HOPE'87

HOPE'87 is an Austrian initiative cooperating closely with the Austrian Federal Chancellery and the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs regarding the support of youth employment and training projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America as well as in Central- and Eastern Europe. This international initiative is based on the UN resolution 40/16 "Opportunities for Youth" adopted by the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Youth Year of the UN (1985). Young people are encouraged to show self-initiative and to realize their own ideas of small and medium scale, locally-developed projects creating training and employment for themselves and other young people.

Special attention is given to humanitarian projects in post-disaster areas such as Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, the provision of essential goods, medicine and medical care is always combined with development activities in order to support an efficient and fast recovery of the local infrastructure.

In 10 countries worldwide HOPE'87 is represented by local Branch Office Managers, appointed and endorsed by their local governments. As experts and nationals of their countries these Branch Office Managers are responsible for locating, supervising and evaluating projects, supporting the beneficiaries with the necessary know-how and establishing close working relations with national governments and authorities, NGOs and international organizations, like UNESCO, UNODC and the EU.

HOPE'87 refrains from sending expatriates but gives full confidence to specially trained local experts. Since spring 1991 HOPE'87 is affiliated with the United Nations through a "Memorandum of Understanding" between the Republic of Austria on behalf of HOPE'87 and the United Nations regarding common strategies to fight youth unemployment. In 1992 the Director General of UNESCO awarded HOPE'87 with the status "In Official Relationship with UNESCO". Since 1997 HOPE'87 is affiliated with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union (AU). Further Memoranda of Understanding were signed.

Co-operation Partners amongst others are the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA), the Agha Khan Foundation and OMV, the Austrian Mineral Oil Company.

The Governing Body of HOPE'87 is chaired by the Austrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations (Vienna) and takes programmatic and budgeting decisions. Besides governmental financing also international and non-governmental sources of funds assure the continuation of programs.