AREAS OF COOPERATION FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAMMES
ANNEX IISupplementary provisions
ANNEX II AREAS OF COOPERATION FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC PROGRAMMES For all geographic regions PEOPLE 1. Good governance, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, including gender equality (a) Strengthening and promoting democracy and inclusive democratic processes, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, governance and oversight, including transparent, inclusive and credible electoral processes as well as transparent, accountable, effective and inclusive institutions at all levels, including legislative bodies, an independent judiciary, strengthening a meaningful political participation and representation; (b) Strengthening the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in compliance with international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; supporting and protecting human rights defenders; supporting and monitoring complaint and redress mechanisms with regard to human rights violations and abuses at national and local level; contributing to the implementation of global and regional instruments and frameworks, increasing the capacities of civil society in their implementation and monitoring; (c) Fighting against discrimination in all its forms, and promoting the principle of equality and non-discrimination, in particular gender equality, rights and empowerment of women and girls, the rights of the child, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) persons, and indigenous peoples as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); (d) Supporting, strengthening and empowering a thriving civil society and its independent, active and multiple roles in political transitions, reform processes and democratic transformations, and promoting an open and enabling space for civil society and citizens’ engagement in political life and in scrutiny of decision-making as well as countering the shrinking of democratic space; supporting and promoting the participation of all in political processes and public life; (e) Improving the pluralism, independence and professionalism of a free and independent media, as well as enhancing media literacy and tackling disinformation; strengthening digital rights, including rights to access information; strengthening the right to privacy and data protection; (f) Building resilience of states, societies, communities and individuals to political, economic, environmental, food, demographic and societal pressures and shocks, natural and man-made disasters and health crises including pandemics; (g) Strengthening the development of democratic and inclusive public institutions at international, national and sub-national levels, including local authorities; strengthening the capacity for gender-responsive budgeting and planning; as well as an independent, effective, efficient and accountable judicial system, the promotion of the rule of law, international justice, accountability and affordable access to justice for all; (h) Supporting public administration reform processes at national and sub-national levels, including through the use of citizen-centred eGovernment systems and other digital solutions for building robust, accountable and transparent public administration and service delivery systems, strengthening legal frameworks and institutional set up, national statistical systems and capacities, including with regard to disaggregating data by income, sex, age and other factors, sound public finance management including external audit, and contributing to the fight against corruption, tax avoidance, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning; (i) Supporting national and local governments and administrations to create the required infrastructure to enable all civil registrations (from birth through to death) to be accurately registered, and officially recognised, and duplicated documents to be published when necessary in order to ensure that all citizens officially exist and are able to exercise their fundamental rights; (j) Promoting inclusive, balanced and integrated territorial, rural and urban policies and development through strengthening public institutions and bodies at the national and sub-national levels, supporting capacity building of local authorities and mobilising their expertise to promote a territorial approach to local development including efficient decentralisation, fiscal decentralisation, and state restructuring processes; (k) Increasing transparency and accountability of public institutions at national and sub-national levels and publicly-owned enterprises and improving access for all to information on public affairs, strengthening public procurement including encouraging the development of environmental, social and economic sustainability criteria and targets and public finance management at regional, national and local level, supporting the development and deployment of eGovernance systems and strengthening service delivery; (l) Supporting the sustainable, accountable, conflict sensitive and transparent management of natural resource sectors and related revenues, and reforms to ensure fair, just, efficient and sustainable tax policies. 2. Eradicating poverty, fighting against inequalities and discrimination, and promoting human development (a) Eradicating poverty in all its dimensions, including through public services on health, nutrition, education and social protection, tackling discrimination and inequalities and leaving no one behind; (b) Supporting sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries to increase food security, create economic opportunities and jobs; (c) Enhancing efforts for the adoption of policies and appropriate investment to promote, protect and fulfil the rights of women and girls, young people and children, and persons with disabilities, to facilitate their engagement and meaningful participation in social, civic and economic life, and to ensure their full contribution to inclusive growth and sustainable development; (d) Promoting the respect, protection and fulfilment of the rights of women and girls and their empowerment, including economic, labour and social rights, land rights, as well as rights referred to in Article 8(4), eliminating sexual and gender-based violence in all forms, including harmful practices such as early, forced and child marriage and female genital mutilation; (e) Addressing the linkages of global demographic growth and demographic shifts to sustainable development in all relevant dimensions including gender