Baku, Azerbaijan, March 21. The 54th high-level
meeting of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) took
place in Paris on March 20, 2025, with Azerbaijan represented by
the Azerbaijan International Development Assistance Agency (AIDA),
operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trend reports.
The meeting brought together representatives from over 50
countries and around 15 international organizations, including
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bulgaria, Croatia, South Africa, India, and
traditional DAC donor countries.
The primary focus of the meeting was on enhancing the quality
and effectiveness of international development assistance,
fostering stronger bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and
mobilizing additional financial resources for sustainable
development.
AIDA Chairman Elmaddin Mehdiyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s
emerging role as a new donor country for international aid,
emphasizing the nation’s significant contributions to development.
He also underscored the importance of the historic outcomes at
COP29 in promoting development and the application of climate
finance lessons to development financing.
Mehdiyev expressed optimism about the future of new
partnerships, particularly those focused on climate change and
official development assistance, which were jointly organized by
AIDA and OECD DAC during COP29. He is confident that these
initiatives will enhance the effectiveness of development
assistance.
Other meeting participants noted that official development
assistance is increasingly threatened by geopolitical tensions and
economic challenges. The importance of providing aid based on the
needs of recipient countries rather than the foreign policy
interests of donors was emphasized, alongside the need for
multilateralism and innovative financing sources.
During the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation also held
productive discussions with OECD DAC leadership, exploring
prospects for further strengthening cooperation in the field of
international development assistance.