The selection criteria used when choosing cooperative countries:
- The country has to be considered a developing country for fellows to receive fellowships. The Official Developmental Assistance (ODA) class, as identified by the Developmental Assistance Committee of OECD, is used for guidance.
- Priority is given to countries facing severe land degradation and desertification problems
- Priority is given to countries where there is need for capacity building and training which the programme can offer
- Priority is given to countries where there exists infrastructure (institutions and organizations) where fellows can utilize their training
- Emphasis is on countries where Icelandic developmental cooperation is established
