The visit is part of the project 'Reconfiguration of decentralized development cooperation in Catalonia', driven by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD) and aligned with the Development Cooperation Master Plan 2023-2026. Throughout the week, the delegation held interviews with key stakeholders in the Catalan cooperation system and participated in a knowledge-sharing workshop.
The Minister of European Union and External Action, Jaume Duch, affirmed Catalonia's position as a "benchmark for decentralized cooperation" but stressed the need for continuous review. "Being a benchmark does not exempt us from reviewing ourselves. On the contrary, it obliges us to do so. That's why we wanted the OECD by our side," he stated, highlighting the organization's rigor and analytical capacity for evidence-based decision-making.
The workshop focused on three areas: policy priorities, cooperation instruments and strategies, and necessary collaborations. Minister Duch emphasized the value of comparative analysis with other territories like Quebec, Emilia-Romagna, and Scotland to contrast and enrich the Catalan model and strengthen a network of regions committed to global governance.
Duch reiterated Catalonia's commitment to global justice, human rights, and equality, noting that the ACCD's budget has increased from 40.6 million euros in 2023 to 85.6 million in 2026. The working sessions also allowed for the comparison of preliminary survey results on involved agents, co-financing models, and initiative sustainability.
The mission included representatives from the Department of European Union and External Action, such as Secretary Agustí Fernández de Losada and Director General Andrea Costafreda, alongside OECD experts like Stefano Marta and Marcos Díaz Ramírez, and international peer reviewers from regions like Emilia-Romagna, Quebec, and Scotland.
The project, which will conclude with an OECD report, aims to analyze the Catalan model, identify improvement opportunities, and enhance its impact in policies, information, monitoring, coordination, and collaboration, providing recommendations for short, medium, and long-term implementation.
