The Danish government here presents its priorities for Danish development assistance 2009-2013.

The government calls for increased development assistance in 2009, in accordance with the Government Platform from November 2007. An amount totaling DKK 15.3 billion will be set aside in 2009 to development assistance, equivalent to 0.82 per cent of GNI.

The long-term initiatives are maintained as the core of development cooperation, based on a mutually binding cooperation with the programme countries and the most important multilateral organizations. The aim is to support the efforts of the developing countries to combat poverty, benefit from globalization and achieve a better future. At the same time, the government will organize the assistance to cater for current opportunities and challenges. This includes the rising food prices just as the climate changes to a large extent are a development challenge

The government will continue and consolidate its current development policy line.

The government will strengthen the assistance to Africa further. The increase in Danish development assistance will in particular be to the benefit of Africa, and it is the aim that two thirds of Denmark’s bilateral assistance should be given to the continent. The development assistance is increased to i.a. Afghanistan, gender equality and women’s rights and opportunities, the fight against HIV/AIDS and to refugees and internally displaced persons in regions of origin. The special budgetary allocation reserved for climate change initiatives is doubled to DKK 200 million and also the humanitarian engagement will receive extra funding.

The government will strenghten the strategic role of the multilateral development cooperation and will make a gradual reprioritisation of the multilateral assistance over the next five years.