We will publish an annual report explaining how we will secure the objectives described in the White Paper and what progress has been made against the international development targets. We will also consult on the case for a new international development Act. The resources which the international community has made available to support the development process have declined over recent years. This Government will reverse the decline in UK spending on development assistance. We also reaffirm our commitment to the 0.7 per cent.
Every generation has a moral duty to reach out to the poor and needy.
But the present generation carries an extra responsibility to ensure the international development targets are met. If we do not, there is a real danger that by the middle of the next century the world will simply not be sustainable. Population pressures, environmental degradation, conflict and disease could impose catastrophic pressure on the planet. This White Paper sets out how we can make progress. We should not overestimate what we can achieve alone.