*24 Decision Taken at the Köln Summit to Provide Assistance for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries ( HIPCs )

It was decided at the Köln Summit that international debt relief should be provided to the most heavily indebted poor countries ( HIPCs ) under the existing framework for international debt relief (the so-called "HIPCs Initiative". The debt reduction ratio was increased to 100% in the case of bilateral ODA, and other measures of debt relief were expanded and improved.