On 19 March 2025 in Paris, Latvia joined the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as its 33rd member.
The DAC is the leading international forum for setting standards and establishing best practices in the field of development cooperation. Membership in the DAC will provide a platform for the implementation of Latvia’s political priorities, including supporting Ukraine and other EU Eastern Partnership countries at the international level, building new partnerships and an effective development cooperation policy framework.
The DAC currently brings together 32 OECD member states and the European Union.
In the formal ceremony of accession to the DAC, an exchange of letters took place between the Under-Secretary of State for economic relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Ivita Burmistre, and the OECD Deputy Secretary-General for environment, public governance, and development cooperation, Mary Beth Goodman.
“Membership of the Development Assistance Committee will allow Latvia, in close cooperation with the largest development cooperation donors, to discuss and make decisions on international standards in the field of development cooperation, to share Latvia’s experience of implementing good governance, digitalization, gender equality and other development cooperation projects in the EU Eastern Partnership countries, Central Asia and Africa. We are interested in telling the Member States and the wider development cooperation community about support provided by Latvia to Ukraine, with special attention to the reconstruction of social infrastructure facilities in war-affected regions," Ivita Burmistre emphasized.
Mary Beth Goodman and the DAC Chair Carsten Staur underlined that Latvia’s membership is a significant contribution to the DAC’s experience and expertise. Mary Beth Goodman pointed to Latvia’s strengths – its expertise in digitalization matters and strengthening democracy in partner countries, as well as its previous experience in cooperation with the DAC. Representatives of the DAC member states and partner countries present voiced their openness to closer cooperation with Latvia.
Today, on March 20, Latvia is participating as a full-fledged member in the High Level Meeting of the Development Assistance Committee, which is the main format for meetings of senior officials from DAC member states. Latvia is represented at the event by the Under-Secretary of State for Economic Relations, Ivita Burmistre, and the Latvian Ambassador to the OECD, Andris Pelšs. The countries will discuss increasing development cooperation funding and providing more effective support in the context of current global challenges.
Joining the DAC is a positive step for project implementers – the public sector, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as the Central Finance and Contracts Agency (CFCA), which performs the functions of the Development Cooperation Agency in Latvia.
Benefits for Latvia as a member of the OECD DAC:
- the DAC is an important platform for sharing experience that will enable Latvia to share its more than 25 years of donor expertise;
- membership of the DAC will give Latvia access to new platforms where it is possible to obtain information about the projects planned, meet potential partners, and build cooperation;
- from other DAC countries and the OECD Development Cooperation Directorate experts, Latvia will gain knowledge and practical experience of resolving development cooperation issues, for example, on improving the monitoring and evaluation system, supporting the advancement of sustainability, policy coherence between sectors and engagement with the private sector, as well as communication on development cooperation.
Latvia intends to engage in the improvement of standards on a number of pressing issues: public administration reforms and digitalization; cooperation on improving the migration policy and border management of partner countries; provision of non-financial support; and support for civilians in conflict-affected areas.
Geographical priorities of Latvia’s development cooperation are based on the Development Cooperation Policy Guidelines for 2021–2027 and policy plans, such as the Development Cooperation Policy Plan for 2024–2027. Not only the line ministries but also social partners – civil society organisations and the private sector – are involved in the formulation and implementation of the plans.
The process of Latvia’s accession to the OECD DAC
(24 April 2024–19 March 2025)
- On 24 April 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, submitted Latvia’s letter of application for membership of the committee.
- On 25 April 2024, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, submitted a letter to the OECD Secretary-General, expressing Latvia’s intention to join the OECD Development Assistance Committee.
- On 3 October 2024, the Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, Carsten Staur, arrived in Riga on his first visit to the Baltic States and took part in an international conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Latvia’s development cooperation, co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS).
- On 10 October 2024, following a decision by member states, an evaluation was launched of Latvia’s development cooperation policy system.
- From 19 to 21 November 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a visit of experts from the Development Cooperation Directorate (DCD) of the OECD, with the aim of assessing compliance of the Latvian development cooperation system with accession criteria for the OECD Development Assistance Committee.
- On 20 February 2025 in Paris, experts from the OECD Development Cooperation Directorate (DCD) presented their evaluation report on Latvia. It contained an assessment of compliance of Latvia’s development cooperation system with the DAC accession criteria and conclusions that Latvia’s development cooperation policy system meets criteria for accession to the OECD DAC.
- On 11 March 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an informative report “On the accession of the Republic of Latvia to the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development”.
