devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Laureate LAC IFC is considering an investment to finance expansion projects at Laureate Education Inc.s (Laureate) network institutions in several countries in Latin America.  The two sub-projects currently under consideration entail the expansion of Laureates operations in Peru and Panama.  Subsequent sub-projects will be disclosed independently when they materialize.  In Peru, IFC is considering an investment of up to $40 million to finance Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), a Peruvian institution in the Laureate network.  The specific purpose of the Project is to finance UPC expansion plans in Peru in order to provide better quality facilities and higher quality education to students in middle income segments, as well as working adults.     In Panama, IFC is considering an investment of up to $25 million to finance Universidad Interamericana de Panamá S.A. and Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnologia, two Panamanian institutions in the Laureate network.   Through the proposed project in Panama, Laureate aims to expand the capacity of its university operations and provide better quality facilities and higher quality education to students in middle and low income segments, as well as working adults. (i) Expand access for middle income students to high quality post-secondary education; (ii) Improve quality of education and access to the job market, through better academic standards; (iii) Demonstration effect in the country regarding the viability of privately-run education institutions.
GEF Eco-Enterprises Fund (The Nature Conservancy) (MSP) In January 2000, TNC established EcoEnterprises Fund, a program designed to apply venture capital-type tools and principles to help reduce threats to biodiversity.  The fund offers an integrated package of risk capital and technical assistance to support community-based, commercially-viable economic activities that encourage the sustainable use of natural resources.  TNC established and incorporated a for-profit investment company, Fondo EcoEmpresas, S.A., in Panama, as the fund''s risk capital arm, to provide debt and equity financing to socially- and environmentally-responsible companies in Latin America and the Caribbean.  TNC serves as the fund manager for Fondo EcoEmpresas and is also the majority shareholder in the investment company.  In addition to helping defray costs of operating the investment company, EcoEnterprises Fund''s technical assistance component provides critical support in business and environmental advisory services, such as financial control and accounting, marketing, business planning, and biodiversity monitoring.    All Fondo EcoEmpresas portfolio companies are required to work with local conservation or community organizations in order to ensure their activities help meet the needs of in-country social and environmental stakeholders.  Involvement by the local non-profit organization in the business may include equity interests; profit sharing; user licensing fees or royalties; flat rate resource concession fees; resource management fees, or some other form of financial involvement. NGOs may also provide an on-going environmental and social monitoring role.  By offering technical assistance to both the portfolio companies and their non-profit partners, EcoEnterprises Fund helps develop capacity for: integrating business and biodiversity objectives, building business acumen, and helping companies maximize their impact on biodiversity preservation.    GEF funding of US$1 million will be dedicated to maximizing the long-term biodiversity benefits of EcoEnterprises Funds project portfolio, and helping to cover the higher annual operating costs that this will entail.  The higher operating costs will arise due to the need to provide extra business- and biodiversity-related technical assistance, and the need to provide extra fund management support to develop, manage and exit viable investments  .
Paladin Realty Latin America Investors II, L.P. Paladin Realty Latin America Investors II, L.P. (Paladin II or the Fund) is a real estate investment fund which seeks to invest at least fifty-one percent of its capital commitments in affordable and middle-income housing and the remaining capital would be invested in income producing property such as industrial rehabs, retail buildings, offices, etc. in Latin American countries (LAC).  Paladin II will be structured as a Delaware limited partnership, with a target size $200 million and an estimated first closing at $100 million.  The Fund will seek to make 20 equity investments with average size of less than $10 million, which meet the following criteria: 

-  focus on capital constrained markets; 
-  high value-added business plans; and 
-  clear exit strategies.  

Paladins business strategy mandates for the Paladin team to be involved in the project throughout the entire cycle.  This includes: purchase and preparation of the land, acquisition of local permits, underwriting of the property, technical design, construction, sale of property and many other activities that add value to the project.  Paladin enters into limited liability partnerships with local partners to execute deals and put in place operating agreements.
