Eduardo González
This past Tuesday, the Council of Ministers authorized several voluntary contributions from Spain to international organizations, programs and funds and other international entities for a total amount of 9,320,000 euros.
In execution of the mandate entrusted to it, and within its budgetary availability, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has been regularly making voluntary contributions to various international organizations, programs and funds and other international entities.
The main beneficiary of these voluntary contributions, with 1.8 million euros, is the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Just two weeks ago, the last Council of Ministers prior to the inauguration of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, authorized another voluntary contribution to the UNDP of 2.8 million euros. Additionally, on September 5, the Council of Ministers authorized another voluntary contribution of 10,795,000 euros to this same UN program.
According to the Government, the UNDP’s objectives in favor of development in the world are aligned with Spain’s foreign policy objectives, included in the Foreign Action Strategy 2021-2024. Spain is a member of the UNDP Executive Board. The first Framework Agreement for collaboration between our country and this organization was signed in 2005 and was followed by three successive Strategic Partnership Frameworks (MAE), in 2009, 2015 and 2019. The last MAE expired in 2021 and both parties wish to start negotiations of a new agreement that regulates Spain-UNDP relations, taking into account the new UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and the new Spanish Cooperation Law.
Next on the list of voluntary contributions, with 1.5 million euros, is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), one of the largest beneficiaries of this type of contributions, with more than ten million in the current year. 2023) and the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Separately, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Program (WFP) will receive one million euros each.
The rest of the voluntary contributions correspond to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with 750,000 euros; to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with 500,000 euros each; the Organization of American States (OAS), with 400,000 euros; to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with 300,000 euros! to the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), with 50,000 euros; and to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which closes the list with 20,000 euros.
On the other hand, and at the proposal of the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business, the Council of Ministers authorized two contributions from Spain in 2023 to the Fund for Least Developed Countries, for an amount of ten million euros, and to the Special Fund for Climate Change , for an amount of two million euros.
