Partnership in Action: The European Union in Tanzania marks International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

17.10.2020

Today, 17 October 2020 marks International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This day is a reminder of the great and ambitious goals that guides our work – supporting people to escape from the burden of extreme poverty and to live with dignity.

Today, 17 October 2020 marks International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This day is a reminder of the great and ambitious goals that guides our work – supporting people to escape from the burden of extreme poverty and to live with dignity.

The eradication of poverty is essential to realise a peaceful and inclusive society. Eradicating poverty is an overarching objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which the EU strongly supports.

The European Union Delegation to Tanzania and the EAC is a longstanding partner and supporter of Tanzania. We work in partnership with the Government of Tanzania and stakeholders to support the country’s National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty.

We are optimistic. The 2019 Tanzania Mainland Poverty Assessment notes that poverty decreased by eight percentage points in 10 years, down from 34.4% in 2007 to 26.4% in 2018.

PROMOTING INCLUSIVE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT – LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

Poverty has various root causes and affects people in numerous ways. Therefore, we must take a holistic approach that addresses the whole of society. This includes legislation that provides minimum guarantees, education which lifts future generations out of cycles of poverty, and health care systems that reach all people, to name a few.

The EU and its Member States work together as #TeamEurope, leveraging joint policies and goals to contribute to the sustainable development of Tanzania.

If we act to meet the promise of this Sustainable Development Agenda, we will together build a world in which no child will grow up in extreme poverty. Small-scale rural farmers will find easier access to markets and loans so they can grow their businesses and support their families. Poor children who previously were excluded from society will be able to obtain legal identification and access social and economic services. Girls will be spared the damage caused by early marriage and female genital mutilation. Countries like Tanzania will be able to expand their economies and industrialise in a clean and sustainable way.

Towards a Strategy for Africa, the European Commission has recently announced a renewed 'Africa - Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs'. The package builds on the commitments to strengthen the Africa-EU partnership. The Alliance will lead to the creation of up to 10 million jobs in Africa in the next 5 years alone.

The European External Investment Plan is a cornerstone of this new alliance. It aims to encourage investment in Africa by triggering additional public and private investment volumes.

The EU’s priorities in Tanzania include good governance and development, agriculture and energy.  Good governance and development - focusing on core issues that are of the upmost importance to drive Tanzania in its transformation process. Grants have been issued to projects which promote pro-poor growth to implement inclusive dialogue on economic and fiscal governance in Tanzania.

To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, the agricultural sector has a key role to play.  It has the potential to grow and create employment throughout food systems. Therefore, the EU in Tanzania supports several initiatives under different programmes. For example, the AGRI-CONNECT programme promotes productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector, focusing on selected produce while the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme supports Small and medium Enterprises to improve the quality of their products by aligning them with international standards and be able to sell their products safely.

Energy projects which forge access to electricity, particularly in rural areas, which promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, aim to include all households. Among others, this includes an electricity generation and distribution project in Ikondo, Njombe that aims at promoting social and economic development in Ikondo by granting access to modern energy services; and a regional water management project on Lake Victoria which has transformed communities around the lake including 250,000 residents in Mwanza region benefitting from improved water and sanitation and a cleaner environment.

For the year 2020, Europe and Africa have set an ambitious agenda for an even stronger EU-Africa partnership. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic even more so, we need collective action, solidarity and empathy to tackle this global challenge. The EU is in full support for an emboldened EU-Africa partnership aimed at building a shared and brighter future for all people.

I am convinced it is possible to rid the world of extreme poverty in our lifetime. The EU remains committed to making sure we do all that is possible to reach this ambitious goal. 

Signed

Ambassador Manfredo Fanti

EU Delegation to Tanzania & the EAC