OECD evaluating Finnish development policy in Helsinki
Press release 235/2009
15 September, 2009
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will meet OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Chair Eckhard Deutscher in Helsinki on 16 September. In their meeting, they will discuss Finnish development policy and the ways in which Finland has observed the recommendations of the DAC Peer Review concerning development policy and cooperation made in 2007. This year, OECD/DAC is testing a new kind of follow-up system of peer reviews, and making interim assessments of the implementation of the recommendations made.
In the peer review conducted in 2007, OECD came to the conclusion that Finland has a strong commitment to development cooperation and wields its influence actively and successfully within the EU and groups of likeminded countries. Finland earned praise for its development policy guidelines, focusing on poverty reduction and the UN Millennium Development Goals, while simultaneously emphasising economically, socially and ecologically sustainable development. In addition, Finland was commended for its efforts for promotion of development policy coherence and aid effectiveness.
In 2007, OECD/DAC raised keeping the international commitments related to development cooperation appropriations and maintaining the prevailing geographical focus in cooperation as the key challenges for Finnish development policy. The review also underscored practical implementation of policy coherence and aid effectiveness. Furthermore, it urged Finland to sufficient resource allocation for development cooperation administration and investments in efficiency of the administration.
In addition to Minister Väyrynen, the review committee chaired by Mr Deutscher will meet Pertti Salolainen, Chair of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee; high civil servant directors and representatives of various departments of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs; as well as representatives of NGOs, the private sector and the Development Policy Committee.
OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) is the only forum that regularly reviews the development policy and cooperation of its members and, on the basis of the reviews made, offers national governments concrete proposals for improvements in the form of recommendations. Each member is reviewed once every four or five years. The examination is conducted as a peer review by two other members and OECD Secretariat. In 2007, Finland’s examiners were Norway and Germany.
Additional information: Head of Unit Riitta Oksanen, tel. +358 9 160 56283, and Advisor to the Minister Päivi Nevala, tel. +358 9 160 56171