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Written by David Cuthbertson
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007 |
The Conservative party today unveiled its latest policy group
document, this time dedicated to finding better ways to spend the
international development budget.
On the whole the report has been well received by interest groups
across the political spectrum. Many groups have said that it offers a
constructive approach to many of the issues that DFID faces and will
continue to face in the coming years. It tackles many of the issues
that are not being talked about enough in development circles, such as
the effect of Chinese development assistance in Africa and the need for
simplification (for the recipient) in aid delivery.
Two proposals - one on trade, the other on aid - are most likely to
grab the headlines. The proposed trade campaign, called Real Trade,
would call for a unilateral reduction in tariff barriers by developed
countries, combined with an elimination of export subsidies, more
generous rules of origin. If successful, this campaign will undoubtedly
be effective in helping developing countries and will be an important
step towards global free trade.
More efficient aid, the paper suggests, would be guaranteed through a
independent aid evaluation agency, and by instituting a Demand Led Fund
- essentially asking for groups on the ground to come up with project
ideas instead of centralising the process through DFID country
managers. This approach is in line with a lot of the most recent
development aid thinking, which tends towards a bottom-up approach to
aid mechanisms as opposed to the more traditional top-down.
Other aspects of the paper tackle the effects of corruption, proposing
that, "sunlight is the best disinfectant." It argues that transparency
in aid giving and in project management is the best way to reduce
corruption. Also more aid should be given to agriculture and
infrastructure in order to boost economic growth. The area of growth
has been largely neglected by donors since the introduction of the
Millennium Development Goals but will be essential if countries are to
meet them.
Overall, the report is a bold attempt to offer a market-led approach to
economic and social development, which deserves to win widespread
support across the political spectrum.
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