ACT EU’s Annual Report for 2016 provides a comprehensive overview of the organisation’s goals and achievements over that year, and the challenges it faced.
- The report covers the following policy areas:
- EU Development Policy & Practice
- EU Food Security Policy
- EU Climate Justice
- Middle East
- Central America
- European Refugee Crisis
Introduction
In 2016, it became increasingly clear that the EU is in a governance crisis. Centrifugal forces within Europe put it at real risk of disintegration. In this uncertain context, the EU has primarily addressed its own internal prosperity and stability, without much regard for, and often at the expense of sustainable development and economic opportunities for the world’s poorest and for their human rights.
ACT Alliance EU plays a vital role in this context, keeping the EU to its commitments to go beyond narrow self-interest. This must include continuing to be a reliable donor and a global leader promoting human rights and setting fair global standards within the development arena and beyond.
Our new strategy, launched in 2016, speaks to this: ‘We influence current and upcoming EU policy agendas and processes to maximum impact in support of the global ACT Alliance strategy, which seeks substantial improvements in the lives of people in poverty around the world. Building on our track record of influence, this strategy reflects a focused and targeted network that seeks to align our work with events, work streams, policy frameworks and processes within the EU to have the greatest effect.’
The strategic priority areas of Development Policy & Practice, Food Security and Climate Justice, defined in our strategy, and our special projects on Central America, the Middle East, and Refugees and Migration, pulled together to meet the challenges posed by a Europe looking increasingly to its own interests. Our key results and impact are summarised in this Annual Report for 2016.