Blogs

'Double aid to halve poverty' looks likely to be the catchphrase of 2005. We will hear it from Tony Blair's Africa Commission, from the UN Millennium Project in New York, and from Gordon Brown and other advocates of an International Financing...

'Two key decisions will be needed in coming months on finance for the poorest countries. The first will be whether or not to cancel their outstanding debt. The second, oddly, will be whether to lend them more money.'

'If we care about partnership and accountability, the priority for a new aid architecture is to rebuild the UN. The way to do this is to create a new trust fund'

'The key question on UN reform is not 'Why?' or 'What?' but 'How?'. Take as read the high principles and values: peace, justice, freedom, equity, sustainability and the rest. Take as read, also, the many specific proposals...

'As birds fly south and beaches empty, the aid community is gathering for a new school year at the joint annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. There are some big, set-piece exams in the coming year, with the UK leading the way....'