The Government provides assistance through the aid programme to over ninety countries worldwide. Nine have been designated as Programme Countries, where we have a commitment to long term strategic assistance. These are Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam and Timor Leste. The development objectives for each of the Programme Countries are outlined in agreed country strategy papers, typically covering a period of five years. In recent years, Ireland and other donors have moved towards a more programmatic approach to aid, aligned with the national planning of partner countries. Priorities and strategies for engagement are based on the particular circumstances in each country, and on Ireland's strong overarching focus on the fight against global poverty and hunger.
Within this overall context, our development priorities concentrate on basic needs, including those in the key social sectors of health and education, and in the fight against HIV and AIDS. We also focus on the productive sectors, including rural development, the private sector and support for livelihoods. The aid programme places a particular emphasis on building democracy and good governance, and on promoting respect for human rights. This year, the Government has provided €198 million in funding for the programme budgets for our priority countries. Additional funding is channelled to the Programme Countries through Irish Aid funding for the activities and programmes of Non-Governmental Organisations, through our contributions to multilateral agencies, and in response to emergencies and humanitarian disasters, as necessary.
The Government will provide a total of €671 million for Official Development Assistance in 2010. On current projections, this will represent 0.52% of GNP, maintaining the level we expect to achieve for 2009. Decisions on the overall allocations to each of the nine programme countries have not yet been finalised. Through our Embassies, we are engaging in dialogue with our partners on the most effective way to deliver our programmes in 2010 in line with the priorities already agreed with them. The people of Ireland can be proud that, despite the enormous economic difficulties over the past year, we are delivering an internationally recognised aid programme which is sharply focused on the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger in some of the poorest countries, especially in Africa. I can assure the House that the standards achieved by the programme will be maintained in 2010 and subsequent years.