DFID works with a wide variety of international bodies, organisations, charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). They have the skills and access to further our aims of poverty reduction and sustainable development.
The bodies we work with include:
- global financial organisations such as the World Bank
- global political organisations such as the United Nations
- regional organisations such as the European Union or regional development banks
- other donor countries such as the members of the Development Assistance Committee
- charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Taken together, all these bodies and agencies amount to a global aid ‘system’. DFID exerts its influence in a wide range of forums and settings to make the system as efficient as possible and to deliver the best possible development aid to the world’s poor.
Bilateral or multilateral?
A one-to-one relationship with another country or body is called ‘bilateral’. The UK has bilateral relations with developing or ‘partner’ countries, as well as with other donors from the developed world.
In contrast, agencies who work with numerous countries or bodies are called ‘multilateral’. Almost 40% of DFID development funding now goes through multilateral agencies. These include the World Bank and the United Nations as well as groupings of developed nations such as the European Union. Between them these three bodies now handle one third of all global development aid.
Multilaterals have many advantages to offer in the fight against poverty because of the global reach of their operations and the expertise of their staff.
As a member of many multilateral bodies, the UK government is able to intervene at numerous levels to influence the design and implementation of multilaterals’ policies and their projects on the ground.