Development and Cooperation


	Contributions from the Column Facts and trends AIDS: auditors criticise Bush administration WTO disapproves of EU sugar subsidies Demobilisation in Afghanistan a success Additional funds for German civil peace service Kemal Dervis next head of UNDP New World Bank data on governance Monetary fund for Asia under preparation New leaders for WTO and UNCTAD Canada concentrates development aid The failure of Plan Colombia 06/2005		Canada concentrates development aid Canada wants to concentrate its development aid on 25 selected partner countries in future. In the year 2010, this group will receive two thirds of the bilateral aid, which corresponds to around 40 percent of Canada’s total development aid. The remaining bilateral funds will flow predominantly into post-conflict countries. Most of the 25 partner countries are African. Selection criteria included a per capita income of less than 1,000 US dollars per annum, a World Bank testimonial on the effective use of funds, and the history of the relationships with Canada in development terms. 130 countries currently receive development aid from Canada. The government in Ottawa announced that projects in countries which will not receive any more aid in future would not be abruptly ended, but systematically phased out. In terms of content, Canada wants to concentrate its aid on the fields of governance, health, primary education, private sector support and environmental protection. At a presentation of a new strategy for foreign policy in mid-April, Prime Minister Paul Martin once again declined to commit Canada to a timetable to achieve the 0.7 percent target. (ell)