Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a dual role in development co-operation, as both a provider and a beneficiary. Costa Rica provides development co-operation as technical co-operation through bilateral and regional initiatives considered triangular and South-South co-operation. In 2022, Costa Rica provided technical co-operation notably to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Uruguay.

Costa Rica’s development co-operation focuses on providing technical assistance through South-South and triangular co-operation. The Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (Mideplan) is the institution in charge of implementing Costa Rica’s international co-operation based on the objectives noted in the 2023-2026 National Plan for Development (PNDIP), which focuses on poverty, inequality and the environment. Article 10 of Decree No. 37735 establishes the PNDIP as the framework to define the objectives, policies, goals, programmes and strategies that Mideplan co-ordinates in collaboration with other institutions in the National Planning System. The 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also provide a framework for implementing the PNDIP.

Costa Rica is a member of the International Forum on TOSSD. As a provider of South-South co-operation, Costa Rica has been reporting on Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) since its inception in 2020 on 2019 activities.

Costa Rica reported USD 643 000 in support of sustainable development in the form of cross-border resources to TOSSD recipients.

In 2022, Costa Rica’s support to sustainable development mainly contributed to advancing SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 15 (life on land).

In 2022, all cross-border resources provided by Costa Rica were allocated by country or region. In total, Costa Rica’s cross-border flows benefited eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, most notably Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

In 2022, over a half (52%) of Costa Rica’s cross-border flows fostered general environmental protection in TOSSD recipients, amounting to USD 334 000. USD 241 000 (38%) targeted social infrastructure and services, most of which were allocated to supporting government and civil society (USD 168 000) and health (USD 67 000).

With its dual role in development co-operation, Costa Rica engages in triangular co-operation. Its reporting to TOSSD shows its regional priority is Latin America. Its main beneficiaries are Ecuador and the American region. The main sector is general environmental protection. Costa Rica disbursed USD 3.5 million in 2022.

In addition, Costa Rica implements the European Union-Costa Rica-Latin America and the Caribbean Triangular Cooperation Fund, within the framework of ADELANTE 2. The fund distributes its resources in to:

  1. 1. ecological transition, green recovery and decarbonisation.

  2. 2. digitalisation and innovation.

  3. 3. other areas of co-operation consistent with the achievement of the SDGs (migration, gender, anti-trafficking, culture and development, health, and justice).

Learn more about triangular co-operation.

The Directorate General for International Co-operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Co-operation Area of Mideplan manage Costa Rica’s incoming and outgoing development co-operation. Mideplan is responsible for formulating, negotiating, co-ordinating, approving and evaluating technical assistance programmes in line with the National Development Plan. It forwards requests for technical assistance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which assesses whether such requests are consistent with Costa Rica’s foreign policy and presents them to the relevant governments and international bodies.1 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents Costa Rica in international co-operation, having exclusive competence in diplomatic negotiations and formalising development co-operation agreements. Mideplan is responsible for internal leadership in matters of international co-operation, having exclusive competence for the management and technical negotiation of international co-operation with national entities, agencies and institutions, to ensure it is consistent with the National Development Plan. Ministries and public sector institutions use an international co-operation liaison system (the National Co-operation Subsystem) to contact Mideplan when implementing an international co-operation project.2

Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (2020), Costa Rican International Co-operation Policies 2020-2022, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy, San José, https://documentos.mideplan.go.cr/share/s/eAVw_dAZR32hT9pEmxtkfA.

Government of Costa Rica (2018), International Co-operation Projects Management System, Ministry of Planning and Economic Policy, San José.

Costa Rica has been a member of the OECD since 2021. Costa Rica participates regularly in the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Senior-Level and High-Level Meetings and participated in the LAC-DAC Dialogue on Development Co-operation in 2021.

Costa Rica has been part of the TOSSD International Task Force since its inception in 2017 and is now a member of the International Forum on TOSSD. It conducted a TOSSD pilot study in 2018.3 It has been reporting to TOSSD since 2020, on 2019 data.

Notes

← 1. According to Article 11 of National Planning Law No. 5525 of 1974 and amendments thereto.

← 2. According to Article 15 of Executive Decree No. 35056-PLAN-RE “Regulation of Article 11 of the National Planning Law No. 5525 of May 2, 1974” of 12 November 2008.

← 3. See: https://www.tossd.org/pilot-studies-data-stories.

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