ONE released its DATA Report 2013 which examines how developing countries - with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa - are progressing in reaching the Millennium Development Goals’ targets. ONE also just released a Special Report Tracking Development Assistance, which holds European governments to account for their promises to the world’s poor. 

Government Spending Watch was successfully launched in London on 16 May. The 2013 report, website and database were presented at a seminar hosted by Overseas Development Institute and attended by around 50 participants from NGOs, research and donor institutions. You can now access the video of the event here and download presentations from DFI , Oxfam  and South Africa's People's Health Movement . #govspendwatch

The World Bank organised a DeMPA training held at the Joint Vienna Institute, Vienna, Austria. About 30 students from fifteen countries participated and were exposed to the DeMPA methodology through presentations, country case studies presented by some participants and hands-on exercices. Participants also learnt about and how to elaborate a Reform Plan. 

DFI chaired a session of the World Bank Debt Management Facility conference in Berlin, examining non-concessional financing for IDA countries. For the presentations made at the conference, see here. The conference also held a meeting of the DMF Technical Advisory Group which discussed the evaluation of the DMF and the forthcoming work programme. 

The Government of Zambia is looking into introducing legislation which would compel companies to repatriate all export revenues to Zambia. This new initiative is expected to help tackle the move of profit offshore untaxed particularly from the mining sector which has voiced complaints about these prospects. More details here.

DFI and two national experts are assisting the Government of Niger, funded by the World Bank, in a study to identify how to accelerate disbursement and implementation of investment projects. Preliminary results have already revealed procurement bottlenecks, and an action plan to overcome these will be validated by the authorities soon in a national workshop.

UNDP and the Institute for Policy Dialogue of Columbia University organized pre-launches of the Government Spending Watch report, website and database. The UNDP meeting was attended by many UN and IPU officials, and both meetings provided the chance for discussions with technical partners and UN agencies on future cooperation. For a copy of the UNDP presentation, please see here.  

DFI participated in this meeting on the role of philanthropic organizations in the post-2015 setting, held in the UN ECOSOC in New York. The meeting discussed improving monitoring and analysis on best practices in support by philanthropists for global development, and their views on the post-2015 agenda . For more details, see here.  

DFI participated in a seminar on the FSB organized by New Rules for Global Finance, sharing views between insiders and campaigners, and in various private meetings on the FSB. For full details of the FSB seminar, click here. 

Oxfam America and DFI, in partnership with Publish What You Fund, organized the Washington pre-launch of the Government Spending Watch report, website and database. The pre-launch was attended by many high-level US government officials, advocates and researchers interested in budget transparency and MDG spending. Kevin Watkins of Brookings, Jo Marie Griesgraber of New Rules and Sally Paxton of PWYF commented on the report findings and the overall initiative. For a copy of the executive summary please see here. The Washington launch was preceded by meetings about GSW with other technical partners, including the IMF, World Bank and International Budget Partnership, and also the findings and ways forward were discussed with representatives from many low-income country governments.