Development Co-Operation Report: 2010

by OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Development Co-operation Report , issued by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), is the key annual reference for statistics and analysis on the latest trends in international aid. With only five years left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), much remains to be done. The task has become even more challenging given the economic, food and climate change crises of recent years. This report describes how the DAC has responded swiftly, putting the development dimension of these crises firmly on the political agenda and keeping the development community focused on providing more aid, and delivering it more effectively. In times of economic uncertainty, it is particularly important for aid to provide value for money, and to ensure that it is not misused. The development community has responded by sharpening its focus on corruption; targeting and communicating clear development impacts; working increasingly through developing countries' own systems to build capacity; and intensifying efforts in the poorest 30% of developing countries - a critical step toward achieving the MDGs. The report also describes how the DAC member countries intend to make their aid truly effective in the decades to come, by ensuring that climate change is addressed in each of their policy choices and by developing a broader, more inclusive approach. This report is also published on line to improve the accessibility of key OECD DAC work and to respond to the needs of the aid community by giving prompt and easy access to its analyses and statistics.

277 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seeking answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.

In 1948, the OECD originated as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), led by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan (which was rejected by the Soviet Union and its satellite states). This would be achieved by allocating American financial aid and implementing economic programs for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. (Similar reconstruction aid was sent to the war-torn Republic of China and post-war Korea, but not under the name "Marshall Plan".)

In 1961, the OEEC was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and membership was extended to non-European states. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.

The OECD's headquarters are at the Château de la Muette in Paris, France. The OECD is funded by contributions from member states at varying rates.