[{"bbox": [97, 153, 1134, 339], "category": "Text", "text": "employed in non-agricultural activities, which currently stands at 45%, compared with 41% in 2013. Their male counterpart's standing at 72%. Challenges remain important and among them, continued gender stereotypes and limited financial and general capacity constraints facing women. The country faces complex, interlinked and persistent development challenges. Over the last twenty years, the country was hit by several external shocks (Ebola, iron ore price slump, and recently COVID-19) and the vast majority of its population is still facing dire socio-economic conditions as illustrated by a Human Development Index of 184/189 with important gender inequalities proved by the Gender Inequalities Index (155/162). The main challengers are:"}, {"bbox": [97, 366, 800, 392], "category": "List-item", "text": "(1) Economic challenges of stagnation, unemployment and low productivity;"}, {"bbox": [97, 392, 904, 418], "category": "List-item", "text": "(2) Social challenges of poverty, inequality, precariat combined with population growth;"}, {"bbox": [97, 418, 512, 444], "category": "List-item", "text": "(3) Weak governance and fragile democracy;"}, {"bbox": [97, 445, 946, 471], "category": "List-item", "text": "(4) Environmental challenges of biodiversity loss, degrading ecosystems and climate change."}, {"bbox": [97, 497, 1100, 574], "category": "Text", "text": "In that context, the general objective of the **Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027 (MIP)** is to promote a stable and prosperous democracy and economic diversification through three main priority areas of intervention:"}, {"bbox": [135, 607, 318, 632], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Green economy"}, {"bbox": [135, 634, 364, 660], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Human development"}, {"bbox": [135, 662, 284, 686], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Governance"}, {"bbox": [97, 688, 429, 714], "category": "Text", "text": "The expected results of the MIP are:"}, {"bbox": [135, 742, 1132, 796], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Green economy: progress towards a green and resilient economy to provide decent jobs and a sustainable, inclusive green economic transformation"}, {"bbox": [135, 798, 1132, 847], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Human development: strengthened education and social protection systems for people living in vulnerable situations"}, {"bbox": [135, 852, 1132, 902], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Governance: strengthened democratic institutions, better government efficiency, and improved investment climate"}, {"bbox": [97, 931, 1132, 1037], "category": "Text", "text": "Lessons from past cooperation programmes have shown that, in this challenging context, a flexible instrument which allows for quick responses is instrumental to the swift implementation of these programmes. This Cooperation Facility should also facilitate a Team Europe approach and help to coordinate, design, implement and assess respective initiatives."}, {"bbox": [97, 1064, 1132, 1250], "category": "Text", "text": "In that context, this Cooperation Facility will be a transversal instrument to launch activities which are not yet formally identified in support of the implementation of other initiatives of the MIP. Concretely, the Cooperation Facility will be small scale initiatives to be mobilised on an ad-hoc base. This Facility is also meant to put into practice the new EU external approach as well as the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III, 2021-2025)¹. Beyond the MIP, the activities to be launched under this Facility will accompany the transition to the NDICI-Global Europe and critically serve the interests of the EU, and of its public, economic and cultural diplomacy - including through strategic communication actions towards the wider public."}, {"bbox": [85, 1278, 322, 1309], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 1343, 233, 1370], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [97, 1390, 425, 1415], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.1.1 Political and financial outlook"}, {"bbox": [97, 1442, 1132, 1522], "category": "Text", "text": "Sierra Leone's turbulent past has left the country dangling at the bottom of all development indicators with dependency on external aid alarmingly high. Inherent institutional weaknesses, very low human capital development, deeply rooted governance deficiencies, distractions from the development agenda and proneness to"}, {"bbox": [85, 1571, 1142, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹ EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III, welcomed through Presidency Conclusions by 24 Member States - An Ambitious Agenda for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in EU External Action, https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/system/files/join-2020-17-final_en.pdf"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 17"}]