Djibouti

The EU and Djibouti are working together to improve access to drinking water and sanitation. They are also investing in the eco-friendly economic development of how Djibouti uses the Western Indian Ocean. Specific projects include:

• A solar-powered desalination plant that provides increased access to safe drinking water, particularly for vulnerable neighbourhoods.
• The construction of new sanitation infrastructure such as new wastewater treatment plant and burial centres for solid waste.
• Developing institutions ready for climate mitigation, especially in the water sectors.

The EU and Djibouti are working to create sustainable livelihoods for Djibouti’s vulnerable populations, particularly its youth and women. Specific actions include:

• Improving young people’s professional prospects by strengthening digital, entrepreneurship, and TVET skills, promoting recognised certifications, and expanding mobility opportunities through programmes such as Erasmus+.
• Structured dialogue with youth through the Youth Sounding Board.
• Contributing to government efforts to boost gender equality in higher education and industry.
• Developing a new Bachelor’s level study programme in automation engineering
• Increasing marginalised populations’ access to fundamental rights.
• Strengthening local systems for the prevention and management of gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation. 

The EU is supporting Djibouti’s efforts in reinforcing Djibouti’s national action plan for migrants and migration governance. This includes:

• Protecting and supporting vulnerable migrants in transit and enhancing the resilience of their host communities.
• Reinforcing capacity  to manage mixed migration both on its own and in cooperation with neighbouring countries.
• Reinforcing capacity to fight human trafficking and deal with irregular migration.
• Supporting alignment with global and regional legal and policy frameworks on migration & mobility.

Djibouti and the EU are shifting Djibouti’s economy in an inclusive and sustainable direction. They are simultaneously reinforcing the ability of the government to provide positive change for its citizens. Specific actions include:

• Boosting civil society’s role in sustainable development and governance.
• Contributing to the first triannual action plan for the public finance reform strategy and ensuring readiness to support its implementation.
• Reinforcing democratic governance, transparency, rule of law, enforcement of human rights, and ability to innovate. 

• Strengthen MSME capacities and entrepreneurship ecosystems by providing training, coaching, and business development services through the Centre de Leadership et d’Entrepreneuriat, while supporting co-working spaces and incubators as one-stop hubs that foster innovation and enterprise growth.
• Promote women’s economic leadership by expanding opportunities for women as business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs, and by strengthening their role as cross-border traders through targeted support and capacity-building.
• Develop the digital sector by promoting digital skills, tools, and services that improve productivity and unlock new business opportunities.
• Supporting the digital transformation of the public and private sector by strengthening the skills and capacities needed to enhance competitiveness.
• Supporting the digitalisation of governance and public services, including initiatives such as the e-cabinet and e-permit.
• Investing in strategic connectivity, notably through the Global Gateway project “Blue Raman”, an intercontinental submarine cable linking Europe to India, with Djibouti as a key landing point.
• Building digital skills, including citizens’ digital literacy, professional ICT training, and recognised sector certifications.

The EU and Djibouti are working together to improve regional peace and security. This notably includes the protection of commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Specific actions include:

• Protecting vulnerable vessels transiting the region while deterring as well as suppressing piracy and armed robbery.
• Contributing to protecting freedom of navigation, to safeguarding maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
• Facilitating flow of commercial and humanitarian goods into Yemen, ensuring compliance with the UN arms embargo.
• Strengthen maritime security and safety by improving the capabilities of regional law enforcement authorities to combat maritime crime while fostering regional cooperation on maritime domain awareness in a key global shipping corridor.
• Enhancing maritime governance as well as information sharing to combat crimes such as piracy, drug trafficking, or illegal fishing.