Austrian Development Agency GmbH (ADA) is the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation. On behalf of the Federal Government, it plans, finances and supports development programmes and projects in the countries of Africa, Asia, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. The goal of ADA is to improve conditions of life in developing countries and assist partner countries in their sustainable development. It also promotes projects in development communication and education in Austria to advance discussion on development cooperation.ADA is a public-benefit, non-profit, limited liability company headquartered in Vienna. It is owned by the Republic of Austria, represented by the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. Its objectives and tasks are laid down in the Federal Development Cooperation Act (DCA 2002) as amended in 2003. The respective Three-Year Programme on Austrian Development Policy sets the geographical and substantive priorities. As of 2021, the Austrian Development Agency is headed by Friedrich Stift.