0.5%: French official development assistance

0.5%: French official development assistance

With 0.5% of her GDP devoted to it in 2007, France will head the G8 countries for official development assistance. It is also a milestone on the road to the 0.7% target in 2012 set by the United Nations. The money allocated by the French government to ODA has almost doubled since 2002.

Spending €9 billion in 2007 (€8.1 billion in 2005), France will also head the European Union for the volume of aid.

Besides this financial effort, France is promoting at international level innovative mechanisms to help development. The contribution on plane tickets, instigated by President Chirac and adopted by 14 countries, will finance the new International Drug Purchase Facility (UNITAID) to fight the pandemics. This will mean France contributing an additional €250 million a year.

Africa is still a priority for French assistance. Moreover, partnership agreements today allow her to target the aid more effectively and bolster good governance./.

Note prepared by the French Embassy in London

Sources: www.diplomatie.fr and the French Cooperation, Development and Francophony Minister’s article in "Le Monde" of 3 October 2006

Last updated: 04.10.2006