The Occupied Palestinian Territory has suffered from slowing growth and high unemployment in recent years, particularly among women and youth. The Joint Programme's goal was to create sustainable socio-economic development in the West Bank and Gaza through culture-related activities and tailor-made programmes based on the notion of cultural diversity.

In spite of a decade of economic growth and a halving of its poverty rate, Serbia continues to experience significant disparities in development. People in rural areas are twice as poor as city dwellers, and three out of four are subsistence farmers. To reduce poverty and emigration in rural areas, the MDG-Fund helped develop sustainable tourism as a means of boosting economic activity and increasing employment.

The turmoil that shook Tunisia during the Arab Spring was directly related to the lack of jobs for young Tunisians, especially in marginalized areas of the North West, West and South. A third of young people are jobless, an urgent challenge for the new government as it works toward the Millennium Development Goal target of full and productive employment for all. This Joint Programme supported efforts to develop capacities in migration-prone areas by creating decent jobs and promoting local competencies.