Islamabad, 1 May 2023 (TDI): Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Minister of the UK, recently delivered a speech at the prestigious policy institute Chatham House.
In his address, Mitchell outlined a new vision for the UK’s development work, which will have far-reaching effects globally, including Pakistan.
He committed the British government to intensify its efforts to reduce poverty, promote climate security, and reaffirm its commitment to fostering shared prosperity through partnerships.
The minister launched a new brand called “UK International Development – UKDEV” that promises value for money to UK taxpayers, reliability to the UK’s partners worldwide, and a commitment to helping achieve the global sustainable development goals.
The brand emphasizes the importance of long-term partnerships that are mutually respectful, beneficial, and accountable, drawing on the full range of the UK’s strengths and expertise rather than just aid.
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Mitchell stressed his resolve to increase the development budget and to return to investing 0.7% of the UK’s GDP in development when conditions allow.
He declared that girls and women will be at the forefront of all UK development efforts and that the country will increase funding for education, family planning, prosperity, malnutrition, and efforts to tackle climate change.
He also urged the international financial system to undergo a radical transformation to honour its commitments to international climate financing.
In addition to his announcement on boosting funding for education, Mitchell unveiled a new programme called SCALE, which stands for scaling, access, and learning in education.
The initiative builds on what has been learned from the girls’ education challenge fund and aims to partner with governments willing to test new approaches and scale them up in their national systems.
This programme will result in an additional six million girls attending school over four years, thanks to the British taxpayer.
