Reducing poverty and inequalities is the defining purpose of development co-operation. Reaffirming this purpose today is a matter of strategic clarity. In our view, as Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and Chair of its Community of Practice on Poverty and Inequalities, focusing on poverty and inequalities serves three essential objectives. It reinforces global solidarity, putting those facing hardship and disadvantage first. It advances shared interests, as more equal societies generally underpin well-being, resilience and overall stability. And it accelerates the transition to genuine development co-operation partnerships built on a more equal footing. These are not abstract principles to us: across our respective roles, we have seen their pursuit distinguish development co-operation that delivers lasting change from development co-operation that does not.
Exceptional times require exceptional measures. This Guidance comes at a pivotal moment when the world’s combined wealth is at an all-time high, but the resources dedicated to development co-operation have sharply declined. We live in an age where ending poverty is in sight, but the pace of poverty reduction is slowing down and the direction of travel risks reversing. This is the time to strengthen momentum behind poverty and inequality reduction across the international system to get the job done. Within the DAC, the commitment to these goals has been reaffirmed at recent High Level Meetings and in the day-to-day work of the Committee, including in the ongoing DAC Review.
Yet these goals face strong headwinds. As official development assistance is cut and further stretched to cover many competing priorities, DAC members risk losing sight of the overarching aim of reducing poverty and inequalities. If this were to happen, we would fail those we are meant to serve first and foremost: people still suffering from deprivation, exclusion and discrimination around the world.
This Guidance is our shared response, not only to the headwinds we describe, but, above all, to the opportunity before us: a strong, strategic vision for what renewed ambition can deliver. It is the product of an effort by the Community of Practice to bring together evidence, good practice and lessons from across the membership and beyond through an inclusive consultation process – from bilateral and multilateral providers, partner governments, civil society and academia – into strategic and operational advice that development partners can put to use across the policy and programming cycle. We are grateful to the many contributors whose expertise and diverse perspectives helped shape this Guidance, and to the Secretariat for their dedication in stewarding the process.
We commend this Guidance to DAC members and to the wider international development co-operation community. We encourage development partners to draw on it to sharpen focus, guide choices and strengthen accountability for results on poverty and inequalities. We look forward to continuing this work together through the Community of Practice on Poverty and Inequalities, as a platform for shared learning and inclusive dialogue in the years ahead.
Carsten Staur
Chair of the OECD DAC
Elina Scheja
Chair of the DAC Community of Practice on Poverty and Inequalities