A comprehensive resolution on “Parliamentary oversight of State policies on foreign aid” emerged from the Cape Town Assembly in April after a year-long process which included two broad consultations with members of parliaments from around the world.
The resolution goes beyond any other previous statement issued by the IPU on this subject. It presents many concrete ideas on how parliaments can help improve the impact of over US$ 100 billion spent every year to help developing countries eradicate poverty and achieve other important goals. One thread that runs through the text is that parliaments in recipient countries need enhanced capacity to exercise oversight of development funds.
This requires, inter alia, more donors to provide a portion of their aid directly to parliaments. Support is especially needed to help parliaments develop the tools needed to scrutinize development plans and their accompanying budgets.
Practical ways to provide support to parliaments in developing countries in a spirit of partnership may consist of organizing field visits for members of specialized parliamentary committees in donor countries to see for themselves the impact of foreign aid on the ground. Another way may be for parliaments to work more closely with civil society organizations, through public hearings and other platforms for interaction, to better assess local community needs and their funding requirements.
The resolution ends with a strong endorsement of the new Development Cooperation Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council as "the best framework for strengthening the coherence and effectiveness of global development cooperation". Full text of the resolution is available on the IPU website.
