The Council of Ministers approves the Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation 2024-2027 and the new Statute of Cooperating Persons
The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, has approved the Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation for the years 2024-2027, which contains the objectives and priorities that will guide the actions of international cooperation for sustainable development in the coming years.
It has also approved the Royal Decree on the Statute of Aid Workers, which redefines the labour and social framework for this group, guaranteeing a decent professional career and protecting their working conditions. These are the first milestones in the deployment of the new Cooperation Law approved in 2023.
As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, explained, "the Master Plan lays the foundations for tackling today's major global challenges such as peace-building, hunger, inequality and the climate crisis, and will enable Spanish Cooperation to be strengthened, capable of continuing to be present effectively wherever it is most needed".
West Africa and the Sahel, a priority region
The new plan includes West Africa and the Sahel as one of the priority regions. The countries of origin of migratory flows require strengthened cooperation to address the root causes of migration. Along these lines, the minister recently travelled to Cape Verde, Gambia and Senegal, countries of origin of irregular migration, to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation. Proof of this is the recent allocation of 180 million euros to promote youth employment in Senegal over the next four years.
Spanish Cooperation will also prioritise work with partner countries in North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as with Latin American and Caribbean countries, all of which are areas with which Spain shares strong ties and challenges. In addition, work will be carried out on an ad hoc basis in other countries to promote global public goods or to respond to emerging crises, particularly in response to emergencies and humanitarian appeals, such as in Ukraine.
The new plan focuses its vision on the role of international cooperation in achieving a triple just transition (social, ecological and economic) and meeting the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. It is also committed to a series of principles that cut across all Spanish Development Cooperation actions: peace building, the fight against poverty and inequality, human rights, a feminist approach and gender equality, environmental sustainability, climate justice and cultural diversity.
New Statute for Cooperating Persons
The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, has also approved the Royal Decree on the Statute of Cooperating Persons, which replaces the 2006 Statute, which at the time represented a turning point in the protection of the rights of cooperating persons by addressing crucial aspects such as social and employment security. This regulatory framework has now been strengthened to adapt it to current needs.
The new statute incorporates several new features, such as the extension of the framework of application, the improvement of the rights of development workers and their families and the reinforcement of the duties of both development workers and promoting organisations. It also establishes measures to promote the training and professional development of development workers, as well as to facilitate their reincorporation once their international mission has ended.
Cooperation Law
The Master Plan and the Statute for Aid Workers are two of the first milestones in the implementation of the new Law on Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity, approved in February 2023 by broad social and political consensus.
The new law makes Spanish Cooperation more robust and gives legal status to Spain's commitment to allocate 0.7% of Gross National Income to Official Development Assistance by 2030. It also strengthens the governance of the Spanish Cooperation system with new instruments for coordination and collaboration between actors. In particular, it is committed to strengthening the role of decentralised cooperation, one of the hallmarks and strengths of Spanish Development Cooperation.
The year 2024 is the year for the development of the new Cooperation Law, which foresees, in addition to what has recently been approved, the drafting of five other royal decrees that develop its content: Reform of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID); reform of financial cooperation, with the creation of the new Spanish Fund for Sustainable Development (FEDES); reform of subsidy regulations; reinforcement of coordination mechanisms within the government and with decentralised cooperation (autonomous communities and local authorities); and creation of the High Council for Cooperation for Sustainable Development, a consultative and participatory body of reference in the cooperation system.
