belgium (~) euforic current issues, food for thought, background information
policy and strategy
In accordance with the law on international cooperation of 1999, governmental cooperation must be focused on fighting poverty and sustainable human development in the sectors of healthcare, education, agriculture and food security, basic infrastructure and the strengthening of social structures. Equal opportunities for women, combating AIDS and the environment are cross-cutting themes which must be taken into account in all assistance programmes.
Since 2003, Belgium is focusing its governmental cooperation on eighteen partner countries, thirteen of which are located in Africa. Ten of these countries belong to the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
A public agency, the Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), of which the Federal STate is the only legal shareholder, was set up in late 1998. The BTC has exclusivity to the execution of inter-governmental cooperation.
In 1999, the Belgian Survival Fund (BSF) was created as a result of an initiative of the Belgian Parliament. In order to improve food security in countries in sub-Saharan Africa that face chronic food shortages, tje BSF exclusively funds long-term programmes that tackle the root of food supply problems.
Since 2001, the Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO) offers risk capital, loans and other investment promotion instruments. They microfinance institutions and SMEs in Africa, Latin America and Asia to stimulate entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, Belgium benefits from a wide network of development actors such as NGO’s or universities and contributes to multilateral development cooperation activities of the EU and the UN agencies.
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