The Council of Ministers has received today, from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, two important texts, namely the new Statute of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), which is the cornerstone of the Spanish Cooperation system, and the annual Foreign Action Report for 2023. The report covers the implementation of the Foreign Action Strategy 2021-2024, the actions undertaken, the objectives achieved, and the resources deployed to attain them.
The approval of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation Statute represents a milestone in the Spanish Cooperation reform that began last year with Law 1/2023, which was approved with broad social and political consensus. The cooperation law proposed a wide-ranging and ambitious reform of Spanish cooperation. The regulatory development of the new law began last July with the approval of the Statute for Aid Workers, aimed mainly at improving the working conditions for over 2,700 Spanish aid workers worldwide through an attractive career that rewards their talent and commitment to solidarity.
A further step is being taken today to strengthen the main instrument available to cooperation: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). A thoroughly reformed and renewed agency, capable of channelling the solidarity of Spanish society to tackle the leading global challenges: the great humanitarian crises (Gaza, Lebanon, Sahel, Haiti), the fight against hunger and poverty, the climate emergency, gender gaps or managing the migration phenomenon by also focusing on its root causes.
Doubled budget
The Statute determines the regulatory framework for the comprehensive reform of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, its new functions, the principles to guide its work and its internal organisation. This Statute is a further boost to an agency that has doubled its budget in the last three years (from around €360 million in 2021 to over €700 million together in 2023 and 2024) and that has already revamped its operations in various different ways, for example improving working conditions for expatriate staff, undertaking a Digital Transformation Plan, strengthening its activity in the multilateral arena, and launching new and innovative programmes on democracy, the fight against climate change, feminist cooperation and health.
The minister also presented to the Council of Ministers the annual Foreign Action Report, which follows the four guiding Foreign Action Strategy principles: more Europe, better multilateralism, strategic bilateralism and a commitment to solidarity.
Concerning Europe, 2023 was marked by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU during the second semester. In this framework, EU heads of State and Government reiterated their commitment to enlargement towards the Balkans and Eastern Europe, with the opening of accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova and the granting of candidate status to Georgia.
Spain managed to close an extremely high number of legislative dossiers compared to previous presidencies, promoted reducing vulnerabilities and dependencies of the Union (Granada Declaration), supported sectors of the future such as renewable energies and technology - through the adoption of the EU AI Act - and achieved difficult consensuses on matters of great importance such as the reform of tax rules, the Pact on Migration and Asylum, and European electricity market reform.
Ukraine and the Middle East
In response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, Spain has provided comprehensive support to Kyiv, ranging from sanctions against Russia and diplomatic support to military and humanitarian aid. This represents an unprecedented mobilisation: at military level, in the reception of displaced Ukrainians and through the largest humanitarian aid package for a single country in the history of Spanish cooperation. In the Middle East, Spain has played an active and consistent role by promoting the two-State solution and encouraging Euro-Arab dialogue.
The second course of action was the promotion of multilateralism. Within the United Nations, Spain has consolidated its position as a key player, making voluntary contributions to the United Nations system totalling €718 million. The inauguration of the new headquarters in Madrid of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the election of Spain as a member of several executive boards, such as those of the United Nations World Food Programme and UN-Habitat, as well as the establishment in Bilbao of the Local 2030 Coalition secretariat headquarters, reflect this leadership.
Our country has also upheld its commitment to the promotion of human rights and respect for international law, actively participating in the fight against impunity for war crimes and supporting the different international justice bodies.
Spain is committed to strengthening relations with key regions and partners, and to consolidating our global presence. In this respect, the Spanish-French Summit in Barcelona, the Spanish-Portuguese Summit in Lanzarote, strengthening cooperation with Poland and Romania, as well as promoting the development of the EU's Southern Neighbourhood, stand out.
EU-CELAC Summit
Another key milestone was the holding of the EU-CELAC Summit, backed by Spain, which revitalised the bi-regional relationship and consolidated a new strategic agenda with Latin America and the Caribbean for the 2023-2025 period. This summit, the first since 2015, led to important agreements on digital and investment matters, including the Global Gateway Investment Agenda, which commits €45 billion in funding until 2027 for infrastructure and ecological transition projects in the region, including €9.4 billion from Spain.
The fourth and final strand of Spain's foreign policy in 2023 has been the commitment to solidarity with developing countries and people in vulnerable situations. The new Cooperation Law 1/2023, mentioned above, marks an important milestone, strengthening Spain's capacity to provide development aid in a more effective and sustainable way, and reinforcing our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and Humanitarian Action.
Other noteworthy achievements include the elimination of the vote on request, which has allowed Spaniards abroad to participate more fully in the electoral process, and the four evacuations (Sudan, Niger, Ethiopia and Gaza) of Spanish citizens and their families. Or the granting of Spanish nationality to Nicaraguans opposing the incumbent political regime who had been stripped of their citizenship, along with their families.
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