Aid data from 2023 has called into question the direction in which Official Development Assistance (ODA) is headed. More worryingly still, some rich countries have already announced budget cuts for 2024. This report provides a basis for discussion and debate at a time when the value of ODA is more relevant than ever.

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (ODA) is conducting a review of its Recommendation on Untying ODA (Official Development Assistance, or aid). In this blog, our aid expert examines how wealthy countries are continuing to profit from both formal and informal tied aid. With one week to go until the publication of preliminary data from the OECD DAC outlining the ODA distributed by donor countries in 2023, this article shines a light on one of the practices that continues to call into question the integrity of aid. It also outlines five issues that must be addressed.

The new figures released by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) show that while total reported ODA rose to an all time high, the percentage of ODA spent in donor countries also increased. This is hugely problematic.

Joint reaction of the DAC-CSO Reference Group to the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee’s High Level Meeting, which took place on 15 November.

#UNTaxConvention #TaxJustice #ODA #PSI

Since 2018, temporary rules have allowed donor countries to report private-sector oriented operations, known as Private Sector Instruments, as official development assistance. In this report, we chart the increased use of such operations, highlight problematic gaps in transparency and accountability, and end with recommendations both for the OECD DAC and wider civil society.

This blog unpacks last week's disappointing civil society dialogue with the OECD Development Assistance Committee.  

Official Development Assistance (ODA or aid) reached a new all-time-high of US$204 billion in 2022, but behind the headline figures the data shows even higher inflation of ODA than witnessed in 2021. It is vital to make sure that the integrity of ODA is preserved to serve the needs of people across the global south rather than the interests of countries in the global north.

Despite a seeming increase total official development assistance, Eurodad's Nerea Craviotto warns that today's figures are nothing to celebrate. The current levels of ODA do not meet the challenges the world is facing, and are a long way off meeting the 0.7% of GNI target.  

This week's negotiations, and subsequent agreement, on new reporting rules are an opportunity for OECD Development Assistance Committee members to show they take their financial commitments towards the global south seriously.