Belgium

Belgium’s total official humanitarian aid contributions have more than doubled from US$95.1 million in 2003 to US$201.6 million in 2009, in parallel with Belgium’s 2002 pledge at Monterrey (which was subsequently enshrined in law) to give the equivalent of 0.7% of its gross national income (GNI) as official development assistance (ODA)  by 2010.

Since January 2010 the majority of Belgium’s humanitarian aid budget and policy has been administered by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (DGDC).

In 2006 Belgium adopted its first humanitarian aid policy document, the Strategic Plan for Humanitarian Aid, which guides its humanitarian aid and which notably stipulates that Belgium’s humanitarian aid will concentrate on the Great Lakes area.

In 2008 an evaluation of Belgium’s Humanitarian Assistance, 2002-2006 recommended a revision of the 1996 Royal Decree, which restricts the type and duration of humanitarian activities that can be funded by the Belgian government, including the restriction of funding eligibility to Belgian organisations only. The 1996 Royal Decree however is still in effect.

Belgium has been a member of the OECD DAC since 1961 and is a member of the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) group. In 2010 the OECD DAC peer reviewed Belgium and commended it on developing new aid policies, producing aid reforms and preparing a new law on development cooperation.