NEW YORK, Oct 16 (IPS) – Sarah Strack is Forus directorMultiple conflicts, the climate crisis and other crises are destabilizing many parts of the world and increasing pressure on the resources needed to finance the global sustainable development agenda. Amid these challenges, 2023 data shows that Official Development Assistance (ODA) reached a record $223.7 billioncompared to $211 billion last year, according to Eurodad.
However, if one looks beyond the numbers, worrying trends emerge. Major donors love Germany And France reduce their development budget and Several countries are already announcing cuts for 2025.
This trend has sparked debate about the direction and quality of global aid, especially at a time when official development assistance is more important than ever in addressing global crises.
In FranceWith the #StopàlabaisseAPD (#StoptheODACuts) campaign, NGOs are mobilizing against further cuts to the 2025 budget, warning that such cuts could undermine international solidarity efforts and hit hardest those already left behind.
SUD coordinationa coalition of 180 French NGOs, is raising the alarm about the potential impact of these cuts, which follow a 13% reduction in 2024, and which sees ODA funds cut again by more than 20% by 2025, according to the financing bill presented on Thursday
The first victims of this measure will be the most vulnerable population groups. “ODA enables local and international NGOs to work with and alongside the most vulnerable communities every day,” recalls Olivier Bruyeron, President of Coordination SUD.
“Official development aid has been used as a political football in recent years,” he says Bondthe national platform of NGOs in Great Britain.
As a national civil society platform, they ensure that UK aid reaches the communities “that need it most”.
“ODA is being used as a geopolitical tool that focuses on national interests, when it should be a mechanism for redistributive justice,” said Alex Farley of Bond in a recent publication. global event during the Summit of the Future, organized by the global social network Forus.
This debate is part of a larger global conversation about the future of ODA.
While the traditional target of 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) remains an important benchmark for donor countries, experts argue that ODA must evolve to better meet the real needs of recipient communities, especially in the South. As Oyebisi Oluseyi of the Nigerian Network of NGOs (NNNGO) points out“While this goal remains important, it is no longer sufficient.”
Critics are calling for a redefinition of ODA, shifting power to recipient countries and communities. Zia ur Rehman, coordinator of the Asia Development Alliance – a regional platform of NGOs, emphasizes the need for local actors to have more say in how funds are used.
Emeline Siale of the Regional Civil Society Coalition provides a perspective from the Pacific Islands PIANGOreflects the need for local actors to play a leading role in ODA decision-making, “not just as participants but as leaders”.
“Community participation in itself is a healing process, and it has become a central topic in many discussions in civil society,” Siale explains.
As major international development finance summits approach, the future of ODA – and its ability to meet the needs of the most vulnerable – is at stake.
“The next one Fourth United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development presents an important opportunity for the development community to align with the principles of development effectiveness, rather than allowing them to be further watered down. Now more than ever, civil society must play its role, shift power and push for a new global governance of international aid that is more representative, democratic, inclusive and transparent,” said Mavalow, Civil Society Leader in Burkina Faso, Christelle Kalhoule and President. by Forusa global civil society network representing more than 24,000 NGOs around the world.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
