In 2023, Basque institutions earmarked over €83 million for cooperation and solidarity initiatives.

• The Basque Public Cooperation Portal is a comprehensive resource for information on solidarity initiatives with countries in the Global South.
• The data has been sourced from the following organisations: the eLankidetza-Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity, the three provincial councils, the city councils of the three Basque capitals, Zarautz Town Council and Euskal Fondoa.

In 2023, Basque public development cooperation institutions provided support for 1,299 active initiatives in 65 countries, in addition to the Basque Country. In total, 83.6 million euros were allocated, with the funds managed by 238 Basque NGOs and 361 organisations from impoverished countries. The recently published report, Basque Cooperation in Figures 2023, available on the Basque Public Cooperation Portal, for further details on these figures.

The Basque Public Cooperation Portal is an inter-institutional initiative involving eLankidetza-Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity of the Basque Government, the three provincial councils, the city councils of the three Basque capitals, Zarautz Town Council, which has joined as a new agent, and the Association of Cooperating Basque Local Bodies-Euskal Fondoa.  The initiative is supported by the Hegoa Institute of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).

This tool provides information on the solidarity initiatives supported by these nine institutions, which are the most significant funders of development cooperation initiatives, humanitarian and emergency action, and education for social transformation in the Basque Country.

Some Highlights

In 2023, in terms of regional distribution, the Americas received 51.65% of the funds, with Sub-Saharan Africa receiving 25.87%.

The principal recipient countries of Basque solidarity were Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador and Peru. The Basque Country was the fifth largest recipient of funds, having been selected as a beneficiary of both education for social transformation initiatives and continued support for the Ukrainian population in the Basque Country. The primary source of funding was the Basque Government, which established financial assistance programmes, reception networks and psychosocial support programmes for refugees and their families.

It is also notable that 4.6% of funds were allocated to Palestine, largely due to the prevailing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A total of 2.5 million euros was allocated to humanitarian and emergency action projects in support of the Palestinian population.

Similarly, for the second consecutive year, the report assesses the role of Basque public cooperation institutions in advancing the 2030 Agenda. The main contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were to gender equality (SDG 5, 27%), peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16, 19.36%) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10, 9.50%).

A total of 83.6 million euros was disbursed, with 62.47 million euros allocated to international development cooperation initiatives and 17.99% directed towards humanitarian and emergency action to support populations facing humanitarian crises.

A total of 9.9 million euro was allocated, 11.88% of the funds, for social transformation initiatives in education in the Basque Country. Most of the work was focused on training and awareness-raising, with almost half of the initiatives falling within the field of informal education.

A joint transparency initiative

The Basque Public Cooperation Portal, launched in 2018, is an inter-institutional initiative designed to enhance transparency and facilitate the harmonisation and coordination of cooperation and solidarity initiatives within the Basque Country. Furthermore, it serves as a valuable research instrument in this field.

The website provides comprehensive information on the primary Basque public agents responsible for allocating resources to cooperation initiatives and the projects developed by year, their geographical location, the institution, and the NGOs involved. Furthermore, it collates supplementary data that illustrates the Basque Country's collective commitment to public solidarity through graphical representations and analysis.