Aid transparency is not on the agenda in Germany

What are the current priorities of German development cooperation? In a presentation held at a conference on aid effectiveness, coherence and coordination in German development aid Harald Klein, a senior BMZ representative, highlighted the investment in education and the reduction of structural deficits as important goals for the BMZ. The other four key priorities according to Klein are the involvement of civil society and private business partners, the implementation of the Paris and Accra process and finally, visibility and communication. Unfortunately, visibility, in the German Realpolitik of aid, is not about making the details of German aid more visible. It is not about aid transparency. Instead, it is about pointing out to the German taxpayers, how the investment of German tax monies successfully alleviates poverty.

Visibility in this understanding aims to isolate the German contribution in the international development effort, to communicate this contribution more actively and thereby to legitimise aid spending. In contrast to the Swedish and the British development ministries, the BMZ does not regard transparency as a key lever of aid effectiveness. The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) was not mentioned in the presentations of the government representatives in the context of citizen's trust, aid effectiveness and impact orientation. Upon inquiry, Mr. Klein confirmed the German committment to IATI, but explained that the BMZ had to postpone its implementation due to the internal restructuring. With regards to aid effectiveness generally, it became increasingly clear towards the end of the conference, that according to most conference participants from within the aid system, German governmental and non-governmental aid is really pretty good. There are only minor problems of aid effectiveness, which are already addressed by those in charge.

The most revealing comment about the state of aid transparency in Germany came from a political advisor of one the biggest church-based aid agencies in Germany. During the conference he repeatedly stressed the role of NGOs to fight poverty and strengthen the rights of the poor. However, the right to information with regards to the aid business was not relevant from his perspective and aid transparency was no priority. In fact, according to this civil rights activist lobbying for aid transparency in Germany was not needed.

How can the involvement of civil society be enhanced, if detailed data about aid is not publicly available to inform the public discourse? How can citizens in donor countries gain more trust in the aid agencies, if communication is reduced to the marketing of successes? How can citizens in aid recipient countries can give feedback on aid effectiveness, if they don't have access to details about aid?

So, should you look from abroad and wonder how aid and aid transparency is doing in Germany, be assured: German aid does not need transparency. It needs a well marketed visibility to make sure taxpayers and private donors understand what a good job the aid agencies are doing.