Taking stock of the last two years - Main contents

Looking back at the people, places and projects

Almost two years ago to the day I published my first blog post in my new role as European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development. So now seemed like a good time to mention a few personal highlights of these two years.

2015: a landmark year for international development

As I hinted at back then, 2015 was a huge year for all of us involved in development. The European Union and its Member States were at the helm of a number of landmark agreements - on development financing, sustainable development and the fight against climate change - which set a new framework for the future.

Recognising this, we nominated 2015 as the European Year for Development - the first ever to focus on external EU policy. And in another first we invited over 200 partners to take over our communication channels and tell their own development stories - almost 3,000 in total.

As well as talking about people and projects, we also pledged our commitment to remain the world's leading aid donor. In 2015 the Official Development Assistance (ODA) of the European Union and our Member States increased for the third year running and reached its highest-ever level yet at EUR 68 billion. While the EU accounts for approximately 10% of the world population and 20% of the global economy, we contribute around 60% of total ODA.

2016: setting the right path for the future of EU development

But it's not just about being the biggest, we should also strive to be the best. The first-ever EU results report published in 2016 will help us to review and realign our activity building on the lessons learnt.

Based on this report's feedback and consultations with our partners, 2016 was also a busy time of preparing a number of proposals on how EU development will help to deliver the global promises made in 2015. Watch this space, as I'll be blogging about this very soon!

Finally, 2016 marked the tenth anniversary of the European Development Days, with more participants from all walks of life than ever before, establishing it firmly as a major global forum on development.

2017 and beyond: important work still ahead

As well as setting a new policy direction, I want to ensure we make progress on some important cross-cutting priorities which are close to my heart.

Having promised to be the most vocal male feminist, I'm delighted that the other male Commissioners followed suit early into the life of the new Commission.

The fact that 1 girl under 15 is married every 7 seconds and that 1 in 3 women still suffer physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner, means we still have work to do. Our new Gender Action Plan shows our commitment to transforming the lives of women and girls.

Also high on my list of priorities are addressing the increasing gap in global inequality, both between and within countries, and improving access to renewable energy for millions of people across Africa.

My hope for the future

But I couldn't conclude this post without mentioning the amazing men, women and children I have met on my travels over 6 continents and 41 countries - from more than 60 Heads of State and Government, to the victims of gender-based violence in Ethiopia, or the street kids I saw in Senegal just last month. They are the reason after all why I will continue to fight for peace, prosperity and progress in the next three years of my mandate.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the hard-working colleagues and partners with whom we work tirelessly to make this ambition a reality.