WHEN the United Kingdoms coalition government came to power last year, we knew that tough economic times would call for tough choices. But we will not balance our books on the backs of the poor - whether in Britain or around the world.That is why we have made a commitment to provide 0.7 per cent of the United Kingdoms Gross National Income as aid. As a result of that decision, we have faced criticism from some people, who think that aid should be cut. But I believe that the next four years will re-present an opportunity to change lives and transform communities across the developing world. Yet, if the world is to make real progress in the fight against poverty within these four years to reach the Millennium Development Goals, we need to ensure that our collective efforts have the greatest possible impact.That is why my first act as the United Kingdoms Secretary of State for International Development was to instigate a review of all our aid around the world. That review has looked at where we spend our money, how aid is delivered, and the results we achieve.Over the next four years, the UK government has earmarked funds to enable a doubling of our development assistance programme in Nigeria. The Department for International Development (DFID) will provide technical expertise, grants to non-profit agencies, and contracts to service providers, to help Nigeria deliver development outcomes. We aim to achieve real results for poor people, such as providing 800,000 more children with education, providing better health services to stop women from dying during childbirth, as well as give 2.75 million people access to safer water and sanitation.We will not provide direct budget support to government bodies, because of Nigerias oil revenues, because there might be diversion of these funds, and also to minimise the risk of corruption. Instead, the UK support will help the Nigerian government manage its own revenues more effectively, to reduce poverty. The doubling of UK aid is conditional on the Nigerian governments continued commitment to reform, and our projects achieving results and value for money.But we see Nigeria as a crucial country to work with, given its importance in eradicating poverty in Africa.Around the world, we will work with fewer countries, where we believe our assistance can have the greatest impact. We will do more to provide the building blocks of a better life: sufficient food, clean drinking water, basic healthcare, and education. We will do more to create economic growth and jobs, working with the private sector to create opportunity. We will tackle poverty and insecurity in some of the worlds most unstable places. Development can help tackle the root causes of global problems, such as disease, drugs, migration, terrorism, and climate change, which matter to all of us.Over the next four years, the British aid will make a real difference in the lives of millions of people. We will vaccinate more children against preventable diseases; we will save the lives of 50,000 women in pregnancy and during childbirth; we will stop 250,000 newborn babies from dying needlessly; we will secure schooling for 11 million childrenmore than we educate in the UK, but at 2.5 per cent of the cost and we will provide access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation to more people than we did in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.As part of this global review of aid, we have also taken a critical look at the value for money offered by international organisations, such as the World Bank and the United Nations. No one doubts the importance of such organisations with respect to their effort in fighting poverty. But we know that they are not all equally effective.The United Kingdom will no longer provide funding to organisations which do not deliver.Above all, we will be relentless in providing value for money and achieving results.That matters because we need to be able to show our taxpayers that we are delivering with their money, and because we need to ensure that every pound of our aid has the maximum impact on the lives of the people we are trying to help.That is why I have introduced a new Aid Transparency Guarantee, and set up an independent aid watchdog. I believe that the United Kingdom is leading the way on aid transparency, and I am encouraging others to join us in this effort.Aid spent well has the power to improve millions of lives. I am proud of what the British aid is achieving, and I sincerely believe that working together, we have an opportunity to transform the lives of millions of people around the world.Mitchell is the UK Secretary of State for International Development.
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