Reflections on Danida’s demise

In May of 1991, the independent Danish aid agency DANIDA ceased to exist. Instead, the Danish Foreign Ministry took over responsibility for Danish development assistance, reducing “Danida" to a name on a letter head.

DT 20/92 examined the implications of the merge. To deal with the new tasks, the Ministry hired 66 more people, many of whom were generalists without experience from developing countries.

Critics worried about conflicting interests because Ministry staff had to take into account not only the best interests of recipients, but also those of Danish export companies and political perspectives.

On the positive side, Danish relations were seen to be more coherent. But Ambassador Henrik Wøhlk, head of the South Group, commented that the merge allowed the Ministry to act from a more “hollistic point of view".

December 20, 2007

© Copyright 2007 Development Today AS

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Nordic exports drop in African aid market

DT 3/92 reported on the dramatic decline in Norwegian exports to African aid markets.

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Decline was expected, but few anticipated that it would be so drastic.

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No Norad contract for ABB in Tibet

A Norwegian subsidiary of ABB, Elektrisk Bureau, came under fire for its application to Norad for a mixed credit for deliveries to the Yang Zhou Yong hydropower plant in Tibet. (See DT 14/92)

In a re-shuffle of the government of Gro Harlem Brundtland, Greta Faremo was promoted from Norwegian Development Minister - widely viewed as a low-status post - to Minister of Justice, DT 16/92 reported.

Four major Finnish NGOs - Red Cross, Service Centre for Development Cooperation, Finnish Committee for Unicef and Finnchurchaid - criticised the cuts proposed in the budget proposal for 1993, and launched a campaign to bring Finnish aid back up to the level of 0.7 per cent of GNI by 1996. (See DT 17/02)

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As part of an agreement supported by seven of the eight parties in Parliament, Denmark’s aid is scheduled to reach 1.5 per cent of GNP before the year 2000, DT 22/02 reports. This is part of Denmark’s response to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro six months earlier.

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DT 2/93 reports that the new Social Democrat coalition government in Denmark strengthens the aid portfolio by reinstating Danida as an automous agency.

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In January 1993, Development Today reported that Japan and Sweden decided to collaborate more closely in international aid.