IRELAND HAS been ranked sixth out of 22 rich countries for its record on helping poor and developing countries by a Washington-based think-tank.
The Irish State was, however, criticised by the Centre for Global Development (CGD) for the barriers it puts up to trade in agricultural products from poor countries and its record on investment in technological creation.
Praised were Ireland’s “high quality foreign aid programme, its lack of arms exports to undemocratic governments and its low barriers to entry for immigrants from developing countries.
“But as one of only three countries without a national policy risk insurance agency Ireland ranks near the bottom of the investment component.
“It is also one of the lowest in government support for technology creation and dissemination and keeping borders open to agricultural trade with poor countries.”
The CGD’s Commitment to Development Index (CDI) has been published annually since 2003 to “remind the world that reducing poverty in developing countries is about far more than giving money”.
Data are drawn from a variety of sources, including the OECD, the World Bank, the United Nations and academic research papers, most published since 2003.
Rich countries are ranked on how their policies on aid, trade, investment, security, environment, technology and migration promote global development.
The seven components are averaged for a final score and the scoring is adjusted for size in order to discern how much countries are living up to their potential to help.
The average overall score was five, with Sweden – which came first – scoring seven. The highest possible score is 10.
Ireland scored 5.7, behind Sweden, Denmark’s 6.7, the Netherlands’ and Norway’s tied score of 6.6, and New Zealand’s 5.8.
Ireland scored 9.8 for aid and ranked fifth on this measure. It was praised for not insisting its aid be spent only on Irish goods or services, and for the large amount of private charity giving.
Its lowest score was three, ranking 21st, on investment. On trade, Ireland scored 5.6 and is ranked 16th.
Identified as an Irish weakness are “high tariffs on agricultural products” and high agricultural subsidies to Irish farmers, which further imbalance trade with developing countries.
Ireland came ahead of the United Kingdom, which tied for 12th place overall with France and Germany, with a score of 5.1 overall and the United States which came 17th and scored 4.9 overall. South Korea came 22nd with an overall score of 2.8.
CGD president Nancy Birdsall praised Sweden, and had tough words for low-scoring wealthy nations.
“It is the United States, Germany, France, Japan and the other economies that have the multiple linkages and potential in absolute terms to make a difference for poor countries.
“Their failure to use it to the fullest is a blow to the cause of truly shared global prosperity.”
None of the Group of Seven rich nations club makes it into the top 10.
Ms Birdsall had criticism even for high-scoring countries, however, saying almost all had scored below average in at least one area and most were below average in at least three.
