Presenting The DATA Report 2010

May 25th, 2010 9:49 AM UTC
By Erin Thornton

Today, ONE is launching its fifth annual DATA Report— our annual exercise in accountability and the final chapter in a series reviewing progress on commitments to Africa since 2005. This year’s report gives a final verdict on the G8’s progress in meeting their Gleneagles commitments to sub-Saharan Africa and recommends a renewed strategy for 2010-2015.

Background
The idea for the DATA Report began in 2005. When we reacted to the unveiling of the historic Gleneagles communiqué, ONE knew that the commitments it included would have a tremendous impact on Africa’s development efforts— but only if they were delivered. The importance of accountability rang clear, even back then, and so every year since Gleneagles we take a day to reflect on the progress made and what has been delivered.

This year’s report follows that same approach, but it takes on special significance because it’s 2010 ¬- the deadline the G8 gave themselves to deliver the Gleneagles commitments to ‘help Africa build the successful future all of us want to see.’ In addition to tracking the commitments and offering a final verdict on progress to date (based on available data and projections of 2010 figures), the 2010 DATA Report draws on the lessons learned over the past five years to offer recommendations for the years ahead, especially the final five years to meet the Millennium Development Goals. The report also evaluates some of the new realities facing Africa, including new stakeholders, new challenges like climate change and the critical importance of African governments’ commitments to their own development efforts.

The Findings
The 2010 DATA Report evaluates the G8’s collective progress on the main commitments and also reviews each country’s progress towards its individual promises.

On Development Assistance:
The DATA Report finds that the G8 will deliver 61% of their promised increases in development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2004-2010, the G8 have delivered an historic increase of $13.7 billion, the largest on record from the G7 to sub-Saharan Africa over a six-year time period.

Within the 61%, donor performance varies – the UK is on track to deliver an ambitious commitment (though it is not yet clear how close they will come to the target), while the US, Canada and Japan are on track to meet or surpass relatively modest commitments. France and Germany both set ambitious targets and are on course to deliver about a quarter of them by 2010, while Italy is in a category of its own as the only G7 country to have cut development assistance from 2004 levels. By the end of 2010, Italy will be responsible for an estimated one-third of the G8’s shortfall.

On debt, trade and aid effectiveness:
Despite the historic cancellation of 100% of debt for African countries, the global economic crunch and new lending mean that many countries could be facing a new debt crisis in the coming years. While the commitments on trade and investment were vague and weak, the G7 donors have delivered very little to advance them. Further, while some countries have at least developed country action plans, overall progress has been slow.

On health, education, agriculture and water and sanitation:
Where commitments have been delivered and matched with investments from African governments, impressive results have been achieved: 3 million people with HIV now have access to antiretrovirals in Africa, 42 million children were enrolled in school between 1999 and 2007 and the Global Fund has delivered 104 million bed nets to protect against malaria.

In general, the most progress has been made on certain health commitments but not on building sustainable systems to address basic health in Africa; progress has been impressive getting children into school but more of a focus is needed in improving quality and completion rates; the most ambitious commitments on agriculture are too recent to monitor but funding trends have turned around in recent years while donors may have delivered on the letter of the commitment to water and sanitation, the very vague commitment means that there is little improvement on the ground to show for it.

Looking ahead:
In addition to looking back at progress made, this year’s DATA Report also looks beyond 2010 to what is needed accelerate Africa’s progress towards the 2015 deadline for the MDGs, with an eye to the UN High-Level Summit in September. A new strategy should both take stock of lessons learned since Gleneagles (such as the need for stronger accountability and incorporating new partners) as well as target progress in governance, equitable and sustainable economic growth and further increases in smart, effective development aid that is tailored to achieve results.

TAGS: DATA, DATA Report, DATA Report 2010, Policy News