Warsaw meeting on the role of EU development cooperation and humanitarian aid in the current global context
Director-General Edvin Skrt during the meeting | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve
The Directors-General discussed the perspective of the EU as the largest donor of ODA against the background of a widening gap between available funds and growing global needs. The world is off track to achieve SDGs by 2030, which will have long-term consequences, including for EU interests such as competitiveness, security and migration management. As the EU becomes an even more important donor in relative terms, it has a responsibility and an opportunity to promote global and multilateral solutions in support of sustainable development and the necessary reforms and adjustments to the international architecture, including in the UN system. Special attention was given to the Global Gateway strategy as a means to mobilise additional private sector funds and to strengthen the EU's influence.
Director-General Skrt advocated a continued responsible role for the EU in supporting sustainable development, including for vulnerable groups and fragile states. He also underlined the importance of simplifying the operation of EU instruments for private sector involvement, in particular for SMEs.