EU Signs Contracts with IOM and ILO Country Offices

Earlier today, the European Union, led by Head of Delegation Dr. Erja Askola, signed two important contracts with the country offices of the International Office on Migration and the International Labor Organization. These new projects aim to boost inclusive socio-economic development in southern Belize and enhance the capabilities of government institutions for integrated border control planning and management. The signing ceremony for these two grant agreements, worth around sixteen million Belize dollars, took place today. Both initiatives highlight the crucial partnership between the United Nations system and the European Union in breaking down barriers to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development in Belize.

 

Dr. Erja Askola, Head of EU Delegation

“Our contracts that are going to be signed today they are based on a financing agreement that we have signed with the Government of Belize.  So we are passing to implementation, to putting things into practice.  So real action and real action on the ground, this is what counts to the citizens and this is what will result in concrete impact on the ground and this is what we want.  Now one of the contracts is one that implemented by IOM, mainly for customs migration and orders, but also on forest protection.  Very important and these are crucial priorities, joint priorities for the European Union together with the Government of Belize.”

 

Diana Locke, Head of Office, IOM Belize

“I will share with you, ambassador has shared with you the various ministries that will be involved and the partners, and I will tell you a little bit mor now, quickly, about the activities that we will have under there.  So one of them is aimed at developing a national strategy for border management and border integration.  Another one also in the environment area, conservation, is to update the management plan for conservation.  Along with the ministry of the border agencies, we will be helping to develop standard operating procedures for intra and inter offices working together.  We are also going to be doing a lot of capacity building, training for immigrations, customs officers, border officials, in a sense.  We will be doing online platforms for training that will be left behind, looking at the issues such as human rights, gender-based violence, some of these other topics that are not always associated with immigration services.”