equality, health, social protection, social cohesion, education and employment; (f) Paying special attention to those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised, including children and youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, LGBTI persons, persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples, refugees, internally displaced people, persons affected by armed conflict and stateless persons; (g) Promoting an integrated approach to supporting communities, particularly the most marginalised, vulnerable, poorest and hardest to reach persons, including by improving universal access to basic needs and services, including in the health, education, nutrition and social protection fields; (h) Supporting the provision of a safe, nurturing environment for children as an important element for fostering a healthy young population able to reach its full potential. This includes promoting the transition from institutional to community-based care for children. It also includes giving children, particularly the most marginalised, the best start in life by investing in early childhood development and ensuring that children experiencing poverty or inequality have access to basic services such as health, nutrition, education and social protection; (i) Supporting universal access to sufficient, affordable, safe and nutritious food and healthy diets, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations, inter alia children under the age of five, adolescents, both girls and boys, and women, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as strengthening food and nutrition resilience and the continuum of care, particularly in countries facing protracted or recurrent crises; prevent stunting, wasting and other forms of malnutrition; fostering multi-sectoral, nutrition-sensitive approaches to agriculture; (j) Supporting universal access to safe and sufficient drinking water sanitation, and hygiene, and sustainable and integrated water management, in particular at local level; (k) Achieving universal health coverage, with equitable access for all individuals and communities to quality and affordable health services, including sexual and reproductive health care services in the context of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the ICPD and the outcomes of their review conferences, through supporting the building of inclusive strong, quality and resilient health systems that are accessible to all, and enhancing capacity for early warning, risk reduction, management and recovery; complementing action through the Union’s framework programme for research and innovation to tackle global health threats, develop safe, efficient and affordable vaccines, medicines and treatments against poverty-related and neglected diseases, and to improve responses to health challenges including communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance and emerging diseases and epidemics; (l) Supporting universal and equitable social protection and strengthening social safety nets, support networks and systems to guarantee basic income, prevent lapses into extreme poverty and build resilience; (m) Promoting inclusive sustainable urban development to address urban inequality, focusing on those most in need; (n) Supporting local authorities, including through decentralised cooperation, capacity development and resource mobilisation, to improve in urban and rural areas the localisation of the SDGs through the delivery and responsiveness of basic services and equitable access to food and nutrition security, accessible, decent and affordable housing and the quality of life, in particular for those living in informal settlements and slums, strengthening and promoting accessible participation and complaint mechanisms, especially for disadvantaged and excluded persons and groups; (o) Promoting the achievement of internationally agreed goals in education, with particular focus on strengthening free education systems, through inclusive and equitable quality formal, informal and non-formal education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all, and at all levels, particularly during early childhood and primary years, technical and vocational training, also in emergency and crisis situations, and with special attention to women and girls; and including through training and professional development for teachers, and the use of digital technologies to improve education teaching and learning; (p) Supporting actions of capacity building, learning mobility between the Union and partner countries or between partner countries themselves, as well as of cooperation and policy dialogue with institutions, organisations, local implementing bodies and authorities, from those countries; (q) Promoting cooperation in the areas of science, technology and research in particular addressing poverty related and societal changes, open data, big data, artificial intelligence and innovation, while preventing the phenomenon of brain drain; (r) Stepping up coordination amongst all relevant actors at all levels to help the transition from a natural or man-made emergency situation to the development phase; ensuring joined-up planning and programming of cooperation interventions, that are coherent with humanitarian aid, and, where relevant, peacebuilding actions, on the basis of joint analysis; (s) Supporting freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, including by means of measures to eliminate all forms of hatred, intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief and by fostering tolerance and respect for religious and cultural diversity within and among societies; (t) Promoting intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity in all its forms, and preserve and promote cultural heritage, and unlocking the potential of creative industries for sustainable, social and economic development; (u) Supporting actions, and promoting cooperation, in the area of sport to contribute to the empowerment of women, young people, individuals and communities as well as to the health, education and social inclusion objectives of the 2030 Agenda; (v) Promoting the dignity and resilience of long-term forcibly displaced persons and their inclusion in the economic and social life of host countries and host communities, including at local level. 