Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
1
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
The effects of COVID-19, climate change and conflict are undermining decades of progress on eliminating extreme poverty. Extreme poverty drives conflict, displacement and migration. Eliminating extreme poverty is fundamental to everyone’s security and prosperity. (Paragraph 23) Effective interventions
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The effects of COVID-19, climate change and conflict are undermining decades of progress on eliminating extreme poverty. Extreme poverty drives conflict, displacement and migration. Eliminating extreme poverty is fundamental to everyone’s security and prosperity. (Paragraph 23) Effective interventions
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees that COVID-19, climate change and conflict undermine progress towards eliminating extreme poverty and acknowledges that this goal is vital for security and prosperity.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
2
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
We welcome the FCDO’s position papers on health systems strengthening for global health security and universal health coverage, and ending preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children by 2030. We recommend the Government builds on these, and the disability inclusion and rights strategy, and develops a coherent cross- departmental Global …
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We welcome the FCDO’s position papers on health systems strengthening for global health security and universal health coverage, and ending preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children by 2030. We recommend the Government builds on these, and the disability inclusion and rights strategy, and develops a coherent cross- departmental Global Health Strategy, with clearly defined targets and delivery plans, within six months. We repeat our previous call for this to set out how the UK intends to use levers at multilateral and bilateral levels to achieve its aims, how this ensures progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal, and how the strategy will reach the most marginalised and vulnerable communities.
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Government response AI summary
The government states that officials are working across government on global health via a HMG Strategic Framework. Ministers are considering options for communicating their shared cross-government strategic framework building on existing papers. They will continue to use multilateral and bilateral levers to achieve global health …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
8
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
In summary, by weaving a tapestry of the most critical interventions, including cash, capacity-building and financial inclusion, graduation programmes have a transformative and long-term impact on the poorest households, which reap sustained economic and social benefits that far outweigh the cost of initial investment. This methodology originated from a DFID-funded …
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In summary, by weaving a tapestry of the most critical interventions, including cash, capacity-building and financial inclusion, graduation programmes have a transformative and long-term impact on the poorest households, which reap sustained economic and social benefits that far outweigh the cost of initial investment. This methodology originated from a DFID-funded programme in Bangladesh and can play an important role in addressing extreme poverty in other countries.
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Government response AI summary
The government is committed to the SDGs and the Leave No One Behind agenda through the International Development Strategy with a focus on women and girls and humanitarian prevention and response and mentions the FCDO's three-pronged approach.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
11
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
In the current global climate, the need to ‘put the last first’ is perhaps even greater than it was at the gavelling of the Sustainable Development Goals. The UK Government can help catalyse global action, reinstate UK leadership, and ensure coherence with domestic strategy, by creating a deliberate and dedicated …
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In the current global climate, the need to ‘put the last first’ is perhaps even greater than it was at the gavelling of the Sustainable Development Goals. The UK Government can help catalyse global action, reinstate UK leadership, and ensure coherence with domestic strategy, by creating a deliberate and dedicated Leave no one behind portfolio within FCDO, to put the furthest behind first. Such a commitment would be a timely, and impactful announcement at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Voluntary National Review session in July 2023, demonstrating the power of a UK Government ‘promise’.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated its commitment to the SDGs and the Leave No One Behind agenda through the International Development Strategy, focusing on women and girls and humanitarian prevention and response. It outlined a three-pronged approach: understanding who is left behind through data, empowering the marginalized, …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
12
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
We welcome the Government’s decision to appoint a Minister for Development who will attend Cabinet. We also welcome the response to our letter that the Government is still committed to the ‘Leave no one behind’ pledge, but we were disappointed by the lack of explicit mention of that pledge in …
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We welcome the Government’s decision to appoint a Minister for Development who will attend Cabinet. We also welcome the response to our letter that the Government is still committed to the ‘Leave no one behind’ pledge, but we were disappointed by the lack of explicit mention of that pledge in the recent International Development Strategy. The then Foreign Secretary argued that such an explicit reference was unnecessary, but we disagree; words matter. The UK has historically been a global leader in poverty reduction. Those working in the development space all over the world and other governments will be taking note of the UK’s priorities. To maintain the UK’s status as a global leader in tackling extreme poverty, the FCDO should explicitly reaffirm its commitment to the Leave no one behind agenda, including achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 1.1 of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030.
