Development Cooperation Cannot Undo Consequences of a Failed Policy
On occasion of the 15th development report adopted today by the federal government, Katja Kipping, co-chair of DIE LINKE, declares:
Development cooperation has gained importance in the public debate as a means to fight the reasons of flight. Accordingly, the report states reducing the reasons of flight and fighting starvation as the main development policy goals of the federal government. Furthermore, the protection of developing countries from the consequences of climate change should play a greater role.
The report shows that an urgently needed re-orientation of development cooperation along the interests and needs of the people affected and as a means of global redistribution in the sense of social justice has failed to happen. Even after 44 years the aim to spend 0.7 per cent of the GDP per annum for development cooperation could only be achieved by window dressing. Without counting costs for refugees within the country the quota still lies clearly below the mark with 0.52 per cent.
Border fences and an improved supply of the repressional systems of misantrophic dictators may neither be goal nor condition for development cooperation. As much as it may not be linked with the profit interests of German corporations or military interventions.
To not do the wrong thing is an important precondition to do the right thing. For, the best development cooperation cannot undo the consequences of a failed external, economic, and trade policy, working against the aims of global social justice and improvement of conditions of life.
If taken seriously, the deterioration of unfair trade relations through free trade agreements cannot be actively pushed, the increase of food prices by speculation on food cannot be accepted, the violation of social and ecological standards by German corporations cannot be tolerated and arms exports, even to crisis regions, cannot be allowed. It is cynical to attack climate protection at one’s own doorstep by excluding the car industry from the compliance with any emissions values while financing the expansion of a dam or measures for air cleansing in other countries.