Pressure from Christian bodies leads Government to increase Aid Relief

The UK Comprehensive Spending Review (CRS) has just been released earlier this week. The government announced that aid spending will rise from the current rate of 0.3% to 0.47% GNI (Gross National Income) by 2007/8 and, on the constant rate of growth, should reach 0.7% by 2013. This has been celebrated by the NGOs and Christian agencies which have vigorously campaigned for the government’s action on world poverty.

BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development), together with Oxfam, Action Aid and Save the Children, launched the 0.7% campaign at the beginning of this year. Their campaign actions took place on a nationwide scale. As reported by BOND, over 100,000 people sent emails and postcards to the Treasury. 232 MP's signed an Early Day Motion in the Parliament and many religious, private sector and union leaders personally lobbied the Chancellor and Prime Minister.

The 0.7% target for overseas aids as a percentage of donor GNP (now GNI) was established by the United Nations (UN) as long ago as 1970. Almost all donor countries, including the UK, have been committed in principle to reaching this target for over 30 years. The target has also been reaffirmed by successive UK governments.

However, in contrary to the UK government’s promise, the closest the UK has ever got to the target was in 1979, when aid reached 0.51%. In 2002, the latest year for which data is available, UK aid was just 0.31% of GNI. The government's 3-decade old promise has reflected the ignorance on its part of its commission to fight against world poverty, and it is this that has provoked the campaign of NGOs and Christian agencies.

The most recent campaign was carried out on 6 July, just days before the Government announces its spending plans for the next three years. 500 balloons with the logo “No More Hot Air Mr Blair” were distributed opposite Parliament. Each balloon represents £5 million of the current spending shortfall. The campaigners criticised the Prime Minister for his failure to increase overseas aid to 0.7% of national income as he had previously promised. A full page advert was also posted in the Daily Mirror newspaper to coincide with the action.

After more than half a year’s negotiation and pleading, the campaign has ended with victory. As one of the campaigners, Mike Aaronson, Director of Save the Children, said, "This is a significant and welcome announcement. The increased aid in the next three years will deliver real help to the world's poorest people. The timetable set by the Chancellor for reaching the 0.7% target means the UK can now take a full lead in the fight against global poverty."

Richard Bennett, General Secretary of BOND, said, "This is good news. 2005 will see Britain hold the chair of the G8 and the Presidency of the EU. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown will be able to rally the support of other rich countries in the next year. They must now press their G8 and EU partners to follow their lead."

The UK government has finally vowed to reach the UN aid target of 0.7% of national income by 2013. The UK is only the second G8 country to set a date after France which set the target in 2012. UK can now put pressure on Canada, Germany, Italy, Germany and Japan to match the British and French commitment at the 2005 G8 in Scotland.

According to Oxfam, international aid is one of the most potent weapons in the fight against poverty. The UK's aid programme alone lifts 2 million people out of poverty each year.