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Blair Tony, “Chicago speech”, [Online], <http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speecharchive.htm?speech=279>, [6th June 2015].
Bose Anuradha & Burnell Peter (Eds.), Britain’s overseas aid since 1979: Between idealism and self-interest, (Manchester, 1991).
BREUNING Marijke, “Words and Deeds: Foreign Assistance Rhetoric and Policy Behaviour in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom”, International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 39, No.2, (1995), pp.235-254.
CAMERON David, “Speech on the UK’s strength and security in the EU” [Online] <https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-the-uks-strength-and-security-in-the-eu-9-may-2016>, [17th May 2016].
Development Initiative, Investment to End Poverty: Real money, real choices, real lives (Bristol, 2013).
DfID, Statistics on International Development 2014 (London, 2014).
Business Plan 2011-2015, London, 2011. Retrieved from <https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67658/DFID-business-plan.pdf>, [15th May 2015]
UK aid: Changing Lives, Delivering Results, (London, 2011).
Statistics on International Development 2005/06-2009/10 (London, 2010).
DfID, FCO & MOD, Building Stability Overseas Strategy, (London, 2011).
FRENCH DIPLOMACY, “Infographie “L’aide au développement française : les pays pauvres prioritaires” [Online], <http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement/dispositif-institutionnel-et-canaux-d-acheminement-de-l-aide-francaise/canaux-d-acheminement-de-l-aide/article/infographie-l-aide-au>, [27th May 2016]
Führer, Helmut, The Story of Official Development Assistance, A History of the Development Assistance Committee and the Development Cooperation Directorate in Dates, Names and Figures (Paris, 1996).
Gagnon Michelle L. & Labonte, Ronald, “Understanding How and Why Health is Integrated into Foreign Policy – A Case Study of Health is Global, a UK, Government Strategy 2008-2013”, Globalization and Health, Vol. 9 No. 24, (2013).
Glennie Jonathan, “Finally, the UK’s Labour Party Seems to Know Its Own Mind on Development” – The Guardian, 4th October 2012. Retrieved from
<http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/oct/04/uk-labour-party-own-mind-development> [14th June 2015]
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Is it ODA? Factsheet (Paris, 2008).
PACQUEMENT François, “Le système d’aide au développement de la France et du Royaume-Uni : points de repère sur cinquante ans d’évolutions depuis la decolonisation”, Revue international de politique de développement [Online], <http://poldev.revues.org/114> [16th May 2016]
RAM Rati “Roles of Bilateral and Multilateral Aid in Economic Growth of Developing Countries”, Kyklos, Vol. 56, No.1, (2003), pp.95-110.
SAPIN Michel, “Projet de Loi de Finances pour 2015”, [Online] <http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/budget/plf2015/commissions_elargies/cr/c005.asp> [27th May 2016]
SCHRAEDER Peter J., HOOK Steven W. and TAYLOR Bruce, “Clarifying the Foreign Aid Puzzle: A Comparison of American, Japanese, French and Swedish Aid Flows”, World Politics, Vol.50, No.2, (1998), pp.294-323.
Seager, Ashley, “Britain now the world’s second largest aid donor”. Retrieved from
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STOKKE Olav (Ed.), Western Middle Powers and Global Poverty: The Determinants of the Aid Policies of Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, (Uppsala, 1989).
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Notes
Barder Owen, “Reforming Development Assistance: Lessons from the UK Experience”, Working Paper 70 (London, 2005), p. 4.
OECD Stats, [Online], <http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/officialdevelopmentassistancedefInitionandcoverage.htm>, [27th May 2015].
These are Sweden in 1974, the Netherlands in 1975, Norway in 1976 and Denmark in 1978 – see Fuhrer Helmut, The Story of Official Development Assistance, A History of the Development Assistance Committee and the Development Co-operation Directorate in Dates, Names and Figures (Paris, 1996), p. 26.
DfID, Statistics on International Development 2014 (London, 2014), p. 9.
DfID, Statistics on International Development 2005/06-2009/10 (London, 2010), p. 3.
OECD, Is it ODA? Factsheet, (Paris, 2008)
OECD Stats, [Online], <http://www.oecd.org/dac/>, [27th May 2015].
Development Initiative, Investment to End Poverty: Real money, real choices, real lives (Bristol, 2013), p. 80.
Ibid. p. 214.
Ibid. p. 3.
Ibid. p. 43.
Ibid. p. 59.
OECD, [Online], <http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/aid-to-developing-countries-rebounds-in-2013-to-reach-an-all-time-high.htm>, [27th May 2015].
OECD, [Online], <http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/aidtopoorcountriesslipsfurtherasgovernmentstightenbudgets.htm>, [27th May 2015].
