Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) is a non governmental organisation. Privately owned, non political and non profit, ACTED was set up in 1993. The organization employs approximately 150 international staff and more than 2000 national staff.The headquarters are based in Paris, France.

ACTED’s vocation is to save lives, assist vulnerable populations and bring hope to those in need for a better future. A progressive world must be a fairer world.

ACTED develops about 150 projects a year in such diversified activities as Emergency Relief, [Food Security, Health Promotion Network, [Economic Development] , Education and training, Micro finance, Advocacy - Institutional Support and Regional Dialogue, and Cultural promotion.

ACTED global budget in 2004 was 26,475,646 €.

History

The first projects were initiated in Kabul in 1993 to bring relief to populations affected by more than 15 years of conflict. ACTED activities then rapidly expanded to the entire country and subsequently to neighbouring countries in 1996 (namely Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan), with the aim of developing a regional strategy throughout Central Asia.

The organisation continued its expansion, opening offices in Central Africa in 1997, in order to help populations affected by the Congo-Brazzaville conflict, in Central America in 1998 following the “Hurricane Mitch” disaster, in the Balkans after the conflict in Kosovo, and in the Middle-East, in 2003, to support Iraqi population.

In 2004, ACTED continued its involvement in Central Africa by opening missions in Chad and Sudan to respond to the Darfur crisis.

In 2005, the organisation has started emergency reconstruction activities in South Asia after the tsunami disaster, and is now working in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

In the framework of Micro-Finance year and thanks to its 5 year experience in this field, ACTED launched its international Micro-Finance network : OXUS Development Network on 21st June 2005 in the Foundation of France, Paris.

As of today, ACTED is active in 20 countries. The organization employs approximately 150 international staff and more than 2000 national staff. The headquarters for the organization are located in Paris (France).

Activities

ACTED currently implements approximately 150 projects a year covering emergency, rehabilitation and development in countries in crisis. These activities are as follow:

Emergency Relief :- food aid - distribution of non-food items - basic access to drinking water

Food Security :- agricultural support - income generation - irrigation

Health Promotion :- health education - malaria prevention - water and sanitation - rehabilitation of health-based infrastructures

Education and training :- basic education support - vocational training - support to children in a precarious situation - gender - rehabilitation of education-based infrastructures.

Economic Development :- rehabilitation of road infrastructures - rehabilitation of shelters - small business support - disaster prevention

Micro-Finance :- local structure support - community-based development.

Advocacy, Institutional Support and Promotion of Regional Dialogue :- decentralisation and local governance - support to minorities - peace promotion and cross-border cooperation

Cultural Promotion :- cultural heritage protection - cultural activities promotion - fair trade

Countries of activity

ACTED intervenes in 20 countries spanning 5 zones (Asia, Africa, America, Europe, Middle-East). The organisation tries whenever possible to develop a regional approach to crisis situations in countries where cross-border population movements are important facts.

This regional approach is backed-up by an integrated approach enabling ACTED to work in such varied activity fields as micro-economics, public health or even cultural promotion.

Specifically, ACTED has a presence in the following countries :

Location

ACTED headquarters are located in Paris in France, just between Saint Lazare railway station and the Opera. You can easily go there by using the Subway (lines 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, or RER A or E) and stopping at Auber, St Lazare, Madeleine, Opéra or Havre-Caumartin station.

Our Mailing Address is:

ACTED 33 rue Godot de Mauroy 75009 Paris FRANCE

Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

External links

* [http://www.acted.org/english ACTED Home page]
* [http://www.oxusnetwork.org/ENG/index.html OXUS Development Network (Microfinance by ACTED)]