How do you see Hungary playing a role in international development?

HUGUETTE LABELLE Hungary is now returning to become a donor, part of that big community of people who work together to try to really make a difference around the world. And it has a lot to offer because it has gone through a transition. Having lived through that, Hungary is in a much better position than most donors to be able to assist the more than 100 poor countries in the world to make the transition into having a much higher quality of life. That transition experience is vital – and it can be tremendously useful.

Another reason that Hungary is sitting at the donors’ table following its accession to the EU, it is – relatively speaking – a rich country, being in the top quarter, according to the Human Development Index of the United Nations. And I am sure that the people of Hungary would expect to be part of the community that is trying very hard to reduce poverty significantly, and to assist with human rights.

Many or even most Hungarians perceive Hungary as a poor country still rightfully on the receiving end of aid. Are they incorrect?

HUGUETTE LABELLE Hungary has some people who are not at the top level of income or have no income. So do we in Canada. You know, the unemployment rate in Hungary is lower than in Canada, although we have pockets of much higher unemployment as well. However, relatively speaking, we are both doing well in this world: we are rich. So rich that we cannot afford to live beside abject poverty and believe that we can continue in the state of well being that we are in.

Since most of Hungary’s contribution to development will consist of sharing its transition experiences, it is important to make this efficient. When Hungary was actually going through transition, it received a lot of aid from richer countries in the form of conferences and study tours abroad - often treated by participants as free holidays. How can Hungary ensure that the experiences it shares are pertinent in other countries?

HUGUETTE LABELLE There has been an evolution in the way that international cooperation is conducted. Of course, study tours – depending on what the purpose is – can be very valuable, but I think that what we are looking for in our support of the developing countries is to really work very closely with the countries according to their priorities and their needs. Now they decide where they want to start development. Then the international community joins together to see what part they can best play in the developing country’s plan.

Another thing we have learned is that to really make a difference, cooperation has to be long lasting.

If, for example, a country decides that education is one of its top priorities, then the international community needs to do more than give technical assistance. The schools are needed, the teachers need to be prepared, the communities need to be involved so that the parents understand why they should send their children to school. There have to be tools that are adapted to that country and the language of that country and so on. Every aspect of development is integrated both horizontally and vertically. To advance education, for example, laws might need to be changed, growing education might affect the health of the people. You have to look at the development of a country with the country in its entirety. Study tours could become an important part of that. You might want to take some of the leaders in the education department to see how Hungary has been doing in that.

Hungary did not have to do that. At the time of its transition, Hungary was already a country at a high level of development in many respects. So people went to other countries to see how things were done there, then went home and decided what they could apply and what they could not, because a lot of what they saw elsewhere of course would not have made sense in this country. But it broadens their perspectives when they think another country’s solutions through. Recipes don’t really work, people have to adapt what they see to their situation.

Accepting cash aid from richer countries is easy. But with more sophisticated development tools such as trade, war-torn and politically unstable countries receiving aid must be politically mature to do their part in development. How do you help people who are not sure they want change?

HUGUETTE LABELLE What we have found with the well over 100 countries we have worked with is that they do want assistance. They know they need assistance, because it is a question of being able to start on the right path to development. There was a period when it was felt that there was no need for development cooperation, what you needed was trade. But it was then found that investments will go to countries that have a welleducated population and a strong infrastructure. So investment went to the developed world, with only 1 percent of world investment going in Sub-Saharan Africa. But a country that does not produce quality goods cannot sell anything on the international market. So trade is important, but it will only happen if there is a system that investors see as stable. Establishing this is where international cooperation is vital. If you have the legal, fiscal and infrastructural aspects in hand, investment will come on their own.