Center for Global Development: Netherlands and Denmark Are Most Development-Friendly Nations, According to Development Index

4/27/2004

From: Andrew Stober of the Center for Global Development, 202-416-0705 or astober@cgdev.org, or Jeff Marn of Foreign Policy, 202-939-2242 or jmarn@ceip.org

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- The Netherlands and Denmark outrank the world's leading economic powers as the nations most committed to fighting global poverty in the second annual Commitment to Development Index, released today by the Center for Global Development (CGD) and Foreign Policy magazine. The CGD/FP Commitment to Development Index ranks 21 of the world's richest countries on their dedication to policies that benefit the 5 billion people living in poorer nations. The United States ranks 1st in trade policy, 19th in aid effort, and 7th in the overall index.

Commitment to Development Index Rankings:

1. Netherlands

1. Denmark

3. Sweden

4. Australia

4. United Kingdom

6. Canada

7. United States

7. Germany

7. Norway

7. France

11. Finland

12. Austria

13. Belgium

14. Portugal

14. Italy

16. New Zealand

17. Greece

18. Ireland

18. Switzerland

20. Spain

21. Japan

Three small nations, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, beat out the world's largest economic powers to hold the top spots in this year's index. Fourth place United Kingdom leads all Group of Seven (G-7) nations, followed by Canada, which holds sixth place due in large part to its development-friendly migration policies. The United States follows in seventh place. Despite earning high marks for its trade policy, the United States contributes relatively little foreign aid given the size of its economy and garners poor environmental scores. Japan, the second largest foreign aid contributor, finishes last. Poor scores for its trade and migration policies, as well as its low aid score, make Japan the least development-friendly nation on the index.

Nancy Birdsall, president of CGD, said, In a year when foreign policy may very well drive the results of the U.S. presidential election, the index helps focus attention in the U.S. and abroad on the all-too-weak efforts the richest countries make to help the poorest. Every country scored mediocre or worse in at least one area, so there is plenty of room-and need-for improvement all around. The world deserves better from the richest nations."

The index illustrates that a wide variety of decisions in individual countries influence global development," said Foreign Policy Editor & Publisher Moises Naim. "In an increasingly connected world, the challenge is to understand the many ways- well beyond foreign aid and trade-that rich countries can engage the world's poor. Expanding knowledge about this kind of process is in keeping with FP's mission of illuminating the mechanisms of global integration."

The index, an initiative of CGD and FP, builds upon contributions from experts at the CGD, the Brookings Institution, and the Migration Policy Institute and benefits from the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation.

To read a complete version of the CGD/FP Commitment to Development Index, including all relevant charts and source data, as well as a look at how the index is calculated, visit http://www.cgdev.org and http://www.foreignpolicy.com.

About the Commitment to Development Index:

Moving beyond comparisons of foreign aid, the CGD/FP Commitment to Development Index also considers countries' openness to exports from developing countries as well as their performance in security, investment, migration, technology, and environmental policies. The index rewards generous and selective aid giving, tax breaks for private giving, sizable contributions to global security, incentives for foreign direct investment, hospitable policies for immigration, and robust support for technological research and development. It penalizes financial assistance to corrupt regimes and policies that harm shared environmental resources.

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About the Center for Global Development:

The Center for Global Development is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality through policy-oriented research and active engagement on development issues with the policy community and the public. http://www.cgdev.org

About Foreign Policy:

Founded in 1970, Foreign Policy is the premier, award-winning magazine of global politics, economics, and ideas. Our readers include some of the most influential leaders in business, government, and other professional arenas in the United States and more than 90 other countries. In addition to our flagship English-language edition and Web site, http://www.foreignpolicy.com, FP is published in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Spanish (three editions), and Turkish. In 2003, FP was the recipient of a National Magazine Award for General Excellence. FP is published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ( http://www.ceip.org ) in Washington, D.C. For syndication permission, contact Ayari De la Rosa, phone: 202-939-2241; e-mail: adelarosa@ceip.org