International Alert responds to the Minister for Development’s speech at Chatham House
On 17 October 2024, Anneliese Dodds, the UK Minister for Development, delivered her first major speech in her role, setting out the new UK government’s international development priorities.
We applaud the commitment to put climate action and responsible investment in fragile and high-risk zones high on the new government’s agenda. However, one significant area remains unaddressed.
Nic Hailey CMG, Executive Director of International Alert, said:
The Minister rightly highlighted conflict as a crucial driving factor in the alarming rise in need for aid around the globe. But what action the government will take to address the root causes of conflicts, or prevent them in the first place, was absent from her speech.
Conflict must be front of mind in the UK government’s plans to deliver on its climate pledges and its welcome intention to push for more investment in areas of the world often deemed too risky. If delivered in the right ways, climate action, investment and indeed aid can also help to deliver stability and even peace in some of the poorest and most fragile areas of the world.
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