Resource Corner
By Nils-Sjard Schulz, Associated Researcher, FRIDE - Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior
http://www.fride.org
The author introduces this FRIDE Comment on EU division of labour as follows:
"Division of labour is a pending task of international aid. Since February 2007 European donors have a Code of Conduct that spans perspectives, but also exposes the weaknesses of the current system.
The debate on the division of labour among development assistance donors has intensified recently with the European Commission’s proposal of a Code of Conduct. However, there are still serious doubts about its capacity to bring about the desired effects, especially with regards to improving aid effectiveness. One of the main obstacles is a naïve and un-strategic view of division of labour, which does not take into account donor self-interest, or the power relationship between donor and partner countries, nor the influence of political aspects on development cooperation. It is clear that the international aid system must have a more self-critical approach towards division of labour, in order to avoid degenerating into a re-edition of colonial partition of poor countries among European donors."