The scale of the poverty and inequality challenge for the poorest countries is significant; it is projected that hundreds of millions of people will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030, and the majority will be women and girls. Poor people will also increasingly live in the countries that lack the resources to tackle poverty and face high levels of economic inequality.
In this context, aid is a crucial financial flow, and also has an important new mission to tackle inequality and poverty. Donors must commit to strong levels of aid, but importantly ensure that firstly aid is doing no harm and secondly that aid is designed and delivered in ways that will maximize its positive impact on poverty and inequality reduction.
This paper outlines Oxfam’s position on the 19th Replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA19), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. The paper calls on donors for a strong replenishment, and with that financial commitment, to agree on a strong programmatic and policy agenda for IDA19 across the agreed upon special and cross-cutting themes.