QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ZAMBIA AND COMESA January - March 2018 EDITORIAL BY AMBASSADOR ALESSANDRO MARIANI TABLE OF CONTENT EU – ZAMBIA PARTNERSHIP During the first quarter of 2018 the European Union continued to invest time and energies in the relations with I. ELECTION OF THE EU ZAMBIA BUSINESS CLUB BOARD civil society with a wide variety of activities including: (i) the visit to the Refugee camp and settlement area in II. EU SIGNS SGBV PREVENTION AND SUPPORT Nchelenge district, which was followed by the PROGRAMME announcement of a financial support via UNHCR and Civil Society Organisations; (ii) the promotion of the fight III. EU AND PARTNERS INVEST 4.7 M EURO TO PROTECT against Gender Based Violence with the signature of a new programme and its official launch in Lusaka as well as in ZAMBIA'S WILDLIFE Luapula and the Northern provinces; (iii) the enhancement of our joint efforts to protect wildlife in three main trans- IV. EU'S BLENDED FINANCE POWERS ITEZHI TEZHI frontier conservation areas between Zambia and Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia; HYDRO (iv) the dialogue with civil society organisations with a specific mandate to assist marginalised groups, with a V. EU ENGAGES CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN specific focus on re-integration in society of incarcerated ZAMBIA people; (v) first formal elections of the Board of Directors of the EU Zambia Business Club, which can play a more and VI. NATIONAL TOURISM MASTER PLAN more important role in dialogue with the Government of Zambia on investments and business climate. This very important work was strongly supported by a very active EU – COMESA PARTNERSHIP role of all EU Member States. I. REGIONAL TRADE VISIT TO CHIRUNDU AND In the same period the European Union continued to KASUMBALESA develop agreed development programs in the main focal areas such as energy, agriculture and governance. In the energy sector worth reporting is the continuous progress VOICES FROM THE FIELD registered at the Ithezhi Tezhi Hydropower Plant, which is I. EU VISITS REFUGEE SETTLEMENT AREAS IN supported by EU grants blended with loans from the European Investment Bank and the Agence Française de NCHELENGE DISTRICT Development. At the regional level the EU and COMESA completed the preparatory work for the agreement on The II. PRISONER'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT COMESA Cross Border Trade Initiative: Facilitating small- scale trade across the borders. III. VISIT TO THE INTEGRATED SCALING UP NUTRITION (I- SUN) PROJECT I wish to take the opportunity to draw your attention to the Lifeline/Childline Zambia, a toll free telephone IV. RAGWA-NUT PROJECT | WATER, HYGIENE & counselling and guidance service for adults and children that face problems such as gender based violence, child SANITATION abuse, early child marriage, etc. Their numbers are 933 (Lifeline) and 116 (Childline) respectively. My humble V. CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SCALING UP (CASU) appeal to all our readers is to become goodwill ambassadors for these numbers and assist in disseminating PROJECT – CHONGWE them as widely as possible in Zambia. I count on you all VI. RAGWA-NUT PROJECT and wish to thank in advance most sincerely. I wish you all a good and informative reading. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union 1 Telephone: +260 (0) 211.25.55.83 Fax: +260 (0) 211.25.23.36 E-mail: [email protected] QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ZAMBIA AND COMESA January - March 2018 EU – ZAMBIA PARTNERSHIP Provinces of Zambia, where SGBV indicators are worse than national average. Election of the EUZBC Board On Thursday, 8th of February, the EU-Zambia Business Club elected its first formal Board. The Board is made up of experienced EU and Zambian CEOs: Henk Mulder – ZANACO CEO and EUZBC President, Elaine Henning – Moore Stephens Head of Office and EUZBC Vice-President, Mark Lüring – Drake & Gorham Managing Director and EUZBC Vice-President, Nasir Ali – Partner PwC and EUZBC Treasurer, Myanda Mulambo – Event Solutions CEO and EUZBC Assistant Treasurer, Cristina Banuta – Private Sector Advisor at the EU The Ambassador of the European Union, Alessandro Delegation and Secretary of the EUZBC, and Eston Sakala – Mariani, emphasised that mind-set changes take time and Evolution Logistics Managing Director and EUZBC Assistant he appealed to the traditional chiefs and media present at Secretary. the event to champion the fight against SGBV. In this context, Ambassador Mariani also visited Kasama and Mansa, where he officially launched the programme together with the provincial authorities, traditional and religious leaders, CSOs as well as a team of the Ministry of Gender and the National Authorising Office/Ministry of Finance. The Board will bring renewed impetus to the Association by setting its priorities and driving it forward. EU Signs SGBV Prevention and Support Programme On 9th February, the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the European Union signed a 25 million Euro (approx. 