Donors from 160 countries including China agreed on Thursday to form a worldwide partnership to ensure tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid goes to help the neediest. Their declaration came at the end of the world’s premier aid forum, at which Western countries tried to bring emerging donors like China – which does not co-ordinate with other major aid-givers – into the international fold. But private groups expressed regret that the deal was not binding. The agreement “will only live up to its historic potential if nations follow through on their promises”, said BetterAid, a coalition of private aid organisations.
It said an initially reluctant China had supported the declaration on condition it was voluntary.
About 3,500 government and private officials took part, debating ways to spend aid better and to co-ordinate efforts by traditional donors with emerging economic powerhouses like China, Brazil and India.