New White Paper on International Development


mother and child in ghana

Development was at the very heart of international debate in 2005.

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty campaign (which in the UK included Make Poverty History) mobilised millions around the world. The United Nations, G8, European Union, Africa Union and others made a series of commitments to deliver more and better aid, debt relief, fairer trade, better governance and more coherent, "joined up" policies in support of development.

What is needed in 2006 is action

How can we ensure these commitments are followed through. Building on the first two White Papers (Eliminating World Poverty: A Challenge for the 21st Centurypdf document310 kb and Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poorpdf document647 kb) , this new White Paper on International Development will set out what the UK government will do - in developing countries, in the UK and internationally to translate the promises of 2005 into better lives for poor people in poor countries.

The new White Paper will focus on three central themes:

  • what can we do to reduce poverty and deliver development more quickly
  • what policies are needed in the UK and internationally to create the conditions necessary for reducing poverty
  • how can the international development system be reformed so that it delivers better results for development, and be more responsive to the needs of poor people.

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Consultation completed

DFID is committed to consulting broadly on policy papers, and aims to carry out public consultations as recommended in the external linkCabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultations wherever possible. We have pursued an intensive public consultation over the last 11 weeks, which finished on the 7 April.

The consultation was based around a short consultation document adobe acrobat pdf(61 kb) and a series of six speeches on White Paper topics, given by Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development. The speeches and consultation document laid out a series of issues and questions relating to the themes that the White Paper will cover.

The new White Paper will be published later this summer.

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Speeches

man on phone

Growth and poverty reduction? Creating more and better jobs in poor countries 
Thursday 19 January 
NEF (new economics foundation)
"Poor people in poor countries want the same things that we do here - they want to have a decent job, to meet their basic needs, to lead a fulfilled life, take good care of their children and have a role in their community and in society."
Read the full speech and questions
leaving balakot, Pakistan

Humanitarian reform and conflict issues
Monday 23 January
United Nations, New York
"I want to discuss with you how I think we can do better in preventing humanitarian emergencies and conflict, and when we can't, how we can respond better to them"
Read the full speech and questions
Voting in Peru

Governance and development
Thursday 2 February
Royal African Society and the Centre for African Policy & Peace Strategy (CAPPS)
"Now all of this is, of course, about making poverty history. But the dream that unites us won’t be fulfilled without good political governance, and it’s that I want to talk about this evening."
Read the full speech and questions

Pupil, Chingwele, Zambia

Public services (education, health, user fees, social protection)
Thursday 16 February
UNISON - The public service union
"In Britain when a woman decides to have a child, it is almost always a joyous occasion. In the developing world, 130 million can't get any family planning, so they don't have any choice in deciding if and when to have children"
Read the full speech and questions
Power station, Tanzania

Development beyond aid (climate change, global governance)
Thursday 23 February
Chatham House and British Overseas NGO's for Development (BOND)
"The challenge facing developing countries in making poverty history for themselves is becoming more and more complicated because we live in an increasingly interconnected world."
Read the full speech and questions
Information and communication technologies, El Salvador

Reform of the international development system
Tuesday 14 March
Overseas Development Institute and All party parliamentary group on overseas development
"I think we should put our money where it is most effective in helping to eliminate poverty, regardless of the institution"

Read the full speech and questions

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Links

Related links on wider and foreign policy

Last Updated 7 April 2006