DANIDA : The Exemplary Donor

For many years, Denmark, together with Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands has fulfilled the United Nations' goal that developed countries allocate at least 0.7% of their gross national product (GNP) as assistance to least developed countries (LDCs). Denmark, while actually fulfilling this commitment, set 1992 as the year when Denmark should target 1% of its GNP to official development assistance (ODA),and which it actually achieved as scheduled, with a total development aid budget of DDK 8.3 billion. In his article "The Exemplary donor" in the Social Summit special publication The Nordic Way, Jesper Jespersen writes that by any international standard, Denmark's development provides more development assistance per capita than any other country in the world. And Danish assistance, he notes, is also more oriented towards the social sectors than elsewhere.

This national development assistance by Denmark is administered by the South Group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of which DANIDA is an integral part. Danida is an abbreviation for Danish International Development Assistance. DANIDA was created during the 1971 International Development Co-operation Act (and subsequent amendments), together with a number of Parliament resolutions and the 1989 Report by Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. The South Group comprises the Minister for Development Cooperation, a nine-member Board of Development Assistance Cooperation, and a Council of Development Assistance Cooperation (with a maximum of 75 members). The Council follows the activities of the Board, offering advice and making recommendations when necessary.

DANIDA's guiding principle is to extend assistance to poverty-stricken countries. In practice, this means 40 per cent of the bilateral assistance is provided to countries classified as LDCs by the United Nations, and that one-third is directed at other low-income countries. Danish development assistance is concentrated on the poorest segments of the population in the individual countries, in accordance with its Plan of Operation and its motto which is for better and more efficient aid.

Under the broad umbrella of poverty-orientation, a number of other principles apply to Danish development assistance: environmental considerations, i.e., the desire to create an ecologically and economically sustainable development; involvement of women -- who often are among the poorest of the poor -- in the development process; and promotion of human rights, which in recent years have been accorded higher priority. A still increasing proportion of the assistance is thus allocated as support to democratization efforts, e.g., assistance to the formulation of a new constitution, the holding of free elections, and to proper human rights projects in the recipient countries. Since 1989, 16 program cooperation countries have been selected -- a further five countries are expected to be chosen in the immediate future. Countries in a particularly difficult situation can be accorded so-called transitional assistance, and assistance can support regional programs and projects. In 1992, Denmark cooperated with 70 LDCs.

DANIDA's activities are further guided by the Copenhagen Declaration which was signed by Danida of Denmark, NORAD of Norway, SIDA of Sweden, FINNIDA of Finland and ICEIDA of Iceland at the March 1995 World Summit for Social Development. The signatories have committed themselves to eradicate absolute poverty -- the first time governments agreed to eradicate, not only to reduce -- extreme poverty. This agreement also acknowledged the role of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) as a key actor in achieving social development goals. In general, the signatories have committed themselves to create an economic, political, social, cultural and legal environment that will enable people to achieve social development; eradicate poverty in the world as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of human kind, through decisive national actions and international cooperation.

The Danish criteria for the selection of program cooperation countries are laid down by the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. The selection takes into consideration the level of the country's economic and social development, the needs and the existing development plans, other donor support, the possibility of enhancing a sustainable development and the respect for human rights through a dialogue with the recipient country, the possibility of securing women a central and fully integrated role in the development, and DANIDA's experience so far from the bilateral cooperation.

Bilateral assistance can have numerous forms -- from country-specific programs to small-scale projects, commodity assistance, personnel assistance, i.e., assignment of expatriate advisers and development workers, support to development research in Denmark or in the developing countries, and fellowships to students from LDCs. ICLARM has been a recipient of such programs.
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