Ouagadougou: The steering committee (COPIL) of projects funded by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) convened its first ordinary session of 2025 on Tuesday, August 12, under the leadership of Abdoulaye Bassinga, Governor of the Central Region. This session aimed to review activities from the first phase and develop recommendations to enhance performance indicators.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Governor Bassinga expressed satisfaction with the 58% success rate achieved by the PBF-funded projects, considering the challenging conditions in the country. He commended the steering committee's efforts and emphasized the importance of implementing recommendations that align with national strategies to improve indicators in the second quarter. The governor highlighted the goal of positively impacting the lives of working populations, especially the most deprived.
Carol Flore-Smereczniak, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system, noted that Burkina Faso received $58.4 million from the Peacebuilding Fund between 2017 and 2024. These funds, provided as grants, have supported governmental efforts to build trust between the State and the population, manage local conflicts peacefully, and encourage the active involvement of youth and women in community resilience initiatives.
"In the first half of 2025, the interventions facilitated the development of 200 hectares of lowlands benefiting over 8,000 people, drilled 22 boreholes, and installed 36 biodigesters," Flore-Smereczniak reported. She added that preliminary results from an independent evaluation of the PBF portfolio show a strong absorption capacity, with the objective of achieving 100% execution by the end of the year.