7 December 2015, BAKU – U.S. Ambassador Robert Cekuta and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Antonius Broek  signed a declaration of intentions to launch the “Economic Empowerment for Entrepreneurship and Employment”  project, with a total budget of $342,000.

The Declaration emphasized the commitments of the U.S. Government and UNDP to support Azerbaijani partners in their efforts to address gender and youth issues in the country.
The event, organized by UNDP with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), gathered representatives from government agencies, international organizations and development partners.

Welcoming the participants, UNDP Resident Representative Antonius Broek emphasized that the initiative is fully aligned with the newly-adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Our project will support women and youth by encouraging entrepreneurship and creating decent jobs for better livelihoods and greater gender equality”, he said. 

U.S. Ambassador Robert Cekuta noted that “The promotion of women’s participation in the economy and society contributes to a stronger economy and society, as well as improved quality of life for women, men, families and communities overall.” He also applauded the steps that the Government of Azerbaijan has taken to advance women’s empowerment.

The purpose of the joint project is to support economic empowerment for women’s entrepreneurship and youth employment through capacity-building activities at a Women’s Resource Center and two Employment Centers in the regions. The joint project will be implemented by UNDP with the support of the American People through USAID in collaboration with the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population.