In the face of pandemic-related budget cuts, difficult decisions will need to be made as to how savings can be made whilst protecting the overall effectiveness of aid spending. Given the grave challenges faced by developing countries in tackling COVID-19, disproportionately cutting long-term and locally led development programmes would hamper both present efforts to tackle the pandemic and long- term development goals. The Government should maintain a commitment to multi- year programming and...

In the face of pandemic-related budget cuts, difficult decisions will need to be made as to how savings can be made whilst protecting the overall effectiveness of aid spending. Given the grave challenges faced by developing countries in tackling COVID-19, disproportionately cutting long-term and locally led development programmes would hamper both present efforts to tackle the pandemic and long- term development goals. The Government should maintain a commitment to multi- year programming and grants to locally led projects in order to safeguard hard-won development gains. In its current review of ODA spending, it should prioritise life- savin Type: recommendation | Number: 10 | Paragraph: 77 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: The Government has committed that the remaining ODA spend for 2020 will be prioritised to focus on key strategic objectives that include: poverty reduction for the poorest and most vulnerable; responding to humanitarian crises and protec