Iceland´s Development Cooperation at a Turning Point

The time for assessment and re-evaluation of Iceland’s development cooperation is upon us according to Sigurbjörg Sigurgeirsdóttir, administration consultant. Her exposition and recommendations to the Minister for Foreign Affairs have been published regarding the organisation of Iceland’s development cooperation within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Sigurbjörg recommends, among other things, that a third sector will be established within the Ministry, a development cooperation sector. She also suggests that the role of ICEIDA as a specialised agency should be enhanced and that ICEIDA should operate as a special institution which belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the exposition’s prologue, Sigurbjörg points out that Iceland’s development cooperation has become one the pillars of the Icelandic foreign policy, the contribution to development cooperation is over a third of the expenditures of the diplomatic service and the largest single item of expenditure. Furthermore, the policy has been put in place that Iceland becomes among the countries that contribute the most to development compared to gross domestic product.

As is known a bill has been put forth at the Parliament regarding Iceland’s international development cooperation. “With new laws concerning development cooperation, all those connected to Icelandic development cooperation will face new opportunities but also new challenges. With new laws, new opportunities will be created to apply new and diverse approaches concerning the implementation of the development cooperation than so far has been possible and thereupon will Iceland’s contribution be better adjusted to the goals and methods of the international community,” is stated in the exposition.