SECTORS THAT CYPRUSAID PROVIDES ASSISTANCE
Cyprus ODA is channelled to areas and sectors in which Cyprus has a comparative advantage and accumulated experience and is targeted to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The sectors that CyprusAid provides assistance can be divided into three areas:
Social and services sectors: Health-care services, Education, Tourism-related services, Development of human capital etc.
Infrastructure development: Road construction, Dam and sewage system Construction, Irrigation systems, Solar energy infrastructure, Forestry, Engineering, Telecommunications etc.
Environment: Under the December 2009 Copenhagen Accord, developed countries made important pledges for fast start as well as for long term climate financing. The collective commitment made by developed countries is to provide new and additional resources approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010-2012 with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation. At the European Council meeting of 10-11 December 2009, in the run-up to the Copenhagen Conference, the EU and its Member States committed to contributing € 2.4 billion annually over the period 2010-2012 to the fast start climate funding. During that Meeting, Cyprus pledged the amount of €1.8 mln for climate change, to be distributed during the period 2010-2012. In 2010, Cyprus has signed a Transfer Agreement with the European Commission, through the “Global Climate Change Alliance”, for financing the project "Building Climate Resilience in Nepal", which is jointly financed by the European Commission (with a contribution of €8 mln), the United Kingdom (with a contribution of €10.8 mln) and the Republic of Cyprus (with a contribution of €0.6 mln). In 2012, Cyprus has signed a second Transfer Agreement with the European Commission, through the “Global Climate Change Alliance”, for financing the project “Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Land Management in the Eastern Caribbean”. The project is jointly financed by the European Commission (with a contribution of €10 mln) and the Republic of Cyprus (with a contribution of €0.6 mln). In 2013, the Republic of Cyprus will proceed with the signing of a third Agreement with the European Commission, for financing a project in the area of climate change, for the remaining €600,000, so that the pledge made by the Republic (to finance projects in the area of climate change of the total value of €1.8 mln) is fully met.
PRIORITY COUNTRIES
Cyprus’ development assistance is directed to a small number of countries where it finances the implementation of more comprehensive schemes of development assistance and to a larger group of countries where Cypriot aid is in the form of technical assistance (i.e scholarships). This enables the concentration of aid in order to avoid the waste of resources and to ensure their effective delivery. All the countries that receive assistance from Cyprus are included in the OECD “DAC List of ODA Recipients”. Currently the two groups of countries receiving ODA from Cyprus are as follows:
Project countries: Autonomous Palestinian Territories, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Lesotho, Mali and Yemen.
Technical Assistance Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gambia, Georgia, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Pakistan, Sudan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.