Orazul Energia The proposed investment is an equity participation in a newly created vehicle (Orazul Energia Partners LLC ) with I Squared Capital, to acquire the assets of Duke Energy International, an energy platform, located in Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador (Portfolio). The Portfolio consists of over 1,600 megawatts of operating hydroelectric and thermal power plants, transmission lines and gas-processing operations.    
		   IFC Global Infrastructure Fund, LP, an investment fund managed by IFC Asset Management Company, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of IFC, will invest alongside IFC. IFCs investment proceeds will be used to acquire and develop a portfolio of renewable power projects in Latin America. Through this investment, IFC will be supporting strategic partners which have demonstrated strong operational and management capacity in the power sector. The project's development impact is the following: 
(i) Through the injection of new capital, strategic direction, and IFC's support, Orazul Energia will develop and potentially invest in new opportunities in renewable energy - organically or through further acquisitions; 
(ii) By providing base load capacity and energy grid reliability, the project will support the diversification of the different country's energy matrix and enable the environment for the increased penetration of intermittent renewable energy technologies, such as wind and solar;  
(iii) Increase private participation in Latin America's energy sector;  
(iv) Supports the diversification of the pool of investors in the Latin America energy sector which increases competition, preserves employment and supports regional integration;  
(v) IFC signals to the market of its support towards the recent government reforms in the energy sector in Argentina.
Certo S.A. Project The proposed project entails equity investments in two complementary vehicles. (i) Certo S.A. (NXTP Labs), a $38.5 million accelerator and early stage seed fund seeking to support 300 high growth technology startups from across Latin America. (ii) NXTP Fund 2, L.P. (NXTP 2), a $120 million early stage venture capital fund that will make venture investments in high growth technology companies across Latin America. A Summary of Investment Information for this project, alongside a second project with the same client, was disclosed together on July 13, 2016.  Project 38634 (i) Address funding gap for seed and early stage investments: Through NXTP Labs, NXTP targets supporting approximately 300 startups. (ii) Job creation: NXTP expects its graduated companies to create a significant number of high quality new jobs directly. (iii) Support local entrepreneurship: Through its NXTP Labs accelerator process and various external events, NXTP will help support entrepreneurs directly and the innovation ecosystem across Latin America.
Aureos Latin America Fund L.P. Aureos Latin America Fund, I L.P. (ALAF or the Fund) is a private equity fund which will seek equity and equity-related investments in high growth companies located in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama (collectively Central America), Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia (collectively the Andean Region) (Mexico, Central America and the Andean Region, collectively referred to as the Target Regions).  The Fund targets a first closing size of $150 million, with a target final fund size of $300 million.  The investment size is expected to differ across regions, but is expected to range from $2 million to $10 million.  The Fund will target sectors that are projected to benefit from economic trends in the Target Regions, including manufacturing, financial services, construction, and FMCGs. The Fund is expected to have a strong impact for private sector development because of the Funds focus on high-growth industry sectors:

-- Support of SMEs:  The Fund is expected to allocate part of its commitment to SMEs.

--Private sector development:  The Fund will add value to its investee companies, by providing managerial and strategic support to improve their competitiveness and sustainability

--Economic development:  The Fund is expected to invest in high-growth companies aiming to increase output, which in turn should lead to increased employment rates.

