Strengthening EU development cooperation under the Lisbon Treaty

19 November 2009 in Development, European Union, Germany, OECD

The expected introduction of the European Union’s (EU) Lisbon Treaty in 2010 will fundamentally alter how EU external action is conducted. This presents both risks and opportunities for EU development cooperation. The general expectation of EU Member States’ Senior Officials is that progress in EU integration and a stronger EU profile in the world would [...]

EU Development policy to focus on climate and democracy, says Mrs Carlsson

30 September 2009 in Crisis, Development, Environment, European Union, OECD

As president in office of the EU Council, the Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden, Gunilla Carlsson, presented to MEPs from the Committee on Development the presidency’s priorities for the second semester of 2009: development as part of the climate change agenda, democracy building as well as policy coherence and effectiveness. Helping to ensure [...]

EU confirmed its position as the world’s leading donor in 2008

30 September 2009 in Development, European Union, OECD, Poverty

The newly published 2009 annual report on the European Community’s development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2008 shows that the European Union continues to be the world’s leading development aid donor, accounting for 60% of world aid in 2008. The Commission alone committed EUR 12 billion, more than a fifth of the [...]

EIT needs experts for the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)

30 September 2009 in Entrepreneurship, European Union, OECD, Research, Standardisation, Technology

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) launched a call addressed to individuals for the establishment of a database of independent experts to assist the EIT in the process of the evaluation and implementation of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The database will include profiles from the following areas: Sustainable energy, Climate change adoption [...]

World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development

3 July 2009 in Crisis, Development, Economy, Employment, European Union, Germany, OECD, Poverty
Tags: Crisis

The United Nations Conference on the world financial crisis adopted a wide-ranging Outcome Document (http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/CONF.214/3&Lang=E). The Outcome Document recognizes that the incoherence of the global economic system needs to be urgently addressed. It stresses the importance of the United Nations’ role in international economic issues,emphasizing that its universal membership and legitimacy makes it well positioned [...]

Helping developing countries during the financial crisis

2 May 2009 in Africa, Asia, Banking, Caribbean, Crisis, Development, Economy, European Union, OECD, Poverty, Publications

Developing countries are severely hit by the global economic crisis. The leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies, recognising that the global financial crisis has ‘a disproportionate impact’ on vulnerable people in poor countries, have promised to make hundreds of billions of United States dollars available to these countries as part of a $1.1 trillion [...]

Development Aid at its highest level ever in 2008

2 May 2009 in ACP, Development, OECD

In 2008, total net official development assistance (ODA) from members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rose by 10.2% in real terms to USD 119.8 billion. This is the highest dollar figure ever recorded. It represents 0.30% of members’ combined gross national income. Bilateral development projects and programmes have been on a rising trend [...]

PIA improves decision making for development results

14 March 2009 in Methods, OECD, Poverty, Research

How can donors and partner countries assess the intended and unintended consequences of donor interventions? The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) explores ex ante Poverty Impact Assessment (PIA), which can assist in modifying the design of interventions to improve pro-poor impacts by identifying key areas for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It can be [...]

How PIA works

14 March 2009 in Development, Methods, OECD, Poverty
Tags: Aid, Development Policy, M&E, Research

Poverty Impact Assessment (PIA) helps donors and partner countries identify the intended and unintended consequences of their interventions. PIA provides a framework for improving baseline data and monitoring the impact hypothesis during implementation and inputs for ex post evaluations. It formulates recommendations for decision makers on how the intervention might be improved. Ex ante PIA [...]

Key reading on ex-ante Poverty Impact Assessment

14 March 2009 in ILO, Links, Methods, OECD, Poverty, Publications, Research

Promoting Pro-Poor growth: A Practical Guide to ex-ante Poverty Impact Assessment
http://www.oecd.org/document/…
This practical guide, developed by the DAC Network on Poverty Reduction (POVNET), is designed to help staff in developing countries and in aid agencies to plan and execute PIAs and to interpret their findings, the ultimate goal being to design and implement more effective poverty [...]

Networks you can use for poverty impact assessment

14 March 2009 in Development, Directories, Economy, Links, Methods, OECD, Poverty

African Parliamentary Poverty Reduction Network – (APRN)
http://www.parlcent.ca/africa/prnetwork/pr_network_e.php
The APRN was created in 2003 in response to demands by African parliamentarians for a network that would bring together Members of Parliament from all over Africa interested in central issues such as poverty reduction to discuss and share best practices, lessons learned and experiences in that area; as [...]

OECD countries reaffirmed commitments to open trade and aid

3 February 2009 in Banking, Crisis, Development, European Union, OECD, WTO

OECD countries have pledged to abstain from trade protectionism as part of a concerted drive to shore up the world economy and combat recession. They also have reaffirmed their commitments on aid to developing countries. Already in November 2008, at a meeting of the OECD’s Executive Committee in Special Session, OECD countries agreed to sustain [...]

OECD publishes Principles and guidelines to promote sustainable lending practices in the provision of Official Export Credits to Low Income Countries

11 February 2008 in OECD, Publications, Trade

The provision of official export credits to public and publicly guaranteed buyers in low income countries should reflect Sustainable Lending practices (lending that supports a borrowing country’s economic and social progress without endangering its financial future and long-term development prospects). Export Credits Guarantees (ECG) Members agree to apply principles to obtain reasonable assurances that their [...]