Written evidence submitted by Karen Jorgensen,
Head, Review and Evaluation Division, Development Co-operation
Directorate, OECD, Paris
Delivering on its commitment to providing 0.7%
of GNI as ODA by 2013 will add to the UK's credibility. Enshrining
this target in legislation will deepen the UK's commitment to
international development, further enhance aid predictability,
and encourage other donors to deliver on their commitments.
— It is crucial that the UK delivers on
its ODA/GNI commitment to achieve the 0.7% target by 2013. The
G20 has reaffirmed, in London and in Pittsburg, the international
aid commitments so that they form an intrinsic part of the broader
global governance agenda and arrangements emerging in the wake
of the financial crisis and beyond. A rising and more predictable
flow of ODA is a key part of the overall effort by all countries—developed,
emerging, and less developed—to foster achievement of the
MDGs. More immediately, budgets of many developing countries were
hit hard by the rises in food and oil prices in the last two years.
Their fiscal space is becoming very limited. Whilst the full effects
and duration of the financial crisis are still to be seen, and
some low-income countries are resuming moderate growth paths,
it is important for aid to play a countercyclical role to help
balance the sharp reversal in overall flows to developing countries
and counter the long-term development impact of the global economic
crisis.
— Reaching the 0.7% target would send a
significant signal to the international community, underlining
the UK's leadership role. Only five countries (Denmark, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) have consistently met this
target, which was formally adopted by the UN General Assembly,
albeit with reservations by some DAC members, in 1968.[20]
Six other countries have committed themselves to a timeline to
reach this target before 2015: Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland,
Spain and the United Kingdom. In 2008, total net ODA from members
of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rose by 11.7%
in real terms to USD 121.5 billion. This represents 0.31%
of members' combined gross national income (and a DAC average
country effort of 0.48%). This is the highest dollar figure ever
recorded, but it is still a considerable way from the aggregate
commitments made, at a time when the UN Secretary General is calling
on world leaders to attend a summit in September 2010 to
boost efforts to achieve the MDGs. (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/summitstroy.shtml)
— The recognized global leadership role
of the UK in the area of development co-operation means that the
international community looks at how the UK delivers on its commitments.
This is all the more the case since the UK has strongly urged
other donors to announce and meet increased aid volume commitments
since 2004—when the UK was the first G8 country to
announce this ODA/GNI commitment. A legal act establishing 0.7%
of GNI as the UK ODA target to be achieved by 2013 would
put the UK ahead of the EU commitment (binding for EU members)
of achieving 0.7% by 2015. This would send a powerful message
to EU members who are struggling to meet their obligation, and
would add to the UK's credibility as a global leader on development.
— On the domestic side, this Act would
also serve to reinforce the value the UK is placing on development
vis-à-vis other priorities, recognizing that in a interdependent
world, prosperity, security and health in the UK are increasingly
inseparable from events far beyond its borders. The Act would
reinforce this message and will make it more difficult for a government
to renege on a commitment enshrined in law. This would also be
instrumental in budget discussions.
— The UK would thereby be one of the first
DAC members to have the ODA/GNI commitment enshrined in law. Just
over half the DAC member countries have passed legislation that
establishes the priorities and objectives of their development
co-operation. So far, only Belgium has a law that permanently
prescribes an ODA/GNI target (since 2002[21]).
Meanwhile other DAC members (Switzerland,[22]
Spain) are considering introducing legal commitments on an ODA/GNI
target; and others have long-standing government commitments to
do so.
5 February 2010
20 History of the 0.7% ODA Target, published
in the 2002 OECD/DAC Journal (Vol. 3, No. 4) Back
21
Belgium: The law of 31/12/2002 (Chapter 3 on development
cooperation, art 458) commits the government to present in a note
on solidarity the measures taken to ensure that 0.7% of GNI will
be allocated to Official Development Assistance (as defined by
the OECD/DAC) from 2010 at the latest.
http://www.dgci.be/fr/dgcd/documents_politiques/moniteur_loi_021231.pdf
Back
22
Switzerland: Parliament asked in 2009 the Federal Council
to outline a growth path to reach a 0.5% ODA/GNI ratio by 2015.
The Federal Council is preparing to put this proposal to parliament
through an additional bill. However, given the current financial
constraints the Federal Council will ask for additional means
from parliament for the Multilateral Development Banks as from
2013 only. Back
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