Decentralized Cooperation

The public entities in Spain generate a large volume of aid every year, however, it is yet to be defined how these development cooperation projects are integrated in Spanish aid provision strategies and the strategies of the recipient countries. Criticisms of the atomisation of decentralised aid have a long history. Nevertheless, some Spanish decentralised development cooperation policies are engaging in the process of verifying their advantages, their specific uses and their fields of action.

Moreover, the autonomous communities are working on a variety of institutional solutions, such as regional funds, development cooperation agencies belonging to each of the autonomous communities, and the assignment of management to professional organisations. What are the institutional configurations and the appropriate actions to use the advantages of decentralised development cooperation?

Background document by FRIDE

The expectations towards the decentralized development cooperation depend upon its ability to overcoming its limitation and to make use of its comparative advantages. Amongst the challenges are the scattering of funds, the heterogeneity of instruments and procedures and the lack of coordination between its actors. On the contrary, these disadvantages contrast with their proximity to the civil society in Spain and – potentially – in recipient countries. The challenge still persist for the Spanish decentralized development cooperation to successfully reconcile this closeness with efficiency.

Paper by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, ACCD

En sus marcos legales, la Generalitat de Catalunya tiene especificado su compromiso con la solidaridad y el desarrollo, así como establecida la promoción de programas de desarrollo. Institucionalmente, tiene la Agencia Catalana de Cooperación al Desarrollo y una serie de órganos consultivos. Dentro de sus especificidades, una de las más importantes es que reconoce por Ley que la intervención pública es un complemento y un impulso de las iniciativas cívicas de solidaridad y cooperación.