The Collaboration of AICS with the United Nations in Mozambique for Sustainable Development

On October 24th, we celebrate United Nations Day. The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) has played a crucial role by collaborating with various United Nations agencies and funds in Mozambique, significantly contributing to the advancement of sustainable development in the country and supporting the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

In partnership with the United Nations, AICS has played a fundamental role in various areas. In particular, it has provided humanitarian assistance to people displaced due to the conflict in Cabo Delgado, supported peace consolidation efforts in Mozambique, assisted small farmers in promoting and marketing coffee, contributed to the sustainable management of the Quirimbas National Park, strengthened the healthcare system, and supported the country in building resilience against cyclones and floods.

In the agriculture sector, AICS in Maputo has supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER) in the areas of food security, agriculture, and rural development. The geographic focus of interventions is primarily in the Beira Corridor, where AICS collaborates not only with local authorities but also with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Soon, they will also collaborate with the World Food Programme (WFP) with the aim of promoting the integrated development of the horticultural sector and guiding the development of the coffee sector in the Beira Corridor, connecting Mozambique to Zimbabwe.

In the field of environment and energy access, AICS in Maputo is involved in the resilient reconstruction of the districts of Ibo and Buzi, which were affected by Cyclones Kenneth and Idai. They finance the “Multidimensional Resilient Recovery of the Ibo and Buzi Districts” project, implemented by a consortium led by UN-Habitat in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The project promotes an integrated and sustainable approach aimed at conserving natural resources, protecting local heritage, and empowering local communities to withstand the impacts of extreme weather events. In collaboration with UNESCO, AICS has contributed to ensuring the sustainability of the Quirimbas Biosphere Reserve by developing a Business Management Plan 2023-2032, promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable business opportunities.

In Cabo Delgado, AICS has collaborated with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people due to the conflict. This includes offering essential services in the water and sanitation, nutrition sectors, and engaging communities to promote behavior changes related to health, nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation.

Together with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), AICS is involved in carrying out activities of the DELPAZ program – Local Development for Peace Consolidation in Mozambique, funded by the European Union, in 14 districts most affected by political-military conflict in the provinces of Tete, Manica, and Sofala. This program focuses on the most vulnerable groups, including beneficiaries of the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) process and their families. Promoting more inclusive governance and equitable and sustainable local economic development are key components of the intervention, crucial for the socio-economic stability of rural communities.

In the health sector, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other donors, Italy funds the PROSAÚDE Common Fund, one of its main objectives being to reduce geographical inequalities in access to healthcare services by supporting the decentralization process in the country.

On the 78th anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, AICS remains committed to collaborating with the United Nations to ensure the sustainable development of Mozambique, ensuring that no one is left behind.

AICS’s Participation in FACIM 2023: Strengthening Partnerships and Promoting Sustainable Development in Mozambique

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) was present at the 58th edition of the Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Fair of Mozambique (FACIM), which took place in Marracuene from August 28th to September 3rd.

The primary objective of Mozambique’s largest private sector fair is to showcase the country’s production and export potential and promote business and investment opportunities in various sectors, both domestic and foreign. The AICS stand was in the Italy pavilion, where 22 Italian companies showcased the excellence of “Made in Italy.”

For the event, AICS also organized a cultural program, featuring the presentation of various projects and specific activities, including support for the marketing of coffee from IBO Island, urban agriculture in the Maputo Province, and initiatives open to private sector participation in job creation through new technologies.

On the first day of FACIM, the Head of the AICS Regional Office in Maputo, Dr. Paolo Sertoli, gave a presentation titled “AICS and the Private Sector: Best Practices, Opportunities, and Perspectives.” During the presentation, he explained how AICS, within the framework of the Profit Funds managed by the AICS Rome Office, is currently co-financing three private sector companies: Carbosink, with activities focused on promoting efficient food cooking technologies; Newster, with activities aimed at promoting proper management of special solid waste at Beira Hospital; and Novamont, with activities related to the development of horticultural and fruit value chains. Dr. Sertoli concluded his presentation by stating that the AICS partnership with the private sector is based on three fundamental pillars: “inclusion, innovation, and sustainability” the ISI approach.

