Citizen Dialogue

The policy that the OECD-countries should give 0,7 percent of their GNI to development cooperation was formed by the UN 35 years ago. Since then the rich countries again and again have made that promise. To give 0,7 percent of their income to the poorest of the poor. This money would be enough to reach to Millennium Development Goals, give the UN the ability to make action to build sustainable energy, retire developing nations debt, provide health care and much more. In total 16 goals of development.

The MDG have been signed by all the OECD countries and they once again made the promise of 0,7 percent to aid. But what’s the reality today?

• Five countries have made the promise (Sweden, Norway, Luxemburg, Holland and Denmark)
• The average is 0,33 percent, not even half of the promise.
• The three worst counties are Greece (0,17%), Portugal (0,21% and the United States (0,22%)

If we want to build a better world we need to double the support in order to do the plans for infrastructure, health and environmental issues needed. The world needs to help the poorest of the poor to climb out from poverty. It’s possible to do it, we are now watching China and India make big steps and I want to see the same development in the sub-Saharan region as well.

We need to make our leaders keep the promise!