Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts

Monday, September 11, 2023

European Union (EU) Flagship Programme To End Violence Against Women Worldwide Shows Limited Impact So Far

 

PRESS RELEASE

European Union (EU) Flagship Programme To End Violence Against Women Worldwide Shows Limited Impact So Far

The €500 million Spotlight Initiative has been an ambitious attempt by the European Commission, together with the UN, to ensure that women and girls around the world live free from violence and harmful practices

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg, September 11, 2023/ -- Almost one third of the €500 million in EU funding for the “Spotlight Initiative” went to its management by the United Nations; The initiative did not achieve its objective of attracting additional funding from new donors; Auditors call for better value for money and note risks to the sustainability of the activities.

The €500 million Spotlight Initiative has been an ambitious attempt by the European Commission, together with the UN, to ensure that women and girls around the world live free from violence and harmful practices. However, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors, this flagship EU programme for combating sexual and gender-based violence has shown little impact to date in terms of improving the situation of those it is intended to help. Despite positive achievements, the auditors found that the initiative could be managed more efficiently and could provide better value for money, as well as increasing the share of funding that reaches final beneficiaries to help more women and girls.

The Spotlight Initiative is a global strategic partnership between the EU and the UN to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in partner countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean. Initially launched in 2017 for a period of four years, it was extended to the end of 2023 due to delays.

“Violence against women and girls has no place in the world, and no woman or girl should be left behind,” said Bettina Jakobsen, the ECA member in charge of the report. “Through the Spotlight Initiative, the EU has put more money than ever into ending such abuse, but more should reach final beneficiaries and we still need to see more impact.”

The auditors acknowledge that the initiative has benefited women and girls globally and helped to address violence. For instance, it has supported activities to prevent violence against women and girls, such as training and awareness campaigns, and services to victims of violence in all African and Latin American countries, albeit to different degrees and with varying levels of success. However, the initiative’s set-up only allows for a limited assessment of performance. Moreover, given its short time span and the fact that data are incomplete, it has not yet been possible to measure the improvement for beneficiaries, such as victims of violence or participants in training courses, and it is difficult to assess the extent to which it has achieved its intended results. There is no evidence that violence against women and girls has fallen in the countries covered.

External and internal factors led to challenges and delays in implementation. These included not only the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and domestic political changes, but also complex governance arrangements due to the number of UN organisations involved. The Commission’s choice of the UN as its implementing partner was a political decision in support of multilateralism. However, the UN’s costs of administering the initiative totalled $155 million (i.e. 31 % of the initiative’s total budget), leaving $351 million for the implementing partners and beneficiaries. Although the EU’s executive was aware that UN involvement entailed higher costs, it did not thoroughly compare the alternatives.

Despite being the sole funder, the EU has not always been given sufficient credit for funding visibility. Moreover, although the EU’s contribution was intended as seed funding to attract additional investors, no new donors have been found, and so results may not be sustained. The auditors also stress that the programme is not long enough to create lasting change on a complex issue which requires long-term actions and additional resources.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Court of Auditors (ECA).

Note to Editors:

The purpose of this press release is to convey the main messages of the European Court of Auditors’ special report. The full report is available at ECA.Europa.eu.

Press contact:

ECA press office:

press@eca.europa.eu

Damijan Fišer:

damijan.fiser@eca.europa.eu

M: (+352) 621 552 224

Claudia Spiti:

claudia.spiti@eca.europa.eu

M: (+352) 691 553 547

Vincent Bourgeais:

vincent.bourgeais@eca.europa.eu

M: (+352) 691 551 502

Background:

The Spotlight Initiative is founded on the ‘Theory of Change’ and its six pillars supporting policies and legislation, institutions, prevention, services, data, and women’s movements. This approach is complemented by the “leaving no one behind” principle, including measures to focus on marginalised populations. The initiative receives EU funding of €497 million (€250 million for Africa alone), €465 million of which is managed by the UN in more than 26 countries on four continents. The remaining €32 million is managed by the EU through civil society organisations; other donors have committed only symbolic amounts. An estimated one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once since the age of 15. According to data from the Initiative, in some countries the share of people who think it is justifiable for a man to beat his partner fell in 2021, but the figure actually went up in some Latin American and African countries. In Latin America, none of the supported programmes recorded a fall in cases of femicide.

ECA special report 21/2023 “The Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls – ambitious but so far with limited impact” is available on the ECA’s website (ECA.Europa.eu).

SOURCE

European Court of Auditors (ECA)



Monday, February 21, 2011

EU condemns the shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Libya



Amateur footage of supposed protests in Libya on YouTube uploaded day after deadly clashes.

