Development policy programme approved by the Government
Press Release 36/2004
5 February 2004
On 5 February the Government approved the development policy programme steering Finland’s development policy and development cooperation during the current Government’s term of office. The development policy programme commits Finland to the UN’s Millennium Declaration and its central development objective, the eradication of abject poverty.
The development policy programme is the first strategy expressly for development policy. The programme states that Finland aims for a consistent policy in all sectors of political life that affect developing countries. Development cooperation appropriations will be increased so that, at present GDP growth estimates, a share of 0.44 per cent of GDP will be reached in the year 2007. The goal is to reach the level of 0.7 per cent of GDP agreed with UN by the year 2010; taking account, however, of general economic trends. The preconditions for attaining this goal will be created during the present Government’s term of office.
A new feature of the programme is more intensive country and sector-specific focusing. Finland’s fields of priority are considered on the basis of the added value stemming from Finnish experiences and know-how. “We participate in the work of many multilateral international organisations, and so in our bilateral development efforts we can boldly concentrate our know-how,” says Paula Lehtomäki, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, as she describes the new perspective.
To enhance effectiveness, Finland will direct the majority of appropriations to bilateral development cooperation work and will raise the share of countries that are Finland’s long-term cooperation partners to 60 per cent of all country and regional support. Finland’s long-term cooperation partner countries are: in Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia and Kenya; in Latin America, Nicaragua; and in Asia, Vietnam and Nepal. Aid will be concentrated on countries having the preconditions for positive development. The target is to increase the annual support in each country to a minimum level of 10 million euros.
Of the earlier cooperation partner countries, in Egypt, Namibia and Peru the focus of emphasis is being shifted from development cooperation towards more diverse relations. The strategy to be applied during the transition period includes, among others, promotion of trade, investment and private sector cooperation. “New forms of development cooperation – for instance, with the private sector – will also be developed,” says Minister Lehtomäki.
As considered appropriate, Finland will take part in the international community’s efforts to ward off violent crises and to provide aftercare in conflict situations. Fixed-term cooperation will continue in Afghanistan, and is envisaged to begin soon in Iraq.
The Government’s aim is to increase non-governmental organisations’ share of development cooperation gradually to 14 per cent of development cooperation proper. Agreements will be made for several years in order to ensure that the development cooperation work done by non-governmental organisations is long-term in character.
Further information: Pertti Majanen, Under Secretary of State, tel. + 358 9 160 56400, gsm + 358 40 554 6233; Satu Santala, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 9 160 56402, gsm + 358 40 849 3608; and Press Attaché Anna Tonttila, tel.+ 358 9 160 55356, gsm + 358 40 5131 669.