NGO urges UK to take the lead in Europe on aid delivery

Leading international development agency, World Vision, is urging the UK Government to lead the way in Europe in delivering on overseas aid promises.

The NGO today voiced grave concerns over the lack of progress made by EU member countries in meeting their targets to increase the volume and quality of aid to developing countries by 2010.

OECD DAC (Development Aid Committee) figures released today show a marked shortfall in EU aid – if current trends continue EU member states will not deliver on their promise to give at least 0.56% of GNI in overseas development aid by 2010.  Commitment to this target is a vital injection towards the eradication of extreme poverty and the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals by 2015.

World Vision is calling on the Government to publish a clear year-by-year timetable showing how the UK commitment to give 0.7% of GNI as aid by 2013 will be achieved and “to take a lead” within the EU to ensure that aid promises remain on track to meet the 2015 MDG targets.

Besi Mpepo, senior economic justice policy adviser for World Vision, said:

“Although the UK has made commitments to increase aid in the next three years, the disappointing figures for 2007 undermine the Government’s claims to be a leader in Europe on this issue.  “The percentage of ‘real’ aid must increase substantially in order for the UK and other EU member countries to continue to progress towards the MDG targets.  It is unacceptable that, up to 30,000 children are still dying every day - that’s around 18 children  every minute – because of malnutrition, preventable illness and the other related causes of extreme poverty.  The sad thing is that the governments who pledged to give these kids a future, are still falling short of their own set targets.”

World Vision also urged the Department for International Development (DFID) to continue to improve the effectiveness and accountability of its bilateral programme.

While welcoming the measures already taken by the UK Government on the poverty focus of aid, the increased use of country systems and the emphasis on country ownership, World Vision says DFID can, and must, do better by taking a leadership role across Europe through best practices in aid delivery and by not allowing their own targets to slip.

“As shown by the recent UK/France announcement, partnership between European leaders can achieve remarkable results for people living in poverty, especially children and women,” said Besi Mpepo. “All EU donors now need to set out clear timetables for the delivery of their aid commitments and ensure they are delivered in line with the Paris principles of aid effectiveness, with Britain leading by example.

“The upcoming G8 summit in Japan offers a good opportunity to translate past and current commitments into concrete plans to achieve results for million of children, affected by HIV and AIDS and women still living in poverty and dying in childbirth.” Mpepo concluded.

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Note to Editors

  1. CONCORD's European Aid Watch Report will be published on 22nd May, and will include a detailed analysis of the degree to which European aid was inflated in 2007
  2. In 2005, all OECD donors signed the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which included a set of indicators and targets to improve the effectiveness of aid.  They will meet again in September 2008 in Accra at the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to assess progress and make new commitments. A recent report from Eurodad (http://www.eurodad.org/whatsnew/reports.aspx?id=2166) showed that much still needs to be done if donors are to live up to these commitments to make aid more effective and accountable
  3. World Vision is a Christian charity and one of the world’s leading relief and development agencies, currently helping more than 100 million people in nearly 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs
  4. For interviews with Betsy Mpepo or more information or pictures, please contact:

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