Global challenges call for a comprehensive approach and partnerships. Complex, interdependent issues such as global warming, health crises and growing inequalities demonstrate the importance of high-quality, diversified partnerships. These partnerships include governmental actors (Enabel, BIO), non-governmental actors (NGOs, institutional and scientific players, civil society organisations, etc.) and multilateral players (EU, UN, development banks) in Belgian international cooperation and humanitarian aid. However, the interdependent nature of global challenges also requires cooperation with actors outside the traditional sphere of development cooperation, such as Belgian diplomacy and defence, as well as the economic and commercial sectors. The Belgian Development Cooperation thus focuses on diversified partnerships and high-quality funding, mobilising the added value of each player while taking account of specific contexts to maximise their impact on the ground. This report illustrates how properly deployed partnerships lead to concrete results.

Geographical Cooperation

The Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD) is committed to working with partners in the global South at various levels. This cooperation includes political dialogue with the governments of partner countries and strategic discussions with Belgian non-governmental actors. We work as "Team Belgium" or more broadly as "Team Europe", but always with partners from the global South. It is therefore our partners who achieve the results. The DGD facilitates, supports, participates in and contributes to these results.

One concrete example is our cooperation with Rikolto in Indonesia. By working with various local partners (civil society organisations, schools, municipalities, etc.), Rikolto contributes to sustainable food systems such as school canteens and urban agriculture. It shows what can be achieved by supporting local players and enabling them to turn their own ideas into reality.
This vision of sustainable partnership is also promoted in the global citizenship strategy, aimed at mobilising and informing Belgian citizens about global justice and international solidarity. In governmental cooperation with the 14 partner countries, the partner also plays an increasingly central role, as illustrated in this Annual Report.

Multilateral and Thematic Cooperation

Today's socio-economic, financial and environmental challenges are interconnected and borderless. Millions of people are affected by these issues, which generate geopolitical tensions that threaten peace, security and stability. The 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the roadmap for meeting these challenges. Belgium makes an active contribution through thematic and multilateral cooperation.

This report presents our commitment to quality funding and operational efficiency within the multilateral system. It highlights our contribution to food security, high-quality education, decent work, climate action and sustainability in the raw materials sector.

Humanitarian Aid

In 2023, humanitarian crises increased in both number and intensity. Belgium has maintained its commitment to and solidarity with people in humanitarian distress, with a record budget of almost 218 million euros, over 60% of which has been allocated on a flexible basis. This has enabled local partners to respond swiftly and effectively to crises.

This report illustrates how strong partnerships and flexible funding have helped save lives and alleviate suffering in emergency contexts. At the Global Refugee Forum, Belgium pledged to contribute to better protection for refugees and internally displaced persons.

Conclusion

The Belgian Development Cooperation relies on the diversity and quality of partnerships to tackle global challenges. Collaboration with our partners is based on mutual transparency, dialogue, monitoring and analysis of results, management capabilities and the complementary expertise of the various organisations. Stakeholder empowerment in terms of achieving results translates into results frameworks that stakeholders create and implement, based on the theory of change they develop with partners in the countries concerned. Finally, Belgium's international cooperation also relies on collective learning with partners, both in partner countries and in Brussels.

This report highlights the importance of these partnerships, and the results achieved through flexible funding and effective cooperation. For a more comprehensive overview of the results achieved, we invite you to read the Annual Reports and evaluations of the various players involved.

You can read the Annual Report here: Rapport annuel-CD.