31 October 2017: The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee adopted a revised mandate and strategic vision, championing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Committee also proposed principles for the use of blended finance to achieve sustainable development, and agreed to account for the vulnerability of SIDS when considering their eligibility for development assistance.
Gathering for its 51st High-Level Meeting, from 30-31 October 2017, in Paris, France, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) issued a 26-page communiqué. It highlights delegations’ commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) through: improving the quality, results and impact of development cooperation; “leveraging and catalyzing” the necessary financing and resources; and observing the principles contained in the ‘New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States.’
On SIDS, they note that while many countries and territories have have reached high-income status, they remain vulnerable and fragile in the event of natural disasters and humanitarian crises. They call for greater attention to financing small island developing States’ (SIDS) needs for resilience and recovery, and for short-term financing mechanisms for responding to catastrophic humanitarian crises in countries that have graduated to high-income status. The DAC welcomes OECD members’ actions to reverse the declining trend of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to countries most in need, such as SIDS, as well as the least developed countries (LDCs), low-income countries, land-locked developing countries (LLDCs), and those in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
The DAC issued a full clarification on considering refugee assistance as ODA.
On refugee response, the communiqué reflects debate over the extent to which providing assistance to refugees upon arrival can be considered ODA. The DAC clarifies that assistance within the donor country can be counted as ODA for the first 12 months, but the cost of border patrols cannot, where the primary intention is not refugee rescue. A full clarification is contained in an annex.
On blended finance, the DAC proposes a list of principles for maximizing the impact of finance to achieve sustainable development. The DAC anticipates providing an update from the High-level Panel on the future of the DAC in January 2018. [51st HLM Webpage] [Communiqué]