African Republic left foreign policy. Our partnership with each country thousands in need of urgent food is based on needs but also on and shelter. The world now has 59 We engaged actively with the opportunities for furthering our foreign million people who are refugees or OECD Development Assistance policy objectives. This is a two way displaced from their homes. We Committee’s Peer Review of Ireland’s partnership, increasingly about shared responded quickly and effectively by aid programme and welcomed priorities, values and cooperation. transporting hundreds of tonnes of the report, which was published prepositioned supplies to stranded in December. The Review gave a The reality of change, however, is families and communities. We also very positive assessment of the that progress can often be set back prioritised funding for countries programme, particularly the extent to by unexpected crises or events. In and regions with crises and urgent www.irishaid.ie 3 Namro Gul with Meer (2) take refuge inside a cave in Haripur, Pakistan. Photo: Kim Haughton / Trocaire needs but that have, because of new studies which demonstrate the emergencies, fallen below the radar. impact, at the level of the individual, We are committed to ensuring that we of our programme on the ground. are ready to respond to these crises The annexes to the Report provide while at the same time maintaining our detailsIA toof all confirm organisations in receiptphoto focus on the achievement of long term of Irish Aid funding during the year. development results. We encourage you to study the information there to see how your Negotiations also began in earnest money is being spent. to agree a new framework for global development to succeed the The Irish people can be very proud of Millennium Development Goals. the Irish Aid programme. It focuses Ireland was centrally involved in the strongly on poverty, hunger and under UN Open Working Group which nutrition, and on the countries and negotiated new draft Sustainable communities most in need in Development Goals and we were sub-Saharan Africa. We are committed honoured by the appointment of to keeping our people fully informed Ireland and Kenya to co-facilitate the of our programmes, their positive final round of negotiations on the impact on people and communities, post-2015 development agenda at the and their place at the heart of Ireland’s United Nations, in advance of the major foreign policy. global summit to be held at the end of September 2015 in New York. The Irish Aid Annual Report is one Charlie Flanagan TD of our most important publications. Minister for It is our annual opportunity to inform Foreign Affairs & Trade the Irish public of the highlights and challenges of the aid programme. This year’s report sets out the main priorities of the Framework for Action, looks at the results achieved across Seán Sherlock TD Minister of State for Development, Trade our aid programme, in our Key Partner Promotion and North-South Co-operation Countries and through our multilateral and NGO partners. It presents case 4 Annual Report 2014 The year in review In a challenging year for development, Ireland received a very favourable Peer Review by the OECD, President Higgins made a major series of visits to three African countries and the world was impelled to address an unprecedented level of humanitarian emergency, including the biggest outbreak of Ebola in history. DAC Peer Review programme that addresses poverty and hunger. The review also noted Ireland’s success in meeting its During 2014, the Development Assistance Committee target of spending 20% of its budget on fighting hunger, (DAC) of the OECD, the Organisation for Economic and on also meeting its spending targets on gender equality Cooperation and Development, conducted a Peer and the environment. Review of Ireland’s aid programme. OECD DAC Peer Reviews are carried out once every 4-5 years. The The leadership role that Ireland plays at a global level in review is an important benchmark that provides guidance advocating for greater progress on ending world poverty and lesson learning for all donors. It aims to make and hunger and on responding effectively to humanitarian development programmes and policies more effective emergencies and building resilience amongst disaster in addressing poverty. prone communities was also singled out. “Ireland has embraced a strong commitment to build resilience and The review commended Ireland for its contribution to has successfully embedded that commitment across its tackling hunger and poverty, and for having a clear overall programmes and processes; other donors could learn from vision for development cooperation, which is integral to this. There is also a holistic effort to support recovery across its foreign policy. It added that Ireland “delivers effectively programme design and funding mechanisms.” on its commitment to international development and to promoting global public goods, such as peace, human rights and food security.” It also praised Ireland’s approach of targeting the poorest and most vulnerable in all its policies and programmes. At the launch of the Report on the DAC Peer Review in December the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, noted that: “This OECD DAC Report shows that Ireland continues to be a world leader in effectively tackling hunger and poverty and assisting the world’s poorest communities to survive and thrive. All Irish citizens can be immensely proud of this work and the difference it makes to the lives of millions of people in the world.” At the launch of the DAC Peer Review of Ireland’s Aid programme in Government Buildings, Dublin were: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan TD (centre) with Minister for This review upheld the conclusions of earlier reviews Development, Trade Promotion and North South Co-Operation in singling out Ireland’s commitment to an effective aid Seán Sherlock TD (left) and OECD DAC chair Eric Solheim (right). Photo: Julien Behal / Maxwells www.irishaid.ie 5 Minister for Development, Trade Promotion and North South Co-Operation Seán Sherlock TD with Virginia Williams, a midwife at Murray Town Community Health Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The centre is supported by UNICEF with funding from Ireland. Photo: Irish Aid Response to the Ebola outbreak of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, a number of Government Ministers, Embassy staff, and NGOs.