International development cooperation or development assistance (Official development assistance - ODA) is aid, provided by developed countries to support economic, social and political situation in developing countries. Donor countries, among which in terms of gross national income (GNI) per capita and membership in international institutions, is also
Slovenia is (in line with the Monterrey consensus and the conclusions of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) adopted in May 2005, which were approved by the European Consensus on Development in December 2005) committed, like the other Member States which joined the EU after 2002, to contributing 0.17 % of GNI by 2010 and 0.33% of GNI by 2015 to ODA. In doing this, not only quantity, but also quality is important as well as an overall effectiveness of development aid which must be a key objective of development activity.
Despite different commitments made on international level, we witnessed the dissemination of financial expenditure categories (the "inflated" ODA) that donor countries include in their reporting on official development assistance. Among others these include costs related to the education of foreign students and the costs associated with refugees and migrants. This is also developing a lively debate whether the donor countries could include the costs of preventing climate change and costs associated with peacekeeping in their ODA.
Ekvilib Institute, in accordance with international recommendations, firmly rejects the inclusion of expenses that do not meet the criteria for ODA into development aid. We are also striving for a wider view at efficiency of development cooperation and aid, which is based on balanced development, based on the values and standards of human rights and a real contribution to raising the level of human rights of all actors in development cooperation.
We are also aware that development cooperation and assistance can achieve its objective only if it is in accordance with the necessary reform of trade policy and the current financial system, etc.
