The Internationaler Bund (IB) is calling for reliable and continuous funding for development cooperation (DC) in the 2022 federal budget. The organization thus supports the Association for Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid (VENRO) in its corresponding demands.
"International understanding and cooperation are among the founding goals of the IB and must be lived out, especially in the Corona pandemic, in order to realize the Sustainable Development Goals and put a stop to growing poverty," demands Petra Merkel, President of the Internationaler Bund.
According to the World Bank, 120 million more people are currently living in extreme poverty than before the pandemic. In many countries, there are no social security systems or other support services, let alone acceptable health care.
Poorer countries are particularly affected by the consequences of the pandemic. "Germany is one of the richest countries in the world. The next German government must also continue this commitment and send a clear signal that it will continue to show its solidarity with developing countries during the pandemic. The DC budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for 2022 should be kept at least at the level of 2021, with an amount of around 12.4 billion euros," explains Petra Merkel.
In 2020, the German government for the first time achieved the target of allocating 0.7 percent of gross national income (GNI) to development cooperation. This target was adopted as early as 1970, but did not become reality until 50 years later.
