The leaders of 82 UK charities and humanitarian organisations have called on the government to show greater ambition in helping nations around the world ahead of a landmark UK development conference.
Call for Bolder Action
The statement – signed by the UK leaders of charities including Christian Aid, Oxfam, Plan International and ActionAid – comes just a day before the UK’s Global Partnerships Conference. This conference is bringing together stakeholders from across governments, civil society, technology, AI and the wider private sector with the aim of building new kinds of development partnerships.
It calls on the UK government to develop an inclusive international development agenda that “truly cultivate[s] equitable partnerships”.
Background of Aid Cuts
The conference is taking place against a backdrop of the UK slashing its foreign aid budget from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI). This move has been described as a “moral catastrophe” given escalating humanitarian crises across the world.
In the new statement, the NGO leaders urge that any partnerships emerging from this week’s conference are grounded in strong human rights and democratic values, as well as environmental and accountability standards.
Role of Private Finance
The signatories caution that while private finance can play an important and complementary role, it cannot be a substitute for overseas aid, especially when responding to humanitarian crises and supporting those facing extreme poverty. They also call on the UK government to take bolder action on reforms to the current international financial system – including around unsustainable debt, corporate tax avoidance, illicit financial flows and unfair trade rules.
“We hope this conference will inspire bolder action on this urgent agenda and chart a path towards a successful and ambitious UK G20 presidency next year,” the statement says.
Voices from the Sector
“In an increasingly volatile world, with deepening inequality and escalating conflict worldwide, there is an urgent need for coordinated action to fight these global challenges,” said Romilly Greenhill, CEO of the NGO network Bond. “We recognise the conference organisers’ efforts to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and call on them to now urgently turn rhetoric into reality: by setting out their long-term plans to foster genuine partnerships, and build an international system that is fit for all.”
Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid, added: “Extreme poverty, and its underlying causes, are too big and urgent to belong to any one institution or sector. So it’s welcome that the UK Government is hosting, alongside South Africa, the Global Partnerships Conference. However, partnership is not a substitute for leadership, and in the aftermath of swinging aid cuts, private finance is not a panacea. The poorest countries face a perfect storm of unsustainable debt, increasing poverty, and climate-related emergencies, which can only be tackled by governments working across borders.”
This article has been produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project.
