Costa Rica has welcomed the decision by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) to begin a comprehensive review of its operations through four working groups. The country considers this process an important step for the committee to respond more effectively to the increasingly complex global development environment.
Costa Rica noted that the terms of reference for the review include principles of openness, inclusivity, and consensus-building. The country emphasized that these are fully aligned with the Seville Commitment, which aims to promote international cooperation that is more relevant, effective, and adapted to real needs.
Costa Rica expressed particular interest in Working Group 3, which focuses on eligibility and graduation processes. The country highlighted the importance of moving beyond frameworks based solely on per capita income and called for a more systematic integration of factors such as structural vulnerabilities, fiscal constraints, resilience gaps, and exposure to external shocks. According to Costa Rica, these elements are key to ensuring that international cooperation remains relevant and predictable for countries in transition.
The country also stressed the need for coherence between DAC Review outcomes and global efforts to update development metrics. It specifically pointed out the importance of close coordination with the United Nations High-Level Expert Group on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index Framework in order to improve accuracy, fairness, and consistency in decisions about eligibility and access to financing.
“A closer articulation between both processes will help avoid duplication, strengthen metric comparability, and improve credibility in the global cooperation system by providing clearer signals for countries undergoing transitions,” said a Costa Rican representative.
Costa Rica reiterated its willingness to actively contribute to Working Group 3 by sharing lessons from its own transition experience and participating in constructive dialogue aimed at strengthening a more balanced and effective international cooperation system.
The Costa Rican delegation included Ambassador Sergio Vinocour (Director of International Cooperation), Eduardo Salgado (Desk Officer for DAC at DCI), and Javier Rojas (Minister Counselor in France).
