On January 23, 2007 in Brussels, Belgium, President José Manuel Barroso of the European Commission and His Highness the Aga Khan, Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) signed a Joint Declaration that aims to broaden the scope of their collaboration on development endeavours, strengthening civil society institutions, promoting governance and social inclusion, in countries of Central, South and West Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Distinctive in its recognition of the AKDN’s experience, the Joint Declaration seeks to extend the European Commission’s long-standing partnership with the AKDN into areas of common concern and in a number of new fields of activity.
Quote: Head of European Commission Delegation to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Ambassador Adriaan van der Meer commented: “The European Commission highly appreciates the work of the Aga Khan Development Network in Central Asia and beyond. The Joint Declaration will further promote the cooperation between both organizations that in fact already existed in various areas.. It will help to build on the positive experience already acquired and I am looking forward to this extended cooperation”
Since 1986, the European Commission has made grants totalling €153 million to AKDN programmes in education, urban and rural development, food security, livelihoods, infrastructure, microfinance, water and sanitation, and disaster preparedness across Asia and Africa.
Quote: Head of the Aga Khan Development Network Representation for the Kyrgyz Republic, Nurjehan Mawani underlined the importance of the Joint Declaration commenting: “The relationship between the Aga Khan Development Network and the European Commission has been an extremely important one in many parts of the world, in areas of development and human need. The Joint Declaration enhances our two-decade long partnership and sets the framework in which our collaboration can grow towards creating stability, mitigating conflict, fostering greater social inclusion and enabling equitable and sustainable human development in countries of our concern. And this is very essential and timely for Kyrgyzstan and the region.”
Notes:
His Highness the Aga Khan is the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismaili Muslims, a community comprised of ethnically and culturally diverse peoples living in over 25 countries around the world. A Harvard graduate in Islamic history, the Aga Khan succeeded his grandfather as Imam of the Ismailis in 1957.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, non-denominational development agencies working to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The Network’s nine development agencies focus on social, cultural and economic development for all citizens, regardless of gender, origin or religion. The AKDN’s underlying ethic is compassion for the vulnerable in society. Its annual budget for philanthropic activity is in excess of US$ 300 million.
The AKDN Representation for the KR was established under an Agreement of Cooperation of 2001 between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ismaili Imamat, ratified by the Kyrgyz Parliament.
http://www.delkaz.ec.europa.eu/pr/eng/proj/first.php?a=news&p=1&obj=818&c=all
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