The ActionAid report ‘Real Aid 3’ was released last week. The report shows how much ‘real aid’ is given by donors.

‘Real aid’ is defined as aid which empowers poor women and men to realise their rights, and reduces inequality. It must also be ‘transparent from beginning to end’.

The report states that aid transparency enables long-term planning by recipient countries and improved government accountability to citizens.

Practically, the report recommends that donors increase their aid transparency to help reduce aid dependency:

“[Donors] can live up to the documents they have signed globally, multilaterally and bilaterally which commit them to being held accountable by recipient governments and their citizens. […] CSOs are signing up to their own and global accountability standards – with most major UK development NGOs working towards signing the International Aid Transparency Initiative.

Donor transparency is also vital to successful accountability, with increasing numbers signing the International Aid Transparency Initiative to ensure common international standards.”

p.32, Real Aid 3

Read Real Aid 3.