3. Migration, forced displacement and mobility (a) Strengthening bilateral, regional and international partnerships on migration, forced displacement and mobility based on an integrated and balanced approach, covering all aspects of migration including assistance in implementing Union bilateral or regional agreements, dialogues and arrangements, including those on return and readmission, legal pathways and mobility partnerships, in full respect of international law and human rights obligations; (b) Supporting sustainable reintegration of returning migrants and their families, as well as safe and dignified returns amongst partner countries in full respect of humanitarian and human rights obligations under international and Union law; (c) Addressing and mitigating root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement; (d) Tackling irregular migration and forced displacement; reducing the vulnerabilities in the context of migration including those caused by human trafficking and smuggling, as well as including supporting measures to protect victims of exploitation and abuse; and stepping up cooperation on integrated border management in line with international and Union law, human rights law, humanitarian law and data protection standards; (e) Strengthening scientific, technical, human and institutional capacity for the management of migration, including human rights trainings, support partner countries’ reception, processing, asylum and return procedures; strengthening cross-border cooperation on exchange of information in compliance with data protection standards and obligations related to the right to privacy under international human rights law; and supporting the collection and use of accurate and disaggregated data as a basis for evidence-based policies in order to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility; (f) Supporting effective and human rights based migration policies, at all levels, including protection programmes; (g) Promoting conditions for facilitating, as appropriate, legal migration and well-managed mobility, while respecting competences of the Member States, and people-to-people contacts, including in education, research and innovation, cultural exchange and intercultural dialogue, including by providing accurate and timely information, maximising the development impact of regular migration; (h) Improving a common understanding of the migration–development nexus, recognising that orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility, peace, good governance, stability, inclusive growth and sustainable development are strongly interlinked, and pursuing synergies within these various dimensions; (i) Ensuring the protection, the respect and fulfilment of the human rights of all migrants, refugees, forcibly displaced persons and internally displaced persons, including those displaced due to climate change, paying special attention to vulnerable groups; (j) Supporting development oriented solutions for forcibly displaced persons, internally displaced persons and their host communities, including through socio-economic inclusion with access to labour market, decent jobs, education and services, to promote the dignity, resilience and self-reliance of displaced persons; (k) Supporting diaspora engagement in countries of origin to contribute to sustainable development, including through the involvement of local authorities and civil society organisations, taking into account their potential for investments, supporting their solidarity and entrepreneurial initiatives; (l) Promoting faster, cheaper and safer remittance transfers in both source and recipient countries, thus harnessing their potential for development. Cooperation in this area will be managed in coherence with migration-relevant Union regulations, in full respect of the principle of policy coherence for development. PLANET 4. Environment and climate change (a) Strengthening scientific, technical, human and institutional capacity for climate and environmental management, mainstreaming and monitoring; strengthening regional, national and local climate and environmental governance, and facilitating access to public and private sources for disaster risk reduction, ecosystems and biodiversity conservation and climate finance, as well as insurance; (b) Supporting adaptation to climate change, with special emphasis on particularly vulnerable States and populations; contributing to partners’ efforts to pursue their commitments on climate change, ecosystems and biodiversity conservation, including at local level, in line with the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Those efforts include the implementation of the NDCs and mitigation and adaptation plans of action including synergies between adaptation and mitigation, through global initiatives such as the NDC Partnership, as well as their commitments under other multilateral environmental agreements, such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification; (c) Developing and/or strengthening sustainable green and blue growth and circular economy in all economic sectors; (d) Promoting access to sustainable energy in developing countries; strengthening sustainable renewable energy cooperation, in full compliance with highest international standards including for the assessment of both national and transboundary safety and environmental impacts. Promoting and increasing cooperation on energy efficiency and the production and use of renewable energy sources; promoting access to reliable, secure, affordable, clean and sustainable energy services; supporting, in particular small-scale, mini-grid and off-grid solutions of high environmental and developmental value, and local and decentralized solutions that ensure energy access for people living in poverty and in remote areas; (e) Building capacity to mainstream environmental sustainability and climate change objectives, and pursuing green growth into national and local development strategies including supporting sustainability criteria in public procurement; (f) Promoting the phasing-out of environmentally harmful fossil fuel subsidies, stable and transparent energy markets and the deployment of smart grids and the use of digital technologies for sustainable energy management; (g) Promoting corporate social responsibility, due diligence in supply chains, and the consistent application of the ‘precautionary approach’ and the ‘polluter pays’ principles; (h) Promoting environmentally sustainable agriculture practices, including agroecology and biodiversity as well as to enhance mitigation and adaptation to climate change and promote environmental and social resilience and healthy ecosystems; (i) Improving local, national, regional and continental multi-modal transport networks and services to strengthen further opportunities for sustainable climate-resilient economic development and job creation, in view of low-emission, climate