INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT: A LATIN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

 

International cooperation refers to a group of actions and/or resources exchanged between actors from different countries, voluntarily and according to their own interests and strategies.

 

Robinson (2008) argues that international cooperation, by itself, cannot be catalogued as bad or god, because it is a type of human interaction that functions as a means to an end. In fact, the author proposes that this end is precisely what determines the value of a given act of cooperation.  In this sense, organized crime, traffic of weapons, narcotics, plants or animals can be considered actions of international cooperation with illicit ends.

 

When we refer to International Cooperation for Development (ICD), instead, we mean the mobilization of actions and technical, financial and/or human resources with the purpose to promote everything that can be considered as development. Nevertheless, the concept of development has many interpretations, meanings and senses that vary depending upon the perspective of the actors involved. Besides, it can be preceded by different adjectives (economic, sustainable, local, rural, endogenous, human, etc.) that contribute to the ambiguity of the concept. As a result, there is non a unique and permanent, correct or incorrect definition of ICD. On the contrary, this concept evolves and changes according to global tendencies, international priorities, social, political and economic environment and, most important, according to the notion of what is considered as development.

 

There is a global tendency to the diminution of traditional aid fluxes to middle income countries. The Accra Agenda for Action, established in September 2008, reinforces the importance of this group of countries in the South-South cooperation process. In this sense, Latin America is a key region, because it aggregates 32% of the middle-income countries in the world (Alonso, 2007). Therefore, it is important to have a framework of how Latin American countries define ICD, in order to understand why they conduct their actions in this field one way or another.

 

The following table is intended to explore and systematize the Latin American vision of what is considered as International Cooperation for Development (ICD). It is a very basic exercise. Nevertheless, knowing how a given country understands ICD is a fundamental start point in analyzing the criteria, interests, priorities and strategies behind its international cooperation actions.  The next step should be the analysis of the National Development Plans, as well as the legal-institutional framework of the international cooperation actions of each Latin American country, due to the fact that these are the instruments shaping the way in which the different actors realize the ICD concept.

 

Read the complete analysis here:

 

Rodríguez Vázquez, Horacio (2010), “La cooperación internacional para el desarrollo desde una perspectiva latinoamericana” en Pollack, Aaron (coord.), Temas de cooperación internacional para el desarrollo: criticar, proponer, sistematizar, México, Instituto Mora, pp. 9-34.

 

LATIN AMERICA: DEFINITIONS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

 

COUNTRY

INSTITUTION

DEFINITION OF ICD

GDP per capita 2010

(USD)

URL

Haiti

Ministère de la Planification et de la Coopération Externe

Given the socio-economic reality of the Haitian population, international cooperation represents an opportunity to reestablish the capability of the State and the public sector in general.

$ 1 200

http://www.mpce.gouv.ht/

 

Nicaragua

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (MINREX)

The official external cooperation is the relationship between the public sector of the donor country and the public sector of the recipient country; and it must fundamentally be used to implement programs and policies established by the National Government, according to its guidelines and procedures. As a result, the main goal of external cooperation in Nicaragua is to improve the capability of the Government to execute the development plan and related public policies.

$ 2 900

http://www.cancilleria.gob.ni/

 

Honduras

Secretaría Técnica y de Cooperación Internacional (SETCO)

International cooperation includes the economic resources that donor countries offer to public and private actors for the execution of actions that are compatible with the strategies, policies and priorities of the recipient country.

$ 4 200

http://www.gob.hn/portal/poder_ejecutivo/secretarias/seplan/

Bolivia

Viceministerio de Inversión Pública y Financiamiento Externo (VIPFE)

International cooperation is the relationship between a given country and the international community to promote change. In order to achieve efficient management, international cooperation actions must be based on the identification of mutual challenges and shared problems.

$ 4 800

http://www.planificacion.gob.bo/

 

Paraguay

Secretaría Técnica de Planificación

International cooperation is the transfer of the required resources to implement a group of actions that support the efforts a given country makes, to promote social and economic development.

$ 4 900

http://www.stp.gov.py/

Guatemala

Secretaría de Planificación y Programación (SEGEPLAN)

International cooperation is a mechanism for technical, financial and political support provided by donor countries and specialized multilateral organizations, so the recipient countries achieve, within a participative democracy, a sustainable development in the fields of economic, social, financial, commercial, administrative and environmental issues. International cooperation actions take place through multilateral organizations, bilateral institutions from developed countries, with multinational capital and the support of the governments of developing countries. Successful international cooperation is achieved through national efforts; therefore, it has to be congruent with the public policies of the recipient country, international relationships and financial and fiscal policies.

$ 5 200

http://www.segeplan.gob.gt

 

El Salvador

Dirección General de Cooperación Externa (DGCE)

International cooperation is essential to accomplish the objectives established by the Government Plan. It consists in the allocation of resources from international organizations and donor countries into public and private institutions to execute projects that promote economic and social development, which are oriented to benefit most vulnerable sectors of the population and improving quality of life of society in general.

$ 7 300

http://www.rree.gob.sv/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl...

 

Ecuador

Instituto Ecuatoriano de Cooperación Internacional (INECI)

International cooperation is conformed by the technical resources and economic aid from bilateral and multilateral organizations or NGOs, and transferred between friendly countries . 

