A Chinese official called for developed countries in Washington
Sunday to increase their aid to support low-income developing
countries' efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
"The developed countries should make concrete efforts to raise
the Official Development Assistance (ODA) levels to the target of
0.7 percent of gross national product," said Li Yong, vice minister
of Ministry of Finance of China, in a statement at the 75th
Development Committee Meeting of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund.
"We are glad to note the further progress towards MDGs achieved
by the developing countries in 2006, and that poverty incidence
declines somewhat in the low-income developing countries," Li
said.
However, progress varies in different regions, he pointed out.
The overall population of the poor hardly diminishes, while the
Sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia remains off the track of most
MDGs.
"As the year of 2015 approaches, we are facing the huge
challenge of achieving MDGs," he said.
Li stressed that ODA plays a key role in facilitating developing
countries to achieve the MDGs.
In terms of the overall ODA volumes, the huge financing gaps
still lie as the binding constraints for development, Li said.
While debt reduction has enhanced the developing countries'
capacity for self-development, its direct impact on fiscal revenue
is limited.
In terms of the ODA flows, he said, the current tendency of the
traditional donors' withdrawing from the infrastructure and
productive sectors should be rectified, and more ODA resources
should be shifted to infrastructure development and productive
sectors, promoting growth and development in a more direct and
effective way.
Li also said that with enhanced economic development and growth,
some developing countries are participating more actively in the
international cooperation to provide assistance to the extent
possible to other developing countries, adding fresh vigor to the
"South-South Cooperation."
"Being developing countries themselves, they help each other and
form equal development partnerships," Li said. "We believe that all
countries need to make continued and concerted efforts to promote
global development."
(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2007)