resilient development. Strengthening transport facilitation and liberalisation, improve sustainability, road safety and resilience of transport domains; (j) Strengthening the involvement of local authorities and communities and indigenous peoples in climate change responses, the fight against biodiversity loss and wildlife crime, conservation of ecosystems and the conflict sensitive governance of natural resources, including through the improvement of land tenure and water resources management. Promoting sustainable urban development and resilience in urban areas; strengthening and promoting participation and access to complaint and redress mechanisms at national and local level, especially for indigenous peoples as set out in the UNDRIP; (k) Promoting education for sustainable development to empower people to transform society and build a sustainable future; (l) Promoting the conservation, sustainable and conflict sensitive management and use, and restoration of natural resources, healthy terrestrial and non-terrestrial ecosystems and halting biodiversity loss, protecting wildlife, including combating poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking; strengthening consultation and promoting regional transboundary cooperation and ensuring free, prior informed consent and effective participation of indigenous peoples as set out in the UNDRIP; (m) Promoting integrated, sustainable, participatory and conflict sensitive management of water resources and transboundary water cooperation in accordance with international law, involving where relevant local authorities; (n) Promoting conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks through sustainable management of land use, land-use change, and forestry and combating environmental degradation, desertification and land and forest degradation and drought, involving where relevant local authorities; (o) Promoting forestation and protection of natural forests; reducing deforestation and promoting forest law enforcement, governance and trade, and combating illegal logging, trade of illegal timber and wood products. Supporting better governance and capacity building for the sustainable management of natural resources, including through subnational governments; supporting the negotiation and the implementation of voluntary partnership agreements; (p) Supporting ocean governance, including the protection, restoration and preservation of coastal and marine areas in all its forms, including ecosystems, the fight against marine litter, the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the protection of maritime biodiversity in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; (q) Strengthening regional disaster risk reduction, preparedness and resilience, including through investment, and through promoting a community-based and people-centred approach, in synergy with climate change adaptation policies and actions; (r) Promoting resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production, in particular throughout the entire supply chain, towards the transition to a circular economy, including by curbing the use of natural resources financing conflicts, and by supporting compliance by stakeholders with relevant initiatives; tackling pollution, reducing air pollutants, in particular black carbon and promoting a sound management of chemicals and waste; (s) Supporting efforts to improve sustainable economic diversification, competitiveness, local value-added in supply chains and sustainable trade, private sector development with a particular focus on low-emission climate-resilient green growth, SMEs and cooperatives, taking advantage of the benefits of existing trade agreements with the Union for sustainable development; (t) Promoting the achievement of commitments regarding biodiversity conservation in international agreements; (u) Increasing the integration and mainstreaming of climate change and environmental objectives through support for methodological and research work; (v) Addressing global and trans-regional effects of climate change having a potentially destabilising impact on development, peace and security. PROSPERITY 5. Inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent employment (a) Supporting entrepreneurship, including through microfinance, decent employment and employability through the development of skills and competences, education and vocational training, the improvement of the full application of international labour standards and including social dialogue and the fight against child labour, working conditions in a healthy environment, gender equality, living wages and the creation of opportunities particularly for the youth as well as women; (b) Supporting national and local development paths that maximise positive social outcomes and impacts, reduce the risk of exclusion and marginalisation of certain groups, promoting fair, efficient and sustainable taxation and redistributive public policies, and the setting-up and strengthening of sustainable social protection systems and social insurance schemes; supporting efforts at national and international levels to combat tax evasion and tax havens; (c) Improving the business environment and investment climate at local and national levels, creating an enabling regulatory environment for economic development and supporting companies, in particular SMEs, including start-ups, as well as cooperatives, social enterprises and women entrepreneurs in expanding their business and creating jobs, supporting the development of a solidarity economy and enhancing responsible business conduct and private sector accountability; (d) Promoting corporate accountability and redress mechanisms for violations of human rights related to private sector activities; supporting efforts at local, regional and global level to ensure corporate compliance with human rights standards and regulatory developments, including on mandatory due diligence, and with international commitments on business and human rights; (e) Strengthening social and environmental sustainability, inclusiveness, corporate social responsibility and responsible business conduct, and respecting and promoting human rights standards and principles throughout the entire value chains, supporting shared value addition and fair trading conditions; (f) Increasing relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of public spending, including through promoting sustainable public procurement; and promoting more strategic use of public finance, including through blending instruments to crowd in additional public and private investment; (g) Boosting