Wide support for Väyrynen from EU Development Ministers for raising the private sector and the principles of sustainable development to the fore of development policy

Press release 363/2008
30 September, 2008

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen underscored the importance of the private sector and the principles of holistically sustainable development in eliminating poverty in developing countries when he delivered his address at the Informal Meeting of Development Ministers in Bordeaux, France on 29–30 September. This thinking is also receiving ever wider support among Ministers from other Member States.

During their informal meeting the EU Development Ministers discussed the global challenges of development policy; the agenda included, among other issues, the food crisis, climate change, development funding and joint action among donors. Consensus that the EU must carry out the promises it has made to increase its development aid strengthened during the meeting. Consensus was also reached concerning the EU pledge to target additional funding of 1 billion euros to tackle the impact of the food crisis on the poor in developing countries.

Väyrynen stressed that considerably more resources than at present must be directed to development of agriculture. He stated that aid must strive for sustainable results, such as strengthening of developing countries’ own food production and infrastructure, and development that is ecologically sustainable. This can be accomplished through the correct targeting of support:

“Too much of the development cooperation efforts of the EU and Northern donors takes place through the public sector. We have neglected the development of infrastructure, and of agriculture and the productive private sector, although we would have a lot to give in these sectors,” the minister stressed. In his opinion, this is also one underlying cause of the food crisis, although there are several other factors as well.

Väyrynen emphasised that climate funding provided for developing countries should apply the principles generally followed in development cooperation. Combating climate change should be seen as part of ecologically sustainable development, and it should be intertwined with other efforts to reduce poverty and promote economically and socially sustainable development.

Additional information: Ossi Martikainen, Senior Adviser to the Minister, mobile tel. +358 40 592 6769, Director General Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Department for Development Policy, mobile tel. +358 40 830 4868