It’s not in anyone’s interests to pretend it’s someone else’s problem.
That’s the view of Phil Gawne, chairman of the International Development Committee, who is backing a campaign to increase spending on overseas aid to 0.7 per cent of government income.
Charities and church groups say the island’s international reputation is at stake if the Manx government continues to fail to keep its promises on foreign aid.
The campaign is led by the One World Centre and backed by Bishop Robert Paterson, Christian Aid, the Catholic Church, the Salvation Army and Amnesty International among others.
In 2008, the Council of Ministers made a commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of government income in the fight against global poverty.
But the island currently spends just £2.4m, 0.25 per cent. That’s less than one 10th of the UN recommendation of 0.7 per cent of national income. We spend less as a proportion of income than countries like Greece and Slovakia.
If that figure was to increase to 0.7 per cent of government income, the island would contribute £6.7m, 2.8 times the current amount.
Mr Gawne told the Examiner: ‘The agreed funding is substantially less than the international target. We really have not moved forward since the government set its target in 2008 - in fact we have moved backwards.
‘We’ve obviously had major pressure on the economy and government income but that said, government needs to think in the long term not in the short term.
‘Instability across the globe is not good and there is a wider role for us. Not helping developing countries leads to immigration problems, civil wars and significant distress among human beings. It’s not in anyone’s interests to pretend it’s someone else’s problem.’
He dismissed suggestions that overseas aid from the island could end up in the hands of tinpot dictators and corrupt officials. ‘We are extraordinarily careful to give aid only to people we know and trust. Spending has to be targeted in ways to make a difference to people’s lives,’ he said.
An example of that targeted aid is the donation of fisheries patrol vessel Panther to Sierra Leone, where it has been engaged in the battle against illegal fishing.