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Self Report 2017

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

3A
Reduce and address displacement

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Malta strongly believes that the international community’s way forward in tackling migration issues and poverty eradication must come from Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. In order to ‘leave no one behind’ Malta committed to integrate refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection effectively into society. These commitments were made to ensure that such persons are given the required opportunities. This was considered necessary as beneficiaries of international protection are considered to be vulnerable. Malta is committed to pushing for a long-term EU vision to the migration crisis and ensuring that the principle of solidarity is implemented among Member States.

  • Achievements at a glance

    In its efforts to integrate refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection fully into society, the Maltese government is providing a full spectrum of services to every student who is attending compulsory schooling. These services include psychological and psychotherapy, social work, counselling, career guidance, anti-bullying, anti-substance and child safety, learning support centres, statementing procedures, etc. Malta is also committed to providing refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection with language training, adult education services and enabling them to register for work. In this regard, Malta provides Maltese as a foreign language and English as a foreign language to foreigners, including people with subsidiary protection or refugee status. Both categories are entitled to make use of the Adult Education Unit services like a normal Maltese or EU citizen with regards to access to service and tuition fees. Refugees are also eligible to register for work with Jobsplus, Malta’s public employment service.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Malta annually assesses the progress made towards achieving these commitments through an internal reporting mechanism. The procedure is coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Malta has made significant progress towards fully integrating refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. Malta is committed to providing community-based services to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. For instance, Malta is running four Resource Centres and a Special Unit in Sannat, Gozo, to reach out to migrants in that area. In addition, Jobsplus is currently in the process of implementing the recommendation on integrating refugees into active labour market policies.

  • Cross cutting issues

    Refugees Social protection

3E
Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

Individual Commitment

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Malta believes that in order for sustainable development to become a reality, education must be prioritised. This is the only way to enable the world to constructively tackle the challenges it faces and create truly resilient societies. On a national level, Malta wanted to ensure a change in practice and policy with these commitments, which aim to have a twofold impact. They aim to combat absenteeism in education in Malta and to ensure that those living in displacement are provided with access to primary, secondary, and vocational education, even during or after a personal crisis.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Malta has developed the Addressing Attendance in School Policy. This policy plays an important role in ensuring a collaborative initiative by educators, administrators and parents to support students in their studies, and to raise their achievements and performance by the time they complete their studies. A set of guidelines were drawn up, to ensure that all schools report absenteeism on time.

    Malta also committed to providing primary, secondary and vocational education and certification to those living in displacement, in line with national qualifications and standards and we give migrants and refugees the same rights as Maltese and EU citizens in the provision of primary, secondary and vocational education. Migrants are also eligible to attend the Public Employment Service training courses and have access to active labour market policies. They are also eligible to apply to be exempted from fees at state educational institutions.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Malta annually assesses the progress made towards achieving these commitments through an internal reporting mechanism. The procedure is coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Malta will continue to improve its policies and practices regarding absenteeism in Maltese schools and regarding the provision of education and job training to refugees and migrants.

  • Cross cutting issues

    Refugees Social protection

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    3A - Reduce and address displacement 3B - Address the vulnerabilities of migrants and provide more regular and lawful opportunities for migration

4C
Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Malta firmly believes that bridging the humanitarian-development divide is a change in policy and practice that is desperately needed to deliver effective humanitarian aid and development cooperation. Our efforts to affect this change encompass both the work we do with Malta’s humanitarian and development aid, and the work we do within the COHAFA and CODEV working parties to push for a change in EU policy.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Malta currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and as such, is spearheading discussions and working towards Council conclusions to address the humanitarian-development nexus, in order to explore further the synergies between development and humanitarian actors.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Malta annually assesses the progress made towards achieving these commitments through an internal reporting mechanism. The procedure is coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    Effectively bridging the gap between humanitarian aid and development cooperation obviously carries some challenges because each has been a distinct field for so long. Malta is trying to push for increased cooperation where possible, whilst allowing each to retain its own features.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Malta aims to ensure that our humanitarian aid will have a sustainable aspect, in order to bridge the gap between the initial humanitarian response and the following longer-term development programme.

  • Specific initiatives

    Commitment to Action: Transcending the humanitarian - development divide

5A
Invest in local capacities

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Malta firmly believes that the best way to empower developing countries to take charge of their own development is through investing in national and local capacity building. Donors need to target aid towards sustainable projects that also provide resilience to outside shocks.

  • Achievements at a glance

    A portion of Malta’s Official Development Assistance goes to projects that Maltese NGOs propose to implement in developing countries. When these NGOs apply for funds from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ ODA budget, the sustainability criteria for the project is crucial to that project being accepted.

    In 2016, Malta co-financed ODA projects in Morocco, India, Ghana, Madagascar, Uganda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi. The projects focused on a range of issues, such as increasing food security, providing health care, education, improving basic sanitation and basic water supply.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    Malta annually assesses the progress made towards achieving these commitments through an internal reporting mechanism. The procedure is coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

    Malta also requires that NGOs, which receive co-financing from the above Ministry to implement an ODA project in a developing country, submit quarterly reports on the progress made on their project. This gives Malta crucial feedback on how our official development assistance is being spent and whether the NGO is meeting the targets given.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    The challenges associated with reaching the target of 0.70% ODA/GNI.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Malta aims to allocate more funds for ODA purposes next year in order to expand Malta’s humanitarian and development assistance budget.

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    4A - Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems 5E - Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency