Debates about the new Dutch development cooperation policy

This autumn there are a number of meetings organised by MDF Training & Consultancy, the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and Vice Versa to contribute to the discussions for the formulation of new policies for Dutch development policy from 2010 onwards. It is a continuation of the conference 'Understanding Development Better' of last August and related to the DPRN process on the future architecture of the Dutch development cooperation.

On Thursday 1 and Friday, 2 October, 2009, a public meeting, the Kick-off conference will be held in Hotel de Bosrand, Ede. On the agenda of this public meeting are discussions with experts from science, policy and practice. We will talk about what policy is actually or what should it be; on sources, foundations and axioms in the current policy, the implications of the shift from Development Cooperation to a much wider agenda and the applicability of policies in a rapidly changing complex world.

Language of the meeting is Dutch.

Costs for the two-day conference is € 200 and € 280 (incl. 1 night). More information and registration? From 29 July onwards, the website will be on air.

Check also the Euforic newsfeeds on MDF and on Dutch development cooperation

A word from Simon Stocker on Europe under the Lisbon Treaty

Source: Concord Flash 62, June 2009

Which Development for the new Europe?
The newly elected Members of the European Parliament will be faced with critical challenges during their five year term of office. While uncertainty remains over the future of the Lisbon Treaty, Parliament will undoubtedly oversee the implementation of many of the Treaty’s provisions. This is important for the European Union’s relations with the rest of the world. The Treaty seeks to strengthen the Union’s role in the world through enhancing its common foreign policy capacity - an objective that is to be welcomed.

Throughout the EU’s 50 year history its development cooperation has been the centre piece of its external policy. As a collective group of nations, the EU continues to provide more than 50% of the world’s official development aid, a position that brings some responsibility for ensuring that the Union’s relations with developing countries are pursued first and foremost in accordance with its development policy. However, this cannot be achieved through aid alone.

The EU’s identity through development cooperation
The Lisbon Treaty should re-enforce the EU’s position as a global leader in development. It reflects the emphasis of development cooperation as a nurturing policy in international relations, recognising this in the context of the Union’s expanding membership. It identifies development cooperation as an independent policy area with EU competency providing the principal framework for the EU’s relations with all developing countries, and sets the eradication of poverty as the single principle objective of this policy.

In so doing it establishes the relationship of this overarching objective to other external policy areas. The objective of poverty eradication must be taken into account when actions relating to other policies are planned and implemented, thereby establishing a hierarchical relationship in relation to the EU’s approaches to developing countries.

A key question will be how the inevitable reforms to the institutions ensure the effective implementation of the Lisbon Treaty’s provisions and intentions. They will need to ensure that there is a single dedicated development service within the Commission embracing the EU’s relations with all developing countries that guarantees development as an independent policy area. Not only regarding aid delivery, but also with the capacity to assert the political interests of the Union’s development policy. This requires an experienced Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid sitting as an equal with all other Commissioners in the college. The creation of the Union’s diplomatic service must respect the integrity of development and humanitarian aid as a Community Policy.

In the words of Mirjam van Reisen, author of Window of Opportunity – EU Development Cooperation after the Cold War, “EU development policy reflects the EU’s identity and the importance given to values expressed in the slogan ‘unity through diversity’ - upholding international human rights, supporting accountable and inclusive democracies, creating conducive environments for the involvement of women in peace-building and conflict resolution; and creating sustainable economies with regulatory frameworks that
protect against excessive gaps between rich and poor.”

Simon Stocker, Director of Eurostep, member of the CONCORD Policy Forum

For more information, check out Euforic's newsfeeds on Concord, Eurostep, and on EU cooperation

Germany's Middle East and North Africa policy: interests, strategies, options

Talking of German interests in the Middle East and North Africa is frowned upon in German policy circles. Preferred is a reference to the normative power and Germany's role in the European Union. Authors of a recent publication (pdf in German) of the German Institute for International Politics and Security are convinced that interests and policy targets need to be made clear and should be embedded in a long-term regional strategy. The study includes articles dealing with Israel and Palestine, Iraq, the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, Iran and the Maghreb as well as with the cross-cutting issues energy, migration and terrorism.

In her contribution about the Maghreb, Isabelle Werenfels writes about a region which was marginalized in German foreign policy until questions of energy security, terrorism and migration appeared on the policy agenda. She concludes that a regional strategy is not existent. Instead, Germany is dealing with each country bilaterally and further actively contributes to the European Mediterranean Policy. The Solar Energy Plan of the EU which was initiated by Germany provides opportunities for a more intensified cooperation.

Steffen Angenendt writes about the pressure caused by irregular and illegal migration from and within the Middle East and North Africa. He calls on the Europeans to take a closer look at migration flows within these regions which are a threat to regional stability. Angenendt also criticizes the European asylum restrictions which make it almost impossible to get refugee status and leaves illegal migration as the only option.

Guido Steinberg summarizes that the greatest German concerns in the Middle East and North Africa are the regional conflicts between Israel and Palestine and the hegemony struggle between Iraq, Iran and Saudi-Arabia. It is in Germany's interest to maintain and improve regional stability. However, this should not lead to the acceptance of autocratic regimes as the best of two evils. It means strengthening democratic change and social transformation processes which are needed to achieve sustainable development. If no room for democratic opposition will be given new conflicts and terrorism will be the consequence.

The appearance of new actors like Russia, China or India as new potential partners for the region without a democratization agenda makes it difficult for Germany and Europe to insist on democratic reforms. Therefore Steinberg makes a plea for an active German role to solve the refugee crisis in the region which will help to overcome the humanitarian drama, minimize the conflict risk and bring valuable influence on the new elite of the region once the refugees return.

by Martin Behrens

See the Euforic newsfeed and dossier for more on Germany's cooperation policy.

Subscribe to the Euforic EU Neighbourhood Policy newsfeed for more on Europe's policy towards its neighbours in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Partijen debatteren over ontwikkelingssamenwerking in de aanloop naar de Europese verkiezingen

Onder aanwezigheid van een veertigtal belangstellenden, met name vertegenwoordigers van NGO’s en politieke partijen, gingen een vijftal politici (van Groen Links, Partij voor de Dieren, D66, CU /SGP en PvdA) op woensdag 13 mei het debat aan.

NCDO, Partos, en de EEN campagne lanceerden met dit debat de Wereldstemwijzer. Deze stemwijzer geeft een stemadvies gericht op de komende Europese verkiezingen. Evelijne Bruning, hoofdredactrice van Vice Versa, leidde het debat: "Ik hoop dat de diverse politici tijdens dit debat van elkaar kunnen proeven". (zie haar samenvatting van het debat)

Marie-Trees Meereboer, directrice van Partos, opende het debat. Volgens haar is het belangrijk dat internationale samenwerking hoog op de agenda blijft, middels actief debat; “Het gaat erom dat we samen oplossingen vinden voor de huidige financiële, klimaat- en voedselcrisis”.

Stelling 1: Hulp aan arme landen moet een zaak van de EU als geheel worden.

Natasja Oerlemans (Partij voor de Dieren - video) en Louis Meuleman (PvdA - video) lichten toe waarom hun partij tegen deze stelling is. Beide partijen dragen als argument aan dat Europa in enkele gevallen als een schuilplek fungeert voor problemen waar we geen oplossingen voor kunnen of willen vinden. Het gevaar van het verschuiven van deze problemen naar Europees niveau is dat budgetten van deelnemende landen naar beneden gaan. Als concreet voorbeeld noemt Natasja Oerlemans het landbouw- en dierenwelzijnsbeleid wat achteruit is gegaan nu het op internationaal niveau geregeld wordt. Iemand uit het publiek reageert teleurgesteld: "De wereld heeft Europa nodig". Waarop beiden aangeven dat we in enkele gevallen zeker vanuit één stem moeten spreken, maar dat hoeft nog niet een overdracht van bevoegdheden te betekenen. Het is niet geheel duidelijk onder de panelleden of deze stelling dat suggereert.

Ruud van Eijlen (CU/SGP - video) beargumenteert waarom zijn partij neutraal tegenover deze stelling staat. Volgens hem is het belangrijk dat er op Europees niveau meer aandacht komt voor dit onderwerp, maar dat we het wel nationaal moeten blijven coördineren. NGO’s, die hier vandaag zitten moeten er niet aan denken dat alles vanuit Brussel gecoördineerd zou worden: "Samenwerken: ja, een superstaat: nee".

Marietje Schaake (D66 - video) is voorstander van dit standpunt omdat we in een globaliserende wereld leven, waarbij dit onderwerp meer aandacht op Europees niveau vraagt. Ze draagt het voorbeeld aan van de landbouwsubsidies, die volgens haar partij in Europa afgeschaft moeten worden. Evelijne Bruning vraagt of de aanwezige panelleden het allen eens zijn dat de landbouwsubsidies in Europa afgeschaft mogen worden, dit wordt beaamd. Ook Judith Sargentini (Groen Links - video) stemt voor de stelling, ondanks teleurstellende resultaten van het ontwikkelingsbeleid van de afgelopen jaren. Ook met Louis Michel is ze niet echt gelukkig, maar het streven is er wel. En dit moet er volgens haar ook blijven: “We doen het niet goed, maar wel beter dan anderen; hoe zorgen we ervoor dat Europa ‘leading’is?”

Stelling 2: De EU moet stoppen met de werving van kennismigranten uit arme landen.

D66 is tegen deze stelling omdat, aldus Marietje Schaake, kennismigranten wel de kans moeten krijgen om in Europa te werken. Dit moet wel goed geregeld worden met een ‘blue card systeem’. Migranten kunnen ook kennis terug brengen naar de landen van herkomst, waardoor niet per definitie sprake hoeft te zijn van een ‘braindrain’.

Judith Sargentini (Groen Links) is ook tegen deze stelling. Ze geeft aan dat we werknemers nodig hebben. Dit blijkt alleen al uit het grote aantal illegale werknemers in Nederland. Door deze werknemers een legale status te geven zouden ze beter in staat kunnen zijn om hun werk beter te doen. We moeten wel goed in de gaten houden of de beroepsgroep wel te missen is in het land van herkomst. In het geval van Zuid-Afrikaanse doktoren, zijn ze van meer betekenis in Zuid-Afrika en moeten we ze hier dus weigeren.

Louis Meulemaan (PvdA), tevens tegen deze stelling, beaamt dat we niet daar de kennis moeten weghalen, die er het hardst nodig is. Maar hij benadrukt dat we lager opgeleiden niet zomaar binnen moeten laten komen, daar is een grote werkloosheid, deze dreigt groter te worden.

Natasja Oerlemans (Partij voor de Dieren) is voor de stelling. Ze vindt het belangrijk dat gekeken wordt naar de achtergrond van de migranten en hun motivatie om naar het westen te willen migreren; de situatie in eigen land is voor een groot deel tot stand gekomen door het ‘westen’. Onderscheid maken naar groep of kennis klinkt haar neokolonisalistisch in de oren; "waar trek je de grens?". Ze is voorstander van een structurele herverdeling van kennis, rijkdom en macht en het creëren van werkgelegenheid daar.

Ruud van Eijle (CU/SGP) is ook voor deze stelling en benadrukt het belang van het ter plaatse organiseren van ontwikkeling: "kijk ook naar de sociale en gezinsstructuren".

De overige panelleden zijn het erover eens dat het ideaal zou zijn wanneer migranten niet meer zouden migreren, dankzij een verbeterde leefsituatie ter plekke. Louis Meuleman (PvdA) geeft echter aan dat het erop lijkt alsof ontwikkelingshulp pure liefdadigheid is. Maar hulp is geen éénrichtingsverkeer, je mag best aan jezelf denken: "je kunt het beste anderen helpen als je een beetje zorg draagt voor jezelf".

Stelling 3: De EU moet bindende regels opstellen om wapenhandel te beperken.

Aangezien er al bindende gedragsregels bestaan op het gebied van wapenhandel, had het uitgebreid ingaan op deze stelling weinig meerwaarde. Toch werd de CU/SGP gevraagd waarom zijn partij, ondanks bestaande gedragsregels, tegen deze stelling is. Ruud van Eijle licht toe dat zijn partij tegen illegale wapenhandel is, maar dat zij willen dat regelgeving vanuit Nederland geregeld wordt en niet vanuit Brussel. De overige partijen waren voor deze stelling.

Stelling 4: ‘Europa mag alleen in de eigen wateren vissen.

Ruud van Eijle (CU) is voor deze stelling. Hij spreekt over de ongelijkheid tussen de vissers, enkele beschikken over geavanceerde technologieën, maar niet iedereen. Hij is voorstander van een quota en wil vissers betrekken bij een goede en eerlijke manier van visserij bedrijven.

Ook Judith Sargentini (Groen Links) is voor deze stelling: ‘Zoals ’t nu gaat, loopt het de spuigaten uit; grote bedrijven maken de kleine visserij kapot’. Het is volgens haar belangrijk om streng op te treden als overheid en niet alles aan de vissers zelf over te laten.

Natasja Oerlemans (PvdD) is voor de stelling. Door de visserij wordt ieder jaar een te hoge quota vastgesteld. Er wordt in Europa niet duurzaam omgegaan met onze natuurlijke bronnen, eigenlijk doet Nederland dit niet eens. ‘Europa mag alleen in eigen wateren vissen, maar eigenlijk daar niet eens meer’. Natasja Oerlemans reageert fel op deze stelling en vergelijkt de kracht van Europa op dit moment met de kracht van een ‘tandeloze tijger’.

Marietje Schaake (D66) is tegen deze stelling. Ze vindt dat er naar toekomstgerichte vormen van visserij gezocht moet worden: ‘Er moeten strenge en goede regels komen om schade te beperken’.

Stelling 5: De EU mag alleen producten uit arme landen invoeren als ze volgens EU-normen zijn gemaakt.

Judith Sargentini (Groen Links) staat neutraal ten aanzien van deze stelling. Groen Links vindt het belangrijk dat mensen veilig voedsel eten. Tegelijkertijd wil ze ook zeker dat producten niet onnodig van de Europese markt geweerd worden. Groen Links heeft een voorstel ingediend om de gehele productieketen beter op te volgen, inclusief de arbeidsomstandigheden waaronder producten geproduceerd worden.

Marietje Schaake (D66)is tegen deze stelling. Het op de markt brengen van producten brengt kansen met zich mee op een afzetmarkt in ontwikkelingslanden. Het volledig blokkeren van producten is niet de oplossing. Er moet per geval gekeken worden naar de beste oplossing. Hierbij kan ook streng worden opgetreden wanneer er bijvoorbeeld sprake is van kinderarbeid.

Ruud van Eijle (CU/SGP) is voor deze stelling. Belangrijke overwegingen zijn het belang dat gehecht wordt aan de veiligheid waaronder producten worden geproduceerd. Zijn partij is er voorstander van om ervoor te zorgen dat arme landen aan de norm kunnen voldoen.

Natasja Oerlemans (PvdD) is voor deze stelling; ‘kwetsbare waarden worden niet in marktwaarde betaald’. De overheid moet kaders stellen waarbinnen producten worden geproduceerd. Regels moeten ontwikkeld worden gericht op duurzaamheid, maar de regels moeten ook opgevolgd worden.

De deelnemende politici hebben hun standpunten verdedigd. In onderstaande korte ‘blips’, vertellen de vier politici hun belangrijkste speerpunten.

Dat er behoefte is aan een daadkrachtige internationale politiek met aandacht voor mensenrechten en voedselzekerheid blijkt zodra we de zaal verlaten. Op de stoep in Den Haag treffen we twee hongerstakers en een groep protestanten. Zij vragen aandacht voor de mensenrechten- en voedselsituatie van Tamil burgers in Sri Lanka. Een spoeddebat is door Bert Koenders hierover aangevraagd, aldus de demonstranten. Een solidaire en duurzame internationale politiek, beslis mee welke weg we nemen. Stem bij de Europese Parlementsverkiezingen op 4 juni 2009!

door Stephanie Zwier

Zie ook de Euforic newsfeed over de Europese verkiezingen 2009 en de Ten Days For Development campagne website van Concord

Escalation of violence in Afghanistan: Political consequences for the German engagement

Although the engagement of the international community has widened in geographical scope, time frame and deployment over the last 7 years, the situation in Afghanistan remains extremely fragile. Even the newly elected US President Obama recently stated that the war cannot be won and suggested negotiations with moderate Taliban leaders.

A Policy Paper (pdf in German) of the German Development and Peace Foundation looks at the underlying causes of the impasse and formulates policy recommendations for the international community in general and German decision makers more in particular.

Increasing violence in Afghanistan raises pressure to deploy more troops, however there is evidence that the rapid expansion of the international military presence is one of the causes of the insecure situation. The authors are convinced that a political solution needs to be found. Therefore, Germany should resist sending more military. The existing troops should have a clear mandate as stabilization and security force and should not be involved in combat operations.

As the main reason for the persistent fragility the author identifies the failed state-building in Afghanistan. A central government was quickly installed, however further steps to extend state power to the Afghan provinces were not made. In fact several actions of the central government and the international community spoiled the prestige of the government in Kabul.

Firstly one could point at the centralization of governance in contrast to Afghanistan's heterogeneity, and the actual lack of capacity of the Kabul institutions to meet the expectations. Secondly there was the cooperation of Kabul with former warlords that were discredited by the Afghan population. The failure of the international community to build a reliable legal system and police force, to a big share under the responsibility of the German government, further worsened the situation. Also the reconstruction and humanitarian activities did not support the state-building process. The demand for fast results led to an approach that favored local initiatives and international NGOs for the implementation instead of state involvement.

The authors demand a rethinking of the Afghanistan Strategy and a strong support of the state-building process. Only when state-building becomes the main priority of the international community in Afghanistan, the German government should consider an enhanced engagement with human and financial resources.

by Martin Behrens

See the Euforic newsfeed and dossier on peace and security

See also ICCO on Democratization and Peacebuilding

A Word from Concord on the Governmental cuts in development aid

Source: Concord Flash, nr. 57, January 2009

On 3rd February, the Irish government slashed Official Development Assistance to developing countries by 95 million Euros or more than or 10% of its overall budget for 2009, barely 2 months after the UN Doha Summit on the financing of Development aid.

This was a shock since Ireland is usually considered as a progressive European development donor. The Irish aid cuts will mean that poor countries such as Malawi, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, could well see the suspension of funding to vital basic services such as education and health.

At a time when the financial crisis and global recession is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable hardest, this cut will have huge implications for the many developing countries receiving vital aid from the Irish government.

This represents the latest in a round of aid cuts from European donors. It signals a dangerous trend which threatens the Millennium Development Goals' commitments so vital to alleviating poverty in poor countries. Last December Italy announced aid cuts of 56%, and Latvia, which recently became a donor of development aid, released a statement last month announcing a 100% cut to its aid budget.

Jasmine Burnley, coordinator of CONCORD’s AidWatch initiative said “Europe is the world's biggest and most progressive aid donor with an aim to provide 80% of the world’s aid, some 67 billion euros, by 2010.”

“However we are seeing massive reduction of these targets. Cuts by Italy, Latvia and now Ireland have come as a triple whammy to developing countries. The decline in support from EU donors threatens efforts to tackle global poverty and inequality in the world.” she added.

CONCORD acknowledges that in this time of crisis, European governments face difficult choices, but cutting to aid to poor countries is not the answer. “If we want economic growth with global stability, we need to work towards a fair and just world" says Hans Zomer of Dóchas, the Irish national platform of development NGOs, "Ireland needs to invest in developing countries, not turn its back on the poor when times get tough”

CONCORD calls for European governments to join it in urging the Irish government to reverse this cut, and honour their own aid promises.

Contacts at CONCORD: Jasmine Burnley, CONCORD, +32 2 743 87 64

See also Euforic's newsfeeds on EU cooperation, and on Concord

Irish Government announces devastating development aid cuts

Concord press release, 04 February 2009

The Irish government yesterday slashed Official Development Assistance to developing countries by 95 million Euros or more than or 10% of its overall budget for 2009, barely 2 months after the UN Doha Summit on the financing of Development aid. NGOs across Europe have expressed shock and deep concern at this act by Ireland usually considered as a progressive European development donor.

At a time when the financial crisis and global recession is hitting the poorest and most vulnerable hardest, this cut will have huge implications for the many developing countries receiving vital aid from the Irish government.

This represents the latest in a round of aid cuts from European donors. It signals a dangerous trend which threatens the Millennium Development Goals' commitments so vital to alleviating poverty in poor countries. Last December Italy announced aid cuts of 56%, and Latvia, which recently became a donor of development aid, released a statement last month announcing a 100% cut to its aid budget.

Jasmine Burnley, coordinator of CONCORD’s AidWatch initiative said “Europe is the world's biggest and most progressive aid donor with an aim to provide 80% of the world’s aid, some 67 billion euros, by 2010.”

“However we are seeing massive reduction of these targets. Cuts by Italy, Latvia and now Ireland have come as a triple whammy to developing countries. The decline in support from EU donors threatens efforts to tackle global poverty and inequality in the world.” she added.

The Irish aid cuts will mean that poor countries such as Malawi, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, could well see the suspension of funding to vital basic services such as education and health.

European NGOs acknowledge that in this time of crisis, EU governments face difficult choices, but cutting to aid to poor countries is not the answer. “If we want economic growth with global stability, we need to work towards a fair and just world" says Hans Zomer of Dóchas, the Irish national platform of development NGOs, "Ireland needs to invest in developing countries, not turn its back on the poor when times get tough”

CONCORD, the European Confederation for Development and Relief NGOs calls for European governments to join it in urging the Irish government to reverse this cut, and honour their own aid promises.

Contacts:

• Hans Zomer, Director of Dóchas, Tel. +35 85-728 3258
• Éamonn Casey, Dóchas Policy Officer, Tel. +35 87-950 6222
• Jasmine Burnley, CONCORD, +32 2 743 87 64

Check out Euforic's newsfeed on Concord

German NGOs criticize military engagement in reconstructing Afghanistan

Venro, the German Association of NGDOs, criticize (pdf in German) the so called 'Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan under German command.

The teams, which usually consist of 250-300 soldiers plus some civil experts, aim to promote security and stability in the Afghan provinces and actively engage in reconstruction and humanitarian assistance, security sector reform and political dialogue with the Afghan population. According to Venro, these measures are meant to enhance the acceptance of the military thus increase force protection.

The German NGOs claim that the overlap of military and civil activities spoils the neutrality of NGOs thus worsening their security situation. While development actors are strictly guided by a humanitarian imperative, the German military which is increasingly engaging in combat missions follows clear political interests thus is part of the conflict environment.

The authors quote a statement by the International Red Cross: “The distinction between humanitarian, political and military action becomes blurred when armed forces are perceived as being humanitarian actors, when civilians are embedded into military structures, and when the impression is created that humanitarian organizations and their personnel are merely tools within integrated approaches to conflict management. "

The report demands that the German military concentrates on stabilizing and security activities which should primarily serve the Afghan population and leave humanitarian aid, reconstruction and development assistance to civil actors.

The report further argues that the advantages for force protection due to reconstruction activities of the military are hardly evident and are clearly outweighed by the risks for civil personnel. Additionally Venro demands a military exit strategy which would increase the credibility by showing that the international community is striving to bring peace and security to Afghanistan and does not only look for its own strategic interests.

by Martin Behrens

See the Euforic news alert and dossier for more on peace and security.

See also Euforic's dossier and news alert on German's international cooperation activities.

Poland's Development Cooperation in 2007

Poland belongs to the group of new 'donors' in development cooperation. Some years ago it was still benefiting from external aid programmes. Now it contributes 2,5% to the European Development Fund, the largest amount among the new Member States and even more than established donors like Finland, Austria or Ireland.

The recently published 2007 Aid Report by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows further progress on Poland's way to become a significant donor in international cooperation. In 2007, 0,09% of the GDP was spent on ODA, an increase of 9% compared to the previous year. Additionally USD 1.57 million were allotted to humanitarian aid and USD 1.08 million spend for food aid.

Polish aid is channeled multilaterally or bilaterally to developing countries and those under social and economic transformation. In line with the international development discourse, the report states that the Polish government is committed to concentrate on few target countries and a few sectors. Priority countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Georgia, Iraq, Moldova, the Palestine Authorities, Belarus, Ukraine, and Tanzania. However bilateral aid projects in 2007 were conducted in more than 90 countries.

53% of Polish Aid is channeled to multilateral organizations. Bilateral aid is provided through projects, financial aid (in 2007 preferential credits went to China, Montenegro, Uzbekistan and Nicaragua) and scholarships (mainly to Belarus).

According to the authors, the awareness and support among Polish citizens regarding the country's development cooperation is increasing. Considerable amounts were spent on development education projects and promotional activities. Furthermore the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs commenced preparations to launch a Polish Aid Volunteering Program to give Polish volunteers wider opportunities to work in developing countries.

See the Euforic newsfeed and dossier on Polish Development Cooperation

Development assistance in France and Germany - a plea for more cooperation

Harmonization and donor coordination are high priorities on the development agenda in Europe. A recent paper (pdf in German) by the 'German Council on Foreign Relations' (DGAP) explores the issue using the example of bilateral cooperation between France and Germany.

The paper describes the institutional framework which is the basis of the their development cooperation and sheds light on their policy priorities and regional focus. The authors come to the conclusion that both states hold a genuine position among European donor countries which is characterized by their absolute spending on development cooperation on bilateral, European and multilateral level, and their influence on the policy making of the European Union.

They show that close cooperation between the French and German administrations already exists through the so called Elysée Treaty, i.e. cooperation between the implementation agencies AFD and KfW. There is also regional cooperation, especially in the West African region.

The authors suggest a stronger focus on institutional reform in both countries to increase aid effectiveness and plea for even closer cooperation between France and Germany to accelerate the EU reform process and enhance cooperation between member states.

by Martin Behrens

Visit Euforic dossiers on French and German cooperation / Sign up for news alerts on French and German cooperation.

Austria's development cooperation in 2007

ADA, the Austrian Development Agency, responsible for the implementation of the Austrian development assistance, recently released its annual report for 2007.

According to the report, ADA further continued its approach of consequent harmonization to make use of the division of labour with other actors in development. This was especially the case in Uganda were ADA took a leading role in the donor community active in the water sector.

ADA was strongly engaged in the European process to increase aid effectiveness, preparing for the revision of the Paris declaration in 2008. Furthermore the agency closely cooperated with other EU member states, especially regarding capacity-building partnerships with new donors in the EU.

Austria also extended its cooperation through direct budget support when Mozambique became the first country to receive general budget report since the beginning of 2008.

by Martin Behrens

See the Annual Report (pdf in German) for additional information

See the Euforic dossier and newsfeed for more information about Austrian development cooperation

Shadow Report on German Development Cooperation – support for tax and public revenue systems

The 2008 shadow report (in German) on German Development cooperation sheds light on the German support for public finance systems that enhance developing countries' capacity to fight tax evasion and capital flight.

Each year, tax evasion and capital flight cause some US$ 500 Billion to be lost as public revenue for developing countries, which is 5 times as much as total ODA. Although case studies show the enormous effectiveness of money spent to support tax and public revenue systems, only 0,07% of global ODA is actually spent on this. Reasons might be the unattractiveness of such measures, as compared to support for health or education. Furthermore the international trend of deregulation, decentralization and privatization for a long time has not supported projects that aim to increase government incomes. With the development discourse on 'good governance' and 'ownership' the issue became more important.

Recent calculations of the UN Millennium Project show that even if all donors would reach the ODA target of 0,7% immediately, it would not be enough to achieve the MDGs. For this the development countries themselves need to increase their public spending on poverty alleviation, hunger and social protection. According to the UN, there is a huge potential to increase public income if one compares economic strength and actual public revenue in developing countries.

The German Ministry for Development Cooperation identifies programmes to increase local public resources as one priority for the upcoming Doha Conference on Development Finance in December. The shadow report notes an increase of resources allocated for this purpose within the German ODA. However Germany ranks 9th among the biggest donors in this area with the UK spending more the 5 times as much. Furthermore German engagement is fragmented, uncoordinated and lacking clear political orientation, according to the authors of the report.

The 'Shadow Report of German Development Cooperation' is published by Terre des Hommes Germany and Welthungerhilfe and is seen as a critical counterpart to the OECD-DAC report regarding German cooperation. It analyses whether promises by the German government are actually met.

by Martin Behrens

Read BMZ statement on the report

See the Euforic dossier and newsfeed on German cooperation

Denmark launches public consultation on new humanitarian strategy

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently launched a comprehensive consultation process to revise its 2002 strategy regarding Humanitarian Assistance (pdf file).

According to the consultation website, the last years brought important global changes which need to be taken into consideration. Among these new trends are questions of food insecurity and increasingly complex conflicts and security issues. The Danish government wants to take a leading role and take state-of-the-art thinking into account to draft a new humanitarian strategy which takes regard of future protection challenges, the global food crisis, humanitarian consequences of climate change, humanitarian space and military operations.

The revision process will include three distinct phases:

• June to November 2008: Public events, consultations, analysis and reflection.
• November 2008 to January 2009: Formulation of the strategy document.
• January to April 2009: Hearing, revision and approval.

A website facilitates the consultation process. It offers information on the process itself, events, press information, news, videos, podcasts, a blog and a newsletter.

See Euforic's country profile and newsfeed for more on Danish cooperation

Danish Government Development Assistance 2009-2015

The Danish Government recently released two policy papers dealing with the future course of Danish Development Assistance, from 2009 until 2015. The general message is that Denmark aims to continue consolidating its priorities and target areas, mainly democracy assistance, gender and women’s rights, and HIV/AIDS.

This includes further reorganization towards fewer but larger donations, directed towards established and experienced multilateral organizations, a strong focus on Africa (One exception is the increasing support to Afghanistan) with the overall policy goal of poverty reduction.

Since Denmark aims to increase its strategic influence on key development actors, smaller contributions to multilateral organizations will be phased out. Furthermore allocations to countries which are not LDCs will consequently be reduced. Food security is added as a new focal area which goes along with increased contributions to the IFAD.

Denmark remains committed to a strong partnership approach with recipient countries and to the international aid effectiveness framework.

See the policy papers on Multilateral Development Cooperation and Danish Bilateral Aid

See also the recent reports of the OECD and Commitment to Development Report

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German experts call for a different development policy towards Africa

In a concise appeal (in German), senior experts of German development cooperation have called for a revision of German development policy towards Africa.

They criticize the belief that the West could develop Africa. The fact that development workers take on too much power would paralyze self-initiative and African ownership. Furthermore they criticize the assumption that redistribution of wealth via increased aid would improve the situation. According to the critics, more money tends to have inverse effects and if distributed via budget aid would additionally increase corruption and bad governance.

The authors call for:

• Decentralization of German aid to country embassies and the liquidation of the current multiple aid structure with various government agencies responsible for development cooperation
• Strong orientation towards non-state actors
• Concentration on education, micro-finance and work-intensive infrastructure improvements
  

The appeal, which was signed by former German ambassadors, high-ranking politicians and scientists, provoked harsh criticism (in German) by Germany’s development community. They accuse the critics of painting a cut and dried picture of a rather complex environment that ignores the importance of good governance and the role of the state as well as international trade structures.

Willing to kick-off a comprehensive discussion on German aid, the authors of the appeal agreed to further elaborate responses on the criticized issues in a second paper.

See the Euforic newsfeed on German Development Cooperation

Global Perspectives on the bumpy road to Accra

The August 2008 issue of the magazine 'Global Perspectives' focuses on the process towards the Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF3).

The HLF3 aims to review the Paris Declaration which was signed to improve ways that donors and recipients work together to speed up progress toward the MDGs.

Civil society organisations fear that donors will bediverted from their promises. According to an article by David Cronin (IPS Europe) mechanisms to measure implementation, like a clear time frame, are missing, which makes it hard to hold signatories accountable.

Ramesh Jaura (IPS Europe) reports from the UN Development Cooperation Forum which took place on 30 June - 1 July 2008 in New York. As a main input for Accra, the forum discussed questions of conditionality and capital flight to developing countries.

Also in this issue are three opinion articles looking at the global food crisis (Jacques Diouf, FAO), the post-oil age (Ignacy Sachs, School of Advanced Studies in Social Science) and the importance of dialogue in global governance (Daisaku Ikeda – Soka Gakkai International).

Global Perspectives is a bi-lingual (English/German) publication by IPS Europe. It releases monthly editions on various themes of international cooperation and development and is available for free download.

See also Euforic newsfeed on IPS Europe.

by Martin Behrens

Global perspectives on global development summits

The July 2008 issue of the magazine 'Global Perspectives' focuses on the recent G8 summit in Japan.

Ramesh Jaura (IPS) looks back to the 1981 Cancun Summit on international cooperation and development which brought together many state representatives from North and South. The summit provided an impulse for future discussions on agriculture, energy, raw materials, trade, development and financial policy.

During the recent G8 summit in Japan, climate was added to this list. According to Mr. Jaura, the summit was correctly criticized for not taking concrete decisions. But documents emerging from the summit, including the Interim Report on the Heiligendamm Process, give hope for more cooperative North-South relations.

In an opinion article, Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner of Human Rights at the Council of Europe, calls for revisions to international policy on terrorism. The author stresses the importance of human rights protection and recommends a report by the Committee on the Administration of Justice which looks on lessons learned in Northern Ireland's fight against terrorism.

Thalif Deen (IPS New York) presents new numbers on the telecommunication market in Africa. With a rise from 16 Million to 250 Million mobile phone users from 2000 to 2007, Africa has the highest growth rates of the world. Less inspiring is the number of internet users, with 4 out of 100 Africans connected, and less than 1% with broadband connections.

Also in this issue is an interview Jon Lidén (GTZ) who speaks about the future challenges for the 'Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria' and the new engagement of the German government , and an interview with Simon Maxwell (ODI) on European aid targets and the MDG agenda.

Global Perspectives is a bi-lingual (English/German) publication by IPS Europe. It releases monthly editions on various themes of international cooperation and development and is available for free download.

See also Euforic newsfeed on IPS Europe.

by Martin Behrens

Can economic growth be reconciled with sustainable development?

The second plenary session of the EADI General Conference in Geneva brought together speakers on the "knife-edge between climate change and Millennium Development Goals", as the session was subtitled.

Jean-Louis Arcand from the Center for Studies and Research on International Development in France had a very pessimistic view, explaining that from an economic perspective, he feels helpless to contribute to the title question because of the lack of macro economic data. There are thousands of household surveys and a lot of good analysis around the world, but the long-term view is missing: Continuity in local teams involved in routine data collection is missing, and local policy-makers do not have any interest in the long-term view. Often, government ministries and statistical agencies retain data.

