EU to invest US$27 million in 25 development projects in Ecuador

The European Union (EU) presented this Monday its new portfolio of projects for Ecuador, with an investment of US$ 27 million for twenty-five development projects on human rights, adaptation to climate change, climate crisis, humanitarian response or mitigation and risk management in the event of potential natural disasters.

This new portfolio of projects is the result of two calls made in 2023 and 2024 by the General Directorate of International Associations (INTPA) and the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), where the twenty-five winners were chosen.

The presentation was attended by the ambassador of the European Union in Ecuador, Belgian Charles-Michel Geurts, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador, Gabriela Sommerfeld, as well as other government authorities, civil society actors and members of the organizations that implement these initiatives.

Geurts said that the goals of this funding include supporting a civil society that can work, express itself and act freely and independently and that is “an essential element of democracy”.

Sommerfeld described the European Union as a “strategic partner” in these programs and projects that are being carried out to meet Ecuador’s development needs.

The minister also referred to citizen security as one of the greatest challenges facing Ecuador and, therefore, stressed the importance of “programs that prevent young people from falling into the hands of violence and organized crime groups.”

The twenty-five projects that received European funding were divided into different areas such as the defence of human rights, sustainable rural development and inclusive education.

This new portfolio also includes programmes related to disaster risk reduction and sustainable water and food management, comprehensive humanitarian response and natural disaster preparedness.

All of them are carried out by different national and international civil society organizations such as the FEPP Social Group (Ecuadorian Fund Populorum Progressio), Caritas, the Spanish Ayuda en Acción and United Nations agencies such as UNICEF and UNHCR.

INTPA awarded a dozen projects, whose objectives include protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring access to education and social inclusion for children and adolescents in the country, and promoting and consolidating a culture of peace in Ecuador’s border provinces.

The call for proposals issued by ECHO awarded thirteen projects focused on providing responses to emergency situations and preparing populations for possible natural disasters.