Making development aid more effective is a responsibility shared by donor and recipient countries within a global partnership open to civil society, the European Parliament emphasised in a resolution adopted in Strasbourg on Tuesday 22 November.
MEPs, just like rapporteur Cristian Dan Preda (EPP, Romania) are persuaded that the EU, as the world’s biggest aid donor, has the special responsibility of leading the way to help achieve the universal sustainable development goals.
They voted by 545 to 39, with 92 abstentions for the path charted by Preda to ensure the success of the second high-level meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 28 November to 1 December (see EUROPE 11664).
Parliament stressed the importance of good governance, human rights, sound financial management and safeguards against corruption in developing countries and warned against “tied aid” that has more to do with driving the donor country’s own agenda. MEPs pressed the EU and its member states to meet the longstanding commitment to allocate 0.7% of their gross national income to public development aid. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)