Denmark’s bilateral development assistance is concentrated on 15 programme countries:
More than two thirds of the bilateral assistance went to these countries in 2003. To ensure long-term effectiveness, the Danish assistance is focused on 2-4 sectors in each country.
By targeting the assistance, it becomes possible to support sustainable development in vital sectors in close cooperation with local authorities and other donors. As the main goal of Danish development assistance is poverty reduction, African countries receive the largest share of the bilateral assistance.
The distribution of Danish assistance between the individual countries is continuously evaluated against the background of developments in the cooperation and the will and capacity of partners to implement a sustainable, poverty-oriented development process based on good governance and respect for human rights.
Systematic constant violations of human rights and democratic rules are not accepted. Therefore, development cooperation with Zimbabwe, Malawi and Eritrea has ceased.
Denmark is ready to grant support to countries and regions other than the programme countries, for example through humanitarian, regional or transitional assistance. Bilaterally, special support is given to selected countries to support human rights and democracy plus the environment. Assistance is also given as part of the international fight against terrorism.
In 2003 and in the years to come, Iraq and Afghanistan receive extra transitional assistance as a response to national developments. Transitional assistance to Gaza and the West Bank will be extended to 2007 and targeted to directly benefit the Palestinian population, in particular by means of poverty-oriented activities at a municipal level.
