The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has noted a sharp rise in development spending of 8.9 percent between 2015 and 2016. Despite this increase, aid to many poor nations has fallen. In four countries, more than one dollar in every five was spent at home in caring for refugees. Overall, a large portion of the … [Read more...] about Development aid to poorest nations falling in favour of domestic spending on refugees
ODA
The Addis deal that will “turbo charge development”
UPDATED WITH INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS The Financing for Development meeting ended last night in Addis Ababa with the UK Secretary of State for Development hailing it as "a historic international deal that takes us beyond aid." Justine Greening went on to say, "It is the first ever agreement that allows us to harness private sector investment and … [Read more...] about The Addis deal that will “turbo charge development”
European governments increasingly wobbly on #climatechange and #greenenergy
Years of inconclusive negotiations on a global agreement to limit greenhouses gases probably made it inevitable that Europe's expensive policies to encourage renewables would come under increasing threat. This week gave some excellent examples. Germany's "massively expensive Energiewende" policies are not simply unaffordable, they are … [Read more...] about European governments increasingly wobbly on #climatechange and #greenenergy
Reactions to the Bongo Bongo Land controversy #aid #development
It's been a hot week for popular discussions of overseas development assistance (ODA or "aid") in the UK . The trigger was a speech by Godfrey Bloom of the UK Independence Party in which he talked about "aid for Bonga Bonga Land" funding Ferraris and luxury apartments in Paris. Bloom is a frequently-drunken, always embarrassing Member of the … [Read more...] about Reactions to the Bongo Bongo Land controversy #aid #development
If you think aid changes things, you should move to Afghanistan while you can
Afghanistan receives far more aid than any other single country. One of a striking series of graphics from the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which is made up of most of the richest countries in the world) shows where overseas development assistance is going. "Donor darlings", as the OECD caption calls the biggest … [Read more...] about If you think aid changes things, you should move to Afghanistan while you can
BRICS co-operation on health: where’s the beef?
The Bullet of the World Health Organization has issued a call for papers for a themed issue on "BRICS and global health to enhance people’s understanding of the dynamics of health and development in BRICS countries and of how these countries contribute to global health, both by improving health outcomes in their own territories and by engaging in … [Read more...] about BRICS co-operation on health: where’s the beef?
Why do UK governments invest in global public health? Academic paper contains nuggets
This is one of those dense academic papers that might seem to use arcane processes to get at the blindingly obvious. However, there are gems of great information within it so we advise you to stick with it. Published in the May 2013 Globalization and Health, it's got the uncatchy title of Understanding how and why health is integrated into foreign … [Read more...] about Why do UK governments invest in global public health? Academic paper contains nuggets