<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Spain and Honduras signed the new 2025-2029 Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development in Seville. This framework was approved within the framework of the IX Spanish-Honduran Joint Commission and provides for a total Spanish investment of €300 million over the next five years.</strong></h4> The agreement was signed this Monday in Seville by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Spain and Honduras, José Manuel Albares and Javier Bu Soto, on the sidelines of the IV International Conference on Financing for Development and in the presence of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro. The new Partnership Framework (PF), developed after an extensive consultation process with Honduran institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, and international organizations, will guide Spanish Cooperation's interventions in the country over the next five years. A total investment of up to €300 million is estimated, of which €195 million will be non-reimbursable, with contributions from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and all Spanish Cooperation actors. According to AECID, this Partnership Framework, which "represents a substantial evolution compared to previous frameworks," is focused on two major development objectives: the reduction of extreme poverty and access to sustainable and resilient livelihoods, addressing key aspects such as child malnutrition, education, decent employment, access to basic services, water, health, the promotion of social and productive infrastructure, and a culture of peace. The new agreement prioritizes interventions in three strategic corridors: the Gulf of Fonseca in the south; Ceiba-Trujillo-Puerto Lempira in the northern corridor; and Lenca-Central, covering historically neglected and highly vulnerable areas. With this agreement, according to the Agency, Spain positions itself as one of the few bilateral donors that not only remains in Honduras but has strengthened its presence in a context where other international actors are reducing their aid or transferring it to reimbursable mechanisms. The 2025–2029 MA emphasizes local development as a central focus, focusing on strengthening municipal governments, citizen participation, and improving democratic governance in the territories. The agreement also incorporates innovative monitoring, evaluation, and accountability measures, with shared monitoring mechanisms between the Spanish Cooperation Office in Honduras and the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras. In addition to AECID, the new MA fosters diverse cooperation, with the active participation of autonomous communities, city councils, universities, Spanish NGOs, the private sector, and civil society organizations, consolidating a network of solidarity among peoples.
