In the International Development Co-operation Law of 1998 the objective of international co-operation policy was defined as the eradication of world poverty (Art. 2, section c).

A ‘Spanish Co-operation Master Plan’ (Plan Director de la Cooperación Española – PDCE) is being drawn up for the development of this policy. This is the basic element for a four-year plan which determines the general approach to co-operation and provides basic guidelines, identifying objectives and priorities, and indicating budget resources for the period in question. The current plan is valid for the period 2005–2008.

This plan has been complemented by sectoral strategies and country strategy documents. The following sectoral strategies and priorities have been established:

• to increase social and institutional capacities (democratic government, public participation);
• to increase human capacities (Coverage of basic social needs);
• to increase economic capacities (Promotion of the economic and business fabric);
• to increase the capacity for improving environmental conservation;
• to increase cultural freedom and capacities;
• to increase the capacities and autonomy of women; and
• prevention of conflicts, and peacemaking.

In 2005, work on a sectoral gender strategy was started, based on principles of equality and non-discrimination within the gender and development approach for geographical zones and countries.

Country strategy documents allow the objectives, guidelines and principles contained in the plan to be developed at geographical level. They serve to increase the co-ordination and complementarity of Spanish co-operation measures and make it possible to improve aid allocation by achieving greater sectoral and geographical concentration based on a diagnosis specific to the country concerned. In 2005, 22 country strategies were produced.

The State Department for International Co-operation (SECI) produces an annual document entitled ‘Keeping to the Agreement’ (Seguimiento PACI) detailing the various interventions carried out as a result of Spanish co-operation in any particular year. This document makes it possible to access and check information about aspects of Spanish Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The decentralised nature of the Spanish government model is reflected in Spanish ODA. Besides the central state government, the 17 autonomous communities which exist in Spain have their own government, parliament, resources and infrastructures for development co-operation. Hence, in 2005, 14 ministries, 17 autonomous governments and numerous local bodies, as well as universities and other public institutions, were involved in development co-operation. This complex situation requires special co-ordination and collaboration among different public agents at national, community and local level.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation is responsible for deciding international development co-operation policy and co-ordinating agencies of the state government. This ministry manages a large proportion of ODA, and the following units are assigned to the ministry:

• The State Department for International Co-operation (SECI) (see Appendix 1)
• The  Spanish Agency for International Co-operation (AECI) (see Appendix 2)

Other ministries involved in development co-operation include the Ministry of Economy and Treasury; the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, which manages the Development Aid Fund via the General Sub-department for Financial Promotion; the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs; and the Department of Employment and Social Affairs, with which, among other organisations, the Institute of Women’s Affairs co-operates in the area of development.

The autonomous communities constitute important funding agents for international co-operation, as they support other agents’ programmes and projects, largely those of non-government organisations (NGOs). The autonomous communities are responsible for sectors related to improving the human, social and institutional capabilities of countries receiving ODA, education, health, the protection of vulnerable communities, proper housing, water, the environment, gender equality, etc. Also, Local entities, such as town, city and county councils, and development co-operation funds are also involved in development co-operation. Given their number and widespread distribution, there is no centralised information and only partial estimates of their contributions.

Spain’s ODA for 2005 was € 2.428 billion, an increase of € 443.4 million from 2004. Donations account for 95.9% of this amount, and loans for 4.1%. Thus, Spain is the tenth largest ODA contributor among OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members. However, ODA as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) was 0.27%, which puts Spain below the DAC average of 0.33%. Spanish ODA in 2005 was distributed by the different entities as follows:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation € 499 million; 
• Other ministries (a total of 14): € 1.544 billion
• Autonomous communities: € 266 million, €, with Catalonia, Andalusia, The Basque Country and Navarre contributing the most resources to development co-operation and allocating 16.4% of their contributions to Least Developed Countries and 28.9% to basic social services;
• Local entities: € 119 million, €with the most prominent contributors being the city councils of Madrid, Barcelona and Seville.

