Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
3
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
Poor health drives people into and traps them in extreme poverty. Withdrawing funding from programmes that fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases not only puts lives immediately at risk, but impacts wider objectives on education, gender equity and poverty reduction. While we were encouraged to see the UK …
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Poor health drives people into and traps them in extreme poverty. Withdrawing funding from programmes that fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases not only puts lives immediately at risk, but impacts wider objectives on education, gender equity and poverty reduction. While we were encouraged to see the UK Government finally make a pledge to the Seventh Replenishment of the Global Fund, we were disappointed that our contribution has fallen by nearly £500 million since the previous cycle. The UK Government must reassume its position as a leader on global health. The UK Government must prioritise funding for health, both in bilateral programming and support for effective multilateral schemes, as one of the most effective interventions in extreme poverty reduction.
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Government response AI summary
The FCDO will redouble its efforts to ensure that all girls are supported to go to school and learn through the UK’s Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) programme.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
4
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
Nutrition is a keystone investment. It builds resilience in health, improves education outcomes and strengthens the economy through labour market participation. Moreover, investing in it represents very real value for money
Government response AI summary
The FCDO is already supporting education systems to deliver quality education for all children, focusing on foundational learning, reaching the most marginalised, and investing in teacher training.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
5
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
The FCDO’s commitment to supporting women and girls, particularly through education, is welcome. However, reductions in aid have been shown to disproportionately affect women and girls. Girls’ education is often more vulnerable when families face hardship and particularly during conflict or crises such as COVID-19. Many of these girls will …
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The FCDO’s commitment to supporting women and girls, particularly through education, is welcome. However, reductions in aid have been shown to disproportionately affect women and girls. Girls’ education is often more vulnerable when families face hardship and particularly during conflict or crises such as COVID-19. Many of these girls will never be able to return to school. Therefore, it is vital that the conditions that allow girls to attend to school for longer are addressed as well as the education systems themselves. General and reproductive healthcare, WASH access, caring responsibilities, child labour and early marriage all affect girls’ education, because new schools do not help girls if girls cannot attend them. Programmes that enable girls to access education must be adequately supported in line with the FCDO’s general commitment to supporting women and girls. The FCDO should focus education spending on the most impactful programmes for poverty Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals 53 reduction. This can be enhanced by complementary investments in social protection that reach the most vulnerable households, which are otherwise most likely to take girls out of school when crises occur.
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Government response AI summary
The FCDO established an on-demand expert advice facility (SPACE) and STAAR continues that support to governments and partners on strengthening social protection systems to help prevent and be able to respond to crises.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
6
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
As well as continuing to use its expertise to train teachers, the FCDO should focus education spending on the most impactful programmes for poverty reduction, particularly early years and primary education. All programmes should be disability inclusive, recognising the additional barriers disabled children face when accessing education.
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As well as continuing to use its expertise to train teachers, the FCDO should focus education spending on the most impactful programmes for poverty reduction, particularly early years and primary education. All programmes should be disability inclusive, recognising the additional barriers disabled children face when accessing education.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it supports education systems to deliver quality education for all children and has the greatest impact on poverty reduction through foundational learning and reaching the most marginalized. They cited statistics on spending on basic education and teacher training, and highlighted the Girls’ …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
7
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
The FCDO should continue to use its expertise and influence to champion social protection systems and universal health coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the value of such systems, which are already urgently needed due to the effects of climate change and food insecurity and are likely to become even more …
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The FCDO should continue to use its expertise and influence to champion social protection systems and universal health coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the value of such systems, which are already urgently needed due to the effects of climate change and food insecurity and are likely to become even more important in the future.
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Government response AI summary
The government affirmed its support for social protection systems and universal health coverage, citing their response to COVID-19 and ongoing support through facilities like SPACE and STAAR. They highlighted the UK's championing of UHC and work to strengthen health systems.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
9
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
Adapting to climate change and building resilience is vital for poverty reduction. Reducing the debt burden allows governments in low-and-middle-income countries to spend more on public health, education and social protection programmes. The UK Government must maintain its leadership on grant-based climate finance to help countries adapt to climate change …
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Adapting to climate change and building resilience is vital for poverty reduction. Reducing the debt burden allows governments in low-and-middle-income countries to spend more on public health, education and social protection programmes. The UK Government must maintain its leadership on grant-based climate finance to help countries adapt to climate change without provoking and exacerbating debt crises, deploying finance in a timely manner that matches the urgency of the situation now.
