EDM: Official Development Assistance

Official Development Assistance

Tabled by Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat) 32 signatures

The motion

That this House expresses concern over the Government’s decision to reduce the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI; agrees on the importance of strengthening the UK’s national security and defence commitments in light of increasing global security challenges, but rejects funding this through cuts to international aid; recognises that cuts to ODA diminish the UK’s soft power and create a vacuum into which Russian and Chinese influence will flow; acknowledges the connection between international aid and conflict prevention abroad, and the benefits to UK security of promoting global stability; notes that ODA investment is essential in tackling poverty, reducing instability and addressing the causes of conflict and migration; regrets that this represents the UK’s lowest aid contribution as a share of GNI since 1999 and a deeper cut than those made by the Trump administration, damaging the UK’s reputation as a global leader in humanitarian assistance and development; further notes with alarm that a significant proportion of UK ODA is being spent on in-donor refugee costs rather than poverty reduction overseas; calls on the Government to reconsider this decision and implement Liberal Democrat proposals to meet its 2.5% defence spending commitment without cutting international aid; and urges Ministers to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to global security, development and humanitarian leadership.

Signatories (32)