The German government is slowing down European efforts towards an ambitious development policy, analysts said Monday.
The Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a Brussels-based coalition of non-governmental organisations and trade unions working in more than 100 countries, has given the German government only 34 marks out of 100 in meeting aid commitments that would help reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The MDGs agreed by world leaders at the UN in September 2000 include a 50 percent reduction in poverty and hunger, universal primary education, reduction of child mortality by two-thirds, cutbacks in maternal mortality by three- quarters, promotion of gender equality, and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The target date for many of the specific goals is 2015.
In its report “Missing the Mark – A School Report on Rich Countries Contribution to Universal Primary Education by 2015”, the GCE gave German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder a “D”, far below a best possible “A” grade. Among European countries, only the heads of government of Italy, Spain and Austria did worse.
The GCE assessed countries on five criteria: allocation of 0,7 percent of gross national income (GNI) for development aid, funding a fair share of providing access to primary education, coordination of policies to provide better aid, a focus on the poorest countries where girls most lack access to education, and high quality aid to education.
The richest countries had promised in 1970 to set aside at least 0,7 percent of their GNI for development aid. ”If every rich country met this target, it would mean that enough resources would be available to eradicate poverty, including ensuring that all children had access to a quality education,” the GCE said.
Just five rich countries – Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden – have kept that promise. Germanys official development aid (ODA) amounted to only 0,28 percent of GNI in 2003 and again in 2004.
The GCE therefore declared Schröder ”a great disappointment considering the example he could set to his classmates.”
The GCE report says that though Schröder does ”reasonably well in focusing on the poorest countries and untying aid, his overall marks have slipped as he does not concentrate on girls education, or on reducing his consultancy budget.”
The report adds: ”As a potential candidate for the UN Security Council, (Gerhard Schröder) should think harder about his progress towards the internationally agreed aid target.”
Several German development aid experts agree with this evaluation.
– Germany is increasingly losing credibility at international development forums for its failure to fulfil its own commitments, Klaus Schilder, development expert at World Economy, Environment and Development (WEED), a Berlin-based NGO told IPS.
Germany wants to increase its share of global power through permanent membership of the UN Security Council, but does not want to accept the responsibility such a position would bring in development issues, he said.
– The German government has so far not shown any support for other aspects of the UN ongoing reform, such as the creation of new social, economic, and human rights councils within the institution, he said.
European Union (EU) members are due to meet May 24 to discuss an initiative by the Luxembourg presidency for a commitment of 0,5 percent of GNI towards development aid by 2010, and 0,7 percent by 2014.
– The German government will pay lip service to such an initiative, Schilder said, adding: – But in practice the German government will continue to fail to meet its commitments. Last year, the ministry for economic development and cooperation saw its budget reduced by 30 million US dollar, and more cuts are likely, he said.
Faced with a fiscal deficit of more than three percent, finance minister Hans Eichel refuses to allocate more resources for development aid.
Eveline Herfkens, executive coordinator of the Millennium Campaign launched by the UN Secretary-General to promote progress towards the MDGs, says it is a ”shame” that Germany is contributing so little to development.
Kilder: IPS og The Push Journal
