DANIDA viert vijftigjarig bestaan (en)

The Danish development cooperation turns 50.

Tomorrow - Friday the 16th March - DANIDA’s 50-year anniversary will be celebrated when the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Christian Friis Bach is hosting an international high level conference on the future role of development policy in a changing world at the Bella Center in Copenhagen.

"Birthdays are always an opportunity to gather family and friends. I've gathered DANIDA's partners and sister organisations to discuss the challenges we face and how we can better work together in order to facilitate development for the benefit of the poorest. We will specifically seek to find good solutions on how we can help the people of the Horn of Africa break the vicious cycle of humanitarian crises," says Christian Friis Bach.

The morning features a breakfast meeting for EU Member States, an inauguration of a special jubilee exhibition on Danish development cooperation by Princess Mary and a high-level conference on the challenges and opportunities for Danish, European and international development cooperation.

In the afternoon, a number of Heads of UN agencies, ministers and EU Commissioners will discuss food security and resilience in the Horn of Africa. The goal is to gather support among the major donors and UN agencies for a coordinated, long-term international effort. In addition to the Horn of Africa preparation for RIO +20 will be on the agenda.

Simultaneously, four workshops for other participants will take place, to discuss the future strategy for Danish development cooperation in a European and international context.