Comparative Analysis

This book provides an overview of the way the European Union and eighteen selected countries from different continents around the world have handled their contributions to foreign development aid. Countries selected include members as well as nonmembers of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) including countries with established and emerging economies. The collection is composed of individual country and European Union studies prepared by the research staff of the Global Legal Research Center of the Law Library of Congress during 2011 and early 2012. Each book provides information that was available at the time of its completion. Appendix A includes GIS maps that depict various aspects of the survey;1 Appendix B, a compilation of official development assistance (ODA) data in table format, reflects percentage change in ODA between 2003 and 2010. Although the United States was not surveyed, some US data is reflected in the maps for comparison purposes only. The book provide historical and background information on international cooperation agreements regarding ODA and statistical data regarding both ODA and private contribution figures. The books further highlight priorities utilized by donor countries in selecting recipients and in determining the types of development assistance they provide. The book includes information on foreign agencies that are responsible for ODA planning and implementation, and discuss foreign countries' appropriations processes for allocation of their ODA budgets. The books list restrictions imposed under foreign countries' laws on the provision of ODA as well as on private contributions. In addition to ODA and private donations, the books discuss the contributions of foreign countries to development assistance by additional means, for example by providing scholarships to foreign students, instituting guest worker programs, facilitating remittances, and providing emergency aid. Foreign countries' experience may be relevant to the current discussion regarding foreign aid development appropriations in the United States.2 The recent global economic downturn seems to have reignited a debate in the United States and other countries over the role, extent, and impact of foreign aid on foreign policy.3 Facing budgetary cuts in domestic programs, as well as other austerity measures to revamp the economy, some have called for a reevaluation of donor countries' undertakings to provide international assistance and in particular for a reevaluation of the aid's effectiveness.