International Aid Transparency Initiative
Encyclopedia
The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is a global campaign to create transparency in the records of how aid money
is spent. The initiative hopes to thereby ensure that aid money reaches its intended recipients. The ultimate goal is to improve standards of living worldwide and globally reduce poverty.
The initiative was launched on September 4, 2008, at a High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Accra, Ghana. The goal of the forum was to refocus attention worldwide on the steps needed to reach the United Nations'
Millennium Development Goals
. It was presented by the United Kingdom's Secretary of International Development Douglas Alexander
; along with Kemal Dervis
, Head of the UN's Development Program; James Musconi, the Rwandan finance minister; and Kumi Naidoo
, president of CIVICUS. Mr. Alexander recommended creating a common set of openness standards by which donors can be judged. 14 international donors pledged to expand transparency as a result, and an agreement was reached to develop a common format for the release of aid information by 2010. A statement was issued by the signatories, which formally accepted the policies set forth in the Accra Agenda for Action and agreed to form the IATI. The text of the statement suggests that aid donors should:
The statement was agreed to by a variety of international donors, including the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
, Irish Aid, the World Bank
, the UK's Department for International Development
, the United Nations Development Program, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
.
The IATI Standard was agreed on 9th February 2011 in Paris.
Aid
In international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....
is spent. The initiative hopes to thereby ensure that aid money reaches its intended recipients. The ultimate goal is to improve standards of living worldwide and globally reduce poverty.
The initiative was launched on September 4, 2008, at a High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Accra, Ghana. The goal of the forum was to refocus attention worldwide on the steps needed to reach the United Nations'
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
. It was presented by the United Kingdom's Secretary of International Development Douglas Alexander
Douglas Alexander
Douglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and...
; along with Kemal Dervis
Kemal Dervis
Kemal Derviş is a Turkish economist and politician, and former head of the United Nations Development Programme. He was honored by the government of Japan for having "contributed to mainstreaming Japan's development assistance policy through the United Nations." In 2005, he was ranked 67th in the...
, Head of the UN's Development Program; James Musconi, the Rwandan finance minister; and Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo, born 1965, is a South African human rights activist and the International Executive Director of international environmentalist group, Greenpeace. He is the first African to head the organisation....
, president of CIVICUS. Mr. Alexander recommended creating a common set of openness standards by which donors can be judged. 14 international donors pledged to expand transparency as a result, and an agreement was reached to develop a common format for the release of aid information by 2010. A statement was issued by the signatories, which formally accepted the policies set forth in the Accra Agenda for Action and agreed to form the IATI. The text of the statement suggests that aid donors should:
- "publicly disclose regular, detailed and timely information on volume, allocation and when, available, results of development expenditure to enable more accurate budget, accounting and audit by developing countries."
- "support information systems for managing aid."
- "provide full and timely information on annual commitments and actual disbursements."
The statement was agreed to by a variety of international donors, including the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is a ministry in the Finnish Government and is responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy.-Organisation:...
, Irish Aid, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the UK's Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
, the United Nations Development Program, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a private foundation, established by Hewlett-Packard cofounder William Reddington Hewlett and his wife Flora Lamson Hewlett in 1967. The Hewlett Foundation awards grants to support educational and cultural institutions and to advance certain social and...
.
The IATI Standard was agreed on 9th February 2011 in Paris.
Make Aid Transparent Campaign
On 8th June, the Make Aid Transparent Campaignhttp://www.makeaidtransparent.org was launched, supported by over 60 organisationshttp://makeaidtransparent.org/about.htm from North and South.See also
- AidAidIn international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....
- Aid effectivenessAid effectivenessAid effectiveness is the effectiveness of development aid in achieving economic or human development . Aid agencies are always looking for new ways to improve aid effectiveness, including conditionality, capacity building and support for improved governance.-Historical background:The international...
- Transparency InternationalTransparency InternationalTransparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
- United Nations' Millennium Development GoalsMillennium Development GoalsThe Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...