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COOPSTAT NEWS Nº 7
For international donors, particularly for Portuguese
cooperation, statistics play an essential role in
reducing poverty and promoting development,
allowing the optimal use of resources.
Statistical data have played a key role in the
development and implementation of programmes and
strategies on poverty reduction, in decision making on
the allocation of funds, as well as in monitoring
progress on the MDGs' achievement. The use of
statistical data has allowed us, on one hand, to collect
reliable information for the preparation of studies
needed for project design and the implementation of
specific measures, adapted to each country's context
and, on the other, to measure and evaluate the
effectiveness of the results achieved.
The improvement of statistical systems in partner
countries is indeed an important condition for the
implementation of the commitments made under the
Busan Partnership for Effective Development
Cooperation, established in late 2011, and which is
anchored in four shared principles that will be subject
to follow-up and monitoring at the global level:
ownership of development priorities by developing
countries; focus on results; inclusive development
partnerships; transparency and accountability.
Without an adequate investment on improving
statistical systems, it will not be possible to move
forward in managing for results, transparency and
accountability, andmutual responsibility.
These are fundamental principles to be observed in the
broader cooperation context, but particularly
important in the area of governance. The availability
of reliable statistical data enables not only better
planning and prioritisation by the partner countries,
but also better management for results and
accountability to their citizens, whowill also be better
able to exert pressure on the respective governments
towards greater governance effectiveness.
It is also an essential tool for donor countries enabling
them to measure and report on the impact of the
actions they support, in a spirit of mutual
accountability.
Thus, support provided in the field of statistics is
crucial not only in the area of governance, but also in
other priority areas of Portuguese cooperation, and
will continue to be an area for priority support,
including in the framework of the strategic vision for
Portuguese cooperation that is being established.
Moreover, Portugal, as a donor, has focused on the
adoption of standards, procedures and tools for
quality information, the formulation, monitoring and
evaluation of cooperation activities, the improvement
of tools and methods for statistical reporting,
according to DAC/OECD directions, as well as on
dissemination and clarity of data, in a global effort of
transparency. The development and investment on
statistics have been playing a major role in these
matters.
In this field, Portuguese cooperation participates
directly in the on-going work of the OECD statistical
secretariat and of the "International Aid Transparency
Initiative" regarding the implementation of a common
standard, open to e-publication of information on
cooperation activities. This commitment requires a
thorough redefinition of the Portuguese cooperation
information system, which will ensure full compliance
with statistical reporting directives of DAC/OECD and
meet commitments made on aid effectiveness
simultaneously.
Allow me to state that access to data on Portuguese
ODA is available on CICL's webpage, using dynamic
tables which allow for friendly and intuitive access, in
Portuguese and English, to all information reported
annually to ODA/OECD. These tables contain
aggregated information, namely by partner country,
sector benefited, typology of aid, aid channel and type
of funding, and tables with disaggregated data by
cooperationproject.
Entrevista com a Dr.ª Ana Paula Laborinho
Interview to Mrs. Ana Paula Laborinho
