Combating poverty, promoting peace and protecting the environment: These are the three major concerns of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation. ADA currently funds projects and programmes with a total volume of more than 557 million euros to improve living conditions in developing countries. 

Better together 
Together with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (MFA), partner countries, public institutions, civil society organisations and businesses, ADA seeks to ensure that sustainable development works to the benefit of all people in Africa, Asia, Southeast Europe and the South Caucasus. ADA staff on the ground in 23 offices make sure that ADA operations are in line both with national development goals and the needs of the local population, and that the funds are put to the best possible use. 

Where do the funds come from? 
The Austrian MFA allocates the ADA budget. Other federal ministries and donors like the EU draw on ADA's expertise, too. Since 2008, the ADA has been conducting programmes for the European Commission. The private sector is another major partner within the field of development cooperation. Since 2008, ADA has been allocating private funds for development cooperation. With its financing instrument of business partnerships, ADA promotes projects of companies in developing countries and emerging nations given that they contribute to improving the living conditions of the local population. Most funds are invested in key regions and priority countries of the Austrian Development Cooperation. 

Key regions Priority countries
Least Development Countries (LDCs) Burkina Faso
  Ethiopia
  Uganda
  Mozambique
  Bhutan (until 2023)
   
Western Balkans  
   
Eastern Partnership Armenia
  Georgia
  Moldova
   
Crisis regions and fragile states Palestine

Themes 
ADA is primarily engaged in sectors where Austria can contribute its professional knowhow and long standing experience: water supply and sanitation, renewable energy, climate protection, agriculture and forestry, private sector and development as well as human security, human rights and rule of law. In all projects and programmes, ADA attaches particular importance to the equal participation of women and takes special account of the needs of children and persons with disabilities. 

More knowledge, more support 
In its public relations and the promotion of development education projects in Austria, ADA highlights poverty, hunger, climate change, conflicts or migration as issues that directly affect everyone. Development cooperation bears the potential to achieve better living conditions around the globe.