300 million ZMW) Financing Agreement for a new Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention These events included a number of activities such as and Support programme to SGBV survivors. The bilateral meetings with the local highest authorities, visits programme will support the Zambian Government in the to the SGBV One Stop Centres and to provincial shelters. prevention of SGBV by changing beliefs, attitudes and Panels discussing first hand experiences, including the practices and by increasing access and use of testimony of SGBV survivors, were broadcasted live in both comprehensive support services for survivors. It will be provinces. The Ambassador appealed to the participants to mainly implemented in the Luapula and Northern form strong alliances, as inclusive as possible, to combat all The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union 2 Telephone: +260 (0) 211.25.55.83 Fax: +260 (0) 211.25.23.36 E-mail: [email protected] QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ZAMBIA AND COMESA January - March 2018 together SGBV. In Zambia and Malawi, the project "Sustainable Management and Wildlife Law Enforcement of the Nyika- North Luangwa component of the Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA)" will secure the biodiversity of this TFCA by consolidating six community conservation areas into one single corridor that connects Nyika National Park and Vwaza Wildlife Reserve in Malawi with North Luangwa National Park in Zambia and reinforce the protection of a national forests. Livelihoods of rural households will also be improved. The "Strengthening Community Law Enforcement and The platforms were also taken as an opportunity to Sustainable Livelihoods in Kavango Zambezi TFCA (KAZA)" promote Lifeline/Childline Zambia, a toll-free telephone initiative will reduce illegal killing and trafficking of wildlife counselling and guidance service for children and adults in three key nature conservation sites with high poaching that face problems like child abuse, child marriage, gender- pressure in the KAZA TFCA in Zambia, Zimbabwe and based violence, etc. (telephone numbers 933 and 116 Namibia. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, the "Partnership for respectively). improved anti-poaching and compatible land use in community lands of the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools EU and Partners invest 4.7 m Euro to protect Zambia's Wildlife Transboundary Conservation Area" will reduce illegal wildlife trade and enhance habitat conversion in the Lower The protection of the fauna in Africa remains a huge Zambezi-Mana Pool TFCA. The project will strengthen challenge. Iconic species such as elephants, rhinos, community engagement in sustainable natural resource leopards and lions are being decimated by poachers, who management, anti-poaching efforts and integration of are often backed by international criminal networks conservation and compatible land uses. trading illegal wildlife products. EU's Blended Finance Powers Itezhi Tezhi Hydro Zambia's 7th National Development Plan identified the energy sector as a key driver for inclusive and sustainable growth and the European Union is fully committed to help the Country reaching its sustainable energy development goals. Pictures: Cheetah and Wild Dog © John Birch; Leopard © Nick Dale; Elephant © Andreas Klotz; Lion © Jacques-Andre Dupont Since February three cross-border projects worth 4.7m Euro (approximately 56 million ZMW) benefit Zambia, together with its neighbouring countries Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The three projects are implemented by African Wildlife Foundation, Peace Parks Foundation and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). An example of the multifaceted support to the sector is the The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union 3 Telephone: +260 (0) 211.25.55.83 Fax: +260 (0) 211.25.23.36 E-mail: [email protected] QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ZAMBIA AND COMESA January - March 2018 European Union's blended financing of the Itezhi-Tezhi contribution in the project company and the development hydropower project, aiming at enhancing renewable of the transmission line by way of interest rate subsidies to energy generation and transmission for national the EIB and AFD loans. consumption as well as export, thus reducing the share of The European Union's support to the project demonstrated generation of fossil fuels in the Southern African Power the