Development and Cooperation


	Contributions from the Column Monitor Information technology – little leapfrogging potential World Summit on the Information Society Electronic waste – digital divide becomes digital dump US food aid remains unreformed NGO report on German development aid German President launches “Partnership with Africa” New German government agrees on development policy Kortmann becomes Parliamentary Secretary ACP countries criticise EU Partnership Agreements Africa looses out in apparel competition Reforming EU’s sugar regulations 12/2005		New German government agrees on development policy The section on development policy in the coalition agreement, which serves as the basis for Germany’s new government composed of Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD), begins with the same sentence as the one did in the agreement of the previous red-green government: “Development policy is an independent part of our joint German foreign policy.” Nonetheless, the agreement does set a few new directions. With stronger words than its predecessor three years ago, it emphasises the security dimension of development issues, highlights the necessity to increase efficiency and calls for a better division of tasks between bilateral and multilateral donors. Issues of international justice and global structures are not paid quite as much attention. Otherwise, the agreement of the new government retains a number of the key areas from the previous agreement, including the promotion of renewable energy sources, protection of bio-diversity and reform of trade rules in a development-friendly way. In the medium term, the number of Germany’s partner countries for development cooperation should be reduced to 60. The coalition agreement approves of the EU timeframe of achieving the target of spending 0.7 % of GDP on official development assistance by 2015. (ell)