EU Reports & Positions | Plan International

EU Reports & Positions

Girls Action Plan

“nothing should be decided for girls without girls!” As the next EU Gender Action Plan (GAP III) is being drafted, we wanted to know what girls and young women on different continents experience, what they dream about, and what they thought the EU could do about it. Entirely based on girls and young women’s ideas and expectations, we hope the Girls Action Plan will support EU actions that leave no girl behind. Through a youth-friendly online consultation, 128 young people from Ghana, Ethiopia and India shared their experience, challenges and solutions on six topics: - Digitalisation - Voice and participation - Social and economic rights - Sexual and gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights - Peace and security - Climate change and the environment In the Girls Action Plan, we highlight their priorities as well as trends we observed in answers to open-ended questions. Participants to the consultation believe that the GAP III can make a difference for gender equality and girls. It is time to hear them out and make it happen!

The EU's comprehensive strategy with Africa

On 9 March 2020, the European Commission (EC) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) published their Joint Communication ‘Towards a Comprehensive Partnership with Africa’, which provides a framework for the discussion that will take place at the 6th EU-AU Summit in October 2020. As Plan International, we are convinced that Youth Economic Empowerment (YEE) should be a key pillar for this renewed partnership and that it is essential to support a gender transformative approach at the same time, to ensure all young people, including young women, have the skills, knowledge and competence they need to succeed. Building on our first set of recommendations from February 2020, we would like to take it a step further and demonstrate how the EU-AU partnership can give girls and young women the opportunity to be whatever they want to be.

The EU’s Comprehensive Strategy with Africa

Giving girls and young women the opportunity to be whatever they want to be! 2020 is a key year for the relationship between the European Union and Africa. The Post-Cotonou negotiations are ongoing, including a pillar of the agreement dedicated to the partnership between the EU and African signatories. At the end of the year, the 6th EU-AU Summit will take place. In addition, EC President von der Leyen has tasked the European Commission with the development of a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa. In light of these developments, Plan International would like to highlight the importance to ensure girls and young women can be whatever they want to be! This can be done by putting youth economic empowerment (YEE) with a gender lens at the centre, emphasising in particular the knowledge, competence and skills young people need to succeed.

Our recommendations: Addressing inequality through EU development cooperation

Inequality should be addressed in its broadest sense: it does not only concern income inequality but may touch on every part of a person’s life. Today, we are witnessing billions of people facing deplorable inequalities of opportunities, choices, resources, security, freedom and power, with women and girls being particularly affected. Girls and women face social, economic and political marginalisation and, owing to harmful social and gendered norms, they are also confronted with violence and discrimination.

Fifth AU-EU Summit Declaration: Our recommendations

In the context of the upcoming AU-EU Summit in Abidjan and the draft Declaration released by the AU, Plan International put forward some recommendations to strengthen the final outcome document from the Summit.
CSO recommendations on EFSD regulation

CSO recommendations on EFSD regulation

CSOs developed recommendations on what should be part of the European Fund for Sustainable Development so that it effectively contributes to sustainable development.

THE EUROPE WE WANT: JUST, SUSTAINABLE, DEMOCRATIC AND INCLUSIVE

The 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is a huge opportunity to take stock of how far Europe has come – and how far we still have to go in order to offer a sustainable and prosperous future to everyone in Europe. In a joint statement, 242 European civil society organisations set out their expectations for the future of Europe.
A Syrian refugee carriers her baby across the border into Europe on foot

Addressing the refugee and migration influx in Europe: Key messages

As a development and humanitarian organisation that works to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, Plan International is calling for urgent action to protect the rights, and lives, of child migrants and refugees and their families, both within, at and outside Europe’s borders.

Key recommendations: Revision of the European Consensus on Development

Plan International's key recommendations to the European Commission on the revision of the European Consensus on Development.

SDG Watch Open letter to EC president Juncker

SDG Watch Europe, an alliance of 70 organisations including Plan International, wrote to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker calling for him to adopt, as a matter of urgency, an overarching strategy to guide implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Response to the Council Conclusions on the EU Gender Action Plan 2016-20

Plan International EU Office notes that a step change is required in levels of funding specifically dedicated to gender equality.
Plan International Recommendations on the draft EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020

EU Gender ACTION PLAN 2016-2020: RECOMMENDATIONS

Plan International's Recommendations on the EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment 2016-2020
Plan International EU Office Response to the EU Human Rights Action Plan 2015-2019

RESPONSE TO THE EU ACTION PLAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY 2015-2019

Plan International EU Office response to the Council Conclusions on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019
Nepal Earthquake: Plan International Response

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: PLAN INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

In April and May 2015, Nepal was struck by two massive earthquakes, affecting hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Plan International is responding to the emergency, ensuring children's core needs are met.
Plan International EU Office Response to the EU Human Rights Action Plan 2015-2019

EU ACTION PLAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY 2015-2019: RECOMMENDATIONS

Plan International’s recommendations on the draft EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019

Ebola Outbreak: Our response and Recommendations

Plan International's response plan to the Ebola outbreak covers prevention, case management, psychological first aid, child protection and other life-saving measures.

Commissioner Mimica's top 5 priorities

Plan International EU Office is calling on Commissioner Mimica to make lasting changes in the lives of millions of children living in poverty worldwide by focusing on 5 priorities.

TYPHOON HAIYAN: PLAN INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Plan International’s response provided life-saving aid to some of the most remote and difficult to reach communities in The Philippines.

Briefing paper on Ending child marriage

While girls’ education is one of the most effective means of development, there are still numerous barriers that prevent girls from attending school. Child marriage is one of them.

In double Jeopardy: Adolescent girls and disasters

Plan International EU Office is offering an executive summary of the 2013 State of the World's Girls Report and formulating recommendations to the EU to ensure specific needs of girls in disaster settings are taken into account.

Policy recommendations to the EU

On the occasion of the European Week of Action for Girls 2013, here are our recommendations to the EU institutions for ensuring that girls are visible in policies and programming, and that their rights are promoted and protected Worldwide.

Our response to the EC consultation on post 2015

Overall, the new global development framework should focus on the most marginalized people in society, with special focus on women and children, says Plan International EU Office.

Policy briefing: Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-20

Plan International EU Office gives policy recommendations to the EU, and particularly to EU Member States and the European Parliament on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020.

CRAG position paper: MFF 2014-2020

The European Union must reflect its commitments on children's rights by allocating adequate financial means for children in the next MFF, say the members of the Children's Rights Action Group.

Report: "I Have a voice!"

On November 20th, 2009, Plan launched the “I Have a Voice!” campaign with the goal of bringing children’s voices to the European Union, and urging the EU to act on its commitments to engage in meaningful child participation.