UK aid transparency falls in world ranking – reaction from Bond, the UK network of NGOs

The UK has taken a tumble in the latest Aid Transparency Index, the only independent measure of “aid transparency” among the world’s major donors.

Published today,the table reveals the relatively new Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has performed significantly worse than the Department for International Development (DfID) did in the last Index in 2020. Before its merger with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, DfID achieved the highest score for transparency.

With FCDO down at 16th place, not a single UK aid-spending department has made it into the top (“Very Good”) category for the first time since the Index was launched in 2012. By comparison, more donors around the world than ever before have scored “Very Good” or “Good” in the 2022 Index.

Stephanie Draper, CEO at Bond, said in response:
“The loss of transparency of UK aid is a blow for the marginalised communities we work with and the British public, who need to be able to see how it’s spent. To ensure value for money and to achieve the goal of alleviating poverty, UK aid must be transparent and accountable. This fall in UK standing must be addressed.
“This is an opportunity for the foreign secretary to show leadership by doubling down on the department’s transparency, which starts with publishing both departmental and cross-government UK aid budgets annually.”

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development. Bond unites and supports a diverse network of over 400 civil society organisations from across the UK, and allies to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice.
The Aid Transparency Index is a ranking system launched by the Publish What You Fund campaign. The 2022 Index can be accessed here.
For Publish What You Fund press enquiries, contact Sam Cavenett, Communications Manager, at [email protected]
Bond’s statement on lack of transparency on UK aid cuts,February 2021.
For further information or interviews please contact Juliet Conway on 07990518334 or [email protected]