Mixed response to British government aid strategy document
-14/07/06
The UK governmen
Mixed response to British government aid strategy document
-14/07/06
The UK governmentís White Paper flagging up its plans for future legislation on international aid has received a mixed response from development and church organizations involved in the struggle against global poverty.
Charles Abugre, head of policy for Christian Aid, the British-based ecumenical aid and advocacy agency, said that he found the paper both positive and disappointing in equal measure.
He said it was commendable to see that Tony Blairís government was serious about following through on its development commitments, particularly in enshrining 0.7 per cent of GDP of its annual aid budget.
ìHowever in certain key areas the government has proved overly timid in pursuing its reform agenda,î added Mr Abugre.
The greatest disappointment, says Christian Aid, is the governmentís failure to deal with the UKís complicity in its endeavours tackle corruption in developing countries.
Critics say it is completely silent on the British governmentís own commitment within the Africa Commission report to take action to repatriate illicitly acquired funds and assets.
ìThe focus is all on Africa. But it takes two to tango ñ UK companies have the power to encourage corruption, by paying bribes, and therefore the government has the power to tackle it. We must focus on our own backyard as much as focusing on Africa,î explained Mr Abugre.
He went on: ìIt is also good that the paper acknowledges for the first time the threat that climate change poses to poor people but the paper lacks vision.î
ìGiven the scale of the impending disaster the government should have moved away from its ìgrowth is always goodî mantra and tried to find a way to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions that also reduced poverty,î he declared.
Mr Abugre added that the government had missed a trick in not hitting hard enough at the old fashioned architecture of global institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
ìThese institutions should be dragged into the 21st century and made into genuine instruments that work for poverty reduction,î he said.
According to Christian Aid and other commentators, one of the most serious omissions from the White Paper was lack of any firm action in plugging the gap of illegal monies haemorrhaging from Africa.
ìBritain attracts billions of dollars every year of global capital flight from poor countries into its tax shelters. Tony Blair promised he would trace these and then retrieve them. This paper shows he has done neither,î said Charles Abugre.
[Also on Ekklesia: Facing corruption as global issue – Christian Aid responds to those who say the anti-poverty lobby is ignoring corruption; Journalist says Christian Aid ignores tyranny; Christian Aid vindicated over Iraqís ëMissing Billionsí; Kenyan bishops call on government to eliminate corruption; Party leaders address world poverty; Rebel prelate condemns ‘corrupt’ church collusion with Mugabe]
Mixed response to British government aid strategy document
-14/07/06
The UK governmentís White Paper flagging up its plans for future legislation on international aid has received a mixed response from development and church organizations involved in the struggle against global poverty.
Charles Abugre, head of policy for Christian Aid, the British-based ecumenical aid and advocacy agency, said that he found the paper both positive and disappointing in equal measure.
He said it was commendable to see that Tony Blairís government was serious about following through on its development commitments, particularly in enshrining 0.7 per cent of GDP of its annual aid budget.
ìHowever in certain key areas the government has proved overly timid in pursuing its reform agenda,î added Mr Abugre.
The greatest disappointment, says Christian Aid, is the governmentís failure to deal with the UKís complicity in its endeavours tackle corruption in developing countries.
Critics say it is completely silent on the British governmentís own commitment within the Africa Commission report to take action to repatriate illicitly acquired funds and assets.
ìThe focus is all on Africa. But it takes two to tango ñ UK companies have the power to encourage corruption, by paying bribes, and therefore the government has the power to tackle it. We must focus on our own backyard as much as focusing on Africa,î explained Mr Abugre.
He went on: ìIt is also good that the paper acknowledges for the first time the threat that climate change poses to poor people but the paper lacks vision.î
ìGiven the scale of the impending disaster the government should have moved away from its ìgrowth is always goodî mantra and tried to find a way to achieve a reduction in carbon emissions that also reduced poverty,î he declared.
Mr Abugre added that the government had missed a trick in not hitting hard enough at the old fashioned architecture of global institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
ìThese institutions should be dragged into the 21st century and made into genuine instruments that work for poverty reduction,î he said.
According to Christian Aid and other commentators, one of the most serious omissions from the White Paper was lack of any firm action in plugging the gap of illegal monies haemorrhaging from Africa.
ìBritain attracts billions of dollars every year of global capital flight from poor countries into its tax shelters. Tony Blair promised he would trace these and then retrieve them. This paper shows he has done neither,î said Charles Abugre.
[Also on Ekklesia: Facing corruption as global issue – Christian Aid responds to those who say the anti-poverty lobby is ignoring corruption; Journalist says Christian Aid ignores tyranny; Christian Aid vindicated over Iraqís ëMissing Billionsí; Kenyan bishops call on government to eliminate corruption; Party leaders address world poverty; Rebel prelate condemns ‘corrupt’ church collusion with Mugabe]