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Contributions from
the Column
Facts and trends
Wealthy countries are not fulfilling duties
Clinton versus Bush
World Bank considers ban of company
The fight against poverty: NGOs lack priorities
Sudan: conflict escalates in Darfur
Afghanistan should be self-sufficient in ten years
“Disarmament must begin within the Afghan government”
5/2004
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The fight against poverty: NGOs lack
priorities
German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul has presented the second interim report on the implementation of the Action Programme 2015 in March. The report triggered strong criticism from non-governmental organisations. In this document, the German Federal Government outlines what has been done in the fight against poverty since the first interim report was presented in June 2002. Wieczorek-Zeul pointed out the government’s “broad understanding of fighting poverty”, which on the one hand aims at fairer world trade conditions and international structures and on the other hand supports progress in the partner countries. As examples, the Minister named the significant debt relief initiatives initiated by Germany and the country’s development cooperation in the areas of primary education, water supply and access to energy.
The Association of German Development NGOs (VENRO) complained that the document did not make clear where the significance of the separate campaigns listed lies for the target group, the extreme poor. Moreover, the report’s indication that 88 percent of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation And Development (BMZ) plans in 2004 serve the fight against poverty is not cosidered practical. “Proving that development cooperation in general is effective against poverty is not the point; it is about measures that help the people affected by extreme poverty”, said VENRO chairman Reinhard Hermle. The Joint Conference Church and Development (GKKE) criticised the report for not setting any priorities. “Instead, almost all measures are suddenly given the poverty orientation label”, the GKKE stated. (ell)
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