Summary

Since 1992, The Reality of Aid has monitored how aid and development cooperation policy and practice match up to the challenge of eliminating global poverty. The Reality of Aid now reports from a network of more than 40 NGOs in Africa, Asia, Latin America and OECD countries.

Aid, at less than US$60 billion, is dwarfed by OECD domestic agricultural subsidies worth more than US$300 billion. Most global institutions are dominated by OECD countries, which ruthlessly pursue their own economic and political security agendas while insisting that developing countries adopt policies that maintain international disparities and perpetuate poverty.

The Reality of Aid 2004 explores the theme of governance and human rights in development cooperation using illustrations from countries such as Peru, Nepal, Zambia and Indonesia. With reports from 20 OECD countries, the Middle East and the Pacific, and graphs illustrating major trends in global aid, The Reality of Aid 2004 provides a unique commentary on the state of development cooperation.