The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, the Parliament of Estonia, supports the positions of the Government on global partnership for poverty eradication and sustainable development after this year. The positions deal with the Communication of the European Commission ‘A Global Partnership for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development after 2015’.

It was noted at the sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee that Estonia aims to reach the target of 0.33 percent of gross national income (GNI) for development aid. The European Union is collectively aiming at the target of 0.7 percent of GNI for development aid.

Last year, Estonia’s volume of development cooperation was 0.15 percent of GNI, that is, 28 million euro. The members of the Foreign Affairs Committee pointed out that the entrepreneurs of Estonia should be involved in development cooperation more than it has been done so far.

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Hannes Hanso said that, as a full-fledged member of the international community, Estonia has to increase its responsibility for what is going on in the world. “The challenge that Estonia has to face is the ability of our third sector to submit competitive project applications also for the means of the European Union development aid,” Hanso said.

The Economic Affairs Committee, the Finance Committee, the Environment Committee and the Social Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu supported the positions of the Government in their statements.

This year, Estonia will review its development cooperation priorities, including the partner states. Up to now, these have been Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.

This year, two high-level international meetings will be held that will enable to agree upon a new plan, including the objectives of sustainable development and the new international partnership to support that plan. These are the third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa in July and the UN Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda in New York in September.

Riigikogu Press Service
Epp-Mare Kukemelk
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