Author: Libby Smith, Acting CEO

The new Secretary of State for International Development comes to her post at a hugely exciting time for the United Kingdom. With political tides changing across the world, it has never been more important for Britain to take a leading role on the international stage. Indeed, Britain is a global actor with a unique standing, and we must use this moment to strengthen our position as a soft power superpower.

I believe that Britain is at its best when we act as a leader in diplomacy, development and defence. The UK’s commitment to international development sends a clear message about our values as a country: we are an outward-facing, tolerant, compassionate, decent country that respects democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Development flies the flag for Britain around the world and enhances our influence and soft power - assets which are used across other departments as we engage with governments overseas. We should celebrate the role DFID plays in providing Britain with prestige and power on the world stage. Indeed, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is now responsible for one of the most widely respected aid agencies, whose reputation opens doors at the highest level, strengthening our hand in global diplomacy.

But international development is not just about promoting the UK brand, the work done through the aid budget is very much in our national interest. By investing in development, we make ourselves safer, healthier and more prosperous. This is all the more pertinent as we face threats from terrorism in Europe and further afield, and viruses which don’t respect national borders.

The UK’s response to the Ebola crisis in 2014 and 2015 was a prime example of Britain at its best, putting our world class development, nurses and armed forces personnel to the task of fighting a disease that was taking thousands of lives and setting development back years. DFID’s expertise helped to bring the crisis under control, and prevented the disease spreading closer to our shores. The UK has so much talent, expertise and resources, and these will no doubt be called upon as we face the new threat of the coronavirus.

Making developing countries safer and more economically secure in turn enhances our security and economy. DFID’s work contributes to tackling modern day slavery in the Congo, preventing drug trafficking in Tanzania and training Lebanese forces to fight Daesh - all actions which are in Britain’s interests. And crucially, when you ask local people what they require, time and time again they answer the same – jobs. To be exact 50,000 new jobs per day are needed in Africa. Investing in jobs is not only good for local people, but for us too, helping to tackle the root causes of destabilisation and radicalisation, making us all safer.

Encouraging enterprise through international development has a further longer-term benefit for Britain. As a nation which is about to embark on negotiating our own trade agreements, creating more prosperous economies in developing countries will make Britain better off - giving more choice to consumers and providing more export opportunities for our businesses. Coupled with building brand Britain overseas, our aid budget can make sure that our development partners of today become our trading partners of tomorrow.

Whilst making the world a safer, healthier and a more prosperous place is in our national interest, it’s also in our interest to ensure we’re delivering value for money. Critics of foreign aid are quick to pounce on newspaper articles about aid ‘waste’. However, the reality is that these stories largely relate to money spent by departments other than DFID. In fact, DFID is globally recognised as one of the world’s most effective and transparent aid donors, ranking 3rd globally and scoring as ‘very good’ in the Transparency Index . In contrast, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received a ‘poor’ rating. Certain sections of the media have called for these two departments to be merged, but such a decision would prove very costly and disruptive. The Institute for Government estimates that Whitehall reorganisation can take over two years with costs running up to £15 million. But more importantly, it would restrict the work of both departments. DFID has proven it has the expertise and capabilities to deliver a world-class aid programme. And as we look to renew and strengthen ties with countries around the world, the UK’s diplomats need to focus on their core role of building new alliances, rather than trying to administer the aid budget.

Instead of focusing time and energy on merging departments, we should be acknowledging the incredible impact of aid work and the long-term benefits it provides to developing nations. One of the greatest measures of value for money is surely empowering countries to stand on their own two feet and ending aid dependency. Promoting prosperity and helping countries graduate from aid must be central to our long-term strategy for tackling extreme poverty. From working with Rwanda to transform its taxation system to training judges in Kenya, Britain is helping build the capacity of developing countries so that they can move beyond aid.

A clear example of this is South Korea, a former aid recipient which is now the 12th largest economy in the world. In 2018, the UK exported almost £10 billion of goods and services with South Korea, making it one of Britain’s top trading partners in East Asia. South Korea is a blueprint for demonstrating how aid and trade are not mutually exclusive but in fact two sides of the same coin.

As we forge our post-Brexit future, the link between aid and trade shows why the Secretary of State for International Development has such a key role to play. Leadership on international development is part of what makes Britain great, and there has never been a more important time to stand tall and reaffirm our commitment to tackling global issues and fostering prosperity around the world.