World Day of Decent Work: trade unions and civil society organisations call for a firm commitment to decent work in the development agenda

Friday, 07 October 2011 06:44

From the Trade Union Development Cooperation Network

Today – on the World Day for Decent Work - trade unions and civil society organisations ask for strong commitments at an upcoming High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness for development policies that will ensure decent work for all.

Read more: World Day of Decent Work: trade unions and civil society organisations call for a firm commitment to decent work in the development agenda

Japanese NGOs urge Japan’s government to maintain ODA budget following tsunami

Friday, 22 April 2011 14:04

On April 7, it was reported that the Democratic Party of Japan's Great East Japan Earthquake Recovery and Reconstruction Study Commission asked the government to reduce the ODA budget for the current fiscal year by 20% in order to secure enough funding for the first supplementary post-earthquake reconstruction budget.

Seeing the situation as a serious crisis of Japanese ODA, Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC) released a statement against the proposal. Aid predictability is a cornerstone of aid effectiveness agreements such as the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action- development planners need certainty that what is pledged is actually what is made available. The statement follows: 

JANIC expresses its heartfelt sympathy to those affected by the East Japan
Earthquake and sincerely hopes for the earliest possible recovery of the region. Many of
JANIC’s member NGOs have begun emergency relief activities in the disaster area.

On April 7, it was reported that the Democratic Party of Japan's Great East Japan
Earthquake Recovery and Reconstruction Study Commission, chaired by Secretary
General Katsuya Okada, asked the government to reduce the ODA budget for the
current fiscal year by 20% in order to secure enough funding for the first supplementary
post-earthquake reconstruction budget. JANIC strongly requests the Commission and
the government to reconsider this proposal and to maintain the original ODA budget.

While JANIC recognizes the need to quickly mobilize resources to jumpstart a recovery,
we urge the government to carefully consider the implications of cutting the ODA.
Cutting the ODA budget by 20% minimizes Japan’s responsible role in the international
community. If the government decides to slash its ODA, there will be immeasurable
impact on the poor in developing countries. It is important to note that many nations –
including developing countries – responded to Japan’s needs after the earthquake,
partly because of the goodwill built up by Japan’s own generosity via ODA.

JANIC strongly requests that the Japanese government maintain the original ODA
budget, but if cuts are made, the government should avoid cutting the budget related to
achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

PCFS holds Asia-wide CSO conference on aid and development effectiveness and agriculture and rural development

Thursday, 17 February 2011 06:23

From the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS)

Civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations from all over Asia came together and exposed the intensifying problems on food and land that exist despite the increasing stream of development aid from developed countries and international funding institutions to developing countries in a conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on January 20, 2011.

Read more: PCFS holds Asia-wide CSO conference on aid and development effectiveness and agriculture and rural development

International Aid Transparency Standard Finalised

Wednesday, 16 February 2011 13:47

 From Publish What You Fund

After two years of negotiating, the 18 donors of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) agreed on 9th February the final details of a new global standard for publishing aid information. With this format in place that will make aid information internationally comparable, more information will now be better information.

Read more: International Aid Transparency Standard Finalised