the potential of cities as hubs for sustainable and inclusive growth and innovation; (h) Promoting internal economic, social and territorial cohesion, forging stronger links between urban and rural areas and facilitating the development of both creative industries and a sustainable tourism sector as a leverage for sustainable development; (i) Boosting and diversifying sustainable and inclusive agricultural and food value chains, promoting food security and economic diversification, value addition, regional integration, competitiveness and fair trade, and strengthening sustainable, low-emission and climate-change-resilient innovations; (j) Focusing on ecologically efficient agricultural intensification for smallholder farmers, and in particular women, by providing support for effective and sustainable national policies, strategies and legal frameworks, and for equitable and sustainable access to, and management of resources, including land and land right, water, other agricultural inputs, and (micro) credit; (k) Supporting greater participation of civil society, including at regional level, in particular farmer organisations in policy making and research programmes and increasing their involvement in the implementation and evaluation of government programmes; (l) Supporting and promoting sustainable fisheries management and sustainable aquaculture; (m) Fostering universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, promoting a low-emission, climate-resilient, resource-efficient and circular economy in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda; (n) Promoting smart, sustainable, inclusive, safe mobility, as well as improving transport connectivity with the Union; (o) Promoting accessible, affordable, inclusive, reliable and secure digital connectivity and strengthening the digital economy; promoting digital literacy and skills; fostering digital entrepreneurship and job creation; promoting the use of digital technologies as an enabler for sustainable development; addressing cybersecurity, data privacy and other regulatory issues linked to digitalisation; (p) Developing and strengthening markets and sectors in a way that would bolster inclusive, sustainable and climate-resilient growth and fair trade, as well as reduce the socio-economic marginalisation of vulnerable groups; (q) Supporting the regional integration agenda and optimal trade policies in support of inclusive and sustainable development, strengthening countries’ capacity to trade, and supporting the consolidation and implementation of trade agreements between the Union and its partners, including holistic and asymmetrical agreements with developing country partners, in line with human rights standards; promoting and strengthening multilateralism, sustainable economic cooperation, as well as measures aimed at promoting and strengthening the rules of the World Trade Organization; (r) Promoting cooperation in the areas of science, technology and research, digitalisation, open data, big data and artificial intelligence and innovation, including the development of science diplomacy; (s) Promoting intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity in all its forms, developing local crafts as well as contemporary arts and cultural expressions, preserving and promoting cultural heritage, unlocking the potential of creative industries for sustainable, social and economic development, and guaranteeing as well as strengthening rights of indigenous peoples as set out in the UNDRIP, and local communities and their effective participation and empowerment; (t) Empowering women to take up a greater economic role and in decision-making, including at local level; (u) Improving access to decent work for all in a healthy environment, and creating more inclusive and well-functioning labour markets and employment policies directed towards decent work, respect for human rights and labour rights, including living wages for all, especially women and youth; (v) Promoting fair, sustainable, undistorted, conflict-sensitive and non-corrupted access to extractive sectors, while respecting human rights; increasing transparency, due diligence and investor responsibility while promoting private sector accountability; applying measures to accompany Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ) . PEACE 6. Peace, stability and conflict prevention (a) Contributing to peace, the prevention of conflict and therefore to stability through building resilience of states, sub-national governments, societies, communities and individuals to political, economic, environmental, food, demographic, security and societal pressures and shocks, including by countering hybrid threats and supporting resilience assessments designed to identify the local capacities within societies that allow them to withstand, adapt to and quickly recover from these pressures and shocks; addressing political and economic exclusion and other long-term structural and root causes of conflict, insecurity and instability; (b) Promoting a culture of non-violence, including by supporting formal, informal and non-formal peace education; (c) Supporting conflict prevention, early warning and peacebuilding through mediation and dialogue, crisis management, and stabilisation and post-conflict reconstruction, including an enhanced role for women at all of these stages; promoting, facilitating and building capacity in confidence building, mediation, dialogue and reconciliation, good neighbourly relations and other measures contributing to the prevention and settlement of conflicts, with particular regard to emerging inter-community tensions as well as conciliation measures between segments of societies and protracted conflicts and crises; (d) Supporting rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of armed conflicts, supporting disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants and their families into society and addressing the social effects of restructuring the armed forces, including the specific needs of women; (e) Enhancing women’s and youth systematic participation, including in decision-making and implementation, in peace negotiations, reconciliation processes, conflict prevention and peacebuilding and their inclusion, meaningful civil and political participation and social recognition in line with UNSCR 1325 (2000), in particular in fragile, conflict and post-conflict situations and countries, also in order to address the disproportionate impact of violent conflict on them and better consider their special needs during conflict; (f) Preventing all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, including