UNESCO and the OPEC Fund for International Development sign new $3.5 million partnership agreement

On 23 October 2009, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, signed a two-year agreement with the OPEC* Fund for International Development (OFID) in support of the OFID/UNESCO Partnership for Comprehensive Education Sector Responses to HIV/AIDS in East and Southern Africa.

Mr Matsuura expressed his deep appreciation to OFID for their continuing commitment to partnership with UNESCO in this area, which builds on the success of the previous OFID/UNESCO partnership on ‘Mitigation of the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Asia through Education’ which concluded in February 2008.

The grant from OFID in the amount of US$ 3,500,000 will support scaling-up the Global Initiative on Education and HIV & AIDS (EDUCAIDS) in 17 countries in East and Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The programme aims to support comprehensive education sector responses to HIV and AIDS within the EDUCAIDS framework. The programme’s specific objectives are to: (1) enhance the evidence base on education and HIV & AIDS; (2) develop partnerships for action at global, regional and national levels; (3) support intensified implementation of education sector responses to HIV at country level; and (4) deliver high quality technical support to enable countries to design, plan, and monitor and assess implementation.

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* Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

• Author(s):Office of the Spokesperson
• Source:Flash Info N° 222-2009
• 04-11-2009