Spanish cooperation: when words matter, but are not enough to change the world

Spain has an essential "toolbox," called the Cooperation Law. But at a time of cutbacks by the United States and other donors, when needs and conflicts are multiplying, and when it's clear that the global solidarity system requires profound reforms, this regulatory framework approved in 2023 is not enough, even though it "makes more sense than ever."

This week, political representatives from various parties, NGOs, and members of civil society—many of the founders of this law—spoke in a meeting where they emphasized above all what remains to be done. For example, the need to find new ways to finance solidarity, the obligation to translate Spain's advocacy of global justice into more resources, and the duty to explain more and better to citizens why development aid must be non-negotiable.

"This law is our toolbox to address past and present challenges. In this challenging time , we have part of the work done," said Eva Granados, Secretary of State for International Cooperation, at this meeting held at the Congress of Deputies in Madrid.

"This law reflects years of struggle, of experiences in the streets, of proposals, and of hope, but it also makes us aware that there is still a long way to go. We will not resign ourselves to the withdrawal of solidarity ," confirmed Susana Ros, president of the International Development Cooperation Committee of the Congress of Deputies.

What has happened since the law was enacted in 2023, after receiving votes from all parties except VOX? Decisions have been made to make the system more efficient, starting with the approval of a new Statute for the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), a Statute for Cooperating Persons , and the reform of the subsidy regulations. At the same time, Spain has also increased its volume of Development Aid (ODA), although it remains far from the target of 0.7% of its GDP by 2030, as expressed in the 2023 law.

We greatly value Spain's defense of multilateralism, global solidarity, feminism, and the fight against climate change, but we cannot ignore the fact that this rhetoric is not reflected in the actual budget.

Rosaria Arbore, NGO Coordinator

"But our level of influence far exceeds these figures. They're looking for us, they're watching us," asserted Antón Leis, director of AECID, referring to Spain's position against cuts in cooperation and with a very strong discourse in favor of multilateralism and global justice.

Of the thirty members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a kind of thermometer for measuring our commitment to global solidarity, only four exceeded the 0.7% of GDP barrier in 2024. These are Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Denmark. The average is 0.33% of GDP, which represents a 7% decline compared to the previous year, and Spain is in 22nd place, with 0.25%.

"We greatly value Spain's defense of multilateralism, global solidarity, feminism, and the fight against climate change, but we cannot ignore the fact that this rhetoric doesn't translate into the actual budget, although there has also been progress there that we commend," clarified Rosaria Arbore, finance spokesperson for the Spanish Coordinator of Development Organizations, the organizer of this meeting.

Mobilize new funds

"We must continue moving forward with our cooperation reforms, and of course, we must continue advancing toward 0.7% of GDP. And to do so, we need more resources," Leis admitted, recalling that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently assured that the increase in defense spending will be achieved without cutting cooperation . "It's not a minor issue, and we can look around us and compare," he stated.

Solutions and collective responsibility in the face of this decline in resources will be the key themes of the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Seville from June 30 to July 3.

"Cooperation is essential. We have said it and we will say it in Seville. But development aid alone is not enough, and we are working to mobilize new funds and resources," Granados admitted.

"It's essential to find alternatives and extraordinary financing mechanisms because otherwise, the 0.7% will be impossible to achieve," Arbore confirmed. "It's not about reaching a certain number, but because with 0.7%, we believe we can achieve a better world where people live decent lives," he added.

Cooperation is essential. We've said it and we'll say it again in Seville. But development aid alone isn't enough, and we're working to mobilize new funds and resources.

Eva Granados, Secretary of State

According to the OECD, the setbacks in 2025 will be even more severe than last year, due to the cuts in official development aid announced by major donors such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden. Added to this are the decisions announced at the end of January by Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and reduced his country's cooperation agency, USAID, to a minimum.

The Spanish NGO Coordinator estimates a decline of 9% and 17% from 2024 to 2025 if all the cuts are confirmed. "How can we prevent this from happening? We have to decide what is essential and what we can absorb. This is the reality, and we can't just stick our heads in a hole and pretend nothing is happening," Leis said, emphasizing that the cooperation system is highly fragmented and therefore less effective. "We have the opportunity to create a smaller global cooperation system, but with the potential to be more powerful," he added.

Along the same lines, Gonzalo Robles, president of the Senate's Cooperation Committee, former director of AECID, and a veteran in the field, recalled that Spanish cooperation "has been built from the bottom up."

"Now our main challenge is to tell people the truth: that if there's no money, there will be unvaccinated children, untreated AIDS patients, and deaths. We must be clear about what's strategic and what we can't give up on. Because if these issues aren't addressed, the world will be worse," he said.

The advantage of decentralized cooperation

Aid financed and provided by and through the autonomous communities, provincial councils, and city councils is seen as normal in Spain, but a rare initiative in other donor countries. It was conceived 30 years ago, with protests and demonstrations in support of the 0.7% across Spain, and has steadily gained momentum to become a key element of solidarity.

For Pedro Carceller, Director of Cooperation at the Valencian Government, decentralized cooperation, contemplated and recognized in the 2023 law, is a "fundamental factor" in this time of crisis. "Its closeness to citizens serves to generate a transformative reality," stated the official, who acknowledged the weight of internal pressures experienced in some autonomous communities governed by coalitions.

According to the latest available data, the average allocation to cooperation by the autonomous communities stands at 0.12% , compared to 0.13% in 2023. Some regions have made significant cuts, such as Aragon and Andalusia. In others, such as Madrid, the Canary Islands, Murcia, and Castilla-La Mancha, less than three euros per person per year is allocated to cooperation.

We have the opportunity to create a smaller, but more powerful, system of global cooperation.

Antón Leis, AECID

Teresa Laespada, Bizkaia's provincial deputy and head of the Cooperation Department, has always believed that solidarity "was not something that could be cut." Over the last 10 years, her provincial council's contribution to development has grown by 80% while its budget has increased by 40%. Today, the provincial council allocates 0.57% of its own management budget to cooperation, more than double the national average.

"We're two or three million euros away from 0.7%," said the Socialist MP at this meeting, aware of the obstacles ahead, such as reconciling everyone's interests when governing in a coalition and maintaining citizen motivation.

"I want the public to feel this as their own business and get involved. We need to find different ways to work on cooperation, perhaps focusing on specific projects where we can clearly show citizens where their money goes," he concluded.