OECD/DAC

For more than 60 years, the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has brought together the world’s most important donors. DAC sets the international standard for defining and recording Official Development Assistance (ODA) and generally plays a central agenda-setting role internationally in the area of development. The Committee works to maximise development results and impacts and to stimulate the mobilisation of additional resources, including from the private sector.

The overarching objective is to promote development cooperation and other relevant policies that contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development. DAC focuses, among other things, on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development, equality within and between countries, poverty reduction, improved living standards in developing countries, and climate challenges. The long-term goal is a future in which no country is dependent on development assistance.

In addition to defining and monitoring global standards and guidelines, DAC conducts regular so-called Peer Reviews of its members’ development cooperation. There are currently 33 DAC members.

At present, significant shifts are being experienced in the development and geopolitical landscape, which has prompted reflections on DAC’s future role in development work and the value the Committee creates—and can create—for both member countries and partners. Therefore, in 2025 DAC launched an inclusive reform process that addresses key questions and incorporates perspectives from both the membership and external stakeholders.

Concretely, the process is structured around four tracks concerning:

(1) Better, more transparent and more usable data;

(2) The role of ODA within the full spectrum of development finance;

(3) Country eligibility for ODA and the graduation process; and

(4) DAC’s ways of working.

No formal end date has been set for the process, but ongoing conclusions on the work in the four tracks are expected throughout 2026.

The Committee’s work is supported by the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD). In addition to DCD, the OECD Development Centre (DEV) is part of the OECD’s development cluster. DEV is a central platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing with developing countries and economies in transition and includes both DAC members and developing countries as members.