World Bank, AU sign $487,000 agreement

Gbola Subair, Abuja - 22.07.2008

The African Union (AU) Commission and the World Bank have signed an agreement under which the bank is providing US$487,000 in grant to strengthen the African Diaspora Programme of the AU.

The Institutional Development Fund is part of the World Bank’s support in enhancing the capacity of the AU Mission to the United States in Washington, DC. It will enable the AU mission carry out one of its core functions of developing and maintaining productive relationships with the African Diaspora in the Americas (North America, the Caribbean and Latin America).

The programme will help strengthen knowledge sharing and coordination between the AU mission, the Diaspora and development partners in the Americas. It will also help develop a reliable database of the African Diaspora networks and individuals.

It will also help initiate resource mobilisation efforts from the African Diaspora and private sector in the Americas. Furthermore, it will enhance the capacity of the AU Commission to effectively advocate support for Diaspora in international, bilateral and multilateral institutions as well as in other global dialogues on African Diaspora.