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Executive Summary

This Strategic Plan for the period 2016 - 2018 outlines Iceland's strategy for development cooperation with Mozambique and defines the basis for support.

Mozambique has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and recent discoveries of natural gas and oil are sure to continue its impressive growth and open for the opportunity to reduce its dependency on external assistance and invest in a better standard of living of its citizens. The Government of Mozambique (GoM) has predicted that by 2025 the country would not need external assistance to balance its economy.

Although the country's annual averaged growth (GDP) has been 7,4% over the past two decades Mozambique is among the poorest countries in the world. About 70 % of the population still live in rural areas and are mainly dependent on subsistent agriculture without secure access to markets. Iceland's development cooperation with Mozambique covers two decades. The co-operation has been mainly in the fisheries- and the social sector.

This SP focus on two priority areas; fisheries and water and sanitation. The main development partners are Government of Mozambique (GoM) and the Government of Norway in the fisheries and UNICEF and GoM in water and sanitation. The third cornerstone of this SP is work towards gender equality. Funding for the period of this SP is a total of USD 6 million, pending annual funding towards Iceland’s Development Cooperation as approved in the state budget by the Icelandic Parliament.

This SP has been prepared by the Embassy of Iceland in Mozambique and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The interventions in fisheries and in water and sanitation were prepared in consultation with the relevant Ministries and Authorities in Mozambique.