Other public actors

In addition to Austrian Development Cooperation, Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank, ministries, federal states and municipalities also contribute with public funds to the national development assistance budget.

Ministries

Federal Ministry of Finance

The Three-Year Programme on Austrian development policy is drawn up by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (MFA) in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Finance. The Austrian Finance Ministry also acts as the advocate of Austrian interests in development and foreign trade policy in dealings with multilateral development banks and is responsible for the operations of the Austrian Development Bank. Capital payments and contributions to the funds of international financial institutions (IFIs) are financed from the budget of the Finance Ministry. The contributions to European Union (EU) development cooperation under the European Development Fund (EDF) are also made from this budget. Where classified as official development assistance (ODA), soft loans and internationally agreed debt relief measures in export guarantees under the Club of Paris also come under the purview of the ministry.

Federal Ministry of the Interior

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BM.I) is responsible for asylum affairs. Besides assisting refugees in Austria, it is responsible for administering and disbursing the annual budget of the European Refugee Fund, the Integration Fund and the Return Fund. This aims at facilitating the return and reintegration of refugees and advancing a common EU asylum policy.

Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

The Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, the Life Ministry for short, is committed to sustainable agriculture, forestry and water management at home and internationally. The Life Ministry communicates its concerns to the general public by providing information and raising awareness. As part of its sustainable and ecological agricultural and food policy, it advocates fair production conditions, species-appropriate livestock keeping and the conservation of water resources. It also seeks to promote food security in Austria and reduce hunger throughout the world. Beyond that the Life Ministry supports numerous sustainable projects in developing countries.

Federal Ministry of Defence and Sports

The Federal Ministry of Defence and Sports contributes to development cooperation through conflict prevention. As a member of many international organisations, Austria implements peacekeeping measures and takes part in international peace support and humanitarian missions as well as disaster relief operations. Since the end of the Cold War the number of the missions increased. Since 1960, more than 90,000 Austrian soldiers have been deployed in over 50 missions on all five continents.

Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture

The Federal Ministry for Education, the Arts and Culture fosters educational cooperation with partner countries in which education plays a key role for sustainable development. Poverty reduction, strengthening social cohesion and gender are other priorities. The Ministry supports networks, institutional structures and the strengthening of human resources. Regional stability and cooperation on political and expert level are given special importance, especially in South Eastern Europe.

The following instruments are applied:

• Representatives for educational cooperation operate in Eastern and South Eastern European countries to support them in implementing reforms in the educational sector.
• European regional networks and initiatives, notably in the framework of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE).
• Austrian schools abroad, in particular the school sites in Guatemala, Mexico und Albania.

Another central point in the development cooperation of the Educational Ministry is development education and global learning. These concepts aim to strengthen competences needed to orient oneself in a globally connected and heterogeneous society and to live in a responsible manner. Thematically development education of the Ministry is aligned with the Millennium Development Goals and related concepts.

Federal Ministry of Science and Research

The Commission for Development Issues (KEF) is engaged in research for development on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Science and Research. The Commission's main tasks include promoting research partnerships between researchers from Austria and developing countries, particularly at project level, as well as policy advice and informational and educational work in research for development (budget for 2008: EUR 350,000). The ministry is also a member of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP), which promotes international cooperation in science and research and informs policymakers on the significance of science and technology for sustainable economic growth. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the Ministry of Science and Research together with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, which is responsible for UN relations, nominates the Austrian representation for the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). This assists both the UN General Assembly and the ECOSOC itself in research for development. The ministry coordinates Austrian participation in the 7th EU Research Framework Programme, which also promotes research partnerships in international cooperation with developing countries as well as participation in EU third state programmes in the higher education sector. It is also responsible for bilateral memoranda and agreements in Scientific and Technical Cooperation (STC) with numerous partner countries throughout the world and promotes the international mobility of researchers and students to and from Austria through various programmes.

Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth

The programmatic guidelines for the Austrian foreign trade and investment policy "Shaping globalisation - success through openness and innovation" has been elaborated under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth and presented to the public in April 2008. It advocates as one of its goals a strategic partnership between external trade and development cooperation. It seeks to enhance partnerships between private business and development cooperation as a means of strengthening the private sector in the partner countries and help companies to build up new markets.

Greater emphasis on business in this context is essential for creating the kind of framework necessary for local private sectors to emerge and grow in developing countries, thus fostering economic and social development.

In order to make the public aware of the complementary nature of business and development, to enhance the strategic and economic focus of development cooperation, and to improve the framework conditions for entrepreneurial commitment, the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth supports the "corporAID platform for business, development and global responsibility". Its main task is to provide relevant information on business and development, to identify areas of economic and development potential and to raise Austrian public awareness in this field.

The Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth also contributes to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund of the WTO to support developing countries' efforts to better integrate into the multilateral economic system.

Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank

Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (OeEB), the official Development Bank of Austria, acts on behalf of the Federal Government. It is specialised in realising private-sector projects that require long-term financing and that can service their borrowings out of their own cash flow, and have a sustainable impact on the regional economic development. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (OeKB) - the Export Credit Agency of Austria - it is a private financial entity with a public mandate. At the same time it benefits from the network and international know-how of OeKB Group. In pursuing its objective to find long-term customised financing solutions it is faced with very challenging markets in developing countries where these services and financing products are usually not available. Compared to commercial banks, OeEB can assume higher risks on individual transactions, because of its special mandate (e.g. loan volume, tenors, high-risk countries). OeEB hence takes up the role of closing the gap between services of the ADC, ADA and the financing solutions offered by commercial banks. It is committed to safeguarding the objectives of the ADC, and its projects are designed to contribute to sustainable development.
Accompanying to the financing solutions of OeEB, the Republic of Austria has earmarked special budgetary resources for project-supporting measures, the so-called Advisory Programmes. These can be made available for the purpose of identifying, preparing, inspecting, monitoring and implementing projects, and shall be creditable as ODA.

