Denmark

Background

The bilateral relations between the AfDB and Denmark date back to 1973 when Denmark became a member of the African Development Fund (ADF). Denmark joined the ADB on December 30, 1982. As of today, three technical cooperation agreements have been signed with Denmark. The first two agreements were signed in 1978 and 1994, respectively, for DKK 20 million (approx. UA 2.462 million).

Through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the Danish government, in 2002, granted the AfDB DKK 15 million (currently approximately 1,846,000 UA*) to assist in the preparation and implementation of development projects and programmes carried out by the Bank in its Regional Member Countries. The Fund is 75% tied to Danish consultancy services.

Joint Initiatives

  • Mainly five different sectors have received funding from the Danish Consultancy Trust Fund. The largest sectors include the environment, natural resources management and renewable energy, accounting for 27% of resource allocations to date. In addition, resources have also been allocated to funding a technical assistance expert and gender and governance profiles.
  • The Trust Fund, among others, supported the development of AfDB projects in the field of land degradation, a review of Bank Assistance to sub-regional development finance institutions and an assessment of the Bank’s support to HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Africa.

Formal agreements and financial contributions

  • first cooperation agreement was signed with Denmark in 1978. Two other agreements were, subsequently, signed with Denmark in 1994 and 2002. Denmark has contributed DKK 16,620,682 (= UA 2 million) to the Danish Consultancy Trust Fund (75% tied) since 2002.
  • The Danish foreign affairs ministry contributes US$ 1.28 million to the Nordic Trust Fund for Governance (US$ 5.24 million) since 2002. The Trust Fund has financed 40 activities for a total amount of approximately US$ 5.18 million since 2002. The Bank is negotiating the replenishment of a new multi-donor untied Trust Fund for Governance with Denmark.
  • Denmark’s contribution to African Water Facility (AWF), Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) and the Multi-Donor Water Partnerships Programme (MDWPP) amounts to UA 33.3 million over the 2005-2009 period. Denmark provides a socio-economist/gender technical assistant to the AWF.
  • Denmark contributes US$ 0.5 million to the NEPAD-Infrastructure Project Formulation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF).
  • From July 2007 to April 2008, Denmark seconded a natural resources management expert to support the Bank’s preparation of the 2007 African Development Report on Natural Resources Management as well as the development of other knowledge products.

* Unit of Account. 1UA =US$1.4883

AfDB- Denmark partnership and cooperation focal point

Veronica Giardina
Senior Cooperation Officer
Partnerships and Cooperation Unit (ORRU)
Email: v.giardina@afdb.org
Tel: (216) 71 10 2519

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