* AUSTRALIA 14th OUT OF 23 IN HUMANITARIAN AID RANKING

———————————————–

AUSTRALIA 14th OUT OF 23 IN HUMANITARIAN AID RANKING

Three Nordic countries have the world’s best humanitarian aid practices, according to a new ranking which puts Australia 14th out of 23 in a league table of developed-world humanitarian giving. The Humanitarian Response Index – unveiled in London by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan – gave Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands the top four spots, while the United States ranked a distant 16th.

The index, compiled by Madrid-based Development Assistance Research Associates, is intended to increase transparency among donors – so that the money can deliver better results. “I also believe that the index will serve as an indispensable tool and help the humanitarian community improve delivery and impact of humanitarian aid,” Annan said at the project’s launch in London.

The index ranks the 23 developed countries that endorsed a 2003 treaty that outlined ideal practices for humanitarian giving. The accord said humanitarian action should be based on need and be independent of political, economic or military objectives. It also said funding should be swift – and not earmarked for specific projects. The index used hard data, questionnaires and surveys in countries affected by disasters.

Silvia Hildalgo, the non-profit group’s director general, said the organisation wanted to create more accountability in humanitarian giving. “Our intention is not to shame donors … but to really have a benchmark so we can improve over time,” she said. The organisation called Sweden a model donor because it led in several categories, including giving in crises that receive less media coverage, such as conflicts in Congo and Haiti.

The rankings in order were: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, European Commission, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg, Germany, Australia, Belgium, United States, Spain, Japan, France, Austria, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

Source: Compiled by APN from media reports

December 19, 2007

Related Articles:

• Greece: can you believe this/them?
• Syria February 2012: Two Perspectives
• EGYPT: THE GROSS INSECURITY OF THE DHIMMI
• Female Circumcision in the Maldives, the Islamic Movement and Islamophobia
• Australia Day message

This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.