The 54th high-level meeting of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) took place in Paris on March 20, bringing together representatives from over 50 countries and around 15 international organizations. Azerbaijan was represented by the Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA), operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event gathered traditional donor countries that are members of the DAC, as well as participant or partner countries, including Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bulgaria, Croatia, South Africa, and India.
This year’s meeting focused on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of international development assistance, strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and mobilizing additional financial resources for sustainable development.
In his speech, AIDA’s Director, Elmeddin Mehdiyev, highlighted Azerbaijan’s achievements and growing experience as a new donor country in international aid activities. He emphasized the significance of the historical results achieved at COP29 for development assistance, noting that expertise related to climate finance could be applied to financing development initiatives.
Mehdiyev also pointed out the strong interest shown in the climate action and official development assistance event co-organized by AIDA and OECD DAC within the framework of COP29. He stressed that similar initiatives aimed at enhancing coordination and establishing new partnerships would positively impact the effectiveness of development assistance.
Speakers at the meeting discussed challenges facing official development assistance due to political changes, geopolitical tensions, and economic difficulties worldwide. They emphasized the importance of prioritizing the needs of recipient countries over foreign policy interests, promoting multilateralism, and attracting innovative financial resources.
During the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation held discussions with the leadership of OECD DAC, the world’s most reputable coordinating and policy-setting institution for international development assistance, to explore opportunities for enhancing mutual cooperation.