From a sectoral perspective, Spanish aid in 2005 fulfilled its ‘20/20 Commitment’ – adopted at the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995 – by contributing € 196.2 million (21.29% of contributions distributed sectorally) for the provision of basic social services in developing countries, with most attention being paid to health services. 

In 2005, Spain’s bilateral ODA amounted to € 1.617 billion. In addition to the sectoral strategies and priorities that have been established (see above), the following horizontal priorities must also be present in all activities carried out:

• The fight against poverty
• The defence of human rights
• Gender equality
• Environmental conservation
• Respect towards cultural diversity

The education sector received the most ODA in 2005, 19.1% of distributable contributions, followed by the health sector, which received 10.3%.

Geographical priorities are represented in three categories: prioritised countries; countries requiring special attention; and preferential countries, which are situated in the following areas: 

• Prioritised countries: Algeria, Angola, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Western Sahara
• Countries requiring special attention: Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, East Timor, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria
• Preferential countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Jordan, Mexico, Panama, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Latin America is the principal geographical destination for general ODA. In Latin America the main recipient countries are those defined as priorities in the PDCE: Honduras, Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua and Ecuador. Another prioritised geographical area is the Mediterranean, which includes the North of Africa and the Middle East. For the AECI, Latin America, where it concentrates 41.4% of its resources, continues to be the principal geographical area. Also, aid to sub-Saharan Africa has increased. 28.9% of its contributions are made to Least Developed Countries.

Multilateral ODA totalled € 929.6 million in 2005, 68% of which was allocated to European Union (EU) contributions. The World Bank Group was the international funding institution which received most funds from contributions.  In 2005, most multilateral AECI aid went to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) (aid assigned to the UNFPA Fiduciary Area Fund related to reproductive health protection instruments, achieving recognition of the rights of young people by increasing opportunities for them to participate, and access to information and services in Afghanistan), FAO, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), OPS (South American Health Organisation) and UNICEF.Contributions to non-financial international organisations totalled approximately € 53 million.

 

Objectives 4, 5 and 6 of the Millennium Development Goals correspond to the Spanish co-operation health strategy, which has been awarded € 94 million, approximately half of which has been specifically assigned to these objectives.
40.6% of bilateral co-operation investment in health was channelled through and managed by NGOs. Multilateral Spanish co-operation supports the health programme in Latin America which includes the OPS and the UNFPA fund for reproductive health.
On the other hand, the greatest AECI contribution in collaboration with NGOs goes to the VITA ‘Health for Africa’ programme, as well as other programmes aimed at combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other prevalent diseases. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation contributes multilateral aid to the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
It is important to note that contributions to population and reproductive health doubled to over € 23 million and represented 2.6% of distributable contributions. The ‘Women and Development’ sector received 2.8% of distributable contributions.

Spain channels most of its resources through NGOs. In total in 2005, its various government bodies contributed a total of € 301 million to the promotion of projects co-funded by NGOs. This tendency is particularly strong in the case of ODA from the autonomous communities, local entities and the Department of Employment and Social Affairs. Also, 38.3% of the AECI’s expenditure was made through NGOs.

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Ley de cooperación internacional para el desarrollo (International Development Cooperation Law), 23/98 dated 7 July 1998.

“Plan director de la cooperación española 2005-2008” (Master Plan). Enero 2005. Secretaría de Estado de cooperación Internacional. Subdirección General de Planificación y evaluación de políticas de desarrollo. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación. Subdirección General de Planificación y evaluación de políticas de desarrollo. 

“Seguimiento del PACI 2005” Secretaría de Estado de Cooperación Internacional. Dirección General de Planificación y Evaluación de Políticas para el Desarrollo. Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación

Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (AECI)

Programa de cooperación al desarrollo en salud para Africa. VITA

Coordinadora de ONG para el Desarrollo. España