Friends of Europe | International Development

Recent event

Democracy 3.0: Re-casting media development in response to a changing environment
The panel discussed the role that new media, particularly social media, has played in the revolutions of the Arab Spring and in fomenting democratic participation throughout the developing world. “To borrow a technical term, we are witnessing a reboot of our societies,” offered panellist Amadou Mahtar Ba, Chief Executive of the African Media Initiative (AMI). “Social media has been the key to a new democratic process.” Photos and report

The private sector and development cooperation

Ahead of the Busan Aid Effectiveness conference in South Korea on 29 November - 1 December, Friends of Europe with the Development Policy Forum (DPF) organised a roundtable debate entitled "Policies for promoting the private sector's role in development" and prepared the below report of the discussions.

Report

Recent global social and economic shocks have demonstrated that it can “no longer be business as usual” in the development world. Aid budgets are being cut or are drying up, with developing countries facing a shortfall of funds. This is coupled with the realisation that decades of development aid have not lifted countries out of poverty and that while still crucial in the combat against poverty, official development assistance (ODA) alone will not solve world challenges. All eyes are therefore on the private sector as a new engine for economic growth and opportunities.

Download the full report here: EN FR

Policy Briefing Viewpoints

Taking the Strain Off Over-Burdened Budgets
Erik Lundsgaarde, Senior Researcher at the German Development Institute (DIE), touches on the advantages and disadvantages of the financial independence of private foundations.

Private Actors: An Opportunity and a Challenge for Official Donors
Private donors' political and economic independence allows for innovation and investment in risky environments, argues Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, State Secretary at the BMZ, Germany.

Engaging the Diaspora as Development Actors
Empowering diaspora groups whilst strengthening their cooperation will allow for more efficient development projects and higher success rates, argues Lukas Gehrke, Director for the Southern Dimension at the ICMPD.

All viewpoints

Europe's World

	Long-term ways China should underpin its aid to Africa by René N’Guettia Kouassi China needs to make sure that its economic co-operation brings lasting benefits to Africa’s people in the form of development and better governance. Otherwise the relationship is in danger of souring, warns René N’Guettia Kouassi.

	Cash-strapped Europe should still do more to tackle global poverty by Fan Shenggen The EU is beset by problems at home and abroad, but that doesn’t mean it can’t do much more to alleviate the hunger that is the constant scourge of one billion people. Shenggen Fan sets out a checklist of actions that Europe’s aid donors have yet to take.

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News

ADB says South Asia not meeting key MDG targets
South Asian nations are making the least progress in the Asia-Pacific region on meeting the Millennium Development Goals they pledged to achieve by 2015, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Save the Children warn about the global malnutrition crisis
Almost half a billion children are at risk of permanent physical and mental growth damage over the next 15 years due to malnutrition, Save the Children warn in their latest report entitled “A Life Free from Hunger: Tackling Child Malnutrition”.

All News

Policy Briefing Case Studies

Powering Wind Mills in China

Providing Microinsurance in Emerging Economies

Preventing Human Trafficking

All case studies

Publications

Policies for promoting the private sector's role in development

Africa: Building on growth

Europe's development policy comes of age

What can the world expect of the new EU-U.S. development cooperation?

All publications

About International Development

Europe is the world's largest aid donor, but there is still little consensus on which aid techniques work best and on how policymakers can better streamline EU-level and national aid efforts into a more coherent whole. Friends of Europe’s Development Policy Forum (DPF) was launched in 2007 to systematically address challenges in the area of development through lively debates and sharply written analyses. The DPF provides a regular platform for the full range of development stakeholders. Read More

DPF Partners

The Development Policy Forum (DPF) is a partnership between Friends of Europe and a number of crucial actors defining and implementing development policies. Partners include: