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Working Better Together in a Team Europe Approach

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Last Updated: 19 March 2025
Updated in 2023 | Working Better Together in a Team Europe Approach through joint programming and joint implementation Guidance

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Annex 4: Development effectiveness commitments and joint programming

In 2011, the Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness established a Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) that was mandated with the implementation of the Busan Partnership agreement1. The agreement highlights common effectiveness principles for all development actors. These are:

  • Ownership of development priorities by developing countries. Partner country governments should identify their partnership priorities and exercise leadership.
  • A focus on results. Impact and sustainability can be promoted through the application of robust and shared results-based approaches.
  • Partnerships for development. Securing the participation and contribution of all actors requires openness, trust and mutual respect. The complementary roles of all actors should be recognised and accommodated.
  • Transparency and shared responsibility. Information sharing and accountability to all citizens is both a means and an end to better development outcomes.

The GPEDC, which includes DG INTPA and MS representation, brings together traditional donors, partner country government, emerging donors, parliamentarians, civil society, local government, philanthropic foundations and the private sector. The GPEDC oversees a bi-annual development effectiveness monitoring survey2, with 86 partner countries participating in 2018. Its work has been integrated with the 2030 Agenda.

A second High-Level Meeting in December 2016 produced the Nairobi Outcome document3. This reaffirmed the Busan principles and establishes links to the 2030 Agenda and wider development financing initiatives associated with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda4. Future GPEDC high-level meetings will take place alongside UN meetings to review progress in the 2030 Agenda.

The EU’s policy on development effectiveness can be accessed here5.


1 https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-areas/development.html

2 http://effectivecooperation.org/monitoring-country-progress/what-is-global-partnership-monitoring/

3 https://www.effectivecooperation.org/content/nairobi-outcome-document

4 UN General Assembly, Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (Addis Ababa Action Agenda), 27 July 2015, A/RES/69/313, available at http://undocs.org/A/RES/69/313

5 https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/development-effectiveness_en