Western countries not always honest about aid they provide: Foreign Affairs

NEW YORK, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States and other high-income Western countries insist that they offer a more honest, open partnership with developing countries than their rivals do, but in truth, they are not always honest about the assistance they provide, reported Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

"They find ways to exaggerate their real commitments through creative and dubious accounting practices meant to expand the definition of development-aid spending," said the report.

"When it comes to the other category of assistance that wealthy countries owe to developing ones -- finance to help the global South mitigate and adapt to climate change -- rich countries fall egregiously short of what they have pledged, which is in turn tragically short of what poorer ones need," it said.

These shortcomings on development aid and climate finance undermine the credibility of Western donors and hurt the United States and its allies in their strive for influence around the world, according to the report.

"To live up to its values and promises," said the report, "the West must be honest and serious about its development-aid and climate-finance commitments."