The 0.7% target refers to the repeated commitment of most of the world's donor countries to allocate 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA).

First pledged 35 years ago in a 1970 General Assembly Resolution, the 0.7% target has been affirmed in many international agreements over the years.

The 0.7% target is a key test of the commitment made by world leaders in 1995 to eliminate poverty.

Meeting the 0.7% target is not an impossible mountain for the G8 countries to climb. The share of public expenditure going to aid in G8 countries is less than 1% – for Italy and the US it is 0.3% and 0.4% respectively – even for those countries who have achieved 0.7%, the share of public expenditure is less than 2%.

But the reality is that some countries still have some way to go before they can meet the 0.7% target. Faced with budgetary challenges, some have pledged to develop new ways of funding in order to meet their commitments.