Minister for International Development Hautala to the meeting of the ministers for development cooperation at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels
Press release 309/2011
11 November 2011
Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will attend the meeting of the ministers for development cooperation at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 14 November. The topics of the meeting include aid effectiveness, the situation in the Horn of Africa, the future of the EU development policy, and EU budget support.
At the beginning of the meeting, the ministers will adopt conclusions establishing the common EU position for the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which will take place in Busan, South Korea, from 29 November to 1 December 2011. In Busan, the EU will highlight openness and transparency of development funding in particular. Another aim of the EU is that, in the future, the donors would enhance their mutual cooperation in the planning of their development aid measures. Minister Hautala considers it important that the EU could promote aid effectiveness besides by participating in the political debate, also by its own example in Busan.
Another topic of discussion for the ministers for development cooperation is the situation in the Horn of Africa and especially the importance of humanitarian aid and development cooperation in the region. Finland is of the opinion that the efforts for improving the humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa must be continued. Minister Hautala underscores that longer-term stabilisation necessitates political solutions and sustained development policy measures for reduction of poverty. Hautala will tell her minister colleagues about a recent trip she made to the Horn of Africa region.
At the end of the day, the ministers for development cooperation will debate two recent Commission communications issued in October. The first one focuses on increasing the impact and reprioritisation of EU Development Policy, and the other on EU budget support to developing countries.
According to Minister Heidi Hautala, Finland considers the Commission views to follow about the right line: the EU development aid should focus on the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. On the other hand, development policy must also take account of inclusive economic growth that is aimed for promoting human development.
Finland supports Commission views in budget support issues as well. In its communication, the Commission emphasises a more carefully considered, results-oriented approach that is based on 'good governance' contracts. In Minister Hautala’s opinion, the contractual nature of budget support, closer supervision of the partner country’s budget and transparency are welcome guidelines. Finland also welcomes the emphasis placed on the importance of the developing countries’ own resources and taxation, as well as human rights and democracy in discussions with these countries.
Further information: Milma Kettunen, Press Attaché for the Minister for International Development, tel. +358 40 522 9869, and Counsellor Sini Paukkunen, Unit for General Development Policy and Planning, tel. +358 9 1605 6272