Etelä-Korean Busanissa järjestetään korkean tason tuloksellisuuskokous 29.11.-1.12.2011. Busanissa pitäisi selkästi päättää eri toimijoiden työnjaosta ja tulevista toimista, ministeri Hautala totesi Busanin kokousta koskeneessa seminaarissa 9.11.2011.[:] 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been asked already on several occasions whether development cooperation really delivers results. At these economically unpredictable times this is an important question: what influence do we make with taxpayers money, when supporting the developing countries. The quality of aid is increasingly in focus. Therefore it is very important that we attach enough attention to these issues: try to perform better but also report on our performance better.

The Busan High Level Forum on Aid effectiveness comes therefore at an important point in time. It is an event that will shape the future of international development cooperation and policy. It gathers all stakeholders around the same table to make collective plans and commitments for achieving results. The objective of course will remain the reduction of poverty at the country-level.

The framework for the aid effectiveness work has been the Paris Declaration established in 2005. The Paris Declaration monitoring and evaluation exercises form the key input for Busan. We should make the most out of their findings.

The evidence shows that the Paris reform process has made a difference for aid. But the progress has been too slow. This means that we should continue reforming the way we deliver aid to achieve better results. An important finding for us has been that Finland has been progressing most effectively in the areas we have prioritised, and in those partner countries where we have had a long-term investment. This indicates that focusing our efforts is most effective way to deliver results.

The core of the aid effectiveness agenda are the principles and good practices of the Paris Declaration: ownership, harmonisation, alignment and managing for results. The follow-up mechanism and focus on the methods of aid delivery has made the Paris agenda, in a way, technical and bureaucratic. But the detailed commitments and indicators have been its strength at the same time. We need solid and reliable evidence.

The international landscape has been changing and the effectiveness agenda is more inclusive than ever before. It is also more complex than ever before. At the same time there is a wide understanding that aid alone cannot create sustainable development. We need different actors to work together to eradicate poverty. The role of aid is to work as a catalyst for creating sustainable development and leveraging also other resources for development. More effective mobilization of developing countries’ own resources is crucial and we also need private sector engagement for more effective development. Aid alone can’t reduce poverty, all the other policy sectors have to work for achieving Millennium Development Goals. For example EU’s current fisheries policy is not sustainable and it is not supporting the poorest of the poor.

In Busan we should find a balance between the aid effectiveness agenda established in Paris and a discussion on a more political and wider development agenda.

The emerging actors play an increasing role in the development agenda of today. The aid effectiveness agenda should be strengthened with reaching out and broadening cooperation with all relevant development partners. We should, however, ensure that the ambition level is not reduced. In Busan we should clearly state commitments of different actors, including for those engaged in south-south -cooperation.

Inclusiveness is the main added value of Busan in comparison to the previous fora in Paris and Accra. It does not mean only including the emerging donors in the process. Partner country ownership is the cornerstone of aid effectiveness agenda and the partner governments should also strengthen the inclusiveness of the development processes led by them.

Accountability of donor governments to their taxpayers and the accountability of developing country governments to their citizens, as well as the mutual accountability between donor and partner countries is in the core of aid effectiveness.. What I find extremely important is focus on democratic ownership, rule of law and human rights. The role of civil society and parliaments is essential for reaching sustainable results. Respect for human rights is a precondition for development. This goes hand in hand with increasing transparency and combating corruption and illicit flows.

Country level implementation has to be the primary focus of the future aid effectiveness agenda. The partner countries have to be the leaders in the path to development and we need to understand that priorities and approaches differ across countries.
The future framework should be less bureaucratic and it should echo the saying “global light, country heavy”.

Broad membership and active engagement by partner countries should be maintained in the future effectiveness architecture. We should facilitate the openness of the process and the engagement of all actors, including the smaller and less powerful ones from both South and North.

Our government is keen on strengthening the effectiveness and impact of development cooperation and policies. It is stated in the government program, that we will reduce fragmentation and increase coordination with other donor countries and organisations.

Furthermore our government will strive for coherence of Finland’s policies for development, both in national and international contexts. We need all policies to work together for common development goals. For example trade, agriculture and migration policies and international cooperation in tax matters play a significant role in eradicating poverty.

We are in the process of preparing for a new Development Policy Action Plan for Finland. It is very fortunate that the meeting in Busan takes place at the same time we are drafting our policy. We will aim to integrate the outcome of Busan in our own policy and action.

Today we are here to discuss about the Busan high level forum and the future of the aid effectiveness work. I am glad that we have discussants from different sectors of the society. I thank all the discussants and participants and wish you all a fruitful seminar.