The European Union and UNDP

Why partner with the European Commission?

The European Union, i.e. the European Commission together with the EU member states, accounts for more than half of the world’s Overseas Development Aid. Europe has in many ways led the way within the donor community for recent commitments to increased ODA, expected to reach 0.7% of GNI by 2015. The European Commission as such is an increasingly important actor, often leader, in development policy on aid effectiveness, the relationship between security and development, transition to recovery of conflict countries, and good governance amongst others. The Commission plays an increasing role in direct budget support in-country.

The Commission also increasingly looks to facilitate member state actions in the field of development. Agreement in the EU in March 2005 on the “European Consensus on Development” represented a breakthrough as a joint member state-Commission policy in this field. The Consensus reflects convergence in EU-UN policy, around:

• the overarching objective of poverty eradication, including pursuit of the MDGs
• interpretation of sustainable development as including good governance and human rights in its political, economic, social and environmental aspects;
• prioritization of the least developed and other low income countries.

As important are the shared values that underline the Consensus and UN action, including:

• respect for fundamental freedoms, good governance and gender equality;
• national ownership, whereby the primary responsibility for development strategies and programmes lies with the developing countries;
• broad participation of all sectors of society in development;
• the need to demonstrate results, as far as possible using partner countries’ systems and procedures.

Africa is a major priority, as emphasized by the European Commission’s Strategy for Africa