Finland’s development policy praised by the OECD
Finland has made good progress in specifying its development policy, states the OECD’s fresh Mid-Term Review. According to the organisation, Finland shows that even a small country can have a big role in development policy.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, praised Finland for sharpening the focus of its development policy. Finland has made progress especially in consideration for human rights and has developed the coherence of policy areas in order to improve development results.
“Finland has made good progress towards meeting all of the peer review recommendations, examples being cooperation with civil society organisations and the private sector, and the exertion of influence in UN agencies and financing institutions. Finland has intensified the implementation of its development policy programme and has clarified its key objectives,” the Mid-Term Review states.
The OECD considers it noteworthy that Finland as a small country has had an internationally leading role in the reform of financing for development, in defending fragile states and in improving cooperation between various policy areas.
The review encourages Finland to continue its efforts to sharpen the focus of its development cooperation, especially as the funds available for development cooperation decline. The OECD also calls for continuity and coherence between different policy areas in the development policy programme of the future Government.
The Mid-Term Review is part of the OECD’s periodic assessment activities. It followed how Finland has carried out the recommendations made by the 2012 Peer Review.
The Mid-Term Review was based on Finland’s reports concerning the implementation of these recommendations, on policies steering development policy and on the visit made by a review team in September. During the visit, the OECD’s representatives met with public servants and with representatives of various organisations and the Development Policy Committee.
Read elsewhere on the Internet: