European Commission: Aid needs quality leadership

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign aid must be backed by quality leadership and governance, according to the European Commission (EC).

“Sustainable development has to be led by quality leadership and governance within individual countries,” Koos Richelle, director general of the EC’s EuropeAid Cooperation Office said. “Donors must respect countries’ own policies and cooperate with the policy makers to maximize impact. In this way, donorland avoids becoming Disneyland.”

Speaking at the opening of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) conference at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati yesterday, Richelle said the development conference jointly hosted by the Philippines and the EC is the kind of exchange between Asia and Europe that will promote better understanding and deepen cooperation even in this time of economic crisis.

“Development cooperation is just one element and should be based on respect for that ownership – donorland is not Disneyland,” he said.

“Donors are willing to put more money on the table. The EU (European Union) remains committed to its target of providing aid equal to 0.70 percent of Gross National Income by 2015. But more money means that parliaments and taxpayers in general have become more and more interested in seeing tangible results.

“That is why the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals is such an important part of our cooperation.”

Representatives of the 45 members of ASEM – 43 countries and the European Commission and the ASEAN Secretariat – are meeting in Manila until today to seek ways in which Europe and Asia can cooperate in securing economic development that is sustainable in a period of global recession.