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UK government's failure to legislate on aid a 'broken promise'


Chris Bain

Chris Bain

Aid and development agencies expressed their concern today that the government once again has not kept its pledge to enshrine in law the principal that 0.7 per cent on national income should go on overseas aid. Instead some have expressed fears that some of the aid budget could be diverted to fund military peacekeeping missions.

CAFOD’s director Chris Bain said: “The 0.7 per cent legislation is designed to insulate the commitment to aid from the pressures of day-to-day politics, so it is all the more disappointing that – that for the third time during the coalition government - it appears to have fallen victim to those pressures.

“Of course, what is of paramount importance is that the UK meets and maintains its historic commitment to give 0.7 per cent of national income on aid to the poorest communities in the world, and persuades other countries around the world to follow suit. And the UK government must be praised for hitting that target this year.

"But the legislation remains vital in order to cement that commitment for future generations, and we will therefore continue to push for it to be put into law as this session unfolds, and for the rest of this Parliament.

“In the whole of this debate, we must never forget the transformative role that well-targeted aid can play in people’s lives, for example, giving people access to the basic needs of life like safe water and sanitation as well as shifting the balance of power within the broken food system so that small-scale farmers have a decent chance of making a living.”

Christian Aid’s senior UK political adviser Sol Oyuela said: "Failing to enshrine in law the principle that 0.7 per cent of GNI should go on overseas aid is a broken promise. Legislating to that effect was a manifesto pledge by all three major parties which now seems consigned to permanent postponement.

"The Government is to be applauded for reaching aid spending of 0.7 per cent this year, even though recent reports suggest it is under pressure to broaden areas where the money can be spent to include such things as military peacekeeping missions. But there are important reasons why "But there are important reasons why legislation is needed. Academic analysis shows that a key determinant of aid impact is predictable financing. Aid at present is notoriously unpredictable, with commitments made and not met, and frequent reversals over time rather than steady flows to individual countries. Legislation would have countered that."

Source: CAFOD/Christian Aid

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