The Czech Republic has become the first donor outside the membership of the OECD Development Assistance Committee to complete a review of its development co-operation programme.

In response to a request of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) agreed to conduct a Special Review of Czech international development co-operation.

Drawing on the experience and methodology of DAC Peer Reviews, the Special Review was conceived as primarily a consultative process. The main objective was to inform and offer advice to the Czech authorities’ internal dialogue on the reform of the country’s ODA system.

Following the completion of the report, the Czech government organised a roundtable on 26-27 April 2007 bringing together all relevant decision makers and stakeholders involved in policy making and management of the Czech development co-operation programme, as well as development experts from the DAC. Prior to this, on 28 March, a workshop on the specific question of private sector engagement in ODA had been held in response to the findings and recommendations of the report.

The Special Review has contributed to, and made an important impact on, the debate on the rapidly evolving ODA in the Czech Republic at a time of important legal and institutional changes. 

For the DAC, which discussed the results of the review process at its meeting on 10 May, the completion of this review marked an important occasion of relevance even beyond the value, insights and experience gained on Czech development co-operation. As the DAC is committed to strengthening its work with donors outside the committee membership, special reviews of non-DAC donors offer a further tool for dialogue and mutual learning.