Steering Committee of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Youth and Employment in Tunisia Approves New Project
The Steering Committee of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Youth and Employment in Tunisia (MPTF) approved a new project on Friday, September 12, mobilizing $3 million to support youth and women's entrepreneurship. During its third meeting of the year, the Steering Committee members validated the financing of a project titled "Unlocking Financing to Catalyze Youth-Led and Women-Led Development," which will be jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). A budget of $3,000,000 will be mobilized for this 24-month project, aiming to create a favorable environment for employment and entrepreneurship among young people and women in high-potential small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in the governorates of Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid. The project aims to support around 70 high-potential and high-impact SMEs, structure a pipeline of bankable projects aligned with the Impact Fund, and strengthen institutions supporting SMEs. These projects will focus on gender equality, employment, and environmental sustainability, in partnership with the Caisse des Dépôts et de Consignation. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Economy and Planning headquarters and was co-chaired by the Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Planning and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tunisia, with the participation of Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tunisia (the first financial partner of the Fund), as well as representatives from the Presidency of the Government, the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Finance. On this occasion, the Committee members emphasized the importance of this joint financing mechanism, which supports the state's efforts to respond to the urgent need for decent job creation, with a focus on the most vulnerable people. The MPTF was launched jointly by the Tunisian Government and the United Nations on November 28, 2023. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is the first donor to contribute to this Fund, with $10,525,000. Aligned with Tunisia's Vision 2035, this initiative is part of the acceleration of the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and will contribute to the implementation of the cooperation framework signed between the Tunisian Government and the United Nations in December 2020 in support of Tunisia's development efforts. According to the press release.
