Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Rejected
Paragraph: 72
Revive commitments to 50% ODA for fragile states and 0.7% GNI for ODA.
Recommendation
The Government should revive its previous commitment to channel 50% of Official Development Assistance to fragile and conflict-affected countries and regions. The Government should also revive its 2019 manifesto commitment to spending 0.7% of the UK’s Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance at the earliest opportunity, in light of refugee and asylum pressure in multiple countries.
Government Response Summary
The government has no plans to reintroduce the commitment to channel 50% of ODA to fragile and conflict-affected states. It remains committed to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA once specific fiscal tests are met, which are currently not satisfied.
Paragraph Reference:
72
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
Partially agree. We believe that it is not possible to end extreme poverty in low and middle-income countries without also tackling conflict and fragility. Issues of Fragile & Conflict Affected States are therefore central to the International Development Strategy (IDS), which aims to tackle the causes of crises and build the long-term foundations for lasting development. Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations are directed towards the strategic priorities of the IDS. Of the FCDO’s ten largest planned bilateral ODA allocations in 2023–24 and 2024–25, eight are on the World Bank’s list of Fragile & Conflict Affected Situations. But we currently have no plans to reintroduce the FCAS spending commitment. The Government is committed to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on ODA once the fiscal situation allows. In July 2021 MPs approved two fiscal tests to be met before returning ODA to 0.7% - these were that, on a sustainable basis, the Government is no longer borrowing for day-to-day spending and that underlying debt is falling. At the Autumn Statement 2022, the Government provided an additional £2.5 billion ODA over two years to help meet the significant and unexpected costs associated with supporting refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan.