More and better aid?

In the twenty-first century, it is a scandal that anyone lives without the most basic of human rights – safe drinking water, proper sanitation, access to medical care and education. And yet millions of families still go without. Access to essential services should not be the preserve of the few, and it doesn’t have to be so.

Aid works. It really does. In my role as Director of Oxfam GB I witness aid making a difference to poor people’s lives the world over. The European Union is the world’s largest donor, so it clearly has a major role to play in tackling global poverty. Whilst more is still needed, the EU’s commitments to increase aid volumes and to improve aid efficiency have been welcome – the key thing now is for the EU member states and the European Commission to deliver on these promises. They should also ensure that developing countries can spend the aid in accordance with their national development plans and priorities.

The EU has agreed a joint consensus on development policy, which states that the overarching focus of European Community and member states’ aid should be the eradication of poverty. It is vital that this is the priority, and tackling poverty requires other actions from the EU as well.

Trade and agriculture policies should be coherent with development objectives. Sadly this is not the case. The World Trade Organisation talks are supposed to reform global trade rules to benefit development, but the proposed deal on the table last year would have failed to meet this aim. The EU has the chance to show leadership in promoting a global trade agreement that works for development, and by not pushing other trade agreements which would prise open developing country markets and even demand more than the trade rules at the WTO would do.

The irresponsible sales of weapons fuel conflict, poverty and abuses of human rights in the developing world. The EU’s support for an Arms Trade Treaty was important, and now the EU should to continue its support for a global Arms Trade Treaty, as well as for conflict prevention efforts – and efforts to make and keep peace if conflicts do occur. Climate change is another key issue impacting on the lives of poor people, and the EU needs to show strong leadership to tackle it.