the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war; (g) Supporting gender- and conflict-sensitive security sector reform that guarantees the respect, promotion and fulfilment of the Union fundamental values and good governance principles and gradually provides individuals, civil society and the state with more effective, democratic and accountable security capacities and instruments for sustainable development and peace; (h) Supporting capacity-building of military actors in support of development and security for development, in accordance with Article 9; (i) Supporting regional and international disarmament initiatives and arms export control regimes and mechanisms; (j) Supporting local, national, regional and international initiatives contributing to security, stability and peace, including disarmament initiatives and arms export control regimes and mechanisms, demining and mine-action as well as linking those different initiatives, and addressing the socio-economic impact on the civilian population, including the needs of women, of antipersonnel landmines, unexploded ordnance or explosive remnants of war; (k) Preventing and countering radicalisation leading to violent extremism and terrorism, as well as protecting individuals from such threats, including by means of context-specific, conflict- and gender-sensitive actions; (l) Supporting ad hoc , local, national, regional and international tribunals, truth and reconciliation commissions and mechanisms; (m) Fighting against any form of violence, corruption and organised crime and money laundering; (n) Promoting transboundary cooperation regarding the sustainable, conflict-sensitive and participatory management of shared natural resources in accordance with international and Union law and respecting and promoting human rights of affected individuals and groups including indigenous peoples as set out in the UNDRIP and local communities; (o) Cooperating with third countries in the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the areas of health, agriculture and food safety, ensuring full compliance with the highest international standards; as well as supporting social actions addressing the consequences on the population in countries exposed to any radiological accident and aiming at improving their living conditions; promoting knowledge-management, training and education in nuclear-related fields. Where applicable, these activities shall be coherent with those of the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation; (p) Enhancing maritime security and safety to allow for safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed oceans; (q) Supporting capacity-building in cyber security, resilient digital networks, data protection and privacy, in line with human rights standards and principles. PARTNERSHIP 7. Partnership (a) Enhancing country ownership, partnership and constructive dialogue, including with civil society, in order to contribute to greater effectiveness of development cooperation in all its dimensions (giving special consideration for the specific challenges of LDCs and countries affected by conflict and fragility, as well as specific transitional challenges of middle income countries and more advanced developing countries), implementing a rights-based approach to development cooperation, encompassing all human rights and ensuring that no one is left behind; (b) Deepening political, economic, social, environmental and cultural dialogue between the Union and third countries and regional and international organisations, and supporting implementation of bilateral and international commitments; (c) Fostering greater inclusiveness and collaboration of all actors in the implementation of development cooperation and external action policies, seeking to share lessons learned, maximise capacities, added value, excellence and experience, thus reinforcing common goals, values and interests and the ambition of working better together; (d) Encouraging good neighbourly relations, regional integration, enhanced connectivity, cooperation and inclusive and constructive dialogue, including, inter alia, enhanced regional cooperation in the framework of the EU Strategy for connecting Europe and Asia, the EU Strategy on Central Asia, the EU-Africa partnership, the Black Sea regional cooperation, the Arctic cooperation and the Northern Dimension; (e) Supporting and increasing cooperation by partner countries and regions with neighbouring Union outermost regions and with overseas countries and territories; (f) Promoting an enabling environment for civil society organisations and foundations, enhancing their meaningful, continuous and structured participation in domestic and international policies and their capacity to perform their roles as independent development and governance actors; and strengthening multi-stakeholder approaches and new ways of partnering with civil society actors, including women’s rights organisations; supporting democracy and expanding civic space; promoting a substantive and structured dialogue with the Union and the effective use and implementation of country roadmaps for Union engagement with civil society; (g) Engaging with local authorities and supporting their role as policy and decision-makers to boost local development, including the business environment, and improved governance, as well as development and governance actors; promoting an enabling regulatory and institutional framework allowing local authorities to exercise their mandate, enhancing their meaningful, continuous and structured participation in domestic and international policies; and strengthening multi-stakeholders and multilevel governance approaches and new ways of partnering with local authorities; (h) Engaging more effectively with the population, including human rights defenders, in third countries, including by making full use of economic, cultural and public diplomacy; (i) Engaging industrialised and more advanced developing countries on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, global public goods and challenges, including in the area of South-South and triangular cooperation; (j) Encouraging regional integration and cooperation, in a result-oriented way through support for regional integration and dialogue; (k) Building partnerships with the private sector for creating jobs and enhancing livelihoods in partner countries. ( 1 ) Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 laying down supply chain due diligence obligations for Union importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas ( OJ L 130, 19.5.2017, p. 1 ).