Latin America

DFID will increase its overall spending in Latin America by 15% over the next 3 years, from some £84 million in 2007/8 to £97 million in 2010/11. 0/11.

The greater part of the funding will be through the European Commission and the World Bank. We will continue to work in Brazil, where our focus will be on supporting Brazil’s role in global development.

The remainder of the funding will be channelled largely through civil society – in recognition of their role at the frontline of tackling social exclusion and inequality. This will include support to civil society in Nicaragua, and wider funding for 12 UK NGO’s who work in the region. These NGO’s are; 

• CAFOD
• Christian Aid
• Oxfam GB
• HIV/ AIDS Alliance
• CARE International
• WWF UK
• World Vision
• Plan International
• Save the Children UK
• HelpAge International
• Action Aid
• Progressio

Research institutions in the region will also receive support for work on climate change and poverty.

The strengthened emphasis on working through civil society in the region – and the decision to focus scarce resources on Low Income Countries and fragile states in other regions – means that DFID will now no longer keep offices in Nicaragua or Bolivia. Our office in Bolivia will close in September 2008, and in Nicaragua we will be closing the bilateral programme – and the office – by April 2009. It also means that our specific programme of working with the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank on governance and access to markets by poor people will also close in 2008/9.

The UK Government’s programme of working with the International Financial Institutions in Latin America has generated significant impact over the last 3 years. An evaluation is currently under way, and will be made publicly available soon. See below for some success stories from our work.

Latin America holds a number of important lessons for the rest of the world on development. In late 2008, DFID will produce materials capturing the main lessons learned from the Latin America programmes. Watch this space for more information.

For further information, please contact Paul Spray, Deputy Director, Latin America and Caribbean Department: p-spray@dfid.gov.uk

Links to External Partners

• World Bank in Latin America
• The Inter-American Development Bank
• The International Poverty Centre in Brazil

Last updated: 09 July 2008