On 13 July, representatives from across civic life in Scotland wrote to the Prime Minister setting out four criteria they say are vital in order for the UK Government’s new Foreign and Development Office to build on the UK’s world leading reputation in international development.
The call comes following the widely opposed merger of the Department for International Development (DFID) with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The four commitments are:
- Commitment to poverty eradication and aid effectiveness
- Commitment to accountability, transparency and scrutiny
- Commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
- Commitment to safeguarding DFID’s expertise
The call is backed by a wide range of Scottish-based organisations, including senior representatives from Scotland’s universities, diaspora groups, faith-leaders, businesses and NGOs.
Jane Salmonson, Chief Exec of the Alliance, said:
“The merging of DFID and the FCO has caused many to raise concerns that the UK’s national interest could skew the development policy agenda.
“Now is the time for UK Government to ally those concerns by demonstrating its renewed commitment to the world’s poorest.
“Poverty eradication is of vital importance to the UK and the world, whatever your politics”
“We look forward to working closely with government, with our network of members and with the public in continuing to make the case for principled, accountable aid spending”.
The link to the letter and list of all 127 signatories is available here or can be view below.