The apparent drop for the period 2005-2007 is in fact the result of an exceptional debt relief in 2005 and 2006 in favour of Nigeria and Iraq, decided at the 2005 Gleneagles Summit. Since debt relief is included in ODA statistics, aid recorded in 2005 and 2006 was exceptionally higher than usual, hence the apparent drop thereafter. This exceptional debt relief apart, the growth was steady up till 2010.
The official position is to “focus UK aid more tightly on the countries where the UK is well placed to have a significant long-term impact on poverty”. See for instance the speech of former Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell to Parliament in 2011 – [Online], <https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-by-the-secretary-of-state-for-international-development-the-bilateral-and-multilateral-aid-reviews>, [17th May 2016]
In total, 128 countries received ODA from the UK in 2011, which amounts to 33% of British development aid going to 28% of all beneficiaries for that year.
Development Initiative, Investment to End Poverty, op.cit. p. 212.
If we discard years 2005 and 2006 which showed exceptional levels of bilateral ODA due to high amounts of debt relief for Nigeria and Iraq, the average ODA channelled through multilateral organisations for the periods 2000-2004 and 2007-2010 was 36% and for 2011-2014, it was of 39.4%.
The DfID has endeavoured to enhance its contribution to multilateral aid since it considers that it can have more leverage thanks to pooled resources – DfID, FCO & MOD, Building Stability Overseas Strategy, (London 2011), p.18. The view that multilateral aid increases efficiency is not shared by Ram who deems that multilateral ODA does not work – RAM Rati “Roles of Bilateral and Multilateral Aid in Economic Growth of Developing Countries”, Kyklos, Vol. 56, No.1, 2003, pp.95-110.
The sources for these calculations are taken from various issues of DFID and OECD statistics. Given likely methodological differences in calculation and changes in the modes of reporting over the years, there are most likely some discrepancies.
These past few years, less ODA took the form of debt cancellation and as such, the share of bilateral ODA which is not transferred to recipient countries is smaller.
The guidelines provided by HM Treasury would seem to confirm this. Indeed, a report of the International Development Committee to the House of Commons states: “HM Treasury rules require DFID to spend £5 billion of ‘non-fiscal capital’ over this CSR [Comprehensive Spending Review] period. Non-fiscal capital is spending, such as loans, equity investments and certain contributions to multilateral development banks, which is expected to generate at least some financial return to DFIF in the future and therefore does not impact net public sector debt.” - INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, “UK Aid: Allocation of Resources: Interim Report”, Third Report of Session 2015-16, House of Commons, March 2016, p.21.
Barder Owen, “Reforming Development Assistance”, op. cit., p. 13.
Lunn Jon, Miller Vaughne and Smith Ben, “British foreign policy since 1997”, Research Paper 08/56 (London, 2008)
BLAIR Tony, ‘Chicago Speech’ [Online], <http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=279>, [6th June 2015].
The 1964-1967 Ministry of Overseas Development was also a separate Government Cabinet. See Barder Owen, “Reforming Development Assistance”, op. cit., p. 7.
Lunn Jon, Miller Vaughne and Smith Ben, “British foreign policy since 1997”, op. cit., p. 9.
Barder Owen, “Reforming Development Assistance”, op. cit., p. 16.
Development Initiatives, Investment to End Poverty, op. cit., p. 214.
Seager Ashley, “Britain now the world’s second largest aid donor”, The Guardian, 5th October 2007, [Online], http://www.theguardian.com/politics/ [6th June 2015]
Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development from 2010 to 2012 said “There is not a Conservative, Liberal Democrat or Labour development policy, but a British one” – Glennie Jonathan, “Finally, the UK’s Labour Party Seems to Know Its Own Mind on Development” –The Guardian, [Online], 4th October 2012, <http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/oct/04/uk-labour-party-own-mind-development> [14th June 2015]
National Audit Office, The Performance of the Department for International Development 2013-14, (London, 2014), p. 18.
DfID, FCO & MOD, Building Stability Overseas Strategy, op. cit, p. 24.
Refer to note 24.
In his speech in Chicago where he expounded his international doctrine in 1999, Tony Blair said: “We have finally done away with the false proposition that we must choose between two diverging paths – the Transatlantic relationship or Europe. For the first time in the last three decades, we have a government that is both pro-Europe and pro-American” – BRITISH POLITICAL SPEECH, [Online], op. cit.
For example, in a review of Canada’s international development strategy, the DfID was described as “by far the best organization internationally” – GREENHILL Robert, “Making a Difference? External Views on Canada’s International Impact”, The Interim Report of the External Voices Project, (Toronto, 2005), p.28.
