asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will state, arising from his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 614 on 28 April 1982 in which he stated that it may not be feasible to reach the 0.7 per cent UN target for overseas development assistance (within the specified time frame) on what this qualification is based; whether the Government are fully and unequivocally committed to honouring the target; and if he will elaborate on the reasons for his hesitancy in this respect.
Written Answers. - Overseas Development Assistance.
714.
The International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, the 1980s, was adopted at the 35th Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 5 December 1980. The strategy calls on developed countries which have not reached the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP for official development assistance to exert their best efforts to reach it by 1985 and in any event not later than in the second half of the decade. The strategy also recommends that the target of 1 per cent should be reached as soon as possible thereafter.
During the formal adoption of the new International Development Strategy the Irish delegation made the following statement:
"the Government of Ireland have accepted the 0.7 per cent aid target and intend to reach it as soon as possible, although it may not be feasible for them to do so within the specified time-frame. Although it is the Government's intention to increase ODA in the years ahead, it is not possible at the present stage for the Irish Government to envisage a commitment as regards the 1% target".
This reservation was made because of the need to make clear in the international forum specifically considering the issue, the limitations of our ability in this regard. Many developed countries, because of the present world economic situation, are finding it difficult to step up their aid to developing countries. A number of our partners in the European Community cannot commit themselves unreservedly to the target and similarly made statements outlining their positions when the strategy was adopted.
However, as indicated in the previous reply, the Government are committed to reaching the UN target as soon as possible.
As the Deputy will be aware Ireland's ODA has increased from £1.963m in 1974 to its present level of £26.335m, representing .06% and .22% of GNP respectively. This puts it in a position similar to some other industrialised countries, a number of which have considerable higher national incomes, as will be seen from the following table with the latest figures published by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD.
Official Development Assistance as a share of GNP
Net disbursements
|
1980 |
|
|
Australia |
0.48 |
|
*Austria |
0.22 |
|
Belgium |
0.49 |
|
Canada |
0.42 |
|
Denmark |
0.72 |
|
*Finland |
0.22 |
|
France |
0.62 |
|
Germany |
0.43 |
|
*Italy |
0.17 |
|
Japan |
0.32 |
|
Netherlands |
0.99 |
|
*New Zealand |
0.32 |
|
Norway |
0.82 |
|
Sweden |
0.76 |
|
*Switzerland |
0.24 |
|
United Kingdom |
0.34 |
|
*United States |
0.27 |
|
Total |
0.37 |