The development cooperation policy

Since the mid-1990s, the Brussels-Capital Region has been building partnerships and developing cooperation projects with capitals and regions in developing countries. 

During the 2014-2019 legislature, the Region wanted to increase its commitment, raise the profile of its international solidarity initiatives and integrate them more fully into a policy in its own right:

The Brussels development cooperation policy 

• This policy covers direct bilateral cooperation, indirect bilateral cooperation, multilateral cooperation as well as emergency humanitarian aid provided by the Brussels-Capital Region.
• Since 2017, the vision, strategic aims and principles governing the development cooperation initiatives have been defined in a framework ordinance.
• The content of the framework ordinance is clarified by five thematic implementation decrees.
• A specific annual budget is allocated to the development cooperation policy. The evolution of the budget is visible in the annual reports.

The Brussels-Capital Region has defined its own identity in terms of development cooperation, focusing exclusively on (peri-)urban areas and specifically urban issues. Its activities are based on two key pillars:

• the sustainable development of urban environments, in partnership with local authorities in developing countries (partnerships with the City-Province of Kinshasa, the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region and the governorates of Ramallah and A-Bireh)
• raising awareness among Brussels citizens as people showing solidarity and global citizens.

This approach reflects both the External linkcompetencies devolved to the Brussels-Capital Region and its social and cultural diversity.

Brussels International also represents the Region in the Opens in new windowPlatforma network.  This is a pan-European coalition of local authorities – cities and regions – as well as their associations involved in development cooperation.  For more information, visit the international networks section.

The Opens in new windowDevelopment Aid Committee (DAC) of Opens in new windowthe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has defined several Opens in new windowguiding principles to guide and improve the quality of development cooperation. These principles apply to donor countries, including DAC members, with the aim of making the aid more effective, coherent and geared towards sustainable results.

As Belgium is a member of the DAC, Brussels’ development cooperation is fully in line with this approach. Here are a few examples of how these principles are implemented:

Brussels International sets up various development cooperation initiatives (projects, partnerships, funding, etc.). These initiatives are mainly organised around three themes: 

• initiatives set up in partner regions of the Brussels-Capital Region: either in cooperation with counterpart administrations or via the Belgian civil society teaming up with the local civil society
• initiatives set up in the Brussels-Capital Region via the Belgian and Brussels civil society and aimed at young people
• the disbursement of funds in response to crises and/or disasters

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