Policy Papers

This joint briefing from Oxfam, Christian Aid, Action Aid and the CBI reflects a growing convergence between businesses and tax advocacy groups on the use of tax incentives in the Global South.  It argues that tax incentives can be a useful tool in promoting decent jobs and growth.  But it also contends that too often tax incentives are used in inefficient and ineffective ways, and in the worst cases are entirely redundant.  

Climate finance efforts by developed countries are at a critical juncture. There are only two years before the deadline by which developed countries have committed to jointly mobilize $100bn per year to support climate action in developing countries. This briefing paper offers an assessment of progress towards this goal.

In most countries, subsoil oil, gas and mining resources are the property of citizens and are managed on their behalf by governments. Oxfam believes that citizens have a right to know the full terms under which oil, gas and mineral resources are developed and sold, to enable them to assess whether the public benefits claimed are likely to become reality.

Inequality between the richest and the rest in Malawi continues to rise, with poverty remaining extreme and endemic. This report presents a vision, roadmap and policy recommendations for a more inclusive, equitable and prosperous Malawi. It shows that inequality is not inevitable but the result of policy choices made by those with power.

Reducing the impacts of disasters on poor people is absolutely vital. Climate/disaster risk financing could play a useful role if it is part of an approach that includes risk reduction, if it strengthens social protection, and if it has real participation from civil society.

The European External Investment Plan (EIP) is the EU’s new plan to boost development, growth and jobs in Africa. This paper analyses the agricultural investment window of the EIP. Oxfam and other NGOs highlight concerns and include recommendations to make sure the plan supports small-scale farmers. 

Lebanon currently hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world. This paper urges donors and policy makers to ensure that new financing to Lebanon is rights-based, accountable to local populations, reflects local priorities and benefits the most vulnerable.

The protracted conflict in the Lake Chad Basin has cut off millions of women and men from their livelihoods, making them dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. Oxfam’s research in late 2017 showed that early recovery and livelihoods development are much needed and should be prioritized to promote resilience among crisis-affected communities.

International humanitarian agencies and donors have made a series of global commitments to local actors as part of the localization agenda. This briefing paper reviews 2015 national financial data for Bangladesh and Uganda to better understand how to target international investments in localization.

The EU is about to set out a multi-year framework for its budget after 2020, which will have an impact on sustainable development worldwide and on the EU’s support for people in humanitarian crisis. Oxfam calls on the EU and its member states to increase aid commitments, in order to reduce the gap between what is needed and what is being given.