In their own words, “The Brookings Institution is a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions”. [Online] http://www.brookings.edu/about#research-programs/ [7th June 2015]
Hashmi Nabil, Birdsall Nancy & Kharas Homi, The Quality of Official Development Assistance 2014, CGD Brief, (London, 2014).
DfID, UK aid: Changing Lives, Delivering Results (London, 2011), p. 32.
SCHRAEDER Peter J., HOOK Steven W. and TAYLOR Bruce, “Clarifying the Foreign Aid Puzzle: A Comparison of American, Japanese, French and Swedish Aid Flows”, World Politics, Vol.50, No.2, (1998), pp.294-323.
For comparative studies on donor motivation, see for instance MCKINLAY Robert D., “The Aid Relationship: A Foreign Policy Model and Interpretation of the Distribution of Official Bilateral Economic Aid of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, 1660-1970”, Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 11, No.4, (1979), pp.411-464; BREUNING Marijke, “Words and Deeds: Foreign Assistance Rhetoric and Policy Behaviour in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom”, International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 39, No.2, (1995), pp.235-254; PACQUEMENT François, “Le système d’aide au développement de la France et du Royaume-Uni : points de repère sur cinquante ans d’évolutions depuis la decolonisation”, Revue international de politique de développement [Online], http://poldev.revues.org/114 [16th May 2016]; STOKKE Olav (Ed.), Western Middle Powers and Global Poverty: The Determinants of the Aid Policies of Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, (Uppsala,1989); SCHRAEDER Peter J., HOOK Steven W. and TAYLOR Bruce, “Clarifying the Foreign Aid Puzzle”, op. cit.
In this respect, it is interesting to note that two empirical studies reach the conclusion that British aid often serves the purpose of extending British Influence. See MCKINLAY Robert D, “The Aid Relationship”, op. cit; Marijke Breuning, “Words and Deeds”, op. cit.
In the June 2016 referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union, Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron is campaigning against an exit. In a speech delivered in May 2016, he recalled the importance of both the EU and the US for the UK – PM speech on the UK’s strength and security in the EU [Online] <https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-the-uks-strength-and-security-in-the-eu-9-may-2016>, [17th May 2016].
Several declarations have been made by various politicians including former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Current Conservative Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening.
The International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act was passed in early 2015. It puts into legislation the target of spending at least 0.7% of national income on aid.
SCHRAEDER Peter J., HOOK Steven W. and TAYLOR Bruce, “Clarifying the Foreign Aid Puzzle”, op. cit. pp. 310-311.
While speaking at the National Assembly in 2014, the Minister of Finance, Michel Sapin said: “Comme ministre des Finances, je me dois de rappeler d’abord combine le cadre budgétaire national est constraint. A ce titre, l’aide publique au développement participe aux efforts collectifs de redressement des comptes publics, enregistrant ainsi une baisse strict sensu en 2015 par rapport à 2014. Toutefois, cette baisse est compensée partiellement par les financements innovants. » - The full text can be accessed at [Online] <http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/budget/plf2015/commissions_elargies/cr/c005.asp> [27th May 2016]
Such a tax has been in place since 2012 (Taxe sur les Transactions Financières) and a percentage of its product is allocated to development projects.
SCHRAEDER Peter J., HOOK Steven W. and TAYLOR Bruce, “Clarifying the Foreign Aid Puzzle”, op. cit., pp.317-319
See OECD stats for more recent years
OECD Statistics database, [Online], <https://public.tableau.com/views/AidAtAGlance/DACmembers?:embed=y&:display_count=no?&:showVizHome=no#1>, [27th May 2016]
FRENCH DIPLOMACY, [Online], <http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement/dispositif-institutionnel-et-canaux-d-acheminement-de-l-aide-francaise/canaux-d-acheminement-de-l-aide/article/infographie-l-aide-au>, [27th May 2016]
Barder Owen, “Reforming Development Assistance”, op. cit., p. 31.
Ibid. p. 21.
Lunn Jon, Miller Vaughne and Smith Ben, “British foreign policy since 1997”, op. cit., p. 25.
Gagnon Michelle L. & Labonté Ronald, “ Understanding How and Why Health is Integrated into Foreign Policy – A Case Study of Health is Global, a UK, Government Strategy 2008-2013”, Globalization and Health, vol. 9, n° 24, (2013), p. 4.
Ibid.
Bose Anuradha and Burnell Peter (Eds.), Britain’s overseas aid since 1979: Between idealism and self-interest (Manchester, 1991).
Barder Owen, “Reforming Development Assistance”, op. cit., p. 23.
DfID, Business Plan 2011-2015 (London, 2011). Retrieved from <https://www.gov.uk/government/upl
oads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67658/DFID-business-plan.pdf> [15th May 2015]
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