Internationally Shared Goals and National Governments : A Case Study of France and Financing for Development

Abstract

This paper focuses on Franceʼs response to internationally shared ODA/GNI targets in the field of development cooperation. At the Monterrey Conference in 2002, the international community declared that they would increase the ratio of ODA/GNI to 0. 7% by 2015. Although France undertook an individual target to achieve 0. 7% in 2012, she decreased her ODA and postponed her deadline. Facing the global financial crisis, international society reaffirmed its commitment to increase ODA at the 2008 Doha Conference. The DAC peer review called on France for national improvements in development cooperation, including ODA. The European Union also urged member states to increase ODA in order to achieve the agreed-upon ODA/GNI target and argued that the current economic crisis could not stand as an excuse for decreasing aid. These pressures did not succeed in forcing France to increase her ODA. Budgetary-planning processes and the attitudes of both the President and the ministry revealed that France seemed to give up increasing ODA, while she seemed to adhere to spread the concept of Global Public Goods and new financing measures. International pressures were ineffective in changing the course of Franceʼs national strategies/plans.