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The U.K. development community is reeling after a vote in Parliament cast doubts on whether the government will ever return to spending 0.7% of gross national income on foreign assistance.
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On Tuesday, U.K. politicians voted against restoring the country’s 0.7% aid budget next year, and instead endorsed a government proposal that ties a return to prior funding levels to strict fiscal conditions in the country. Aid experts have widely received the news as confirmation it will be years before the government returns to the spending benchmark — enshrined in law in 2015 — if it ever does.
Prior to the surprise government motion, released on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s vote, the Conservative Party faced a potential rebellion by some of its members. But, my colleague Will Worley says, the government managed to win over these rebels by framing the vote around fiscal responsibility — and threatening potential tax increases and public spending cuts if it failed.
“The government took a gamble in springing a surprise vote, but it was on their terms, which made the fiscal responsibility angle of the debate much stronger. As the party which brands itself as the serious custodians of the public finances, this framing seems to have appealed to the sensitivities of enough Conservative MPs to see off the rebellion,” Will tells me.
The outcome has drawn harsh criticism from the aid sector — as well as vows to challenge the decision. It has also provoked skepticism of the U.K. government’s ability to maintain trust with the rest of the world as it prepares to host November’s COP 26 climate change summit.
Former Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister John Major says the government has “blatantly broken its word,” questioning why the country can afford a “national yacht” but not assistance to people in need.
“It is the stamp of Little England, not Great Britain,” he writes.
Read: After Parliament vote, 0.7% UK aid target out of reach for years
Stepping down
Henrietta Fore announced Tuesday she is stepping down as the executive director of UNICEF due to her husband’s serious health condition. Fore, who has led the U.N. agency since 2018 — and previously led USAID — will stay on in her role until her successor is appointed.
The United States historically holds sway over nominating UNICEF’s leader, and Fore’s departure opens up an unexpected position for the Biden administration to fill. It also adds to a year of major turnover within the U.N.’s top jobs — at a time when advocates are pushing hard for greater transparency and open competition.
Safe passage — faster
Multiple checks have delayed the arrival of a humanitarian convoy in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray, prompting the UN Refugee Agency to call on parties to facilitate faster passage of aid delivery in the region.
Meanwhile, following the death of three Médecins Sans Frontières team members and suspension of the organization’s activities in certain areas, MSF and others are calling for assurances that aid workers can do their jobs in safety. If ensuring safe access for staff isn’t possible, Action Against Hunger’s Hajir Maalim tells Rebecca Root that the organization too might have to “curtail [its] programs in Tigray temporarily or scale-back less critical work.”
Read: Aid worker killings in Tigray spark calls for safety assurances
Unconditional support
Are the World Bank’s policy conditions getting in the way of a fast and flexible response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Shabtai Gold digs into the bank’s budget support to governments — and the debate over whether now is the time to attach conditions to badly needed funds.
Devex Pro: World Bank attaches too many strings to COVID-19 aid, report says
Or ... maybe the World Bank and International Monetary Fund need to completely “rethink” their entire business models to facilitate a transition to low-carbon economies. That’s the message Larry Fink of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, shared at the Venice International Conference on Climate.
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Shouts and murmurs
President Joe Biden nominated Dr. Atul Gawande to be USAID’s assistant administrator for global health on Tuesday.
Gawande is a surgeon, MacArthur Fellow, National Book Award finalist, and staff writer with the New Yorker. He also served as a member of the Biden transition COVID-19 Advisory Board. If approved by the U.S. Senate, Gawande’s appointment would bring high-profile leadership to USAID’s global health bureau — and renewed questions about the Biden administration’s plans.
In other news
A Zika outbreak in India's Kerala region is thought to have been caused by the disruption of mosquito control programs due to the pandemic. [The Telegraph]
Mexico has offered humanitarian aid to Cuba following unrest in the Caribbean nation. [Reuters]
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About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
