Paris Peace Forum: Supporting the private sector in fragile contexts
The proliferation of crises and conflicts gives rise to new challenges that hinder development.
To continue to address the needs of populations, AFD Group has changed its approach to development by adapting its tools and operations. It is also increasing its coordination with humanitarian aid and peacebuilding. AFD Group is involved in prevention, as well as during and after conflicts, and has become a full-fledged actor in peace and resilience for populations.
This Paris Peace Forum side-event will aim at highlighting how the actions led by Expertise France and Proparco on the ground complement each other in supporting the private sector in fragile contexts, by addressing a wide range of challenges, coping with national contexts, and coordinating efforts with multiple stakeholders.
Expertise France – currently presiding the Practitioners Network (PN) – will give an account of what the agency is implementing in fragile regions to support stakeholders from the private sector (civil society, start-ups, entrepreneurs…).
Experiences from active projects in fragile areas will be brought to the fore, while highlighting the pivotal role of Expertise France, as PN president, to raise awareness and coordinate efforts within the Team Europe on the matter, partly through the fragility PN working group.
On French and European fundings, Expertise France supports private sectors in fragile contexts
Over the years, Expertise France has developed a long experience in fragile contexts: from Syria to Yemen in the Middle East, Sahel to Soudan in Africa. Our action aims to provide a lasting response to the most significant imbalances affecting peace and development by facilitating the mobilization of various actors: governments, local authorities, civil society, communities and the private sector. The key is to develop interventions adapted to local realities, by tackling the causes of fragilities, and by focusing on emerging risks through rapid actions.
Expertise France has been working in Libya since 2016 to support the development of Libya’s private sector and economic transition focusing on:
• Strengthening the capacities of Libyan institutions to design and implement actions conducive for MSME development and improve the attractiveness of the Libyan economy for private investments.
• Supporting youth and women’s economic empowerment and start-up entrepreneurship.
• Improve access to finance for MSMEs by introducing innovative financial tools and microfinance.
In 2023, more than 600 Libyan companies participated in a survey to identify necessary reforms for a better business environment in Libya. The result, the “Reforms Guide” presents 20 top-priority reforms needed to create a more business-friendly environment and support the growth of the private sector in Libya.
Last September, Expertise France has released ten factsheets that summarize the best practices and lessons learned from the European Union’s program for the development of the private sector in Libya: EU4PSL. These factsheets are a tool to promote a culture of learning and reflection, aiming to share the tools, mechanisms, and processes put in place for the implementation of the project while providing a valuable resource and return of experience for future support programs in Libya.
The agency also took part in the development of the Ejraat platform, a comprehensive guide for administrative procedures and regulations in Libya; it provides business owners with detailed information on business procedures, such as the relevant institutions, required documents, and the estimated cost and time to complete those procedures, such as registering a company, obtaining licenses, opening a store, paying taxes or investing in Libya. Ejraat was developed and launched in 2021 in partnership with UNICTAD and in cooperation with the Libyan Ministry of Economy and Trade and the General Authority of Information as part of the EU-funded project EU4PSL.
In 2020, three years after the defeat of Daesh in Iraq, the country was still painfully recovering from the aftermath of its occupation, in particular in Mosul City and in the Nineveh governorate. Although major efforts are underway to rebuild the country and jumpstart local economies, significant barriers to stabilisation endure, including security concerns, fear and trauma, lack of social cohesion and lack of livelihood opportunities, in particular for the youth. In this context, the France and EU funded Yanhad (“recover” in Arabic). This project was launched to foster the involvement of young people in the stabilisation process so that they become key actors of change, social cohesion and socio-economic recovery. Expertise France has worked hand in hand with universities, civil society actors, business incubators to enhance the skills of youth. Some tangible results have been made: the capacity of the career development centres of both Universities of Ninewa and Mosul has been strengthened ; 53 students from the University of Mosul and Ninewa have been trained and received funding to deliver projects ; About 1,300 youth have been sensitized to the concept of entrepreneurship ; 330 start-ups have received trainings and mentorship programmes ; and 11 Civil Society Organizations have been funded to implement activities in the province of Ninewa to support livelihoods of youth.
Read the article: "Iraq : youth economic empowerment & civic engagement as a pillar of stabilization"
With the European technical cooperation, “unlocking the full potential of Global Gateway”
As the main representative of European technical cooperation, the Practitioners’ Network (PN) promotes and pledges for stronger coordination between financial and technical cooperation, jointly with the two European networks representing financial cooperation (EDFI and JEFIC). The three networks endorsed on 17 March 2023 a Statement of Intent on the role and collaboration between them, which includes the majority of European financial and technical cooperation actors. They reaffirmed their commitment to EU policy objectives for the benefit of partner countries, contributing through their respective roles within the European Architecture for Development.
The PN recently released a position paper on “the role of development cooperation, Europe’s differential added value for external action and international partnerships, in unlocking the full potential of Global Gateway”, in the margin of the Global Gateway Forum (25-26 October, Brussels).
The PN and its Members are key actors of Team Europe in the implementation of Global Gateway. Effective development cooperation has a central role to play, contributing to Europe’s value-based offer to partner countries. The European implementation agencies, as Practitioners, are committed to accompanying partner countries in their efforts to achieve the SDGs, enabling more impact and sustainability to investments.
This is even more important when it comes to interventions in fragile contexts. The Practitioners’ Network issued operational conclusions and recommendations, following a series of workshops, on Operating in fragile and conflict-affected environments.
Read the PN position paper :
“The role of development cooperation, Europe’s differential added value for external action and international partnerships, in unlocking the full potential of Global Gateway”
Team Europe supports private sector in fragile contexts, for example in Iraq. Implemented by the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, the Team Europe for Iraq aims to increase diversified, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, to improve livelihoods and decent employment (more and better jobs) in the country. Several PN Members support private sector in Iraq, as for Expertise France, with the Yanhad project mentioned above.