© 2011 Reuters


Libya unrest. Photo Credit: Calgary

21 Feb 2011 12:46 Africa/Lagos


European Union / Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union on events in Libya

BRUSSELS, February 21, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union on events in Libya

"The European Union is extremely concerned by the events unfolding in Libya and the reported deaths of a very high number of demonstrators. We condemn the repression against peaceful demonstrators and deplore the violence and the death of civilians. We express our sympathy to the families and friends of the victims.
The EU urges the authorities to exercise restraint and calm and to immediately refrain from further use of violence against peaceful demonstrators. Freedom of expression and the right to assemble, as provided for in particular by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, are human rights and fundamental freedoms of every human being which must be respected and protected. The EU calls on the authorities to immediately cease the blocking of public access to the internet and mobile phone networks. The EU also calls
upon the authorities to allow media to work freely throughout the country.

The legitimate aspirations and demands of the people for reform must be addressed through open and meaningful Libyan-led dialogue.

The European Union expects full cooperation by the authorities in protecting EU citizens."


Source: European Union















































Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
21 Feb 2011
12:46European Union / Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union on events in Libya
12:45Urgent Appeal to Stop Atrocities in Libya sent by 23 NGOs to US President Obama, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 20 February 2011
12:4324 rights groups urge US and EU to confront Libyan massacres in UN Security Council and Human Rights Council / NGOs demand Libya's suspension from UNHRC; UN Watch calls for urgent dispatch of medical supplies to hospitals
20 Feb 2011
17:20AJC Denounces Deadly Violence of Libyan Regime
18 Feb 2011
21:46Leahy Comments on Attacks on Protesters and Journalists in the Mideast
15:00Game-Changer Scenarios in the Middle East and North Africa
17 Feb 2011
15:55Libya urged to end protest crackdown




Monday, December 27, 2010

ECOWAS Give a Final Warning to Mr. Laurent Gbabgo

Laurent Gbagbo

26 Dec 2010 15:30 Africa/Lagos



Cote d'Ivoire / ECOWAS give a final warning to Mr. Laurent Gbabgo

ABUJA, December 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Following a press statement isssued by ECOWAS on 20th December, 2010 which urges Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, the former President of Cote D'Ivoire to hand over power to Mr. Allassan Outarra, a request which Mr. Gbagbo has refused to adhere to caused ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to convene an extra-ordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria to find ways by which Mr. Gbagbo can be forced out of office.


11 Heads of State assembled in Abuja on Friday on the invitation of the Chairman of ECOWAS, H.E Goodluck Egbele Jonathan and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Victor Gbeho to give a final warning to Mr. Laurent Gbabgo with the firm position that if Mr. Gbagbo continues to hold on to power illegally, ECOWAS will have no choice but to remove him forcefully, in an effort to allow the winner of the elections Mr.Allassan Outarra to assume office.


Sierra Leone's delegation to the Abuja extra-ordinary meeting on Cote D'Ivoire was led by President Ernest Bai Koroma and was accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Mr. J.B Dauda and the Information and Communication Minister, I.B Kargbo.


The Christmas eve meeting on Cote D'Ivoire was treated by the Heads of State seriously, because according to the Chairman Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the international community expects ECOWAS to provide leadership in resolving the political impasse in Cote D'Ivoire.


The ECOWAS Heads of State believe that it is unacceptable for a country within the sub region to be ruled by two Presidents and two Prime Ministers.The same ECOWAS Authority also believes that Mr. Laaurent Gbagbo lost the elections and should therefore allow Mr. Allassan Outarra to take over power.


the United Nations Secuirty Council earlier in a Press Statement of 20th December, 2010 condemned in the strongest possible terms President Laurent Gbagbo's attempt to usurp the will of the people and undermine the integrity of the electoral process and any progress in the peace process in Cote D'Ivoire.


The Chairman of the African Union on 6th December, 2010 circulated a Press Release from the African Union to support the United Nations by suspending the participation of Cote D'Ivoire from all African Union activities untill the democratically elected President, Allassan Outarra effectively assume State Power.


Although Mr. Laurent Gbagbo still attempts to perform Presidential duties by usurping the State radio and television, bribing the military to support him and import mercenaries into Cote D'Ivoire to help him stay in office, the international community including ECOWAS believes that he should not continue to stay in office which lead to the imposition of sanctions and travel ban on him and his close allies.


The Heads of State of ECOWAS at their meeting in Abuja on Friday said that Mr. Gbagbo be given one final chance to make up his mind to vacate office.


In the spirit of brotherliness in Africa, three Presidents have been nominated by their colleagues to confront Mr. Gbagbo in Abidjan to encourage him to leave office without delay. The three Presidents can fly back with Mr. Gbagbo, as all ECOWAS countries are prepared to grant him assylum.


Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma who played a pivotal role in the discussions supports the ECOWAS,United Nations and Europpean Union positions that Mr. Laurent Gbagbo should hand over power to the man who actually won the elections, Mr. Allassan Outarra.



Source: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)