Ownership by partner countries, alignment of donors with partner systems, harmonisation of donor interventions, managing for results and mutual accountability are ways to ensure better and more effective development aid. Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) is also committed to this goal and hence to implementing the Paris Declaration.

The Paris Declaration is the basis for the Austrian Development Agency's (ADA) implementation of ADC country and regional programmes and for concluding bilateral cooperation programmes with priority countries and regional organisations. There are a number of finance instruments available for this work. To maximise development cooperation effectiveness, budget support is bundled, programmes are financed jointly, sector wide approaches (SWAPs) are adopted with other donors and assistance is provided for targeted and concerted projects (contracts, individual funding or calls for proposals). In pursuance of the Declaration of Paris, ADC increasingly works directly with local partners, particularly with governments of partner countries but also with local/regional administrative bodies and institutions as well as representatives of civil society.