Report on the reality of German development policy calls for greater commitment from the G7
Development policy in this "turning point" presents the international community with new challenges
Berlin/Osnabrück, June 2, 2022 – The international community is facing the challenge of a global systemic crisis, which places new demands on policymakers. This systemic crisis is exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. The German government's development policy is called upon to respond to the fatal interplay of wars, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of climate change, and the escalating famine with concrete aid measures, while simultaneously addressing the underlying structural causes. These crises are hitting the most vulnerable groups hardest, those who suffer the most: people living in poverty, refugees and displaced persons, and children and young people.
For millions of children, the worst consequences, such as hunger, exploitative labor for survival, and lack of schooling and education, must be mitigated through humanitarian aid. "While the German Armed Forces were summarily endowed with a €100 billion special fund by the decision of May 29, we now urgently need funds of this magnitude primarily for civilian purposes: for example, for rebuilding destroyed schools and health facilities in Ukraine and for measures to protect the environment for children today and future generations," said Joshua Hofert, Head of Communications at terre des hommes . "At the same time, we need a clear, long-term strategy for supporting children and young people through German development policy, one that incorporates their wishes and demands."
The German government should use its current G7 presidency to commit itself, together with its partners, to binding initiatives for global food security. "We must not allow a hunger crisis like the one in 2007/2008, which left nearly a billion people hungry worldwide, to happen again. Global food security should be a top political priority. This also includes adapting development cooperation funding to the challenges of food security. The German government, together with the G7 countries, must provide an additional 14 billion US dollars per year for food security to defeat global hunger," demands Mathias Mogge, Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe).
The "Compass 2022" is a further development of the annual report on the "Reality of Development Policy," published by terre des hommes and Welthungerhilfe since 1993. It continues to subject German development policy to critical analysis, but in doing so, it takes particular account of the requirements for German policy set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015.