Policy Papers

The protracted conflict in the Lake Chad Basin has cut off millions of women and men from their livelihoods, making them dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. Oxfam’s research in late 2017 showed that early recovery and livelihoods development are much needed and should be prioritized to promote resilience among crisis-affected communities.

International humanitarian agencies and donors have made a series of global commitments to local actors as part of the localization agenda. This briefing paper reviews 2015 national financial data for Bangladesh and Uganda to better understand how to target international investments in localization.

The EU is about to set out a multi-year framework for its budget after 2020, which will have an impact on sustainable development worldwide and on the EU’s support for people in humanitarian crisis. Oxfam calls on the EU and its member states to increase aid commitments, in order to reduce the gap between what is needed and what is being given.

In December 2017, South Sudan marked four years of devastating conflict. Only a few months later, it has reached another critical point: more South Sudanese are hungry than ever before. This report provides recommendations for the international community and warring parties on what they can do to stop the violence, increase access to humanitarian aid and allow the people of South Sudan to recover.

This joint report by the Refugee Council and Oxfam is one of the first to look at how family reunion and ongoing forced separation from loved ones affect the ability of refugees to successfully integrate into UK society.

Huge numbers of people are returning to Afghanistan – more than two million since 2015 – while the country is still highly fragile. Oxfam’s field research finds that for as long as these conditions do not improve, a safe and dignified return cannot be guaranteed, and forced returns remain irresponsible.

This paper looks at the information available on the role of the Italian private sector in participating in and implementing development programmes funded through Italian ODA in one of the key sectors of Italian development cooperation policy: sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Dangerous, poorly paid work for the many is supporting extreme wealth for the few. Women are in the worst work, and almost all the super-rich are men. Governments must create a more equal society by prioritizing ordinary workers and small-scale food producers instead of the rich and powerful.

This briefing calls for action by all actors in the conflict and by the international community to protect the civilian population from the effects of the war and to alleviate the food crisis. It calls for renewed momentum towards a peace deal which is inclusive of women, civil society, youth and minorities, and which begins with an immediate, nationwide ceasefire.

Since 25 August, more than 626,000 Rohingya have reached Bangladesh from Myanmar. This report is an opportunity for some of them to share their stories, hopes, and their experiences of living in overcrowded and unhealthy refugee camps.

Two years on from the peak of the “refugee crisis” in Greece, the Greek state is beginning to take over management and financing of aspects of the reception and integration system. At this turning point, the 14 undersigned NGOs believe it is critical to reflect on our field experiences and provide recommendations.

This joint agency paper presents research conducted among women and men small business owners in central and northern Jordan on the challenges they face. It aims to contribute to the economic self-reliance, resilience and stability of Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Jordan.

The Asia-Pacific region was a model for ‘growing with equity’ in the 1970s and 1980s. However an economic take-off and market-oriented reforms in recent years has been accompanied by wealth gaps between rich and poor. This report suggests a course for the region’s economies to be defined by inclusive growth and shared prosperity.

Extreme inequality is out of control in Kenya. Less than 0.1% of the population (8,300 people) own more wealth than the bottom 99.9% (more than 44 million people). Tackling inequality could help to lift millions out of poverty, secure sustainable economic growth and bring the country together.

In Mali, French aid aims to build the technical capacity of Malian administrations to collect tax by fighting against fraud and tax evasion. However, collecting more domestic resources alone will not be sufficient to reduce poverty. France must support watch-dog organizations to ensure greater transparency and accountability on the use of these resources for the benefit of the poorest.

The EU will soon release a blacklist of tax havens operating outside the EU, and issue penalties for those appearing on it. This report shows what a robust blacklist would look like if the EU were to objectively apply its own criteria and not bow to political pressure.

Europe's new plan for investing in Africa will see EU development support being channelled through private companies. Here we look at what the EU must do to ensure those funds actually go to the people aid is meant to help.

In 2015, the EU and its member states set up the ‘EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa’ to promote stability and economic opportunities and to strengthen resilience.

This case study assesses the extent of Tullow Oil’s compliance with the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Turkana County, Kenya.It examines the company’s engagement in selected communities and finds that, while community engagement processes have improved in important ways, it has yet to achieve FPIC.