VIDEO: Brazilian Cooperation Agency analyses projects with African countries and evaluates the impact of the pandemic

The director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Ambassador Ruy Pereira, evaluated the institution’s activities with countries in the African continent during a special lecture of the IBRAF Fellowship Program (IFP).

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought challenges to the execution of the projects. In a more “political” aspect, the director of ABC highlighted the need to “adjust almost all projects from the presential model to a virtual like the one we have today”, which imposes a series of adjustments “in terms of rules, priorities, resources and political  in terms of public policies achievements in each project”.

The director also pointed out the technical adaptations necessary to meet the public health needs in each country, so that priority is given to “the situation of the populations which are the target of the projects, especially the most vulnerable ones”.

Africa is Brazil’s main partner for international cooperation. Currently there are 32 agreements with countries on the continent and around 80 projects in progress. According to ABC, since 2000 more than 700 technical cooperation projects in several African countries have been carried out, with emphasis on the areas of health, agriculture, livestock, fishing, education and professional training and public policies.

During the lecture, Ambassador Ruy Pereira also highlighted the role of the Brazil Africa Institute in promoting international cooperation.

The IBRAF Fellowship Program supports scientific research focused on South-South Cooperation. The first IFP cohort has nine Fellows from eight different countries: South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

During the program Fellows have the opportunity to follow practical experiences, enabling them to monitor and study the international cooperation projects being developed by IBRAF, as well as its wide network of partner organizations. They also engage in other exclusive masterclasses with internationally renowned professionals.

Check out the full lecture with the ABC director in the video below.