Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has released a new set of guidelines on the role of civil society in development cooperation, broadening the range of organisations eligible for funds.

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Bowing to Swedish pressure, IFAD chief gives up ‘luxury’ mansion

The President of IFAD, who has reportedly had an annual housing budget of EUR 400,000, has been forced to vacate his mansion in Rome by January 2011. Outraged by the exorbitant living expenses of the head of the UN’s agricultural fund, Sweden and other donors have put their foot down.

Nordic donors deny that there is “systematic” political misuse of aid in Ethiopia, as claimed by Human Rights Watch in a recent report. They say there is no need for independent scrutiny of bilateral aid. But they have asked the World Bank to review its largest programme in Ethiopia.

The Amaila Falls hydropower project, which Guyana plans to build with Norwegian climate aid financing, is the first stage in a much larger scheme which would flood Amerindian lands and destroy large areas of rainforest, according to a report prepared for Survival International.

A Mekong River Commission study calls for a ten-year moratorium on Mekong mainstream hydropower development, citing fears that dams will destroy fisheries and impact on the food security of millions. Nordic donors, which provide half the commission's funding, are “greatly concerned”.

The Inter-American Development Bank will review the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the Amaila Falls project in Guyana, currently being updated by Synergy Holdings.