An environment of financial transparency and accountability has grown out of the economic crisis, says Anna Jeffreys for IRIN. This movement has helped increase disclosure of aid information, bringing ‘the issue of transparency much higher up the donor agenda,’ explains Karin Christiansen. The drive for efficiency and accountability has created ‘a resonance about transparency these days… It is an inevitable trend and it’s happening in other sectors too.’
 

The Labour Party’s election manifesto was launched yesterday, and the Conservatives’ today. Find below the sections of the manifestos which address aid transparency, with bolding added.

The Prime Minister of Haiti, Bellerive, has responded to the levels of aid pledged to rebuild the country with a commitment of his own. Acknowledging that Haiti has, ‘a credibility problem’, symptomatic of so many countries with less developed public infrastructures, he stresses the need to ‘prove to all the people we are working with that we have transparency …

‘Aid Transparency: The Practitioners’ Perspective’ by Karin Christiansen has been published in the Yale Journal of International Affairs, presenting the main issues, challenges and benefits for aid transparency.

The International Donor Conference saw representatives of NGOs from around the world come together to agree the approach for rebuilding Haiti. With consensus that accountability and transparency is essential, this should begin a process which promises to bring increased coordination and effectiveness to the development effort.