Leading charities have snubbed a key UK international development pledge, causing embarrassment for the government at a high-profile conference in London. Six major development organisations confirmed to The Independent that they will not sign the 'Global Partnerships Compact', a document the government had billed as a framework for future partnerships in development.
Conference Background
The UK's Global Partnerships Conference was intended as a landmark event, showcasing bold new approaches to international development following the government's decision to slash the aid budget by 40 per cent. As the two-day event concluded on Wednesday, however, it risked ending in fresh embarrassment for the government after six leading international NGOs declined to sign the compact.
Government's Vision
Development Minister Jenny Chapman described the compact as a shared commitment to working faster, more openly, and in true partnership. In her opening address, she stated, "I hope the themes that it captures – from finance, technology and shifting the power – all resonate as we look to development cooperation in the decades ahead." The final wording includes calls for enhanced development financing, overseas aid, equitable diversified partnerships, and sharing of technologies, data, and innovations between countries.
Charities' Concerns
Oxfam GB told The Independent it would not sign due to the limited scope. "It does not reference human and gender rights, shrinking civil society space, and the 'leave no one behind' principle," the charity said. "The content on climate and nature, and humanitarian aid, is also limited."
Liz Bradshaw, senior advocacy advisor at Save the Children UK, confirmed their refusal. "From Somalia to Afghanistan, aid cuts by countries like the UK are threatening to cripple our ability to respond to growing needs, with children bearing the brunt," she said. "While we have not signed the compact at this stage, we will continue to watch closely how it is used by the UK government to drive real change for vulnerable children around the world."
A spokesperson for CARE International also declined, describing the language as "generalised commitments" that will not drive needed change. Dorothy Sang, head of advocacy at CARE International UK, added that the launch of a new International Coalition to End Violence against Women and Girls at the conference needs more substance. "Beyond claiming a feminist foreign policy approach, it remains unclear how far the UK is prepared to boldly defend women's rights organisations and movements – especially when it is politically difficult to do so," she said.
Three other major UK NGOs also told The Independent they would not sign, but asked to remain anonymous for now.
Christian Aid's Decision
One charity that did sign was Christian Aid. A spokesperson said after internal debate, it decided it would be "better to be in the tent and influence the outcomes." However, on Tuesday, Christian Aid expressed disappointment that more had not been announced to help developing countries suffering under spiralling debt.
Broader Conference Outcomes
Organisers stressed that the conference represents more than the final compact. Baroness Chapman suggested closed-door meetings had been fruitful, with ideas for initiatives and future events. But there are significant doubts over whether ideas can be delivered after the UK slashed the aid budget from 0.5 to 0.3 per cent of gross national income.
Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development committee, told The Independent: "I remain concerned that the ambition pinned to the conference far outstrips the reality of what can be achieved with a much-reduced budget."
Voices from the Global South
One attendee with profound understanding of aid cuts was 19-year-old Mohamed Williams Zombo, a youth advocate with World Vision from Bo, Sierra Leone – a country almost entirely axed from the UK's aid budget. "It is very sad. When you go to countries like mine, you see that lots of organisations are closing their offices, communities are not being supported any more, and lots of children are not in school," he said. "For the sake of humanity and for the sake of children suffering, I think it is important for [rich countries] to still be able to find a way to fund organisations that are helping children."
Williams contributed to a "10-point plan for change" representing youth voices from the Global South. However, he did not know that the final compact made no mention of "youth" or young people's perspectives. One source told The Independent that "youth" had been included in drafts several times, but each time the FCDO removed the reference. The FCDO was approached for comment.
