Informal Meeting of EU Development Ministers

Date: 29.1.2009 — 30.1.2009
Venue: Prague - Czech Republic
Category: Informal Ministerial Meetings
Theme: General Affairs and External Relations

On 29 – 30 January the Informal Meeting of EU Development Ministers was held under the auspices of the Czech Presidency in the Prague Congress Centre. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kohout was appointed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg to chair the meeting.

Among the main topics of the meeting were:

Access to local sustainable sources of energy. Access to energy sources is the main prerequisite for initiation of economic activities and decrease of poverty in developing countries. Decentralised energy sources, such as, for instance, solar energy, wind energy or biomass, can be useful, particularly in geographically remote areas. Spreading these technologies also contributes to sustainable development and environment protection. The ministers will therefore discuss ways in which the European Union might further support access to local sustainable sources of energy within the framework of the existing initiatives.

Support of democratic governance. More effective aid is not the only way to decrease poverty and support development. The primary responsibility for the fate of the developing countries falls on the countries themselves; therefore, the support of quality democratic governance is important. Among its principles are respect for democracy and human rights, effective administration and the rule of law as well as the role of civic society and parliaments. The ministers will evaluate the current initiatives of the European Union for support of democratic governance within the framework of the development cooperation and they will discuss the possibilities of strengthening it.

Financial crisis consequences for developing countries. Although the financial crisis has not had significant consequences for the developing countries yet, the consequences for the real economy will be considerable, whether due to lower trade or a decreased influx of private investments. Therefore it is all the more important that the European Union and other developed countries fulfil their obligations in the area of development aid, from the perspective of quantity as well as quality (effectiveness of aid). During the ongoing debates on the reform of the international financial architecture, the ministers will also evaluate possibilities of taking into consideration developmental aspects, including more influence for the developing countries themselves.