International Development Finance Requires Ambitious Reforms To Address Urgent Challenges – CPDE

In a statement, CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) argued that the intended reforms in international development finance are not enough to address today’s pressing challenges.

The global civil society platform is responding to the First Draft of the Outcome Document for the 4th Financing for Development (FfD4) Forum, an annual UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) intergovernmental process that reviews the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and other financing for development outcomes to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The Draft still falls short of being the transformative document it needs to be, and continues to reflect an inadequate ambition in the areas of time-bound commitments, actionable priorities, and substantive reforms,” the statement read.

CPDE reiterates its three demands for the FfD4, especially based on how these were addressed – or not – by the Draft.

Uphold past commitments, but push the limits on aid volume: While CPDE welcomes the improved language on aid quantity and quality, as well as a decision to establish a working group for ODA and climate finance reporting, it continues to advocate for recognising the cumulative shortfall in the Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) commitment, estimated at USD 7.1 trillion, as unmet ODA debt, and ensuring the differentiation and additionality of humanitarian and climate finance.

Strengthen the effectiveness agenda to put countries in the drivers’ seat: Towards the genuine revitalisation of the effectiveness agenda, the international community must uphold the integrity of the effectiveness principles: country ownership, transparency and mutual accountability, focus on results, and inclusive partnerships, and champion a Whole-of-Society approach to international development cooperation and global partnerships for development. Revitalisation must also recognise and support the vital role of civil society at all levels in ensuring an effective aid architecture.

Define decisive mechanisms to turn commitments to change: This includes a UN intergovernmental process towards a legally binding convention on development cooperation, or, at the minimum, a commitment among Member States to enhance coherence in development cooperation to deliver results on poverty and inequality.

The statement closes with a call to take decisive action ahead of the Seville Conference: “All those who still believe in the power of solidarity and common humanity must buckle up and ensure that we generate enough steam to bring it back on track, and move the needle in a way that will deliver significant change.”

CPDE also recently urged parties at the (FfD4) third preparatory meetings to push for breakthroughs in development finance commitments, and called for collective action and global solidarity amid the US aid freeze, to respond to the multiple global crises.

About CPDE

CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) is an open platform that unites civil society organisations (CSOs) from six regions and seven major sectors (feminist, indigenous peoples, international CSOs, labour, migrants, rural, and youth) around the world on the issues of effective development cooperation. It participates in the CSO-FfD Mechanism under the International Development Cooperation Workstream. Check out csopartnership.org today to learn more about CPDE’s engagements around effective development cooperation issues, including development finance.

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