Women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory suffer from high levels of poverty and unemployment, with women refugees particularly vulnerable. The rate of female participation in the labor market in the West Bank and Gaza stood at 13.4 % in 2006, half the average rate in Arab countries and one of the lowest in the world. The Joint Programme promoted Palestinian women's social, economic and political empowerment and worked to reduce gender-based violence by encouraging women's political voice, increasing their opportunities to obtain decent and productive work, and improving their access to protection and justice.

More than 20 years after Croatia's war of independence, many communities there still suffer the social exclusion and economic deprivation characteristic of war-affected areas. This Joint Programme pioneered a model for socio-economic recovery that integrated community decision-making through projects based on shared needs and interests. This introduced peace building into existing local structures that provide social services, education, community policing, justice and job creation.

Nicaragua's Bosawas Biosphere Reserve is Central America's largest rainforest and part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. The Joint Programme's aim was to improve management of the protected area, increase access to water and sanitation, provide renewable energy and promote agroforestry as a means to boost incomes.