Aid and Beyond: Transparency, accountability and results

A Summary of ONE’s Position for the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Busan

1.    In the run up to the Fourth High Level Forum on aid effectiveness (HLF-IV), at a time of change for the global political economy, many countries are keen to move beyond a narrow aid effectiveness agenda, bringing in a broader range of actors and development issues. However, broadening the conversation to include more actors and issues beyond aid, must not and need not be at the expense of clear, measurable and time-bound commitments on aid effectiveness that renew and reaffirm commitments made in Paris and Accra.

2.    At Busan, countries should make commitments to deliver and use aid in ways that promote transparent and accountable financing for development, and that focus clearly on results. This will enable citizens in both developing and developed countries to see what resources are available, how they are spent, and what results they achieve, so that they can hold their governments to account and ensure that all development resources – aid and beyond – are spent effectively in the fight against global poverty.

3.    On transparency, wealthy donor countries should commit to make aid transparent, publishing aid information in a timely, comprehensive and comparable manner, in line with the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), and in a way that is compatible with developing country budget systems, by 2015. In addition, developing country governments should commit to making budget information available and accessible to their citizens at the national and local level. And transparency should be promoted in relation to other development resources, including natural resource revenues.

4.    On accountability, participants at Busan should promote open and inclusive decision-making at country level, not only on aid but on development more broadly. Donors should commit to support key accountability institutions, such as parliaments and audit institutions, to hold governments to account. And donors and partner countries should – alongside promoting an enabling environment for civil society – commit to do what is needed to help civil society organizations to use information to demand accountability.

5.    Across all of their discussions on aid and development effectiveness, participants at Busan must focus on results. Without good information about results, there can be little learning or accountability. Investments in statistical capacity and results monitoring must be stepped up. And country-led monitoring processes in developing countries should be complemented by a global monitoring framework.

6.    By making clear and measurable commitments on transparency (including IATI), accountability and results, Busan can make aid more effective and help to ensure that all development resources – aid and beyond – are used effectively in the fight against poverty.