Choosing to avoid a messy and possibly even more expensive ordeal, the Danish Red Cross decided on December 6 to opt for a DKK 750,000 pension package for its former Secretary General Jørgen Poulsen who was forced to step down last month.

Development Today is a subscription-based journal published with 20 issues a year. To subscribe click here.

If you are already a subscriber to Development Today please log in.

Would you like to know more about Development Today? Click here.

Print this article

News

Støre pushes budget support for Palestinians

Ahead of the Paris Donor Conference on December 17, Norway is urging donors to provide budget support and channel their assistance through the Palestinian Authorities.

Finland, the first donor to provide funding to the Mekong River Commission’s Hydropower Programme, advocates a realistic approach to regional river politics.

Iceland is reforming the way it administers its aid policy, as part of a wider plan to become a more prominent aid donor in relative terms.

In a statement to the Icelandic Parliament, the Althing, last month, Foreign Minister Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir outlined some of the planned changes in Icelandic development assistance.

The Swedish government is preparing to launch a new policy on aid and terrorism prevention. According to the draft text of the policy obtained by Development Today, Sweden’s approach will be nuanced and sober. It makes no links to geographical areas, and emphasises that fighting terrorism should not be a goal of development aid in and of itself.

After almost three decades of support to the Mekong River Commission, Sweden has signalled that its patience is running thin and future funding is at risk.

Nordics losing ground in World Bank

The Nordic donor block’s share of World Bank funding over the next three years will drop. But a sharp rise in Finnish funds will soften the fall, Development Today has learned ahead of the final negotiations for IDA 15 in Berlin, December 13-14.

The authority of the new World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick is at stake as donors meet in Berlin to finalise negotiations about the next three years of funding for the International Development Association (IDA).