$ 8 000

http://www.mmrree.gob.ec/

Dominican Republic

Secretaría de Estado de Relaciones Exteriores

All nations and remaining actors in the international arena have their own agenda, principles and guidelines shaped by their interests. International cooperation helps to find agreement to fundamental questions. Above all, to what we can achieve at a cost to others and what we cannot achieve by trampling over others. All of us win if cooperation serves to combat the threats that spring up, at times unexpectedly, in a world insecure and charged with political, social and economic threats.

$ 8 600

http://www.serex.gov.do/

Peru

Agencia Peruana de Cooperación Internacional (APCI)

International cooperation is a group of actions and tools oriented to allocate resources and the exchange of experiences between developed and developing countries, in order to achieve goals established in the global agenda. It is based on criteria such as solidarity, equity, efficacy, sustainability, co-responsibility and mutual interest. International cooperation seeks for the improvement of social, economic, political and cultural development in recipient countries trough the alleviation of poverty, the diminution of social exclusion in education and health, eradication of infectious diseases and conservation of the environment.

$ 9 200

http://www.apci.gob.pe

Colombia

Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional

International cooperation is the aid given to promote social and economic development in developing countries trough the transfer of technology, knowledge, abilities or experiences from donor countries or multilateral organizations.  It is known as Official Development Assistance (ODA), which is a global concept that includes different types of conditional aid.

$ 9 800

http://www.accionsocial.gov.co

Cuba

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores

Cuba’s foreign policy is based on anti-imperialism and pro-internationalism; a legacy from the Cuban people’s fight for their right to self-determination. As a result, we propose the unity of all third-world countries. Cuban international cooperation is based on the following principles: full respect to the priorities of the recipient country, no interference in domestic issues; respect of the local culture, religion and traditions of the people, as well as the national norms. No discrimination; but the integration and consensus of actions with local actors and their training in order to assure the sustainability without external intervention. 

$ 9 900

http://www.cubaminrex.cu

Brazil

Agência Brasileira de Cooperação (ABC) 

International cooperation is an important development tool that helps countries to promote structural changes in their productive systems, as a strategy to surpass the restrictions that limit their natural growth. International cooperation programs allow the transfer of knowledge, successful experiences and new technologies, to promote the formation of human resources and the institutional strengthening process in the recipient country, in order to generate significant and sustainable change.

$ 10 900

http://www.abc.gov.br/

Costa Rica

Dirección de Cooperación Internacional (DCI)

International cooperation is an instrument to facilitate the transmission of knowledge in all the fields of human activities and the exchange of capabilities between countries.

$ 11 400

http://www.rree.go.cr/?sec=ministerio&cat=cooperacion%20interna...

Venezuela

Ministerio del Poder Popular de Planificación y Finanzas

International cooperation is the relationship between two or more countries or international organizations, with the objective to transfer capabilities to collaborate with explicit or implicit development goals mutually agreed upon, according to the guidelines of the recipient country. It is a complementary tool of a national effort to promote sustainable development. 

$ 12 600

http://www.mf.gov.ve/

Panama

Dirección General de Proyectos Especiales y Cooperación Internacional

International cooperation includes any type of international resources, including reimbursable or non-reimbursable donations and/or technical cooperation to execute actions according to the guidelines of the recipient country.

$ 12 700

http://mire.gob.pa/

Mexico

Dirección General de Cooperación Técnica y Científica  (DGCTC)

International cooperation refers to the group of actions derived from the exchange between different national societies looking forward to mutual benefits of economic development and social welfare, or those activities of international organizations, such as; The United Nations, regional organizations, intergovernmental or non governmental, to accomplish international interests. Thus, international cooperation means the mobilization of financial, human, technical and technological resources to promote international development.

$ 13 800

http://dgctc.sre.gob.mx/

Uruguay

Oficina de Planeamiento y Presupuesto (OPP)

International cooperation is the group of external actions that, according to the international standards are directed to public and private organizations in the priority fields, sectors, or issues to promote development in the recipient country.

$ 14 300

http://www.opp.gub.uy

Argentina

Dirección General de Cooperación Internacional (DGCIN)

International cooperation consists in the establishment and consolidation of development associations between countries. It is based upon their own strategies and priorities, and in the promotion of the participation of all the actors involved, in order to create and strengthen of mechanisms oriented to the exchange of knowledge, technologies and better practices to creat development capabilities.

$ 14 700

http://www.mrecic.gov.ar/

Chile

Agencia de Cooperación Internacional de Chile (AGCI)

International cooperation is the relationship between partners who try to develop a group of actions, coordinate policies or unify criteria, in order to achieve common goals in the international arena. It is an essential component of contemporary international relations, an excellent way to promote solidarity between societies and to generate knowledge and mutual understanding. It is an efficient instrument to support local efforts and to provide solutions in the areas of weakness and deficiencies.

$ 15 500

http://www.agci.cl

 

References:

 

Alonso, José Antonio (2007.), Cooperación con países de renta media, España, Editorial Complutense / Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales / Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación.

 

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), The World Fact Book, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

 

Robinson, James (2008), “La posibilidad de la cooperación” en Gottsbacher, Markus y Lucatello, Simone (compiladores), Reflexiones sobre la ética y la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo: los retos del siglo xxi, México, Instituto Mora, 1a ed., 2008, pp. 68-91.

 

Rodríguez Vázquez, Horacio (2010), “La cooperación internacional para el desarrollo desde una perspectiva latinoamericana” en Pollack, Aaron (coord.), Temas de cooperación internacional para el desarrollo: criticar, proponer, sistematizar, México, Instituto Mora, pp. 9-34.

 

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