Development Assistance

The Challenge

In 2000, world leaders signed on to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight targets to reduce global poverty and disease by 2015. Meeting these ambitious goals could transform the lives of millions of the world's poorest people, but would require major investments which were out of reach for many developing countries. By signing on to goal eight and committing to build a global partnership for development, the world's wealthy countries acknowledged development assistance as needed to bolster the investments made by poor countries themselves to reach the goals.

Wealthy countries have made ambitious commitments to increase development assistance in the past few years. While some countries have substantially increased funding, many commitments have yet to be fulfilled. Following through on these commitments has become even more important as poor countries struggle to cope with the effects of the global financial crisis and the soaring cost of food.

The Opportunity

Since the Millennium Development Goals were signed, new investments in the fight against poverty have produced real results and improved the lives of millions of people. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 5 million Africans are currently receiving life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment (up from 50,000 in 2002), and 230 million bed nets to protect families from malaria have been delivered by the Global Fund alone. Progress has also been made in getting children into school. 46.5 million African children went to school for the first time between 1999 and 2008, thanks in part to savings from debt relief and development assistance for education.

These results are evidence that development assistance can have a transformative impact in the world's poorest countries, especially when it is combined with committed and transparent leadership and policies aimed at economic growth.

Learn more, read the full Development Assistance Issue Brief...