--Environmental practices:  The Fund Manager will adopt international best practices for environmental and social risk assessment and management, and improve transparency and corporate governance, thus transferring knowledge and skills to portfolio companies
Darby-BBVA Latin America Private Equity Fund Project Description:    DBVA is designed to achieve superior returns by acquiring control/shared control stakes in undervalued middle-market Latin American companies.  The portfolio is expected to comprise export/cross-border oriented companies and domestic market/consolidation oriented companies operating in sectors such as food and beverage, energy, non-bank financial services, branded products, media and outsourcing services.     Development impact:    Second tier companies in Latin America are affected by severe financing constraints and lack access to best management practices.  The fund will contribute to the economic development of the region by supporting the development of these companies with equity finance and managerial and strategic support.  This will be achieved through the active involvement of DBVAs team of investment professionals, which have private equity and senior management experience, and through leveraging Darby and BBVAs global private equity experience, industry expertise, and extensive on-the-ground network in Latin America.    After having peaked in 1998, private equity fund raising for the Latin American region has dropped sharply and is now back to pre-1994 levels. The fund, using a disciplined and thorough investment approach, will help demonstrate that the private equity model can be successful in Latin America, attracting further private equity resources to the region. If private equity is successful, public equity markets are likely to become increasingly viable.     The fund will contribute to the economic development of the region by supporting mid-sized companies.  DBVA is well positioned in both Mexico and Brazil to invest in good mid-size companies that need a partner to help them succeed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.  The experience of DBVA''s team in investment, finance, corporate governance and environmental regulation will be important for the growth and development of these companies.       IFC role:    Over the past year, the international and regional economic environment has deteriorated decreasing investor confidence. IFC''s commitment to the fund will signal the Corporation''s support to private equity in Latin America at a time of increased investor anxiety. It will also help the fund reach a critical economic size and maximize its impact and demonstration effect. IFC will be involved in the fund''s Advisory Committee.  IFC will play an important role in the definition of corporate governance and environmental standards at the investee company level, contributing to the sustainability of the fund''s investments.
Amerra Fund AMERRA Capital Management, LLC, (AMERRA) is an investment fund manager, focused on providing customized agriculture-focused and commodity-based finance solutions throughout the Americas to producers, processors, distributors and traders.  AMERRA has about US$600 million in assets under management across five funds and accounts.  After successful deployment of investor capital through several funds during 2009-2012, AMERRA is in the process of raising additional equity for the AMERRA Agri Fund II, LP (AMERRA Fund II) which will provide a broader range of finance solutions to its existing and new clients, especially longer loan maturities than it has not been able to provide up until now. The proposed project entails IFC making about US$50 million of credit available to AMERRA Fund II for up to 5 years, leveraging the capital it will have to lend (the Project). Despite their contribution to food supply and rural livelihoods, smaller and medium-sized agribusiness companies (and the farmers that supply them) have historically had insufficient access to finance from private sector sources, in particular finance that extends for more than one crop season.  Recently, the unfavorable supply-to-demand dynamics for financing to this segment has deteriorated as working capital needs have risen across the agribusiness supply chain with higher commodity prices at a time when the commercial banks who had been operating in some parts of the supply chain have come under increasing pressure to strengthen their capital ratios.  The IFC project supports the expansion of an innovative firm whose business model includes providing financing into this segment by intermediating capital from an institutional investor segment in developed countries that has not historically invested significantly in these agribusiness segments from the emerging markets.
DineroMail - EQ The proposed project consists of an equity investment in Dineromail of up to $5 million, as part of a round of financing initiated in 2008 to strengthen existing operations in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile and enter new markets.    One of IFCs strategic pillars is to support information and communications applications and IT enabled services across a broad range of sectors, the most prominent of which include finance and small business development.  In that context, innovative use of technology to develop and improve payment systems as a way to improve access to finance exhibits enormous developmental potential and has become a key focus for IFCs work in this area. The anticipated development impacts of the project are:  Access to financial services to unbanked:  The project will help improve access to basic financial (payment) services for un-banked segments of the population, as Dineromails model allows for simple and secure on-line access to financial services to such segments.   Increased business volume for MSMEs: MSMEs with no numbers for main credit cards (which do not assume fraud risk) will benefit from a simple and secure electronic payment method, increasing merchants current competitiveness vis-à-vis larger stores.  Promote connectivity: On-line payment platforms such as Dineromails end up fueling the demand for better internet connections among individuals and MSMEs.  In turn, telecoms and broadband connectivity fuels the flow and exchange of ideas and innovation, directly leading to increased productivity.  Connectivity and e-business in general are critical for helping LAC bridge the digital divide with more advanced regions.
