The Diplomat
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) will have a total spending budget of almost 700 million euros in 2023, which represents the largest amount since 2011, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
According to the Draft General State Budget for 2023, the Ministry has doubled in two years the budget allocated to the AECID, which will be 574.63 million euros, an increase of 196.25 million compared to 2022. Apart from that, the total spending budget of the AECID -which includes the delegated cooperation of the European Union- amounts to 698.23 million euros, which represents an increase of 42.15% with respect to the 2022 General State Budget and the highest figure since 2011.
Likewise, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) of the General State Administration (AGE) rises from 0.28% to 0.34% of the Gross National Income. Specifically, the General State Budget for 2023 increases this item to 4,419.15 million euros, an increase of 143.7% compared to 2015, the year in which the lowest amount for ODA was recorded in a General State Budget. In 2017, the percentage was 0.19%. The draft Law on Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity, currently in the parliamentary process, foresees reaching 0.7% in 2030.
Strategic Contributions to Multilateral Development Organizations by the State Secretariat for International Cooperation (SECI) to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda amount to 50.74 million euros. Apart from this, SECI’s allocation is completed by the Water and Sanitation Cooperation Fund (FCAS), with 25 million euros, and the Fund for the Promotion of Development (FONPRODE) with 219.23 million euros.
“International cooperation for sustainable development is a priority of the Government of Spain,” Foreign Affairs assured. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, with its collateral effects on energy prices, financing and, above all, food security are having an unprecedented impact on people, communities and countries in situations of greater poverty, exclusion and vulnerability, jeopardizing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a global scale and threatening to set back years of progress in human development and in reducing poverty and hunger,” it continued.
Therefore, “this budget will serve to support developing countries in their efforts to fight poverty in all its dimensions, and for the reduction of inequalities, gender equality and ecological, social and digital transition both bilaterally and for the strengthening of multilateralism,” the Ministry continued. “It will also serve to reinforce and support cooperation priorities during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2023,” it concluded.
