Europe Development News |
Uganda ‘Refunds’ Irish Aid
The Government of Uganda has returned €4 million of misappropriated aid funds to the Irish Government, the Irish Times reports. The funds, part of a €12 million package from Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden intended to pay for a peace recovery and development programme in Uganda’s war-torn north, ended up in unauthorized accounts linked to the Ugandan Prime Minister’s Office. Several European countries, including the UK, have suspended direct payments to the national government until further notice.
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Credit: Flickr user infomatique/ CC |
Food Exporters to EU Face Tougher Rules
Food exporters to the European Union face tougher mandatory compliance procedures as new food safety rules take effect this month, Business Daily reports. Under the new rules, exporters will be required to provide details of the safety standards of their produce, to ensure compliance with EU safety controls on harmful elements such as pesticides. Strict EU regulation on pesticide usage has been cited as a major barrier to growth in trade with several developing countries, particularly those in the tropics.
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Credit: Flickr user Urban Sea Star/ CC |
EU Aid Cuts Threaten Malaria Fight
With aid spending under attack in 2014-2020 EU budget talks, health organizations are bracing for cuts in financing to prevent malaria, EurActiv reports. The Global Fund estimates that contributions from its biggest donors, including the European Commission, EU member states, the U.S. and Japan, will decline from USD3.5 billion (€2.7 billion) in 2012 to USD3.3 billion (€2.5 billion) in 2013, despite calls by WHO Director General Margaret Cha for donors to double their commitments. Malaria kills an estimated 655,000 people every year and sickens millions more.
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Credit: Flickr user Gamma Man/ CC |
DFID Turns to Private Sector to Eradicate Poverty
The UK’s International Development agency (DFID) has allocated £75 million (€92 million) to a new 13-year Impact Programme to support social impact investments in developing countries, Devex reports. Under the new Programme, development experts from DFID and CDC, Britain’s development finance organisation, along with industry experts from the Global Impact Investing Network, will provide capital and advice to boost the private sector’s role in poverty eradication efforts. Unlike traditional aid, impact investments are designed to generate financial returns. DFID expects its capital to be – in the least – returned “upon exit.”
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Oxfam Launches “Stunning Landscape” Africa Campaign
Oxfam has launched a new advertising campaign to dispel negative stereotypes of Africa among Brits, as captured by recent polls, Oxfam announced in the Guardian this week. Oxfam’s polls reveal that most Brits (more than half of 2,000 people surveyed) think of negatives like poverty, famine and hunger when they think of Africa; very few think of positives like growth, business, education and landscapes. Oxfam aims to change these perceptions by putting up beautiful images of Africa across newspapers, digital media and outdoors. The campaign has already provoked strong reactions, including this one from writer Tolu Ogunlesi.
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Credit: Oxfam |
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