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Brussels, 08 December 2011 – 17 winners from all around the world were awarded the Lorenzo Natali Prize for outstanding journalistic work covering issues of development, human rights and democracy during the award ceremony in Brussels tonight. They have been chosen from more than 1300 participants. Speaking on the winners, European Commissioner for Development Andris [...]
Read moreThe famine put 13 million people into a humanitarian crisis with no quick fix in sight. Often we see shocking images of hunger in Somalia and misery of people in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. The EU is already the biggest donor for the Horn region (ca. 700 million Euro of humanitarian assistance and 600 [...]
Read moreThe EU has pledged new funding for the Global Partnership for Education, to improve basic education in over 46 developing countries. The new support was announced at a Pledging Conference in Copenhagen of over 200 participants from more than 40 countries, organised by the Global Partnership for Education to replenish and mobilise resources and political [...]
Read moreAs World Water Week (21 – 29 August) gets under way, Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs reaffirms the EU’s commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goal pledge of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015: “There is a saying that “when the well is dry, we [...]
Read more‘Journalism is undoubtedly a risky business.’ Egyptian journalist Manar Attiya Salem has seen change in her country at close quarters in recent months. She believes that people in her profession have a key role to play in bringing those changes to bear, shaping the debate on democracy, human rights and development issues. Manar is a [...]
Read moreAs South Sudan has announced its independence on 9 July, the EU has extended a welcoming hand, reiterating its intention to continue support and develop a regular dialogue. Over 98% of voters from South Sudan voted in favour of separation from North Sudan in a January referendum. EU observers found the election to be peaceful [...]
Read moreEU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs arrived on 16 June, together with German Development Minister Dirk Niebel, in Islamabad for a joint visit to Pakistan. The Commissioner will reaffirm the intentions of the European Commission to increase its development assistance to Pakistan by 50%, from €50 to €75 million a year for 2011-2013. The aid programmes will [...]
Read more25/05/2011 Statement of Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs on the Court of Auditors’ report on “The efficiency and effectiveness of EU contributions channelled through United Nations organisations in conflict affected countries” “I welcome the new Court of Auditors’ report on our work with the United Nations in Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq. Our work with the [...]
Read moreFrom 12th to 14th May, Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs visited the Republic of Sudan, including South Sudan. This was the first official visit by a European Commissioner since the referendum took place last January. Commissioner Piebalgs underlined that the Commission stands ready to do all it can to support the new country of South Sudan [...]
Read more“No country can expect to deliver social and economic development to its people unless it has a good governance structure in place, respects human rights and allows its media to operate freely. Journalists report human stories and real situations. In doing so, they help promote development and democracy throughout the world,” says Commissioner Piebalgs. Read [...]
Read moreToday, on World Press Freedom Day, the Commission launches the Lorenzo Natali Journalism Prize 2011. The Prize is awarded for excellence in written, radio and TV journalism on the theme of development, democracy and human rights across the world. “Every day, thousands of reporters put their lives in danger to report on conflicts, humanitarian disasters [...]
Read moreToday Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs presented the 2010 preliminary figures on official development aid spent by the EU and its 27 Member States. Aid rose by about €4.5 billion from 2009, reaching a total of €53.8 billion, which confirms the EU’s position as the largest and most generous donor of official development assistance, providing [...]
Read moreTo mark World Water Day on 22 March, whose focus is “Water for Cities – Responding to the Urban Challenge”, EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs announces the launch of a pooling mechanism in the framework of the ACP-EU Water Facility. €40 million are available under this mechanism, which has been created to blend grants from the [...]
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