Aid effectiveness key to eradicate poverty (29 August 2008)

 Alliance2015 calls on EU to lead international efforts 

Brussels, 29/08/08, (Alliance2015): Alliance2015, a network of six European NGOs, calls for strong EU leadership at the upcoming summit on aid effectiveness in Accra, Ghana and expresses its support for the European Commission’s ambitions regarding aid effectiveness.

“Aid effectiveness is the single most important factor to alleviate poverty and we really need to go beyond rhetoric and come out of Accra with a concrete and time-bound plan”, said Vagn Berthelsen, president of Alliance2015 and director of the Danish NGO Ibis. “Being by far the world’s largest donor the European Union has a special responsibility for the poor and the Commission has an ambitious strategy on aid effectiveness.”

“But it will require concerted European action in order for Accra to have any meaningful outcome. Europe must go beyond the rhetorical ambitions and encourage the donor community to come up with concrete timetables and deliverables in a range of key areas including predictability, division of labour among donors and transparency”, he added.

“Regarding that 850 million people live in hunger, mostly in rural areas, the EU needs to make sure that aid goes to the most needy”, Hans-Joachim Preuss, director of the German NGO Welthungerhilfe said. “To make aid more efficient and effective EU development cooperation needs to become more accountable and democratic in a way that it includes parliaments and civil society to a larger extent”. Alliance2015 reiterates its call for the European Parliament to play its rightful role in scrutinising EU development aid to Africa.

According to the 2015-Watch report, rigorously reviewing EC development policy and implementation, some major flaws still persist, especially the lack of focus on results of the EC’s massive aid investment and on certain MDG targets including hunger. The report, released on Wednesday, 27 by the group measures contribution of the EC to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The findings of the 2015-Watch report demonstrate that in order to make aid more effective the EC needs to improve its results-orientation, ensure democratic accountability and strengthen the role of civil society as an essential partner for poverty eradication.

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Alliance2015, founded in 2000, is a strategic network of currently six European NGOs, engaged in humanitarian and development activities and working together to reach the Millennium Development Goals. It cooperates at the programme level in 81 developing countries and at the policy level in Europe. Members include Concern Worldwide (Ireland), Hivos (Netherlands), Ibis (Denmark), Welthungerhilfe (Germany), CESVI (Italy) and People in Need (Czech Republic).

The new 2015-Watch report covering general budget support, democratic accountability, ownership and civil society engagement can be found on the Alliance2015 website.

On ownership and the need to further engage civil society, please also see the case study-based report Fostering Democratic Ownership 

Contacts in Accra, 2 – 4 September:

Vagn Berthelsen, President Alliance2015 and Secretary-General Ibis (Tel. +233 240 255 448)
Stefano Piziali, CESVI (Tel. +39 335 687 48 54)
Lars Koch, Ibis (Tel. +233 240 255 433)
Birgit Dederichs-Bain, Welthungerhilfe (Tel. +233 240 244 534)

Press contact for general inquiries:

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Alliance2015
c/o Ibis
Noerrebrogade 68B
2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
Tel +45 353 587 88
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