The Paris Declaration: Five reasons why it is working

In 2005, almost all DAC donor countries and over 60 developing countries endorsed the Paris Declaration, a comprehensive attempt to change the way donor and developing countries do business together. The declaration was based on five principles: alignment, ownership, harmonisation, managing for results and mutual accountability. This article looks at each of these principles in turn and explores how they are being applied for the better by donors and partner countries alike. It takes examples from across the globe – from the Pacific to Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America – to show that the Paris Declaration has significantly changed attitudes to development co-operation and relationships between donor and partner country. This has been achieved through generating fairer and more inclusive global development partnerships, introducing a monitoring system to track progress in achieving commitments and establishing the foundations for greater accountability.