1st Edition

The Reality of Aid 1996 An independent review of international aid

By Judith Randel, Tony German Copyright 1996
    260 Pages
    by Routledge

    260 Pages
    by Routledge

    'Should be on the shelf of any academic, student, NGO activist or politician with an interest in aid issues. It should also be required reading for donor agency officials' Development and Change 'As accessible as it is comprehensive has established itself as a reliable 'watchdog' for anyone interested in this important aspect of international relations' ORBIT Despite commitments to eradicate poverty, 21 of the world's richest nations have slashed their aid to the world's poorest countries to just 0.3% of GNP, its lowest level for more than 20 years. In real terms, aid in 1994 was below the 1990 level, and with several donors planning further cuts it is likely that the aid level will continue to fall. Now in its fourth annual edition, The Reality of Aid critically examines the reality behind the rhetoric of development assistance, and the discrepancy between the targets that the 21 member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee are publically committed to and the aid that is actually disbursed. Part 1 of this year's edition includes analyses of; * the impact of the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development and '20/20' compact; * developing countries' debt and their Northern creditors, including banks and international financial institutions; * efforts to eradicate poverty, a stated aim of development assistance; * the human and economic cost of the estimated 140 million unexploded landmines currently planted around the world; and * the impact of conflict and humanitarian need on development cooperation. In a new section, Part 2 presents perspectives from the South, with contributors from India, Cambodia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Poland and Fiji. Part 3 consists of detailed, country-by-country profiles of the aid performance of the OECD donors; and Part 4 reviews aid spending by Northern governments and NGOs, with 'at a glance' tables and charts which compare donors' performance on issues such as aid to basic health and education, the priority given to poverty reduction, the political management of aid and public attitudes to aid in developed countries. Throughout, information is summarized in easily interpreted figures and graphs. First produced in 1993, The Reality of Aid has established itself as a unique source of independent evaluation and comment on aid policies and developments. It is indispensable for all involved in development aid, whether in the official or voluntary sectors. Originally published in 1996

    Part I: Current Issues and Key Themes Introduction Halle Jom Hanssen for Eurostep Trygve G Nordby for ICVA Eradicating Poverty - the Achievable Imperative World Aid at a Glance The Reality of Aid in 1996: an Overview Another Reality of Debt: the Role of the Creditor Landmines The Social Summit and the Social Watch Initiative Part II: Perspectives from the South Cambodia Fiji India Peru Western Assistance to Transition in Post-Communist Countries Zimbabwe Part III: OECD Country Profiles Australia Austria Belgium Canada Denmark Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Japan Luxembourg The Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom United States The European Union and the ECDP Part IV: Aid Facts and Figures Public Attitudes to Aid Who Controls OECD Aid Budgets? The Outlook for Aid Mainstreaming Poverty Reduction Measuring Aid to Direct Poverty Reduction Decline in Aid Available for Long Term Development Aid for Long-term Development Aid for Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Relief Trends in ODA through NGOs Information and Education on Development Cooperation Glossary ICVA and Eurostep Member Organizations Exchange Rates Notes on Country at a Glance Data

    Biography

    Randel, Judith ; German, Tony