Spanish Official Development Assistance grew 12% in 2024, reaching €4 billion

The Diplomat Spanish Official Development Assistance (ODA) grew 12% in 2024, exceeding €4 billion (€430 million more), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a press release this Friday. Spain thus ranks twelfth in terms of ODA volume within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to progress data for the previous year, announced on April 16 by the organization's Development Assistance Committee (DAC). ODA from DAC member countries stood at US$212 billion in 2024, a 7.1% decrease compared to 2023, marking the first decline after five consecutive years of growth. The volume of ODA managed by the General State Administration increased by 14%, exceeding €3.6 billion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation consolidated its position as the second-largest manager of ODA funds, with 21% of the total, behind only the Ministry of Finance as the entity responsible for channeling Spain's contribution to the European Union budget. The ODA volume of the budget of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), under the State Secretariat for International Cooperation, has increased by almost €20 million in 2024, exceeding €592 million, the highest figure since 2011. Since 2021, the volume of ODA managed by AECID has more than doubled, from €275 million to €592 million, representing 9% to 15% of total Spanish ODA. Furthermore, strategic contributions to multilateral development organizations by the State Secretariat for International Cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda experienced a considerable increase, reflecting the commitment made by the Government at the highest levels in international summits and forums and channeling support for the multilateral system as a priority for Spain's development cooperation policy. Thus, the contribution to the regular budget of UN Women tripled in 2024 compared to the previous year, while in the case of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) it increased fivefold, and in the case of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) it increased sixfold. This also reflects the commitment of Spanish Cooperation to gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights, and children's rights. Estimates indicate that, once again, decentralized cooperation would amount to around 10% of total ODA. Regarding the autonomous communities, Catalonia and the Basque Country have consolidated their position as those contributing the most ODA to Spanish Cooperation as a whole, with the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, the Basque Country, and Navarre being the regions that will increase their contributions the most in 2024. Data provided by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) point to an increase in aid flows from local governments.

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