09
Oct
Yesterday, the advocacy group ONE published its 2014 data report, in which it looks at international levels of official development assistance (ODA) and issues of financing development. For us, the report is a very valuable contribution to keeping track of ODA levels and driving the debate around future financing. For a second year in a row, the ONE Report also provides some very interesting insights into African domestic spending commitments.
In 2013 the EU and its Member States collectively invested €57 billion in ODA. This means we are back on a positive trend after two years of decreases caused by the economic and financial crisis. I am glad to see this reversal. The EU collectively kept its position as the largest ODA donor, with, once again, more than half of the total ODA as reported to the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development (OECD/DAC). Of course, we are still far from our collective target of 0.7% GNI for 2015.
Mobilising ODA is important for the developing countries that are most in need, and the EU remains committed to playing its part in this. We need to try and make better use of our resources, for example by focussing on countries and sectors in which we can really make a difference and by programming our efforts jointly.
Finally, let’s remember that aid is only one element of financing for development; international negotiations on a financing framework for the time after 2015 are starting as we speak. In our view we need to make full use of all resources available in the future, be they domestic, foreign, public or private. I look forward to ONE being an active participant in the upcoming discussions.
Source: http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/piebalgs/keeping-oda-levels-where-they-belong/