Services and structure

The central board of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation consists of six Directorates-General and six Staff Directorates and Directorates.

Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD)

The Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) looks after the various aspects of Belgian Development Cooperation. DGD falls under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Development Cooperation.
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As part of the modernisation of the federal government, the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) was integrated into the Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in 2002. The FPS was explicitly tasked with organising and elaborating development cooperation in accordance with the legal and regulatory framework.

The Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) looks after the various aspects of Belgian Development Cooperation. DGD falls under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Development Cooperation. 

DGD consists of four directorates and the Office of the Special Envoy for Asylum and Migration:

The Geographical Directorate DGeo is a brand new directorate that emerged from the merger of the directorates in charge of governmental and non-governmental cooperation. It is structured on a geographical basis so that each country manager, in cooperation with the missions, can have an overview and a constructive dialogue with the different actors on the ground who are partners in Belgian cooperation and who are present in a given country. The aim is to develop a strategic approach to cooperation in each country so that each player in the field can make the most of its added value and advise the Minister, FPS, missions and partners in this regard.

  • DGeo.0 - Support Service
  • DGeo.1 - World Citizenship
  • DGeo.2 - North Africa, Sahel and Arab world
  • DGeo.3 - West Africa
  • DGeo.4 - Central Africa
  • DGeo.5 - South and East Africa
  • DGeo.6 - Latin America and Asia

The Thematic Directorate D2 is responsible for the strategic definition, deployment and monitoring of Belgian thematic development tools for achieving development results;

  • D2.1 - UN Development System
  • D2.2 - Development Banks
  • D2.3 - European partnerships
  • D2.4 – Private sector
  • D2.5 - Society building and social development.

The Organisational Management Directorate D4 is responsible for supporting the DGD's strategic mission to improve organisational management, capacity development and transparency of Belgian development cooperation. D4 ensures the follow-up of the budget OS implementation in close cooperation with the Staff Directorate B&B and DGD services. It represents DGD in the FPS internal control network and coordinates and centralises the annual reporting to ACFO-CAAF (Audit Committee of the Federal Government) on the initiatives taken by DGD to improve the internal control system.

  • D4.0 - Financial cell
  • D4.1 - General Management
  • D4.2 - Data Management and Transparency
  • D4.3 - Organizational Control and Communication
  • D4.4 - Control of Grants

The Humanitarian Aid and Transition Directorate D5 is responsible for humanitarian actions and aid in the transition to development. It aims to bring together know-how and tools for transition situations in a coherent way.

  • D5.1 – Humanitarian aid
  • D5.2 – Transition to development and good governance

In addition to these five directorates, there is a Strategic Committee, which is charged with promoting the internal coherence of Belgian development policy, by developing policy proposals for the minister responsible for development cooperation, and maintaining dialogue with the various partners of Belgian Development Cooperation.