Blog: Bêkou for the Central African Republic! - Hoofdinhoud

€ 380 million committed today by the international community for Central African Republic in 2015

In Sango, the language spoken by most of people in Central African Republic, Bêkou means hope.

Today's International Conference on the Central African Republic (CAR) has certainly given me hope. I think that I share this feeling with Catherine Samba-Panza, the President of the CAR transition government who was with us today, as well as my colleague Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian aid and Crisis management, and ministers from France, the Netherlands and Rwanda, together with representatives from countries such as Italy and Switzerland, and international organisations.

It gives me hope because I have seen that our first ever EU Trust Fund, the Bêkou Fund, has already shown its speed and efficiency, with six new projects started in CAR, despite the fact that the country is recovering from the crisis. The EU has been able to mobilise its energy and instruments at a record time and I want to thank all of those who worked hard to make it happen.

And hope because today, the international community has shown strong signs of its commitment to rebuild a country that has suffered a devastating crisis. Not only because all the statements have shown a strong sense of solidarity towards the CAR people, but also because it has been translated into the following new announcements of support and this is very good news indeed for the CAR:

The European Commission increased its assistance for the CAR with a total of €72 million. This means that the total contribution from the European Commission alone comes to €100 million for 2015 and includes humanitarian aid (with €10 million of fresh funding), budget support (with €40 million) and new contribution to the EU Trust Fund for the CAR (€22 million extra).

I would like to emphasise €29 million in new commitments to the EU Bêkou Trust Fund, with €5 million from Germany, €1 million from Italy, and a particular welcome to the first non-EU country in Bêkou, Switzerland, with a contribution of 1 million Swiss Francs.

Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners, ECHO, have also announced €10 million, in addition to €1 million for the Bêkou Fund. The ECHO effort has to be added to the €9 million from the European Development Fund, and a further €12 million from the EU budget line for non-state actors and local authorities.

I believe that this increase of financial support confirms that the EU and its friends are strategic, long term partners of CAR, and such an impressive convergence of will and energy gives me hope for the people of the CAR. I can only encourage other countries and organisations to join the dynamic created by the EU for CAR going forward.

Of course, much remains to be done. In particular, the preparation of the 2015 elections will be critical to stabilising the country. The new support announced today will help to prepare these elections. We will also contribute to rebuilding the state, economic and social structures. We expect 80,000 jobs to be created for the people of CAR as a result.

I have often said there is no development without peace and no peace without development. I firmly believe that today's conference will be seen as a step closer to achieving both of these things in the CAR.