{"id":133032,"date":"2018-01-09T20:53:15","date_gmt":"2018-01-09T20:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.one.org\/canada\/?post_type=one_press&p=133032"},"modified":"2018-01-09T20:53:15","modified_gmt":"2018-01-09T20:53:15","slug":"new-data-highlights-canadas-retreat-from-the-worlds-poorest","status":"publish","type":"one_press","link":"https:\/\/www.one.org\/ca\/press\/new-data-highlights-canadas-retreat-from-the-worlds-poorest\/","title":{"rendered":"New data highlights Canada\u2019s retreat from the world\u2019s poorest"},"content":{"rendered":"

OTTAWA \u2014 <\/span>New data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development<\/span><\/a> reveals that Canada \u2014 which assumed the presidency of the G7 last week \u2014 was the only G7 country whose level of development assistance declined, dropping by 5.2 percent in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using the globally-accepted measure of national generosity \u2014 the ratio of development to national income \u2014 Canada now invests just .26 percent in overseas development, down from .28 percent in 2015, and from its highest share, .54 percent, in 1975.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stuart Hickox, Canada Director at The ONE Campaign:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this data shows is that while the rest of the G7 was investing more in development, Canada was investing less. At this moment, with all that\u2019s going on in the world and Canada assuming the G7 presidency, frankly it\u2019s disappointing. It erodes our moral standing and undermines our political leverage at what should be a moment of strength for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCanada has a unique opportunity and responsibility this year to play a real leadership role in the world, but that can\u2019t happen if Prime Minister Trudeau continues to retreat in his development spending. The Liberals\u2019 funding strategy for development \u2014 introduce an ambitious new policy and move money around, but withhold additional investments in life-saving work \u2014 has made Canada an outlier amongst its peers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time for Canada to lead. Prime Minister Trudeau should include a significant and strategic increase for development in Budget 2018, showing that his commitment to empowering women and girls around the world is backed up with more than words, but in funding. While we support the government\u2019s feminist international assistance policy, it rings hollow without the funds to make it happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Canada\u2019s Official Development Assistance (ODA) decreased in 2016, <\/span>final findings from OECD DAC<\/span><\/a> showed that global aid reached an all-time high of $142.44 billion – an increase of 9.23 percent in real terms. Aid to the least developed countries (LDCs) increased by 5.4 percent, largely due to aid given by multilateral institutions. However, those statistics also confirmed the proportion of this record aid going to least developed countries (LDCs) fell overall by one percentage point, down from 2015\u2019s 28 percent to 27 percent. This is compared to 32 percent in 2013. Meanwhile, the share of global aid going to Africa \u2013 home to over 50 percent of the world\u2019s extreme poor \u2013 dropped from 36 percent in 2012 to 32 percent in 2016, the figures showed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Notes to Editors<\/b><\/p>\n