Charles Gore from UNCTAD focused the first part of his intervention on the need for a new way of thinking, a "new paradigm" that marks the end of twenty-five years of structural adjustment programmes and policies of global integration. According to Mr. Gore, five elements need to be taken into consideration to define this new way of thinking: resource scarcity; radical global inequality and radical global interdependence; emergence of the BRICS+; globalisation of expectations without globalisation of opportunities; conceptual confusion, where global issues are still addressed with national frames of references.

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He also argued that "MDGs are a muddle", which is why "we have to place them in an economic framework". According to him, productive capacities are the key to reconcile economic growth and sustainable development. If a country can increase productive capacities (for example natural assets and labour productivity), the economy will grow and poverty will be reduced. As policy implications, Gore recommended to focus on the utilization of productive capacities, and industrial policies to promote structural change towards lower energy use on the national level. On the international level, rich countries "must cut emissions more deeply to support low-carbon transitions in developing countries", Gore concluded.

Wolfgang Sachs (Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, and Energy) presented several main arguments. First, the Euro-Atlantic civilisation was based on carbon and colonies, and only managed to grow because it could expand acres overseas and under the soil. Second, monetary growth implies a certain degree of material growth. The ecological footprint of people rises along side the growth of GDP, which constitutes "uneconomic growth". Third, he argued that "monetary growth is an inefficient way to reduce poverty", and from 100 $ GDP growth, only 4$ are reaching the poor. Tackling income distribution would be a much more efficient way to eradicate poverty.

Moreover, energy efficiency measures will not be enough to reach the necessary CO2 reduction of about 80-90% in 2050, because rebound effects surpass efficiency gains. "How much is enough?", would be a more appropriate question. Fourth, Sachs argued that there is not enough carbon left for newly industrializing countries to follow the Euro-Atlantic path for decades. We have to face "another inconvenient truth": The South cannot wait for the North to mitigate, but has to reduce emissions now. This is why ecological leapfrogging, not industrial growth, is the way for industrializing countries to go. It constitutes a chance for poorer countries, because they can still take decisive decisions about infrastructure, agriculture, construction etc.

Last, Sachs claimed that "there is no sustainable development unless the growth in commercial goods is constrained by a growth in common goods." Concluding, it is essential "to put economic growth on the back seat". It should not be a policy priority, but emphasis should lie instead on common goods such as health, education and ecosystem services.

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by Birthe Paul

See the Euforic newsfeeds on agriculture and environment.
Read more stories from the conference and visit the conference blog.

Sustainable finance, aid effectiveness and poverty alleviation in the new global aid architecture

Realizing that achievement of the MDGs is endangered, the German Association of NGDOs, Venro, recently published two position papers for the Accra Forum on Aid Effectiveness and the 2rd World Conference on Development Finance.

While welcoming the international commitment to the successful implementation of the ‘Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness’ Venro criticises several aspects, including the:

• missing notion of pro-poor growth and adequate consideration of economic, social and cultural rights
• strong focus on governments while neglecting parliaments and non-state actors
• neglecting of the global economic framework including the development of global commodity prices and global trade policy
• ownership principle which is not balanced with political conditionality
• harmonisation which endangers the diversity of development approaches (see pdf, in German).

Regarding the “Financing for Development” Process, Venro argues that it would not be in the interest of CSOs to see the upcoming conference become a simple reviewing exercise. Directed to the German government Venro calls for a fast implementation of the UN Convention against corruption, extension of budget support in good performing partner countries, strengthened cooperation between Germany's Technical and Financial Cooperation institutions and a further discussion of the concept regarding the cancellation of illegitimate debts (see pdf, in German).

by Martin Behrens

See the Euforic newsfeed on Aid Effectiveness.

Visit our German Cooperation dossier or subscribe to the newsfeed.

See also the WECA Project of the European Center for Development Policy and Management dealing with issues of Aid Management, Ownership and Accountability.

Policy dialogue about Dutch development cooperation

Source: MDF Newsletter, July 2008

MDF is facilitating the policy dialogue between partners in Dutch development cooperation (DC). On request of the Minister, representatives of all stakeholders in Dutch development cooperation participate in a number of meetings and in an on line discussion. Stakeholders include civil society organisations (big and small), government agencies, private enterprise, academics, migrant organisations, etc. A website has been opened where information about this Policy Dialogue can be found: www.ontwikkelingisverandering.nl.

On this website you will find the reports and proceedings of a Starter-meeting (May 22) and of the Conference of June 24 - 25. You will also find six state-of-the-art papers which were written by academics from outside the direct sphere of Dutch DC, and comments on these papers by people from within the sector. All papers, comments and other discussion documents are arranged according to six leading themes of the dialogue: Enabling environment, Complementary roles, Accountability, Learning capacity, Tasks 'North' and 'South', and Public support for DC.

The dialogue will be rounded off with a report about all outcomes of the process. This report will be used by the Minister as inspiration for a new Policy Paper that is due in autumn of this year. Four MDF-staff members are working on this dialogue - under the guidance of a Steering Committee.

For more information contact Sjoerd Zanen via mdf@mdf.nl

Check also the Euforic newsfeeds on Dutch development cooperation and on MDF