Belgian aid is becoming more transparent
Belgium is one of the biggest climbers in the 2016 Aid Transparency Index. This index is drawn up every year by the 'Publish what you fund' organisation and is the only independent index that identifies the aid flows from all leading donor countries and aid organisations in the context of development cooperation. Belgium has climbed from 18.8% in 2014 to 47.7% this year. With this ranking, Belgium scores better than organisations such as the Gates Foundation or countries including Switzerland, France and Norway.
During the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in 2011, which took place in Korea, the various donor countries and aid organisations promised to make their development aid more transparent. This means that more insight is provided in terms of who, what, where and with which resources. Without complete transparency, it is not possible to have complete accountability.
Not only does transparency provide an insight into the successes, but also the failures. Valuable lessons can be learned in both cases. The analysis from reliable data shows in which areas adjustments need to be made, for example where a hospital is needed, which opportunities have been missed in the area of education, or which are the best prescriptions in a given region to reduce infant mortality.
Thanks to the data revolution, it is increasingly easier to identify the efforts and realisations of donor countries. Civilians also know what their tax money is being spent on, but the effectiveness of aid for the beneficiary countries is also increased, making it easier to coordinate international aid efforts.
More information about the 2016 Aid Transparency Index: http://ati.publishwhatyoufund.org.