On June 20, 2014, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu addressed the conference on international development entitled “International Development Cooperation: Trends and Emerging Opportunities-Perspectives of the New Actors” which is organized by TİKA and UNDP.

Referring to the political and economic developments in the aftermath of the 2008 global economic crisis, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu underlined the importance of development programs and the UNDP with respect to the UN reform in political terms, prevention of polarization in cultural terms and realization of social justice in economical terms.

Talking about Turkey’s development assistance and the efforts of the TİKA in the field, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu pointed out that last year Turkey’s development assistance has exceeded 3,2 billion Dollars.

Recalling the agreement to open UNDP’s Regional Service Centre in Istanbul, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said that the UN considers İstanbul as a UN city and this signals the role played by Istanbul within the scope of international peace.

Noting that in 2015 Turkey will both host the world’s 20 most developed economies on the occasion of the G20 Summit and the least developed economies a the Least Developed Countries Review Conference and in 2016 Turkey will host the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu stressed that these events demonstrate the importance attached by Turkey to the global development.

Speech of H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Conference on “International Development Cooperation: Trends and Emerging Opportunities -Perspectives of the New Actors”, 20 June 2014, Istanbul