Highlights 2021

Introduction

2021 was a cross over year for EU-CORD as we closed out one strategic period and aligned ourselves to the new ways of working that would support a new strategy that was approved at our November 2021 General Assembly.

This led to the identification of five programme areas through which the Members of the network would realise their objectives.

1. Faith in Action
2. Funding and Partnerships
3. Advocacy Hub
4. CEO & Senior Leaders
5. Learning Space

Advocacy Hub

• Joint Statement a part of IDDC to advocate for Disability-inclusive programming of EU funding for external action.
• Joint reflection with humanitarian members of the Informal Brussels faith-based group on the new ECHO humanitarian communication.
• Series of conversations held with EU-CORD members on:
  • role of faith-based organisations and engaging with faith communities.
  • climate change, mitigation, and adaption – influence of the EU’s climate ambition in the global south
• Advocacy task group established to work on Myanmar
• ZOA, Leprosy Mission and Tearfund linked with ActAlliance EU and Caritas Europa members to carry forward work with the EU Delegation in Nigeria stemming from the Faith Actors Toolkit
• Afghanistan statement
• Vaccine Inequality campaign launched in July with the ActAlliance EU and Caritas Europa based on the necessity of a WTO TRIPS Waiver. Letter written to the EU Commission and response received.

Faith in Action

• Establishing this as a new area of work for EU-CORD
• Finalisation of a ‘faith in action’ Theory of Change

Funding and Partnerships

• Funding Trends meeting on funding in West Africa hosted by the WARA Network
• Funding Trends meeting focusing on the Perspactive Platform with Martijn Booguard
• Members updated on the Team Europe Initiatives, expectations on the release of the MIPs/MAAPs and the latest on OPSYS and the Model Grant Agreement.
• Collaborating with CONCORD on the Guide to the Global Europe/NDICI
• Internal review of the new ECHO Communication on the future of humanitarian aid (with ActAlliance EU, World Vision EU, Caritas EU)
• Heleen Berends replaced Ruth as EU-CORD representative on the VOICE FPA Taskforce and Watchgroup
• Work taken forward to develop our Nexus study

Learning Space

• Series of workshops on Growing your Organisational institutional Funding Capacities
• Webinar on ‘Understanding the new Global Europe Instrument’

CEO & Senior Leaders

• General Assembly convened in the Spring (virtual) and in November in Brussels.
• 2022+ Strategy approved
• Revised Articles of Association and Internal Rules approved
• Renewed commitment to strengthen partnerships between programme staff and partners in partner countries