Development assistance plays a critical role in the fight against extreme poverty and disease.
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.
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: an estimated 3.2 million Africans are currently receiving life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment (up from 50,000 in 2002), and 88 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. 34 million African children went to school for the first time between 1999 and 2006, 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...
The DATA Report charts how well the G8 countries are moving toward meeting their 2005 commitments to developing countries. MORE
Meetings make some positive recommendations but fall short of drawing up a comprehensive plan. MORE
G20 leaders recognised the need to address extreme poverty as part of the global recovery, but details and actions must follow to make the agreement of the Summit meaningful.
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President Obama put forward a promising budget outline which included a $4.5 billion increase for the International Affairs budget.
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At the end of November 2008, world leaders met in Doha, Qatar for a UN-hosted International Conference on Financing for Development.
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September - October, 2008
In September 2008, before a High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals, more than 50,000 European ONE members mobilised to urge world leaders to fill the worldwide US$1 billion funding gap to combat the food crisis.
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July - November, 2008
With €1 billion of funding to struggling farmers in developing countries on the line, European ONE members helped apply public pressure at the critical moment to help secure this new money.
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March - May, 2006
More than 100,000 U.S. ONE members took action in just 6 days to urge senators to restore critical anti-poverty funding to the Fiscal Year 2007 International Affairs Budget, leading to a bipartisan majority of the US Senate asking Appropriations' leadership to protect development assistance.
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Today Gordon Brown announced that the UK’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on development assistance will become law under forthcoming legislation.
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Two major announcements today take aim at preventable diseases in poor countries MORE
African countries offer solutions to global economic and climate crises MORE
The International Monetary Fund has delivered a significantly improved financing package for the least developed countries, ONE said today. The package includes zero interest rate loans through 2011. It also provides lending capacity of $17 billion through 2014. MORE
The International Monetary Fund has delivered a significantly improved financing package for the least developed countries, ONE said today. The package includes zero interest rate loans through 2011. It also provides lending capacity of $17 billion through 2014. MORE
The G8's US$20bn agreement to provide support for the world's poorest farmers was welcomed today by advocacy group ONE. The deal was expected to amount to US$15bn over three years, but at the last minute the communiqué announced the figure had risen to US$20bn. The deal also includes significant steps to make progress on the effectiveness of aid for agriculture. MORE
and helped save an estimated 2.5 million lives since 2002.
on development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa, halfway to the target date of 2010.
went to school for the first time between 1999 and 2006, thanks in part to debt relief and assistance for education.