Sweden best at development assistance

Two independent organisations have once again ranked Sweden at the absolute top among countries providing development assistance in the world.

"I am pleased that Sweden is regarded as a leading donor in the world. This is particularly true since attention has been drawn to our focus on results, "says Gunilla Carlsson. The US organisation, the Center for Global Development (CDG), yesterday presented its annual index of how 22 of the world's richest countries are using their policies to promote global development. Factors included in the evaluation are development assistance adn trade, as well as environmental and migration issues. Sweden ranks as the best nation with regard to both quality and quantity in development assistance efforts. Sweden also receives recognition for its extensive refugee reception and its initiatives for research and development. In overall terms, Sweden is second to the Netherlands, followed by Norway and Denmark in third and fourth place in the CDG report. The Spanish organisation, Development Assistance research Associates (DARA), also recently presented a report ranking humanitarian assistance donors. Here too 22, donor countries and the European Commission are ranked. This year, like last year, Sweden ranks top in the DARA list. This placing is encouraging, since Sweden is a major humanitarian donor and proactive in policy development in the field of humanitarian assistance. "While we can appreciate this recognition, it is the total commitment of the world that is crucial. Sweden is not only proactive in development efforts, it is also proactive in getting other donors to increase their commitments," says Ms Carlsson. Sweden is actively committed to persuading other countries to increase their contributions, particularly among EU countries. This occurred most recently during the UN Conference on Financing for Development in Doha and the EU meeting of development assistance ministers in Brussels at the beginning of November. A Swedish initiative at the Brussels meeting established that there would be a review in which the EU countries will state, by 2010, how they plan to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty by 2015.

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