Better data can help the UK deliver on its ambitions to be a global force for good

The UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy has set out a renewed commitment to the UK as a force for good in the world, and stresses the importance of an integrated, cross-government approach to realising its aims. Measuring what Matters for Global Britain sets out why success also depends on having access […]

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FCDO launch offers opportunity for more coherent policy

The launch of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) “charged with using all the tools of British influence” creates an opportunity for more coherent policies towards developing countries, but realising this opportunity depends on better data collection and use across government . Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development, has outlined 15 principles […]

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Transparency can help get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track

Countries need to provide reliable data about their impact on global challenges The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or Global Goals, which promise to end extreme poverty and inequality by 2030, were already “seriously off-track” in November last year, according to the UN secretary general António Guterres. The UN’s latest report shows that with Covid-19 reaching these goals is […]

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African tax haven receives thousands times more UK investment than poorer nations

On 20 January 2020 the UK hosted the UK-Africa Investment Summit. The Government’s aim for the summit was to strengthen the UK’s partnership with African nations, so that the UK is their “investment partner of choice”, saying this will build “a better future for all”. However, the pattern of UK investment in Africa to date raises questions […]

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What more could UK government tell us about its impact on developing countries beyond aid spending?

The Department for International Development (DFID) publishes an Annual Report which sets out what it has achieved over the year, providing statistics on everything from the number of people reached with humanitarian assistance, lives saved through immunisation and people supported to access clean water. But the UK has a much wider impact on developing countries than […]

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What are the biggest reported flows between the UK and developing countries?

Development Monitor has crunched public data on trade, aid, remittances and investment to investigate which developing countries send and receive the most from the UK.   Here is a taste of what our new dashboard can tell us about the UK’s interactions with low-income countries in 2017. The World Bank classified 34 countries as ‘low-income’ in 2017.[i]  They […]

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World’s poorest countries spent £2.5 billion on UK services in 2017

Analysis by Development Monitor shows that the UK exported £2.5 billion of services – such as management consulting and financial services – to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in 2017, up from £2.0 billion in 2016. The UN defines LDCs as low-income countries that face severe impediments to sustainable development. The UK also imported £0.7bn worth […]

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UK investment in Least Development Countries shows 30% fall

Data released by the Office for National Statistics, following a request from Development Monitor, shows that: The UK’s outward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) position in Least Development Countries (LDCs) fell 29.5% from 2014 to 2015 There was a net disinvestment of £2.7 billion by UK companies in those countries 2015 UK FDI in LDCs accounted […]

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Explore UK trade relations with developing countries

Development Monitor has launched a new trade dashboard which explores the UK’s trade with developing countries and shows the importance of this trade for both the UK and people in developing countries. The dashboard supports Development Monitor’s submission to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Trade out of Poverty inquiry on Commonwealth countries and its submission to […]

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