In the midst of the debate prior to the parliamentary processing of the General State Budget, the Coordinating Committee of Development Cooperation Organizations is demanding that Pedro SĂĄnchez put words into action and fulfill his commitment to reviving Spanish cooperation policy. Last July, in the plenary session of Congress, the Prime Minister stated that one of the challenges facing his cabinet would be "to strengthen and revivify development cooperation policy as a defining element of Spain's foreign policy."
The Coordinator also demands that all political partiesto assume their respective responsibilities in a political context such as the current one, in which the role of parliamentary forces is crucial for the development of public policies. It also reminds them that less than a year ago they approved by consensus a Non-Law Proposal (161/002620) by which they committed to reaching 0.4% of Gross National Income by the end of the legislative period. It is surprising that the agreement on the 2019 General State Budget signed between the PSOE and Unidos Podemos does not include a single line on Development Cooperation.
If not now, when?
After almost a decade of steep decline, Spanish cooperation policy is at its lowest point and at the bottom of Europe (in the EU-15, Spain ranks second to last in aid efforts, ahead of Greece). The situation with our cooperation policy could not be worse. cutsIn the cooperation policy they managed to achieve a 70%, a percentage that increases to almost 90% in the case of humanitarian aidIn 2017, Spain allocated only one 0.19% to cooperation, according to OECD data.
This reduction in resources has meant significant consequences for the lives of the 35 million vulnerable people with whom our organizations work in 105 countriesSuch cuts have left Spain in a position of little relevance on the international stage, precisely when the global systemic crisis demands more responsible responses.
This situation contrasts with the commitment of citizens. In the years of crisis, Spanish society has increased its contributions to NGOs by 45%This is not only an ethical demand as a democratic state, but also a social demand demanded by its citizens, considering that Spanish society is the second most important, after Sweden, in terms of the need for a public cooperation policy.
A strategic policy to face the enormous international challenges
It is urgent to underline the strategic importance of cooperation policy to development at a time when, as Pedro SĂĄnchez claimed the United Nations Last September, it is necessary to "build cooperative leadership to address global challenges such as climate change, the refugee crisis, and the migration challenge."
The levels of inequality on a global scale are scandalous: the 62 richest people in the world own the same resources as the poorest half of the population. We are witnessing the worst number of displaced people in recent history: nearly 70 million have been forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict and human rights violations. Another 244 million people have also been forcibly displaced as a result of poverty or climate change.
Conflicts are festering, violence is becoming more complex, and democratic spaces are shrinking. Responding to the complexity of this global context requires appropriate policies that guarantee human rights and comprehensively address current challenges. This is an international political responsibility that our country cannot ignore, and to which development cooperation has much to contribute.
More information: https://coordinadoraongd.org/temas-clave/pge-2019-cooperacion-si-no-es-ahora-cuando/
Source: CONDGE https://coordinadoraongd.org/
