Development Finance International
December 2012 - Is EU and European Aid Improving?
The UK Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI) released a report analysing the coordination and management of the EU’s development spending and focuses on the impact of EU aid in low-income countries through case studies. While the report assesses that many improvements are being made, it highlights concerns over delivery and weaknesses in terms of performance. A Eurodad AidWatch Special Report concludes that much remains to be done to implement aid effectiveness commitments by EU donors, one year on from Busan.
10-17 December - Financing Strategy Workshop in Haiti
As part of the Debt Management Capacity Building Program managed by CEMLA and financed by CIDA, a joint CEMLA/DRI mission went to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to hold a first national Financing Strategy workshop. This event enabled participants from the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Haiti and the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation to draft their own debt strategy document structured around 4 main points: how to mobilize financing for development, how to maintain debt sustainability, conducting a cost/risk analysis and reducing long term dependence on external financing. The document is currently being finalised and will be submitted to the Haitian authorities for approval, in time for their 2013-2014 budget.
13-14 December - Vienna Policy Dialogue on Development Cooperation and Gender Equality
Organized by UNDESA, in partnership with UN Women and the Government of Austria, this brought together senior experts from national and local governments, civil society organizations, parliaments, women’s organizations and the private sector with representatives of international organizations to develop concrete policy recommendations to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women in response to the profound shifts in international development cooperation. The meeting emphasised that gender equality must be at the heart of future development cooperation efforts and discussed proposals for indicators to measure that this is happening.
December 2012 - LIC Debt Sustainability Analysis Reports
DSA results are available on the IMF site from May to September 2012. The results for Zambia, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Samoa, CAR, Mauritania, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Cameroon, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, Malawi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Guinea are similar to those of the previous DSA. Lao People’s Democratic Republic has improved and Samoa has worsened its status.
25 Nov - 12 Dec - Reform Plan mission to Tonga
A joint World Bank/DRI mission visited Nuku’Alofa, Kingdom of Tonga. The objective of the mission was to prepare a reform plan for debt management, and the recommendations were structured around four key areas: Medium Term Debt Strategy, Operational Risks, Coordination and Staff Capacity. The mission prepared a draft to be submitted to peer reviews and then to the Tongan authorities for their comments. A final report is scheduled to be completed by January 2013.
