Building an expertise on priority development issues in Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Total Costs: 40.780 euros
Request from Fund: 40.144 euros

Malta’s recently published Overseas Development Policy (December 2007) identifies five priority countries: Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Palestine.  However, the knowledge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kopin as well as SKOP – the National Platform of Maltese NGDOs – is presently insufficient in relation to the development scenarios of these countries.

This project will enable KOPIN to develop its expertise through the analysis of existing development cooperation agreements between the EU and four African countries. Furthermore,  in establishing contact with Southern CSOs and European organisations working directly in the region, Kopin will develop hands-on experience, allowing Kopin to engage:
-    nationally, through SKOP and its member organisations, and through informing and influencing the MFA’s Overseas Development Strategy;
-    regionally, as a member of MEDIATE and various other Mediterranean fora;  
-    at the EU level, within the structures of CONCORD and other European development networks.

As a result of this project, Kopin will submit recommendations to the Maltese Government on the best strategies that will deal with the priority development issues in the identified region, thus informing and influencing Government’s ODA policy, and share its expertise with the other member organisations of SKOP.