Take Action for Better Aid

Aug 18th, 2008 10:15 AM EST
By Weldon Kennedy

As ONE, we’ve successfully advocated for billions of dollars of aid that is having a massive impact on the lives of millions of the world’s poorest people. But perhaps just as important as advocating for more money to help put children in schools and distribute lifesaving medications is working to make sure that all aid money is spent well.

Some key figures in the fight against poverty are going to be gathering in Accra, Ghana in early September to discuss improving aid effectiveness. This gives us a key moment to pressure all the key donors like the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and World Bank to improve the quality of the aid they give.

Aid transparency is the key here. Donors need to publish detailed information about what aid projects they are funding so that recipient countries and other donors can effectively plan aid projects. With this in mind, we’re asking the key people going to the Accra summit to commit to deliver on to a set of transparency principles called Publish What You Fund. The principles are:

1. Information on aid should be published pro-actively
2. Anyone can request and receive information on aid processes
3. Information on aid should be timely and accessible
4. Information on aid should be comparable
5. The right of access to information about aid should be promoted

Please take a moment to send a letter to USAID Administrator and Director of US Foreign Assistance Henrietta Fore, World Bank President Bob Zoellick, and other leaders and ask them to agree to publish what they fund.

For more information about aid transparency and effectiveness, check out the Publish What you Fund Campaign.

TAGS: Accra HLF 2008, Aid Effectiveness