On 4th of July, Estonia became the 32nd member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC), a forum which aims to coordinate and improve the quality of the development cooperation policies of member countries and their implementation.
Mariin Ratnik, the Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlights the significance of Estonia joining the DAC on the 25th anniversary of the country’s development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. “It reflects the outstanding work we have done over the last few decades and that our expertise in these areas is internationally recognised and sought after,” she said.
Accession to the DAC will further raise the levels of quality and professionalism in the field of development cooperation in Estonia as a whole. The country’s official development assistance exceeded 190 million euros in 2022, representing 0.54% of GNP. This was a marked rise on 2021, due to the funding provided in support of Ukraine.
Estonia’s bilateral development cooperation is concentrated on the European Union Eastern Partnership region and certain countries in Africa. Its main focus is passing on Estonia’s experience of implementing reforms to countries that are facing challenges similar to those which Estonia overcame in its recent past. The key areas in this cooperation are the development of democracy and the rule of law, the digital transition, innovation, gender equality, access to education and support for economic development. In addition to bilateral cooperation, Estonia assists developing countries through international organisations such as the European Union, the World Bank, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and United Nations funds and programmes.
Estonia has been a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development since 2010. Its accession to the DAC will increase the country’s global influence and visibility and promote its ability to launch projects in cooperation with other major donors.