The Group of Eight Summit in Gleneagles made substantial commitments on aid volumes and debt.

It is not clear whether these resources are additional to overall future aid commitments by donors or are simply shifted from other allocations within the same aid budget.

The fulfilment of the aid commitments and the principles and targets in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness would be a major breakthrough in international cooperation, particularly for sub Saharan Africa.

Africa's development partners would need to meet their commitments to significantly increase aid flows in a predictable and coherent manner.

Bilateral donors and multilateral agencies significantly increased their aid commitments for trade related technical assistance and capacity building in 2003.

In short, the Summit had encouraged Member States to make major commitments in the areas of ownership, aid and debt.

In that regard, it was urgent that the commitments made in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness should be fulfilled.

Others called attention to the recent achievements in raising development funds worldwide and the current momentum in aid commitments by donors.

We welcome commitments to enhance the quality of aid that are based on a recognition of the needs of recipient countries.

44. Welcomes efforts and initiatives to enhance the quality of aid and to increase its impact, including the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and calls for concrete, effective and timely action in implementing all agreed commitments on aid effectiveness, with clear monitoring and deadlines

International commitments on aid, debt and trade issues for developing countries are essential to implement for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The countries of the North must fulfil their commitments in matters of trade, debt reduction and enhancing the quality of aid and good practices.

The report highlighted several key issues, including benchmarks for measuring progress towards mutually agreed commitments the challenges of improving aid effectiveness and promoting policy coherence.

These commitments include significant increases in debt relief and aid. While there has been progress on implementing debt relief measures, the international community must follow through on the other part of its pledge, by delivering increased aid and promoting its better use.

This would be more than a technical exercise of periodically publishing figures on aid commitments and disbursements, an exercise that many organizations, including the United Nations, already undertake.

I call on the donor countries to meet their commitments undertaken at different international conferences, including in Madrid, Brussels and, most recently, Jordan, to provide financial aid to Iraq.

Reconstruction aid to improve infrastructure, promote start up companies, and reactivate micro and small enterprises, services, mining, and other sectors, and to improve agricultural yields and irrigation, should start right away and should be the main focus of international aid commitments. Laissez faire will not do it.

Equally important is that all countries live up to the commitments on aid effectiveness, to our agreements from Monterrey and to our promises to find new ways of financing development.

The Facility would be designed to provide a rapid increase in official assistance through innovative financing arrangements that would allow Governments' future aid commitments to be expended before they are budgeted.

Band Aid, Live Aid.

Our aid is effective aid.

Before these pledges become commitments, donors should carefully examine Georgia s economic development strategy and assess its plans for humanitarian and reconstruction aid. They should ask whether aid for Georgia contributes to peace and stability or, on the contrary, whether it will impede a political solution to the conflict and keep investors away.

Aid must be provided on a multi year basis and be sustained so as to encourage countries to make long term expenditure commitments, in particular for the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals.

In particular, donors must commit themselves to an accelerated, time bound programme for implementing the commitments made in various declarations, including the 2001 Recommendation on Untying Official Development Assistance to the Least Developed Countries, the 2003 Rome Declaration on Harmonization and the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, to improve the role and impact of aid.

Handing out aid, shooting back, handing out aid, shooting back.

Aid

Aid

Aid

Aid

In return, developed countries must muster the necessary political will, create a favourable external economic environment, fulfil their commitments and adopt measures with regard to poverty eradication, financial aid and debt relief, including the internationally agreed ODA goal.

Commitments

Now talking can be accompanied with aid or not with aid.

No aid can they give them, nor can they aid themselves!

No aid can they give them, nor can they aid themselves!

But also, we need smarter aid, and smarter use of aid.

Commitments could range from substantial liberalization to commitments binding existing regimes.

The European Union has committed itself and its member states to increase aid flows to 0.56 of GDP by 2010 and 0.7 by 2015 with a big focus on Africa. The combined aid commitments of OECD Development Assistance Committee member countries would mean a doubling of official development assistance to Africa between 2004 and 2010 that is, if they are honored.

The European Union has committed itself and its member states to increase aid flows to 0.56 of GDP by 2010 and 0.7 by 2015 with a big focus on Africa. The combined aid commitments of OECD Development Assistance Committee member countries would mean a doubling of official development assistance to Africa between 2004 and 2010 that is, if they are honored.

It is important that developed countries ensure aid predictability and aid effectiveness through the implementation of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

Vision led aid can work but such aid is not always available.

Aid Works

maternal aid,

Legal Aid

Water Aid

Financial commitments