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Government response AI summary
The government highlighted its commitment to climate finance and adaptation, citing the Glasgow Climate Pact. They noted the UK's pledge of £11.6bn to support vulnerable populations and the tripling of adaptation funding. The UK's level of grant-based climate finance support from 2016 to end 2020 …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
10
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
Although low-income countries are often disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and can play a vital role in mitigation, they are mostly mitigating the emissions of other countries, including the UK. It is right that we invest in mitigation, in line with our own net-zero initiatives, but it …
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Although low-income countries are often disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and can play a vital role in mitigation, they are mostly mitigating the emissions of other countries, including the UK. It is right that we invest in mitigation, in line with our own net-zero initiatives, but it should not be at the cost of vital aid programming. Given the reduced Official Development Assistance budget and pressure from other spending, the Government should carefully consider whether all current climate finance counted as ODA should continue to be categorised in that way, especially if such finance entails mitigation for emissions that low-income countries did not cause. We must ensure that climate finance does not just target the poorest countries, but that it is tailored to benefit the poorest communities within those countries. Listening to the perspectives and priorities of those on the front-line of the climate disaster, and ensuring that the modalities for accessing financing enable communities to adapt their lives and livelihoods, should be the new ‘business as usual’. (Paragraph 56) 54 Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals The UK’s role in reducing extreme poverty
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that all UK aid, including ICF spend, is reported in line with international rules on what constitutes ODA as defined and governed by OECD Development Assistance Committee.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
14
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
The Government said in its response to our inquiry that it scaled back programmes in “countries and regions that are better positioned to bounce back from COVID-19”. It is not clear what the basis was for the reductions of allocations by more than half in, for example, Yemen, South Sudan …
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The Government said in its response to our inquiry that it scaled back programmes in “countries and regions that are better positioned to bounce back from COVID-19”. It is not clear what the basis was for the reductions of allocations by more than half in, for example, Yemen, South Sudan and Ethiopia. What is clear, not least from the cuts to programmes in Africa, is that impact on poverty reduction was given far less consideration than it should have been, given that that should be the primary purpose of UK ODA. The FCDO must urgently review the methodology used when making these cuts, and explain in its response to this report how it will avoid any such failures in future. In addition, as the FCDO “revisits” its allocations for the coming years, poverty alleviation must be the primary priority in determining where to focus and protect spending.
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Government response AI summary
The FCDO states it has allocated its ODA budget in line with the International Development Strategy and that all ODA spent by the UK is required to meet the ‘primary purpose’ test that the provision of the assistance is likely to contribute to a reduction …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
16
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
Classifying all spending in low-and-middle-income countries as ODA may meet the letter of OECD rules, but it contravenes their spirit. Programmes that may contribute to foreign policy objectives, but that do not have a measurable effect on poverty, should not be classified as ODA spending.
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Classifying all spending in low-and-middle-income countries as ODA may meet the letter of OECD rules, but it contravenes their spirit. Programmes that may contribute to foreign policy objectives, but that do not have a measurable effect on poverty, should not be classified as ODA spending.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that all UK ODA spending adheres to OECD DAC rules, promoting economic development and welfare in developing countries. The UK’s ODA spend is guided by the International Development Strategy, aligned to the SDGs and focused on poverty reduction.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
19
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
The FCDO must work with the Department for International Trade to ensure that trade policy is predicated on creating inclusive, sustainable growth and supporting economic diversification, particularly in countries facing food insecurity and/or climate threats.
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The FCDO must work with the Department for International Trade to ensure that trade policy is predicated on creating inclusive, sustainable growth and supporting economic diversification, particularly in countries facing food insecurity and/or climate threats.
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Government response AI summary
The FCDO has made a public commitment to attain “Very Good” in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index and intends to update planned ODA allocations in due course.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
21
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
A lack of policy coherence can lead to counterproductive actions, such as cutting funding to groups and regions that have previously been identified as priorities. Creating strategies is important, but they cannot exist in silos or fail to consider other previously identified strategic objectives. Furthermore, without clear targets and actions, …
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A lack of policy coherence can lead to counterproductive actions, such as cutting funding to groups and regions that have previously been identified as priorities. Creating strategies is important, but they cannot exist in silos or fail to consider other previously identified strategic objectives. Furthermore, without clear targets and actions, progress cannot be measured. As well as contributing to a cross- departmental Global Health Strategy, the FCDO must link its strategies to coherent, published delivery plans, which should include clear targets, timelines and financial allocations. In particular, the disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022–2030 must feed into all the Department’s development work, or it risks becoming an empty promise.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that FCDO is required by HMT to publish Outcome Delivery Plans. It is developing a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the International Development Strategy and working to deliver its disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022–2030. The FCDO reports to an external disability …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
22
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Accepted
The 2022 Aid Transparency Index noted the FCDO’s deterioration in transparency compared with DFID’s performance in 2020, in part due to “inconsistent publication of results, evaluations and objectives.” The FCDO failed to publish detailed budgets in its Annual Report and Accounts 2022, which meant that we were unable to scrutinise …
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The 2022 Aid Transparency Index noted the FCDO’s deterioration in transparency compared with DFID’s performance in 2020, in part due to “inconsistent publication of results, evaluations and objectives.” The FCDO failed to publish detailed budgets in its Annual Report and Accounts 2022, which meant that we were unable to scrutinise its spending plans. We understand that allocations are subject to change, but the Department must set out provisional budgets in its annual report. Furthermore, the FCDO must address the issues highlighted by the 2022 Aid Transparency Index and return to the “very good” status previously achieved by DFID.
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Government response AI summary
The FCDO commits to attaining "Very Good" in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index and intends to update planned ODA allocations in due course.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office