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SCOTTISH
AID AGENCIES MEET MEPS TO PRESS DEMANDS FOR 0.7% OF EU CASH FOR AID
12 November 2003
 A high-powered
group representing Scottish aid agencies and international development
charities visited Brussels to lobby both the European Commission and the
European Parliament for a timetable for meeting the UN target of 0.7 per
cent of wealth on aid. The agencies also called on Scotland’s political
parties to include a pledge on the issue in their manifestos for the 2004
European Elections.
The group, which included representatives from
Oxfam in Scotland, NIDOS (Network of International Development
Organisations in Scotland), the UN Association Scotland and the Conference
of European Churches met with European Commission officials and with MEPs
from across the political spectrum, including Ian Hudghton MEP (pictured)
The 0.7% UN target, first agreed almost thirty
years ago, was reaffirmed by the governments of the world at the UN
Millennium Summit in September 2000. At that meeting 189 governments
signed up to eight Millennium Development Goals, including policy change
to increase aid.
At present only four EU countries meet the
target (Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Sweden) and it is envisaged
that by 2006 only Ireland will join that group. At present the UK’s aid
budget is only 0.33% and is estimated to rise to only 0.40% over the next
three years.
Commenting Dr Eilidh Whiteford from
Oxfam in Scotland said:
“ Aid remains one of the key components in
any strategy to meet the internationally agreed targets for poverty
reduction throughout the world. However at the current pace the EU is far
short of meeting the 0.7% target needed to implement the Millennium
Development Goals.
“ That is why we are calling on both the
European Parliament and the European Commission to inject more political
urgency on this issue. Every month and year that passes without meeting
what is a basic and long-standing target, means that millions of people
remain in grinding poverty throughout the world, with little or no
prospect of escaping that poverty.”
Dr Fiona Chalamanda, from NIDOS added:
“ We are also calling on each of the
political parties to include commitments to meeting the 0.7% objective in
their European Election Manifestos.
“ Scots have a long history of social
responsibility and concern for those in need. This is an issue that many
people in Scotland care strongly about. As the UK considers itself to be
a world leader in international affairs it must continue to improve the
percentage of wealth targeted on aid.
“ By including a commitment to the 0.7%
target in their European manifestos, politicians would put down a marker
that they are serious about working to achieve change, not just agreeing
that it is a good thing.”
Dr Alec Gaines,
from the UN Association, Scotland, concluded saying:
“ We are hopeful that speedier progress can
be made towards the aid targets. The 0.7 per cent target has been missed
for too long. When we meet MEPs from across the Scottish political
spectrum we will be asking them to take this issue forward through their
European Parliament political groupings, which include MEPs from across
the EU.” |
