Tunis - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tunisia and the Orange Tunisia Foundation launched a partnership in January 2022 to promote digital inclusion and innovation to develop inclusive and sustainable local ecosystems and the socio-economic empowerment of young people and women. This successful partnership, recently renewed until 2025, will provide an opportunity to strengthen these initiatives, in the regions of Kairouan, Gafsa, Kébili, Tozeur, Tataouine, Médenine and Gabès.

In particular, UNDP Tunisia and the Orange Tunisia Foundation will continue their efforts to support young people and women entrepreneurs, particularly in the fields of digital inclusion, enabling access to markets and economic autonomy. This partnership will also respond to the concrete challenges posed by climate change, notably by raising awareness among young people as agents of change, and by supporting the development of green technological innovations, which will contribute to the economic growth of the regions concerned.

As Ms. Céline Moyroud, UNDP Resident Representative in Tunisia, pointed out, "the emphasis placed on digitalization as part of this partnership is also aligned with the strategic priorities of Tunisia and UNDP, highlighting the digital transition as a catalyst for the 2030 Agenda. We are delighted that this renewed partnership with Orange Tunisia and its Foundation, as part of our activities implemented with various national partners, will accelerate access to digital inclusion, promote innovative entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of green economy, and the employability of young people and women in Tunisia".

Thierry Millet, CEO of Orange Tunisia, commented: "This partnership with UNDP Tunisia, renewed for a further 2 years, will enable us to develop and further anchor the joint initiatives already launched through the Orange Tunisia Foundation and the Orange Digital Center ecosystem, to promote digital inclusion and encourage innovative entrepreneurship in Tunisia, particularly among young people and women in the regions. We are particularly pleased that Orange Africa and Middle East and UNDP for the Arab States have also just signed a major partnership, with the same objectives, at this year's MWC in Barcelona, as part of the Digital for Sustainable Development (D4SD) initiative".

To mark International Women's Day on March 8, with this year's theme of investing in women, UNDP and the Orange Tunisia Foundation have inaugurated a new Digital House in Kébili, to be managed by the Elbacikat association for development, to train over a hundred women entrepreneurs in green economy sector by the end of 2024. This house is now part of a network of 26 structures throughout the country, supported by the Orange Tunisia Foundation and its partners. This initiative will be followed by other actions, such as the training of young girls, with or without degrees, in technology-related professions within the Orange Digital Center Clubs network in the targeted regions. In this context, it will also be possible to experiment with innovative solutions within the FabLabs Solidaires to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to support and strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems, particularly in the face of climate change.

For further information, please contact:

Sandra Chemam (Communications Officer - UNDP Tunisia): sandra.chemam@undp.org

Abdelaziz Djilani (Head of Press Department - Orange Tunisia): +216 50 01 23 55

For the French version of the press release