Regional Assistance Plan (RAP) for Latin America
2004-8
The Department for International Development (DFID) leads the British government’s fight against world poverty. In Nicaragua, DFID provides poverty reduction budget support and also works in programmes that focus on poverty reduction and governance, social and economic inclusion, SME development and the enabling environment and HIV and Aids prevention and control. Total country programme for 2006/7 and 2007/8 amounted to £4 m each year.
DFID’s regional strategy is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of assistance provided by multilateral. Thus, DFID’s support is channelled through a combination of instruments that include direct technical assistance (jointly with multilateral organisations such as the WB, IADB and UNDP, as well as several bilateral donors) and strategic partnerships with local and international civil society organizations.
The objective of DFID’s work on poverty reduction and governance is to ensure that public administration and political systems are more transparent, accountable and responsive to the poor. For this, it engages simultaneously with central and local governments, political institutions (such as political parties and legislative bodies), and CSOs.
DFID also works with governmental and private sector actors in order to stimulate equitable economic growth and fair access to markets. Special emphasis is given to the strengthening of SMEs’ capacity to represent themselves, both at the national and regional level, in order to improve their competitiveness and their ability to put forward issues affecting their businesses with central government and IFIs. DFID has contributed to strengthening the capacity of 110,476 micro and small urban and rural entrepreneurs. Access to regional and national markets has improved, allowing participation of non traditional economic actors in international trade. For example APLARI (Plantain association) members, signed a contract in August 2007 for 600 micro and small plantain producers to provide plantains to Central American supermarkets.
Work in HIV and Aids Prevention and Control has encouraged the GoN in its efforts to develop a stronger, multi-sectoral national response to the growing epidemic, and also focused on reducing stigma and discrimination through the involvement of faith and community based organizations. Christian churches and religious leaders are very much involved and motivated in the struggle against HIV and Aids. Soon enough a regional multidisciplinary group will come out to develop pastoral work. Their challenge will be to fight stigma and discrimination and turn it into solidarity and hope in favour of persons who live with HIV.