The European Union (EU) has been a strategic partner of Lesotho for nearly 50 years.

Our cooperation has traditionally focussed on the water, energy, governance and social protection sectors.

A new cooperation strategy, adopted in December 2021, provides EUR 83 million for Lesotho until 2024. 

With over 75% of funds earmarked for climate action, this is one of the greenest cooperation programmes in the world.

Today, 17 May 2023, we translate this strategy into action with the adoption of three new financing agreements and two implementation agreements – equal to EUR 29 million.

They give priority to the energy sector, supporting the vision of a Renewable Lesotho that becomes energy independent.

While strengthening social protection and inclusive participation for an Equitable Lesotho where no one is left behind.

The third action provides support measures for civil society and technical assistance to our institutional partners.

These initiatives are fully aligned with Lesotho’s national priorities and embody the objectives of Global Gateway, the European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.

1. Renewable Lesotho

The overall objective of the first programme, Renewable Lesotho, is to ensure energy security in Lesotho, improve access to reliable and affordable clean energy, and promote green growth. 

Its specific objectives are to: 

• Increase renewable energy generation production and energy efficiency
• Promote a reliable, equitable and gender-transformative access to clean energy
• Improve Lesotho’s energy sector leadership and institutional capacity

The EU contribution is EUR 15,000,000 and it is open to additional contributions from other partners.

This programme will provide support to the energy sector as a whole, including public entities, private sector through business catalyst and match-making support, as well as education and vocational training actors.

In addition, the programme will establish a funding mechanism including grant-based support and finance-based support for initiatives in the energy sector ranging from on- and off-grid renewable energy generation to energy efficiency.

The programme also aims to support the establishment of National Energy Fund to leverage additional resources for the vision of a Renewable Lesotho and generate employment opportunities in the sector as a whole.

Today, we sign the first implementation agreement with the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) to operationalise the component of the programme providing technical assistance to the public and private energy sector.

This action is co-funded by the German government to the tune of EUR 860,000.

2. EQUITABLE LESOTHO

The overall objective of the second programme, Equitable Lesotho, is to reduce multidimensional poverty for the most vulnerable population in Lesotho.

Its specific objectives are to:  

• Improve access to basic services, including birth registration, and  sustainable energy solutions by women and children
• Enhance effective delivery of social assistance systems for all beneficiaries
• Increase use of gender-sensitive quality data and statistics

The EU contribution is EUR 8,000,000 and it is open to additional contributions from other partners.

This programme will strengthen existing social protection mechanisms such as the National Information System for Social Assistance (NISSA); create links between social protection and other key service delivery, such as birth registration, and access to nutrition and energy.

The programme will also support the use of digital payments and technology to make social protection more efficient and transparent, ensuring also that social protection helps respond to crises quickly.

Equitable Lesotho will also support statistical capacity development, to ensure more frequent and better data is available in order to monitor the performance of programmes and strengthen accountability to citizens.

Today we also sign the first implementation agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to operationalise the component of the programme providing support to social protection.

The action is co-funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to the tune of EUR 826,000.

3. SUPPORT MEASURES

The overall objective of the third programme, the Support Measures, is to strengthen civil society and establish a cooperation facility to support the implementation of our cooperation programme, including strategic communication activities. 

Its specific objectives are to:

• Strengthen the equitable participation and representation of women, men, girls and boys in all their diversity in policy- and decision-making at all levels
• Support Lesotho’s development strategies, the implementation of the EU-Lesotho cooperation strategy and Team Europe Initiatives
• Promote the values that inspire the partnership between Lesotho and the EU

The EU contribution is EUR 6,000,000 and it is open to additional contributions from other partners.

This programme will provide financial resources and technical support for civil society-led efforts to improve accountability and the participation of citizens, in all their diversity, in public life.

It also provides technical assistance, on a demand-basis, both short- and long-term to our main partners in the ministries, as well as support to communication efforts to improve the visibility and accountability of our cooperation.

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To ensure the necessary level of scale and impact, these three actions enable partnerships with other development partners of Lesotho and contribute in particular to the Team Europe Initiative on the Green Deal, supported by the European Investment Bank.

These initiatives are under the framework of Global Gateway, the European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.