Neil Cole with Paul O'Brien (vice president, Policy and Campaigns) and the Oxfam America team working on Aid Transparency CABRI participated in the launch and subsequent panel discussion of the Oxfam America report A Quiet Renaissance: How Reforms are Making America a Better Partner in the Fight Against Poverty, in Washington DC on 11 April 2013. The report shows a positive trend in the approach of the US development assistance.

The panel consisted of Martha Kwataine (executive director of the Malawi Health Equity Network), Paul O’Brien (vice president of Policy & Campaigns at Oxfam America) and Neil Cole (executive secretary of CABRI), and was led by the radio journalist Kojo Nnamadi. The discussion evolved around the encouraging findings of the Oxfam report, but also underlined the need to for the USA and other development partners to deepen development reforms and strengthen fiscal transparency efforts in order to fight poverty around the globe.

Cole welcomed the report, as CABRI also represents the position that aid transparency (both on the side of donor and aid receiving countries) is crucial to ensure that that citizens are able to hold their executive accountable. He also cautioned development partners not to "try to fit square pegs into round holes". Development assistance needs to be cognisant of the context of the individual countries, and not make use of a one-size-fits- all approach.

Click here for more information on the event and to view a recording of the panel discussion.