Federal States

Federal State of Vienna

Vienna supports non-governmental organisations in implementing development projects in Africa, Asia and in Eastern Europe. The contents of the projects are geared to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Other substantive priorities are education, health and gender equality. In additionto the funding of development programmes Vienna also donates real assets within the framework of humanitarian aid for partner organisations in Eastern Europe. The "Entwicklungspolitische Fachtagung" (conference on development) is held every year in Vienna City Hall. It addresses likewise to experts and the population of Vienna. In the case of need Vienna also finances disaster relief. Since 2002 the Chief Executive Office - European and International Affairs is responsible for the foreign aid provided by the City of Vienna.

Federal State of Lower Austria

Development policy in the Federal State of Lower Austria is geared to the international Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). Lower Austrian development cooperation thus focuses on development education and public relations, the promotion of fair trade, the support of project partnerships and the subvention of the implementation of projects by non-governmental organisations and in case of need international disaster relief.
Since Lower Austria joined the Climate Alliance in 1993 and the Land and Soil Alliance in 2003 Lower Austria has been engaged in defending the interests of the indigenous partners on the Upper Rio Negro and project partners in Senegal. Furthermore it actively assists its municipalities in implementing the tasks of the Alliances. Since 2002, the developmental activities of the Federal State of Lower Austria have centred on promoting fair trade and introducing related products in its municipalities and enterprises and as of 2007 it pursues the development objectives of the Global Marshall Plan.

Federal State of Burgenland

Burgenland takes development cooperation seriously and is in the process of building capacity in this sector. It has provided active assistance in Sri Lanka during the reconstruction phase after the tsunami in 2004/2005, focusing on rebuilding a destroyed village and promoting peace in the island nation suffering under ongoing civil war.

Federal State of Upper Austria

For over 40 years, the Federal State of Upper Austria has been involved in development cooperation to improve the local conditions of life for people in other nations and communicate these activities to the public. Every year, Upper Austrian development cooperation supports 100 projects run by organisations, associations and development aid workers in the state. The campaign, Fair Play, supports innovative ideas in Upper Austrian schools. Once or twice a year, the Federal State of Upper Austria holds a development-policy dialogue forum to present the work and projects to a broad public. Together with the Diocese of Linz, the federal state also awards the Eduard Ploier Prize for Development Cooperation and the Eduard Ploier Prize for Journalism every two years.

Federal State of Salzburg

Major goals of Salzburg's development cooperation are the promotion of civil society for democratic, ecological and conflict-mitigating development and regional cooperation in the economic and social sector. Development cooperation in Salzburg focuses on the San Vicente region in El Salvador and Singida in Tanzania with 20 per cent of all development assistance earmarked for each in the federal state budget in agreement with the partner organisations in these countries. Another 20 per cent of total funds is allocated for education and information at home. On the recommendation of the Advisory Board for Development Policy, the Salzburg Regional Assembly decided on providing active support for the Climate Alliance, the Global Marshall Plan Initiative, the Millennium Development Goals and Fair Trade.

Federal State of Styria

Since 1981 Styrian development cooperation supports local groups with personal contacts to other groups in developing countries. These run joint projects based on the principles of partnership, sustainability and help towards self-help. On the recommendation of the Advisory Board for Development Cooperation, the projects are selected applying qualitative criteria with no territorial restrictions. Styrian development cooperation sees its task as maintaining the many different groups engaged in development assistance, interlinking them and supporting them in their work, which is mostly voluntary. The Federal State of Styria provides in year 2013 an amount of 371.000 EUR for development projects as well as for awareness raising in Styria related to global responsibility. With this budget, about 40 projects can be implemented worth more than EUR 1 million in all.

Federal State of Carinthia

For the Federal State of Carinthia, it is important that development cooperation projects have a bearing on the region and raise local awareness. They are also conceived as help towards self-help and take special account of the situation of women and youth. In 1991, the Carinthian Regional Assembly decided to appoint an Advisory Board for Development Policy for this. Twice a year as of 1993, this board discusses projects for promoting development cooperation financed from federal state funds.

Federal State of Tyrol

The Federal State of Tyrol supports projects that contribute to improving the economic, social and cultural situation of especially underprivileged people in partner countries. Primary objectives are the reduction of extreme poverty, the amelioration of education infrastructure and medical care, peace building and good governance, environmental protection, the promotion of fair and sustainable economic development as well as employment creation. Because of their important contribution to sustainable reforms, women´s empowerment is another important objective of the development cooperation of the Federal State of Tyrol.

Federal State of Vorarlberg

The main principle of development cooperation in the Federal State of Vorarlberg is help towards self-help, which also means respecting the cultural and economic self-determination of the target groups. Development actors in Vorarlberg are interlinked and supported. The principles of the Global Marshall Plan are communicated to a broad public and are integrated in the project work. The Vorarlberg Regional Assembly first earmarked funds for development cooperation in 1960. These are used to assist countries in the so-called Third World and since 1990 in Eastern Europe. The projects promoted are generally intended to meet basic human needs.

Municipalities

Austrian Association of Municipalities

Austria's municipalities maintain cross-border partnerships to learn more about partner municipalities from other countries with similar concerns and to exchange experience. This tradition already goes back decades in Austria. Municipal and town twinning arrangements have also been promoted by the European Union since 1989. Most partnerships are forged with municipalities in the EU/Europe. Several hundred Austrian municipalities now maintain a partnership with counterparts in other countries.