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Government response AI summary
The government reaffirmed its commitment to the 'Leave no one behind' pledge. It outlined how the UK will deliver on the SDGs, including SDG 1, through the International Development Strategy and its alignment to Agenda 2030’s ‘Five Ps’.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
13
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
We recognise that the FCDO may not have automatically carried over DFID’s targets. As the proportion of extremely poor people living in fragile and conflict- affected states and regions continues to rise, however, this link must be recognised in targeting Official Development Assistance spending. The FCDO should recommit to DFID’s …
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We recognise that the FCDO may not have automatically carried over DFID’s targets. As the proportion of extremely poor people living in fragile and conflict- affected states and regions continues to rise, however, this link must be recognised in targeting Official Development Assistance spending. The FCDO should recommit to DFID’s previous target of spending 50% of its ODA budget in fragile states and regions.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS) are central in the IDS. They outlined how they will draw on combined diplomatic, defence and development capabilities to prevent and reduce conflict. ODA allocations will be directed towards the strategic priorities of the International …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
15
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
Cutting funding mid-programme and awarding short-term contracts may help the Government to stay within its 0.5% GNI target, but it risks undermining previous investments and undoing hard-won progress. The most effective programmes should be scaled up and allocated long-term funding. (Paragraph 80) Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals 55
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Cutting funding mid-programme and awarding short-term contracts may help the Government to stay within its 0.5% GNI target, but it risks undermining previous investments and undoing hard-won progress. The most effective programmes should be scaled up and allocated long-term funding. (Paragraph 80) Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals 55
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that there are no quick fixes to development challenges. They invest in research and evidence, including through a 'best buys' approach and monitors the performance of its programmes. FCDO programmes tend to be multi-year in nature and funding.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
17
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
The UK Government must trust and fund what works. Policy and spend must be dedicated to interventions that deliver, at scale, to and with those most in need. Investing in long-term partnerships provides the key to long-term change. Should ODA levels stagnate, the requirement to ensure that assistance is well-spent …
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The UK Government must trust and fund what works. Policy and spend must be dedicated to interventions that deliver, at scale, to and with those most in need. Investing in long-term partnerships provides the key to long-term change. Should ODA levels stagnate, the requirement to ensure that assistance is well-spent becomes more critical than ever. The UK Government must be evidence-led in terms of spend, focusing on independently and internally assessed ‘best buys’, such as extreme poverty graduation, that deliver the most significant and sustainable returns on investment. On this basis, extreme poverty should represent more, not less, of official ODA spend.
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Government response AI summary
The Government is committed to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA as soon as the fiscal situation allows and is strengthening the governance of cross-government ODA.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
18
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
Trade and investment are proven means of reducing poverty, but the Government cannot rely on “trickle-down development”. Policies based on trade and investment must include the world’s poorest people. As the Government increases ODA spending through development finance, it is vital that such spending targets the poorest and is not …
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Trade and investment are proven means of reducing poverty, but the Government cannot rely on “trickle-down development”. Policies based on trade and investment must include the world’s poorest people. As the Government increases ODA spending through development finance, it is vital that such spending targets the poorest and is not just invested in middle-income countries where returns may be higher. The BII Impact Framework should be updated to include scoring based on the new World Bank definition of extreme poverty of $2.15 a day, in addition to its current metric of $5.50 a day. The BII annual report should set out the proportion of investments meeting the new metric, which would ensure that BII investments support the world’s poorest communities. Other investment partnerships, such as those planned with G7 partners, should also establish clear frameworks targeting poverty reduction in low- and-middle-income countries.
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Government response AI summary
The FCDO is developing a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the International Development Strategy and working to deliver its disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022–2030.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
20
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Extreme poverty and the …
Acknowledged
Throughout this inquiry, we heard how budget reductions had affected programmes tackling poverty. The Government has stated that it knows what works in addressing extreme poverty, but it has not consistently demonstrated that insight in its funding decisions. We recommend: Ȥ The FCDO must ensure that its focus on trade …
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Throughout this inquiry, we heard how budget reductions had affected programmes tackling poverty. The Government has stated that it knows what works in addressing extreme poverty, but it has not consistently demonstrated that insight in its funding decisions. We recommend: Ȥ The FCDO must ensure that its focus on trade and investment, and the rising costs associated with Ukraine and Afghanistan, do not lead to further decreases in funding for poverty reduction programmes, such as health, nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), education, social protection and graduation programmes. Ȥ The focus must be on the entrenched poor, alongside those who have more recently slipped into extreme poverty as a result of the pandemic and global economic crisis. We need a restoration of the 0.7% of GNI target for development spending in order to effectively support the poorest people. Ȥ The FCDO should use the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) to assess need and to direct funding accordingly. (Paragraph 96) 56 Extreme poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals Strategy, reporting and transparency
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Government response AI summary
The government reiterated its commitment to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA when the fiscal situation allows and highlighted the International Development Strategy's focus on trade, humanitarian aid, girls' education, and health as part of poverty reduction efforts. They stated they use a range of …
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office