Finland takes significant steps towards more effective development cooperation – OECD Development Assistance Committee publishes peer review of Finland's development policy and cooperation
The OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) published a peer review of Finland's development cooperation and policy on Friday 13 December 2024. The peer reviewers were Austria and Czechia. For the first time, a civil society representative, the umbrella organisation for Finnish civil society organisations, FINGO, took part in the review as an observer. The DAC reviews its members' development cooperation and policy every six to seven years.
Finland was found to have taken significant steps in building results-based development co-operation and in risk management, to which the previous review drew attention in 2017. Finland was also commended for championing equality and for multilateral advocacy. In both, Finland was seen to punch above its weight. The reviewers noted that Finland should ensure that the private sector consider its impact on development when operating in developing countries. As development cooperation is increasingly carried out multilaterally and through a range of channels instead of traditional country programmes, the ownership of partner countries and the coordination of activities should be safeguarded at the country level. Finland should also ensure that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs maintains its development cooperation competence.
“Finland’s development policy focuses on our strengths, such as promoting the rights of women and girls, education and training, and climate action. We seek to combine trade and development. Our goal is to build sustainable partnerships with developing countries on the basis of mutual benefit and respect. The peer review provides us with sound recommendations on the areas we should consider when implementing the Report on International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation”, says Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.
Finland will draw up an action plan to implement the review's recommendations.
Carsten Staur, Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, presented the results of the peer review during his visit to Finland on 13 December 2024.
Inquiries
- Laura Quist, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +358 295 350 690
- Juha Savolainen, Director General, Department for Development Policy, tel. +358 295 351 508
- The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format [email protected].