New figures show that rich country spending on international aid has dropped for the second year in a row.  despite promises made by rich countries nearly 40 years ago to give 0.7% of their Gross National Income as aid. This shows that new political leadership is required urgently if they are ever to be met.

The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) report released in Japan today, notes a 8.4% drop in real overseas development aid (ODA) in 2007.  Most donors are not on track to meet their stated commitments to scale up aid and will need to make unprecedented increases to meet the target of a $50 billion increase annually by 2010.  The 22 DAC member countries, the world’s major donors, provided USD 103.7 billion in aid in 2007.  Taking into account this is the end of a period of exceptionally high debt relief, this represents a drop of Gross National Income to 0.28% in 2007, against the internationally agreed target of 0.7% of GNI.

 “The OECD countries are dragging their feet. They made commitments but are not following through,’ says Kumi Naidoo, Co-chair of GCAP. “ The unwillingness of governments - France, Japan and Italy in particular - to honour promises on debt relief and aid, is increasing poverty, deepening inequality and adding to global insecurity. It’s outrageous that you can find the money for military spending but can’t find it for ODA,” he added.

GCAP campaigners in developing countries have seen first-hand how these shortfalls on commitments and poor aid quality directly impacts people’s lives.  Where debt cancellation has taken effect since the Gleneagles commitments of 2005, it has led to better healthcare, better education, treatment for HIV/Aids and some progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

In 2008, GCAP therefore calls on current G8 President, Japan, to show leadership at its July Summit by putting ODA high on their agenda and reversing what they call an 'appalling trend'.   GCAP will also be looking for action at the September Aid Effectiveness Summit in Accra, Ghana which represents a crucial opportunity to improve the quality of aid .

“In Accra, governments will be set a mandatory timetable for aid delivery and effectiveness.  This, combined with the G8 in Japan is a great opportunity for a change in direction and one we will not miss. We expect a more serious approach from leaders to ending poverty, the impact of failure is not worth contemplating,” said Christophe Zoungrana, GCAP Africa Coordinator.

The , with coalitions in over 100 rich and poor countries, simultaneously campaigns for domestic accountability in the developing world.

When the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a new initiative at the UN Head Quarters in New York to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) before its 2015 deadline, the Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Sócrates was one of the 14 political leaders to join this “moral alliance.”  He signed on, but now he should also act, said UN Millennium Campaign coordinator Luis Mah in the country’s leading reference newspaper Público. With co-authors João Meneses (of the NGO TESE) and João Fernandes (of the NGO Oikos), he urged Sócrates to keep Portugal’s commitment in increasing Official Development Assistance to 0.7% of the National Income by 2015.