To ensure access to information for individuals with hearing impairments, AICS collaborated with the Mozambican company REMOTELINE. Interpreters from this company provided simultaneous sign language translations for both the cultural program and the speech by His Excellency the Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, during Italy’s dedicated day.

More than 50,000 visitors had the opportunity to observe numerous cooperatives and companies that received support from AICS, including the Barué Fruit Cooperative, which is involved in the production and sale of lychee; Revué Fruits, specializing in the marketing of dehydrated fruits such as papaya and banana; and the Mozambique Honey Company, which sells Chibabava honey produced under the Rural Development Support Program (AID. 9021 – PSSR).

Throughout the week, the AICS booth received many visitors (more or less 200), including journalists, entrepreneurs, partners, and students seeking more information about Italian cooperation. Among the visitors, the visit of the President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, was particularly significant as he expressed his gratitude for Italy’s unwavering support in Mozambique’s sustainable development.

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Office in Maputo launched a call for proposals in the framework of the programme “Job creation through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Mozambique” – AID 12454. The full guidelines for applicants are available for consultation on the following internet site:

https://maputo.aics.gov.it/en/home/opportunities/calls/. The deadline for submission of proposals is 3^rd November 2023 at 12.00 pm (noon, Maputo time).

Two online information sessions will be held on 8^th August 2023 at 14.30 (Maputo time) and 11^th September 2023 at 14.30 (Maputo time).

To have more information on the first online meeting click here -> https://maputo.aics.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/save-the-date-ICT.pdf

A new office for AICS in Mozambique: opened the new space in Chimoio

Inaugurazione ufficio chimoio

Friday, 20^th of January 2023 saw the opening of the new program headquarters of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency (AICS) in the city of Chimoio (Province of Manica).

In the presence of the Governor of the Province of Manica, Francisca Domingos Tomás, the Ambassador of Italy in Mozambique, Gianni Bardini, and the Head of the AICS Office in Maputo, Paolo Enrico Sertoli, the new office was presented to the population and local authorities.

The Province of Manica is of great importance to the AICS office in Maputo, which over the years has established a strong network of relationships in the area. The new program office, in fact, will become the logistics center for two important programs, today in their initial stages:

AID 12300 – DELPAZ – Desenvolvimento Local para a Consolidação da Paz em Moçambique, is a program of the Mozambican Government financed by the European Union with the aim of contributing to the consolidation of peace at a subnational level in Mozambique. The program is currently operating in 14 districts of the provinces of Manica, Tete and Sofala, where activities are carried out to strengthen local institutions, for the benefit of the population that has most suffered from the consequences of the conflict.

AID 12248 – AS MULHERES NO SUSTENTA, which aims to promote rural development and job creation in the rural areas of the Province of Manica through support to the MADER 2020-2024 Program and the SUSTENTA initiative, with particular attention to women producers.

In addition to these two programs, AICS is already working in the Manica area with other important, well established projects, which will now find a new landmark in the new AICS headquarters in Chimoio. Particularly:

The AID 11671 initiative “Improving the inclusive and sustainable development of agricultural supply chains, including the typical Ibo coffee”, in collaboration with UNIDO, with the aim of increasing income generation for small producers in Cabo Delgado and Manica, through the promotion of inclusive and sustainable supply chains in the fruit and vegetable and coffee sectors.

The AID 9021 initiative “Rural Development Support Program (PADR) in the Provinces of Manica and Sofala”, launched in 2010, implemented by MADER through the Fundo de Fomento Agrario e Extension Rural (FAR, FP) with the aim of improving the income and social conditions of the rural populations of the Provinces of Manica and Sofala.

The opening ceremony of the new program office was also the occasion to deliver four five-ton trucks and four motorcycles that will contribute to the enhancement of local agricultural services, in the framework of the AID program. 9021 – PADR.

At the end of the ceremony, the Italian Ambassador Gianni Bardini and AICS Head of Office Paolo Enrico Sertoli had the opportunity to visit the district of Macate, where they were able to speak with the beneficiaries of the programs financed by AICS and see the results achieved so far in the areas of intervention.

AICS supports scientific research and university partnerships

The BioForMoz project, funded by the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, launched in December 2021 a call for applications for 1 post-doctoral fellowship, 1 doctoral fellowship, 6 research fellowships, and 4 MSc fellowships, for researchers at the Eduardo Mondlane University (EMU).

The fellowships include a personal allowance, a fund for the purchase of reagents, and a training internship in Italy. Similarly, in January 2022, a second call for applications was launched for 1 doctoral scholarship, 2 research scholarships, and 3 master’s scholarships, which is still open to new applicants.

In order to publicize the research projects of the scholarships, the institutions involved in the Project have organized a seminar on 23 March 2022 to present the projects in the Amphitheatre of the Museum of Natural History, in Maputo.

This will be an opportunity to establish synergies between the various institutions and working groups in order to strengthen the development of inter-institutional working platforms in the field of biotechnology and bio-conservation.

The research grants are supervised by Mozambican and Italian researchers who will be present at the seminar.

Recovery of multidimensional resilience in the districts of Ibo and Búzi

Beira, Thursday 4 November 2021 – The project “Recovering multidimensional resilience in the districts of Ibo and Búzi” has been successfully launched today, thanks to AICS funding of the programme “RINO – Resources, Innovation and Development for Conservation Areas“, for a total amount of 9.5 million euros. Organized by the partner UN-Habitat, implementing partner of the initiative together with UNESCO and ILO, the ceremony and the workshop have been participated by GREPOC (Gabinete de Reconstrução Pós-Ciclone) Executive Director Paulo Mandlate, AICS Maputo Director Ginevra Letizia, Ibo District Governor Issa Satar Momade and representatives of the involved UN Agencies.

For a grant of 2.7 million euros, the project has a three-year duration and focuses on a multidimensional and integrated adoption of two different methodologies for resilient recovery: one for areas subject to cyclone and one for those affected by floods, selecting – in accordance with the priorities of the post-cyclone reconstruction plan – Ibo and Buzi districts. The initiative will also serve as a pilot model.

In particular, its four components aim at (i) developing local action frameworks for physical, social and economic recovery and post-disaster resilience; (ii) supporting a sustainable and resilient rehabilitation of local physical and cultural heritage, with special attention to environmental impacts; (iii) enabling a sustainable reconstruction of human settlements; (iv) facilitating socio-economic recovery and job creation.

Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019, as well as Eloise in 2021, caused significant damages across the country; in particular, Idai caused flooding in the Pungué and Búzi rivers, affecting urban, peri-urban and rural areas. In total, more than 17,000 families were displaced due to the impact of the cyclone, including 11,300 in Sofala province only. After that, Cyclone Kenneth caused additional damages in the north of the country. In the district of Ibo, 90% of homes have been partially or fully damaged, along with most of the livelihoods and public infrastructures. The relevant architectural, historical and cultural heritage of this area has become even more vulnerable; consequently, these two areas of intervention require a multidimensional approach to support their recovery.

DELPAZ “Desenvolvimento Local para a Consolidação da Paz em Moçambique” – Call for Proposals

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – Maputo Office (AICS Maputo), one of the implementing partners of the programme DELPAZ “Desenvolvimento Local para a Consolidação da Paz em Moçambique”, funded by the European Union, makes a call to all interested actors to present proposals to contribute to “enhance rural communities life conditions in those districts most conflict-affected, with a special attention to women and vulnerable groups”, in the Provinces of Manica and Tete.

With the final aim “to contribute towards consolidation of peace at subnational levels in Mozambique”, AICS aims at stimulating, in partnership with local authorities, for communities in the districts of Barue, Macossa, Guro, Tambara and Gondola (Manica Province) and in the districts of Moatize, Tsangano and Doa (Tete Province) socio-economic development opportunities, through inclusive and participative processes, supporting local networks and abilities.

With an approach focused on conflicts mitigation and peace building, reintegration and reconciliation, inclusive governance and participatory local planning, social inclusion for disadvantaged groups and women empowerment, market and local value chains enhancement, climate changes community resilience, AICS Maputo is looking for partners ready to cooperate in these geographical areas, to 1) Enhance public investment and service provision in selected districts and rural municipalities; 2) Increase adoption of climate smart and productivity enhancing agriculture technologies and practices by conflict affected communities; 3) Enhance market integration and off-farm economic activities of conflict-affected communities.

