In Brief

OECD calls for more and better development assistance

In its Development Co-operation Report 2007 published in February, the OECD gives the donor community a mixed report card. On the positive side, it notes that the total sum of worldwide official development assistance (ODA) rose from $ 58 billion to $ 104 billion from 2002 to 2006. Because the lion’s share related to debt relief, however, it was not available as new money for implementing programmes. In future, other development spending needs to rise if existing G8 promises are to be kept. According to the Report, less than 43 % of funding in 2002 was untied, so the increase to 53% in 2006 is acknowledged as a positive development. Moreover, the OECD approves of bilateral aid now being geared to 46 % towards the least developed countries, the ration in 2002 was only 40 %. For overall aid, however, that share only grew from 47 % to 49 %. The OECD also notes that many donors’ actions remain very disparate and should be focused more closely on individual partners and objectives. Progress towards greater efficiency in the sense of the Paris Declaration (see article on UN above) is deemed a success by the OECD, but still far from sufficient. (dem)

Post-graduate course at the GDI

8 April is the deadline for applications for the next post-graduate course at the German Development Institute (GDI). Candidate requirements include nationality of an EU member state, a university degree with above-average grades, a very good knowledge of English and experience in a developing country.

The course starts at the beginning of September and ends at the end of May 2009. Applicants should be no older than 30 years. The course will include an 11-week stint in a developing country. (dem)

Appeal to protect biodiversity

With 100 days to go before the 9th UN conference on biological diversity (COP 9) starts in Bonn, German NGOs have made an appeal for greater commitment. In a statement, they present four core demands on which the COP states should act immediately. These mainly concern the protection of important natural landscapes such as primeval forest, steppe and savannah. Moreover, they demand that 40 % of the world’s oceans also be protected. Financially, rich countries should help poor ones; and where genetic diversity is exploited, a fair deal needs to be ensured for all. (sz)

Makoni to run against Mugabe

Just ahead of elections in Zimbabwe, a new challenger has emerged to face President Robert Mugabe. Simba Makoni, until recently the country’s finance minister, plans to stand as a presidential candidate on 29 March. He sees a chance of victory. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will also stand. His party, the Movement for Democratic Change, however, has split. Mugabe, in office since 1980, has always managed to suppress opposition in the past, often with the use of force. Critics claim the 84-year-old president is guilty of numerous human rights violations, and blame him the desperate state of the economy. (sz)

Bertelsmann’s annual Transformation Index

The Bertelsmann Foundation has published its Transformation Index (BTI) 2008. It confirms that a large number of countries have serious deficits in terms of the rule of law as well as socio-political matters. Though the populations of more countries than ever before are allowed to freely elect their governments, governance has not changed in the respects mentioned. According to the authors, powers are only split effectively among different branches of government in a few countries. Abuse of office is said to only rarely be punished, and problems in economic development are mentioned. The BTI 2008 maintains that many countries in Africa and Latin America are not making use of economic growth to consolidate their
economy-relevant institutions. Moreover, too many people in many countries are said to not be benefiting from the economic upturn. The study assessed 125 developing and transformation countries according to the quality of democracy, the market economy and governance. (sz)

Lost credibility of UNICEF Germany

The German branch of UNICEF is no longer considered a trustworthy charity by DZI, the Central German Institute for Social Issues. DZI is the body that certifies whether organisations that collect donations are considered credible or not. DZI bemoans that UNICEF Germany did not disclose it was paying fundraisers. A member of UNICEF Germany’s board said this decision was a hard and unexpected blow. UNICEF Germany is affiliated to the multilateral aid agency for children, and incorporated as a voluntary association according to German law. UNICEF Germany has been making headlines for weeks. The organisation has been accused primarily of mismanagement and squandering funds. External consultants, for example, are said to have been paid excessively high compensations. Chief executive Dieter Garlichs is at the centre of the criticism. He has since resigned. The Cologne public prosecutor’s office is investigating him on account of an initial suspicion of embezzlement. (sz)

Egypt wins Africa Cup

Football festival in Ghana: an Egyptian fan exults in the triumph of his country’s team a the 26. Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt won the contest for the sixth time. Many European experts kept a close eye on the tournament. The Africa Cup, it is said, is of similar relevance today as the Europe and South America Cups. African teams will have to be reckoned with in future World Cups.

More violence in Sri Lanka

The violence that rocked Sri Lanka in the early weeks of this year was worse than anything seen for years. That is what the International Red Cross reports in a recent document. It notes that more than 180 civilians were killed and over 270 wounded. The worst wave of attacks occurred on 16 January, when the ceasefire ex­pired between the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government. The day also marked the end of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), which had been watching the imple­men­tation of the ceasefire. The de­fen­ce ministry reports that more than 1,200 rebels and over 100 soldiers were also killed in the weeks up to the middle of February. (sz)

D+C, 2008/03, Monitor, Page 5-96