Asia-Pacific

Aid effectiveness and development in the Asia-Pacific region is diverse. The region is by far the most populous, with vast areas developing rapidly. It includes fragile states, middle-income countries, least developed countries and small island states.

Aid infrastructures differ, but most countries have implemented elements of the aid effectiveness agenda.

Net Overseas Development Aid (ODA) per capita is lower than other regions. As a percentage of Gross National Income, it accounts for just 0.2 percent in East Asia and the Pacific and less than 1 percent in South Asia. Yet the region also hosts the world’s most aid dependent nation.

Key themes for aid effectiveness include climate change finance, promoting gender equality, delivering effective aid in fragile situations, private sector participation, ownership and accountability beyond the state, south-south and triangular cooperation, aid transparency and capacity development.

Key messages for Busan from the region include ‘finishing the business’ agreed in Paris and Accra, ensuring that Post-Busan commitments apply to all development partnerships, strengthening mutual accountability and increasing the use of country systems. For fragile states, the G7+ process provides essential and differentiated guidance of how to improve effectiveness. South-South and triangular cooperation are already a strong part of the development landscape and the role of the private sector must be defined. Many countries support the inclusion of climate change finance and development effectiveness in the Busan Outcome Document

Human development and national income in Asia and the Pacific are on a low to medium level, where life expectancy at birth is 70 years. 92% of people are literate and almost 48% live in cities. Economic disparities become clear when looking at GDP per capita. In South Asia it stood at $1,312 in 2010 and was almost three times higher in East Asia and the Pacific.