On 8 and 9 September 2025, Latvia participated for the first time in the high-level Tidewater meeting of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) held in Reykjavik, Iceland. The meeting took place during the process of DAC change, focusing on issues regarding the future role of the DAC and the importance of standards for official development assistance (ODA) in the context of global developments. The backdrop for the discussions is budget cuts for development cooperation in some member states, fragmentation of aid, and an increasing role of the private sector and international financial institutions.
The Tidewater meeting took place at the beginning of the DAC mandate review process with the aim of understanding member states' views on three main areas of action – desired changes to development financing standards, more systematic engagement of partner countries, international organizations and other partners in DAC formats, and improving the effectiveness of development assistance.
Latvia was represented at the meeting by Ivita Burmistre, Under Secretary for Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also moderated one of the working groups on DAC cooperation with partners. Ivita Burmistre emphasized that the DAC should use partner involvement in a more strategic way and provide clearer conditions for partner participation in various DAC formats so that development cooperation donors hear the current needs of partner countries and can respond to them in a coordinated manner. In order to significantly increase the effectiveness of support, Latvia has already focused on strengthening a monitoring and evaluation system for its development cooperation activities.
In the coming months, the DAC, based on the results of the Tidewater meeting, intends to continue negotiations with partner countries, international organizations and financial institutions, as well as civil society at the expert level, in order to arrive at a revised proposal for the DAC mandate, which will be decided on at the next DAC High-Level Meeting (HLM) in 2026.
Background information
DAC Tidewater meetings have been held since 1968, attended by senior officials in charge of development cooperation in donor countries. The theme of the 2025 meeting was introduced by the DAC HLM held this past 20 March, at which the DAC member states underlined global changes in the management of development cooperation and the level of support, necessitating adaptation by the DAC in order to maintain its international importance.
Latvia joined the DAC this past 19 March and attended the HLM the day after becoming a full member of the committee. Participation in the Tidewater meeting is an opportunity for Latvia to contribute, together with the largest donors of development cooperation, to discussions and decision-making on the future functioning of the DAC and development aid standards.