Advent Latin American Private Equity Fund II, LP Project Description:    LAPEF II has been formed by Advent to achieve attractive investment returns through a portfolio of diversified companies in Latin America. The main investment focus will be on later stage businesses, with limited exposure to fast growing telecommunications and later round technology companies. Advent will add value through active investment management, majority share ownership positions, and board and executive committee participation.     Development impact:    Second tier companies in Latin America are affected by financing constraints and lack of access to best management practices. The fund will contribute to the economic development of the region by supporting the development of these companies with equity financing and managerial and strategic support. This will be achieved through the active involvement of Advent''s locally-based Latin American team of 15 investment professionals with extensive private equity and senior management experience, and through leveraging Advent''s global private equity and industry expertise as well as relationships with over 30 multinational corporations.    After having peaked in 1998, private equity fund raising for the Latin American region has dropped sharply and is now back to pre-1994 levels. The fund, using a disciplined and thorough investment approach, will help demonstrate that the private equity model can be successful in Latin America, attracting further private equity resources to the region. If private equity is successful, public equity markets are likely to become increasingly viable. In this respect, Advent''s first Latin American Private Equity fund, LAPEF I, was among the few funds in the region which managed to successfully exit an investment through an Initial Public Offering on a local stock exchange.     IFC role:    Over the past year, the international and regional economic environment has deteriorated decreasing investor confidence. IFC''s commitment to the fund will signal IFC''s support to private equity in Latin America at a time of increased investor anxiety. It will also help the fund reach a critical economic size and maximize its impact and demonstration effect. IFC will be involved in strategic planning and governance issues for the fund. Among other things, IFC will be member of the fund''s Advisory Board, which will deal with governance issues at the fund level. Finally IFC will play an important role in the definition of corporate governance and environmental standards at the investee company level, contributing to the sustainability of the fund''s investments.
500 Mexico II 500 Luchadores II, L.P. (500 Luchadores II or the Fund) is a Mexico City based accelerator that is raising $10 million to support 120 early stage companies from across Latin America, primarily in the ICT sector. (i) Address funding gap for seed stage investments by supporting approximately 120 early stage companies. (ii) The fund manager expects the Fund''s graduated companies to create 600+ new jobs. (iii) Support local entrepreneurship through the Fund''s acceleration cycles and various internal and external events. The Fund intends to mentor 600+ founders/entrepreneurs during the first 2-3 years.
Effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing from the Use of Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge in Madagascar To establish Madagascarâ€™s ABS national framework and operational capacity to enable the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. This project will enhance the capacity for implementation of a robust and transparent national legal, regulatory and institutional framework and the strong governance structure to manage an ABS regime to properly share, in a fair and equitable way, the benefits arising from the commercial and other uses of genetic resources in Madagascar. The strengthening of the ABS mechanism will contribute to the development of social inclusion and gender equality, foster clear and transparent provisions and strengthen the capacity for indigenous and local communities to benefit from the use of their traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, thereby generating opportunities benefit-sharing while reinforcing the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The benefits shared will be applied in biodiversity conservation actions and benefits for indigenous peoples and local communities and traditional small farmers, taking into account their organizations and including consideration of gender dimensions. All activities such as awareness creation on ABS, formulation of biocultural protocols, ABS laws and guidelines, and training on PIC and MAT, will be carried out with due consideration of gender equality and social inclusion principles.
Support to the Madagascar Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity (through Additional Financing to the Third Environment Support Program Project (EP3) NA Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.
BS Support for Implementation of the National Biosafety Framework of Madagascar NA Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in the Northwestern Landscape (Boeny region) To strengthen the long-term conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the northwestern landscape of Madagascar Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.
Environment Program Support Project NA Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.
Participatory Community-based Conservation in the Anjozorobe Forest Corridor NA Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.
YOUNG Cameroon <p><strong>OO: </strong>To increase young people¿s contribution to and leadership in peacebuilding processes in Cameroon.<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><p><strong>SO1</strong>: To strengthen the institutional capacities of and coordination between youth-led peacebuilding organisations</p><p><strong>SO2: </strong>To increase the participation and leadership of youth in peace and security policy and practice at both the community and national levels.</p>