Praia, March 6, 2026 (Lusa) - The United Nations in Cabo Verde will strengthen its work with the Cabo Verdean authorities through a plan for 2026, worth around €17 million, focused on digital transformation, the blue economy and strengthening local development.
"The year 2026 is the penultimate year of this cycle of cooperation between the United Nations and Cabo Verde. It is a year for inegration, acceleration and transformation. We have three key accelerators: digital transformation, the blue economy and local development," said United Nations Resident Coordinator Patrícia Portela de Souza in the city of Praia during the annual meeting that included the signing of the joint work plan.
According to the coordinator, digital transformation aims to modernise public systems, digitise essential services and strengthen the technological capacities of people and institutions, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In the blue economy, considered a "growth engine" for the country, the plan provides for investments in areas such as sustainable fishing, enhancement of production chains and supporting entrepreneurs in the maritime sector, despite the challenges arising from "pressure on resources and the country's vulnerability to climate change".
In the area of local development, initiatives that promote social inclusion and access to services on all islands will be strengthened, with special attention to women, young people, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
The plan also provides for support for agricultural value chains, climate risk mapping in 17 of the 22 regions, and platforms that connect the diaspora to local health, education, and entrepreneurship projects.
According to Patrícia Portela de Souza, the goal is to achieve 100% financial execution of the plan, after a rate of 83% recorded in 2025, by exploring innovative management models and institutional technical support to accelerate actions and reach the most remote communities in the archipelago.
Cabo Verde's minister of foreign affairs, José Luís Livramento, highlighted that the partnership with the United Nations system has contributed to significant gains in areas such as poverty reduction, access to education, healthcare, water, energy, housing and food security.
The signed work plan amounts to US$20.3 million (€17.55 million), of which US$14.6 million (€12.61 million) has already been mobilised, and "is the result of a participatory planning process involving public institutions, local authorities, civil society and the private sector, geared towards concrete results".
RS/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
