Advocacy for investment in social protection in Madagascar

As part of a new Madagascar country programme for 2021-2023, UNICEF implemented a multisectoral programme in mica mining villages in the Anosy region of the country, with the aim of reducing child labour and the negative impacts of economic exploitation on children. The programme included a universal child allowance for families, as well as an …

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Report on the future of the European Financial Architecture for Development

The European Parliament (EP) has published its report on the proceedings of its workshop on the future of the European Architecture for Development (EFAD). The workshop, held on 7 February and requested by the EP’s Committee on Development (DEVE), was informed by two briefings written by external experts earlier this year, one of whom was …

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Online training in trade and gender

UNCTAD has published ECOPER’s report on a cluster of trade and gender capacity building projects In trade, women often do not benefit from the same opportunities as men, and trade policies designed without taking into account gender-specific outcomes can contribute to the widening of gender gaps. In order for gender equality to be achieved, policymakers, …

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Tracer study for TVET system reform

UNESCO has published an ECOPER tracer study report on agriculture TVET in Jordan Reducing mismatches between the skills demanded by employers and those actually acquired by students is an important contributor to improving employability and supporting economic growth. Multiple studies conducted by international agencies in the last decade have found that skills mismatches are particularly …

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Tourism and hospitality TVET tracer study

UNESCO has published an ECOPER report on a tourism and hospitality TVET tracer study in Jordan Tracer studies are invaluable tools for informing education system reforms, potentially providing rich data for future decision making and planning. This month UNESCO published a ‘Tracer Study of Tourism and Hospitality Vocational Secondary Education in Jordan’, which was conducted …

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Micro credits and cash transfers as development tools

This month the report ‘Cash for Development: The use of microcredits and cash transfers as development tools’ was published by the European Parliament Committee on Development. It was co-authored by ECOPER consultants, following a meta-evaluation of previous studies on cash-for-development tools.The report aimed to provide an overview of cash transfers and microcredits as poverty reduction instruments in order to inform EU development policy ahead of the EU’s reshaping of development finance tools in the 2021-27 period. The study considered the current level of EU support for cash transfers and microcredits, and the efficiency and design of the support provided.

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ECOPER report on SDG investment project published

UNCTAD’s 2014 World Investment Report advocated for a ‘Big Push’ for investment in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This month, UNCTAD published ECOPER’s final evaluation report for the project ‘Investment promotion partnerships for the development, marketing and facilitation of bankable SDG projects’, which forms part of this drive. The project connects with one of the action …

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ECOPER entrepreneurship project report published

Better entrepreneurship policies can increase the number of businesses created and enlarged, and therefore contribute to the economic goals inserted into global development agendas and national strategies. Reflecting this, UNCTAD implemented the project ‘Support Developing Country Policy Makers in the Formulation of National Entrepreneurship Policies through the Implementation of Entrepreneurship Policy Frameworks’ between 2015 and …

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