| Alliance2015 calls for binding aid targets to achieve MDGs |
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MEP Gay Mitchell, who hosted the meeting, commented: “To reach the MDGs we decided that 20% of aid should be for basic health and education and we reached that target for Asia and Latin America in 2009. In Sub-Saharan Africa especially we need to achieve these targets yet they appear to have plummeted to an all time low of 1.5% for basic health and education combined. I will be asking the Parliament's Development Committee to seek an explanation for this situation.” Representatives from Alliance2015 stressed that the best way to ensure that the necessary aid reaches Africa is for the EU to agree on binding targets. “No donor wants to move first, meanwhile the health and education financing gap is hurting the poor”, said Vagn Berthelsen, President of Alliance2015. “We urge the European Union to agree a legally binding target ensuring that 20% of all aid is allocated to basic health and education, and to strongly advocate for an international target at the UN MDG Summit. This way industrialised and developing countries will finally take joint responsibility.” “The EU as the largest donor must lead by example”, said Birgit Dederichs-Bain from the German Alliance2015 member Welthungerhilfe. "The Lancet, the European Court of Auditors and even the IMF have published research showing that capacity in health and education is a key problem which aid through General Budget Support does not resolve. This capacity problem needs to be targeted directly. It is also very clear that political space is needed for countercyclical measures to protect the poor and to ensure they have access to basic social services. As the major aid donor the EU should give a strong lead on this in September in New York.” Sources:
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At a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday 1 June in Brussels, Alliance2015 called on the European Commission to push EU member states to agree binding aid targets, to accelerate progress in the final five years before 2015 target for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Participants criticised the EU for allowing the percentage of its aid directed towards improving basic health and education in Sub Saharan Africa to fall, despite commitments to increase it.
