Despite a 13.6% increase in ODA Development Aid in 2022 compared to the previous year, this increase is reduced to 4.6% if only genuine aid is considered and decreases further if the episodic aid component is excluded. Only 5 out of 30 countries have reached or exceeded the target of 0.70% of gross national income (GNI) allocated to ODA. And Italy is not among them.

It is worrying to note that much of the increase in ODA is due to inflated aid, particularly expenses for hosting refugees in the donor country. In 2022, these expenditures constituted more than 14% of total ODA in OECD DAC countries. Furthermore, significant resources have been allocated for episodic aid such as the emergency in Ukraine and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. These types of aid, while essential, are temporary in nature and may disappear once the crises are resolved.

It is important to underline that the overall increase in ODA in 2022 is mainly illusory due to the presence of inflated and episodic aid. This raises questions about the true commitment of OECD states to international cooperation and calls into question whether these funds will be replaced or simply disappear in the future.

The situation highlights the need to respect ODA agreements and ensure that aid is genuine, sustainable and aimed at long-term development. Only with real and coherent commitment will it be possible to address global challenges and promote positive change in less developed communities.

The article was written thanks to the information collected by the “Cooperation: let’s put it on the Agenda!” project, financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. The opinions expressed are not the responsibility of the Agency.

SOURCE: Openpolis processing of OECD data