North-South cooperation and its impact on developing countries

North-South cooperation is seen more as development aid than as international cooperation between two partners in the true sense of the term, because the lack of equality of power between the two parties creates a kind of imbalance in the general characteristics of cooperation. Donors must try to make aid more effective by becoming more selective in their choice of beneficiaries, encouraging greater participation by beneficiaries in the design and implementation of programmes, establishing closer coordination between them and adopting results-based programme management. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of these changes, which will probably influence aid programmes for some time to come. The concept of development appears to be more encompassing than that of growth, in that it implies growth, but beyond that, emphasises the satisfaction of basic needs, the reduction of inequalities, unemployment and poverty. Development cannot take place without growth, but ’growth without development’ is conceivable for some.