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Aid agencies petition for more government aid
Aid agencies are uniting behind a new petition to the New Zealand government asking it to honour its international commitment to increase assistance to the world’s poorest peoples. The petition is asking the government to announce a clear timetable to reach the goal of spending 0.7 per cent of the national income on overseas development assistance or aid.
In supporting the petition, Christian World Service’s director, Jonathan Fletcher, says that aid spending has been falling at a steady rate. “New Zealanders who generously contribute in an effort to end poverty and injustice, will be disappointed to know how little of the national budget is addressing the plight of those who are impoverished. Christian World Service is asking for your support to show the government that New Zealanders expect more.”
“There has been a tremendous response to the Tsunami appeal and while the government committed $68 million to the rebuilding of the region, this will bring the year’s total to an estimated $370 million and just 0.26 per cent of GNI,” he adds. “Quite simply, poor people in the world deserve more when the rich have so much.”
In 2003 the government spent a mere 0.23 per cent of the Gross National Income (GNI) to fund its aid programme. This figure is well behind the average of 0.41 per cent by developed countries and a significant fall from its high in 1975 of 0.52 per cent.
The New Zealand government reaffirmed its commitment to reach the international goal of 0.7% at the United Nations Millennium Assembly. These funds and more will be needed if the Millennium Development Goals, including halving global poverty, are to be reached by 2015. The World Bank estimates that 1.2 billion or just over 20 per cent of the global population live in extreme poverty on less than US$1 a day.
For copies of the petition and more information click here
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