TOTAL BUDGET:

LOT 1 – MANICA (Barue, Macossa, Guro, Tambara and Gondola districts): MAX 3.925.000 €;
LOT 2 – TETE (Moatize, Tsangano and Doa districts): MAX 2.355.000 €

Deadline: January 25, 2022 – 4 PM, Maputo time

On-line info session: November 22, 2021 – 3 PM, Maputo time

Call for Proposals

A new commitment for Peace in Mozambique

Chimoio, October 14^th, 2021 – After almost 30 years since the Peace agreement signed on the 4^th of October 1992 in Rome, when the Italian Government played a facilitating role to stop the civil war in Mozambique, Italy nowadays, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, is back to support a new path of peace, disarmament and social reintegration with socio-economic activities in those areas of the Country where fights still occurred in the recent years, before 2019 peace agreement.

Within an official ceremony, at the presence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Veronica Macamo Dlhovo, the EU Ambassador to Mozambique Antonio Sanchez-Benedito Gaspar and Italian Ambassaodr to Maputo Gianni Bardini, together with local and international partners, DELPAZ has been launched in Mozambique, funded by the European Union with 25 MLN EUR. DELPAZ is a well-structured programme to be implemented in 14 districts in Manica, Tete and Sofala Provinces, where local institutions enhancement activities will strenghten services for those beneficiares that mostly have been affected by the conflict. Trainings, infrastructural interventions and rural production’s value chain development will allow a good integration of communities in the local market.

“DELPAZ represents for the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation a further opportunity to support development and peace in the most conflict-affected areas of the country” stated Ginevra Letizia, Head of AICS Maputo.

This action is pursued in the framework of a general peace plan in these areas, where thousands of ex-combats and their families will be provided with several tools to enhance their fragile life conditions and get back to their communities.

Activities implemented by AICS, that for the first time is managing a programme delegated by the European Union in Mozambique, for a total amount of 11 MLN EUR, will take place in Manica (5 districts) and Tete Provinces (3 districts); main programme’s stakeholders are Austrian Cooperation – ADA, responsible for activities in Sofala Province, and UNCDF (United Nations for Capital Development Fund), with a focus on local development and institutional enhancement.

Moreover, DELPAZ is part of an Italian commitment for rural development in Mozambique, intertwined with environmental issues and cross-cutting themes particularly crucial: DELPAZ will activate special focus on economic inclusion, on an environmentally sustainable agriculture development, on production diversification with the final aim to gather objectives and beneficiaries with a global vision.

Relying on a wide and efficient system of partnerships, that characterizes AICS approach all over the world, DELPAZ aims at contributing to the peace process at sub-national level, aware that only activating development mechanisms and socio-economic growth will be possible to reach a full Peace.

Call for offers for urban infrastructural interventions design in the informal neighborhood of Chamanculo C in Maputo

REGENERA Programme, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation

Online a call for offers for urban infrastructural interventions design in the informal neighborhood of Chamanculo C in Maputo by the Ministry of Public Works of Mozambique.

Bidding price is EUR 1.018.815, participation is reserved to economical operators from EU Member States or ACP States.

For additional info, CLICK HERE

Mozambique confirms its presence at MACFRUT 2021 thanks to the fruitful collaboration between AICS Maputo and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER)

Maputo, September 1^st, 2021 – Mozambique will be in Italy at MACFRUT fair, from September 7 to 9, a notable event for all the professionals in the sector of fruit and vegetables to show their work to the world.

Given the long-standing collaboration between AICS Maputo and MADER, and the particular role assigned to this fair as an opportunity for the sustainable development of the country, 7 Mozambican companies coming from different areas (Manica, Inhambane, Nampula and Maputo provinces) will bring to Italy flavors, taste and colors of exotic Mozambican products and much more.

Moreover, a MADER delegation will be part of the mission and will meet Italian entrepreneurships in order to take closely all the opportunities provided by the SISTEMA ITALIA, in terms of technology and innovation.

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – AICS, with the logistic and managerial support delivered by UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization, means to facilitate real networking and exchange opportunities, in order to stimulate growth and development of small and medium local enterprises and to support sustainable and inclusive production chains.

See you on September 7 at the African Pavillon – Subsaharian Countries of MACFRUT in Rimini.